Papal bull of Adrian IV to Askitil de Ridale
Confirming his possession of the vills of Wittunes [Whitton] and Lilescleve [Lilliesleaf] left to him by his brother Walter de Ridale. (1156)

A Papal Bull is a decree or privilege publicly granted by the Pope. In this document Pope Adrian IV is confirming the rights of Askitill De Ridale (knight) to the property of ‘Wittunes’ (Whitton) on the Kail Water in the Cheviot Hills and ‘Lilescleve’ (Lillesclive) which is about half way between Jedburgh and Selkirk in Scotland. Askitill was an ancestor of the current Riddell Family of Whitefield, Northumberland, whose papers form part of the huge collection of family and estate papers held at Woodhorn.

Adrian is still the only Englishman to ever have held the position of Pope. He was born Nicholas Breakspear or Breakspeare in Hertfordshire and sat on the throne of St Peter from 1154 to 1159. This document dates from 1156 and at 855 years old is the oldest document held by Northumberland Archives. In fact to give the document some context, it predates the Magna Carta by sixty years, and was issued the year before the birth of King Richard I ‘The Lionheart’.