Six north country diaries - The MAN & Other Families

242
1782. May 30. A heavy rain. Mr. Doubleday's bridge and G.
Cockburn's call, at the mill, taken totally away by the flood.i^
1782. May 31. A great assembly in the town-hall in Alnwick.
1782. June 3. A subjjoena served upon the Chamberlains and
Commjon Council of Alnwick out of Chanceiy, at the suit of Heniy
Collingwood Selby and others, with respect to Alnwick Moor.^
1782. June 5. A meeting of the Sons of the Clerg;\- at Alnwick.
1782. June 10. Died at Alnwick, Mrs. Adams, relict of Benjamin
Adams, esq., late of South Acton, and mother of Mr. Thomas Adams,,
attorney in Alnwick, aged 80.-
1782. June 15. Whitening the church and painting the chancel.
The influenza is very general in town and country, but not fatal.
1782. June 24. Died, Mrs. Cook, wife of captain John Cook.^
1782. June 25. Died, Rev. Mr. William Laidman, vicar of
Wardon, aged 72, with a good character.^
1782. June. The Rev. Mr. Samuel Hall^ presented to the vicarage
of Chatton and the curacy of Alnwick by the Right Rev. Bishop
of Durham and His Grace, Hugh, Duke of Northuml:)erland, both
vacant by the death of the late Rev. Mr. Stodart.
and the Newcastle Couranl of 1 June, 1782, announces the death at Catcleugh of
'
Mr. Roger Hall, stockmaster, a gentleman universally respected by a verv
extensive acquaintance and whose memor_y will long be held in esteem when
this temporary tribute of afiection is entirely forgotten.'
'^
This was only a wooden foot-bridge over the Aln near Alnwick Abbey
which at this period belonged to and was the residence of Mr. Michael Doubleday,
a Quaker. The Duke of Northumberland purchased the Abbey, in 1800, and
the present handsome stone bridge was built in 1S21.
'
An account of the dispiites between Mr. H. C. Selby as the Duke of
Northumberland's commissioner, and the freemen of Alnwick may be found in
Tate, Ahmicl; vol. ii., pp. 295-301.
-'
Mrs. Adams was daughter of Alexander Collingwood of Little Rjde, and
wife of Benjamin Adams of South Acton in Felton, who was son of Edward
Adams, who purchased, in 1682, that estate, which is still in the possession of his
descendants. Mrs. Adams was buried at Felton. The Newcastle Courant of
15 June, 17S2, states that she was 'a gentlewoman universally respected for
her good sense, benevolence and unaffected exemplai'y piety.'
There is a theorj^ that the custom of periodically lime washing churches
'
had its origin after the Black Death. Whether the white-washing of Alnwick
church, recorded above, was a consequence of the prevailing disorder or merely
a coincidence, is unknown.
* Margaret, sister and coheir of John Cook of Sturton Grange Eastfield,
married 3rd July, 1750, at Warkworth, John Cook (of the Blakemoor family)
master and mariner, and had issue four sons and two daiighters. The elder
of the daughters married, first, George Selby of Twizell in Bamburgh-shire, and
secondly. Rev. Matson Dodd, rector of Ingram.
For Captain Cooks second marriage, see p. 250, post.
^ Mr. William Laidman was vicar of Wardon from 1758 to 1782, and was
buried there.
" Mr. Hall's father, the Rev. Samuel Hall, was presented to the vicarage
of Long Houghton in 1730, and married, 9 July, 1733, Eleanor Story of Long
Houghton.