Northumberland Archives

One of the aims of the Northumberland Archives Charitable Trust is to improve and promote access to documents held within Northumberland Archives.  Projects have been funded to list collections as well as adding descriptive content to existing collections.  This additional information is added to our catalogue making the content available and searchable via the Online Catalogue on the Northumberland Archives website either at home or in the search rooms.  The current cataloguing project focuses on a collection of deeds relating to lands owned by members of the Clayton family in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. 

What do the various deeds reveal about the Roman Wall at the time that members of the Clayton family were purchasing land around it?

The earliest reference (found to date) of the Roman Wall within the ZCY collection refers to an indenture of 1654, mentioned in an 1834 deed relating to the conveyance of land in the Manor of Henshaw, parish of Haltwhistle. Like many of the deeds, the document itself begins by detailing preceding transactions.  A lease was entered into on 20 January 1654 between Francis Nevill and William Ridley for a place called “Steale on the North Side of the Wall called the Roman Wall…”, the land was occupied by Eleanor Glendinning, widow.  A later lease of 26 November 1698 between Sir Edward Blackett and William Lowes refers to “a parcel of moor land known as Steele alias Steelrig lying on the North side of the Roman or Picts Wall…”.  The two leases are detailed in documents ZCY/4/6 and ZCY/4/12; there are variations of spelling between the two documents. 

As seen in the leases mentioned above, the Roman Wall is most frequently referred to in terms of boundaries.  Plots of land were often described in terms of size (acres, roods and perches), what the boundary was on each side could include the neighbouring landowners, previous owner, sometimes the tenant as well as features of the landscape such as fences or roads.  As not all plots of lands had a specific name, it makes sense that the Roman Wall is used for this purpose. 

Many of the deeds give a list of geographical features, both physical and non-physical, that are included in or with a plot of land, for example ‘singular houses, outhouses, buildings, barns, stables, orchards, gardens, ways, paths, passages, easements’ etc.  Sadly, these ‘catch-all’ descriptions do not refer to the Roman Wall itself.   

Some of the deeds include a plan, the image below captures the remains of Vindolanda (note the spelling, Vindolana). 

Conveyances which include a plan allows you to compare the changes in the landscape. The plan below relates to an 1867 conveyance of land in Thorngrafton which included Barcombe Colliery, by comparing it to a later Ordnance Survey map the proximity to known Roman remains becomes clearer. 

Finally, a conveyance in this collection highlights John Clayton’s interest in nature, with this clause recorded in a deed relating to a grass field near Walwick; reserved to John Clayton and heirs “…three trees standing on the said piece or parcel of ground hereby granted in the Foss or ditch of the Roman Wall with right for the same to stand and grow up without any power to cut down the same it being intended by the said parties hereto that the said trees shall remain standing until they shall naturally decay.”   We believe that the grass field in question is approximately 10 miles from Sycamore Gap. (Ref.No. ZCY/6/7). 

Hunting for bargains in a charity shop is always a great way to spend an afternoon and earlier this year, amongst the pewter jugs, bric-a-brac and Best of Doris Day LP’s in the RSPCA shop in Morpeth, one of our Archive Assistants spotted an interesting looking document in a large frame.

On first inspection it appeared that the item was of the sort that we see regularly in the Archive; namely a historic legal document. However as it was framed, the problem we immediately had was knowing whether it would fit within our collecting policy; I.e. did it refer to Northumberland or somewhere else in the country? If it did refer in some way to the county, then its rightful place should be with us in the archive. Unfortunately, it soon became obvious that this crucial information was on the first page of the document and would be completely inaccessible unless the item was removed from its frame. We decided to take the risk and purchase it, knowing that even in the worst-case scenario we would have rescued something of historical significance, and at the same time, contributed to aiding the plight of some stricken animals into the bargain.

Once back in the office, we removed the item from its frame and discovered that the first page remained impossible to view as the two pages had been glued together at the edges. However, our decision to acquire the document was justified as, with some very careful prying and manipulation, we were just about able to make out the word ‘Alnwick’ on the second page.

It seems likely that at some point in its life, the attractive appearance of the document, with its late 19^th century handwriting and wax seals, had proven aesthetically pleasing enough for someone to want to display it in their house or office, at the expense of being able to actually read it. Due to being in contact with direct sunlight, presumably by being hung on the wall, the document had suffered a degree of fading. Not only that but as well as severely restricting access, the glue that had been used to stick the two pages together risked severely damaging the paper over time.  Although we do of course appreciate things that look nice at the archive, for us the informational value of papers is usually of more importance than their appearance. And so, in a bid to free both pages of the document and allow them to be properly cared for, we contacted our conservator Lindsay Gibson to see if she could help. After checking how the two pages were affixed, Lyndsay was able to use the skills and conservation tools at her disposal to separate them and we were finally able to discover that the item was a mortgage document relating to a property on Clayport Street in Alnwick from 1877.

This type of document contains potentially very useful information for several possible audiences. Anyone interested in the history of Alnwick, its dwellings or businesses, may find vital details within it, perhaps relating to their own property. Or perhaps family historians researching specific ancestors could find clues to their history by researching the names that appear in the text.

The document is now conserved, correctly packaged in archival standard acid-free enclosures, and it safely resides in one of our seven strong rooms. Its life expectancy has been extended immeasurably; out of the sun, away from any glue and available for consultation in our Search Room for anyone who may be interested in it. So, if in the course of your bargain hunting in Northumberland’ numerous charity shops, remember to keep an eye out for any documents that may have historical significance. And if you spot any, be sure to let us know.