General

One of the tasks we are able to complete from home during lockdown is the typing up of old lists. Many of our collections are catalogued, but were done so so long ago that the catalogues only exist in a paper format. This means that if people are able to visit our search room they can search the collection and identify useful material within it, but it’s more difficult for our remote users and people unable to visit, which is currently everyone, of course. So, by typing up the lists we can upload them into our electronic system. They can then be searched online, although, of course, the material itself remains only in its original format in the strongrooms.

One such list I have recently been typing up is the Orde family of Nunnykirk papers. The Ordes were a relatively well-to-do eighteenth-century family from the Morpeth area. One prominent member of the family was Admiral Sir John Orde. He had a successful Navy career and was governor of Dominica, in the Carribean, between 1783 and 1793. But, he is perhaps best remembered today for his quarrel with Horatio Nelson. In actual fact, Orde doesn’t appear to have had any issue with Nelson, more so with his superiors who appointed Nelson over him, Orde felt unfairly. So much so, that Orde actually challenged his commanding officer, John Jervis, to a duel. The offer was never accepted and was ultimately withdrawn. Frustratingly, the collection only has a few items relating to Sir John Orde’s naval career.

However, a large section of the papers relate to a great interest of the Orde family, horse breeding. Sir John Orde’s half brother, William Orde, owned an estate at Nunnykirk and his son, also William Orde, greatly renovated it and rebuilt Nunnykrik Hall. The Orde’s employed John Dobson to design the new building. William also established a stud farm and he and his nephew enjoyed huge success breeding racehorses. 

One of their most successful horses, mentioned in the collection several times, was called Beeswing. Her success brought with it huge popularity. She competed in fifty-seven races and was placed lower than second only once. She even won the Ascot Gold Cup of 1842. She won the Newcastle Cup a total of six times and was put out to pasture after winning the Doncaster Cup for the fourth time. Beeswing was so famous that a small village in Dumfries and Galloway actually changed its name from Lochend to Beeswing in her honour.

Hopefully making the catalogue of this collection available online will allow people to explore the papers with greater ease and uncover more about these, and other stories of the Orde family of Nunnykirk.

Jemmy Allen, noted piper of Northumberland, was born in 1734 at Woodhouses, Rothbury, Northumberland. He was one of six children of a traveller family.

As he was a bright lad; a local squire sent him to school so that he would end up in a more “respectable occupation”, unlike his father. Despite everyone’s attempts to get him to better himself, he resisted. His father, Will Allen, as well as being a skilled vermin hunter was a notable musician in his own right on the Northumbrian small pipes. He taught young Jemmy the arts of his music.

‘Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast’.

Later on in his youth, he saw a performance by The Northern Militia Band at Alnwick, Northumberland and this led him to join up. This occupation turned out to be even worse than his experience with school and he soon deserted. He was arrested at Stagshaw Bank Fair, but escaped. He deserted several more times.

He travelled far and wide over the North, skilfully playing his pipes but also indulging in various criminal activities along the way. In 1769 he was appointed as a musician at Alnwick but he misbehaved and was sacked. He reverted back to his old ways of felony, breaking jail, drinking and horse stealing. 

He never learned his lesson and appeared in court several times. Ultimately, this put to a stop to his lawless life. In 1803 he had been drinking and stole a horse and rode “o’er the border and awa.’” He was captured and the court found him guilty, sentencing him to death. The death sentence was then changed to transportation, but because of his age (69) and his infirmities, this was commuted to incarceration for life. He died in jail aged 77 on 13^th November 1810.

It was a sign of his popularity that a petition was made to free Jemmy; the Prince Regent was first to sign it. However, his death came before the letter granting him pardon arrived. 

Folklore tales, true and untrue were fondly told of the adventures of Jemmy Allen’s vagabond life as a roving musician, both before, and after, his life ended.

The Monthly Chronicle, of North – Country Lore and Legend, Jubilee Edition. Volume 1, 1887

In 1542, during the reign of Henry VIII, the Witchcraft Act was introduced.  Witchcraft was defined as a felony to be tried through the courts with a maximum penalty of hanging.  Elizabeth I further strengthened this in 1563. A first time offender would be imprisoned for a year and placed into a pillory [sort of stock with holes for hands and feet] four times, a second offence would result in death by hanging unless the person was convicted of murder by witchcraft in the first instance.  In 1604 James IV of Scotland and James I of England strengthened English law to make death by hanging compulsory for those injured. King James was very interested in witchcraft, having written an earlier book entitled ‘Daemonologie’ and personally attending trials. Although, he did not take the opportunity to mirror the punishment carried out in Scotland of burning at the stake.  

In 1904 Balfour published “County Folklore Vol IV Northumberland” bringing together numerous sources to record different folklore stories across the county (other volumes were completed for other English counties).   Below are some of the stories told…

Acklington had a reputation for dealings in the magic arts including ‘invulation’ “by which the life, death or suffering of an enemy was attempted by means of a figure in which pins were struck” or was roasted on a fire.  Brinkburne Abbey was recorded as having its own witch living in a nearby cottage; she had an ‘evil eye’ and local villagers were afraid of her cat. The witch that lived in Hawkwell transformed herself into a hare.

A number of individuals, mostly women, are cited as being accused of being  witches; with the accounts often being heard by the then Mayor of Newcastle.   In 1659-60 Elisabeth Simpson of Tynmouth was refused a pot of beer by Frances Mason.  Elisabeth threatened Frances who became lame within days, taking to her bed claiming Elisabeth ‘did pinch her heart’.  In 1661, when Elizabeth Richardson of Blaydon took ill , Jane Watson was called. The pain disappeared, “but imediately after the paine left her, and a dogg which as in said house presently dyed”.  

Isabell Fletcher was at the Stanners near Morpeth one night and she saw a “white thing comeing through the water like a woman”.  The vision asked Isabell if she recognised her and she confirmed it was Margaret Milbourne of Bedlington “whome she was very well acquainted with, she being servant lately to…” her son William.  Isabell refused the visions instruction to visit ‘thy dame’, and was told “it would be worse for her”. When the vision came forward again, it caused Isabell to faint and be in a “distracted condition all the night”.

The case against Jane Simpson and Isabell Atcheson was heard in July 1664.  Jane had given some ‘threatening words’ towards Dorothy Hearon after selling her some cherries.  Within days Dorothy had taken ill to her bed where she suffered “sad and lamentable fitts to the admiration and astonishment of all spectators, being sometimes rageing madd, other tymes laughing and singing, other tymes dispareing and disconsolate, other tymes very solitary and mute”.  A couple of days later in her bed, crying, Dorothy said that it was Jane and Isabell that tormented her and were about to carry her away. She asked her husband Anthony Hearon, a baker and brewer, if he could see the ladies beside the bed. After moving the curtain he said that “he did clearly see Isable Atcheson standing att the bedd side, in her owne shape”, she vanished when he called for the Lord.  A footnote to this story is noted “The sick person draws blood from the suspected witch and recovers”.

How did these accusations come about?  In 1649-50 two sergeants, Thomas Stevel and Cuthbert Nicholson, from Newcastle magistrates were sent to Scotland to collect an unnamed witch-finder who could “find out witches by pricking them with pins”.  When he arrived in Newcastle a bellman was sent around the town asking anyone with a complaint against a woman for being a witch should come forward so that the women could be sent for trial with the witch-finder.