curious as a repertory of names during the fourteenth century. Many of them are very remarkable; and it shews how much more settled had become the family name than it was at the time Pudsey made his survey in 1183.* Under Hatfield's survey,

"Thomas Menvill holds the borough of Sunderland,

HATFIELD.

with the free rents of the said borough, which are of the yearly value of 32s. 8d., and with the fisheries in the water of Wear, also the borough courts, tolls and stallage, with eight yarest of the Lord Bishop, and with 8s. rent from the Prior of Durham for one yare called Ebyare, and with 8s. rent from John Hedworth for one

yare called Onnesyare, and with the right of drawing one net in the port of the said borough; he formerly rendered £20 per annum, and now renders per annum at the four terms £6.

Greenwell's Preface to Hatfield's Survey.

Yare, a dam thrown across a river to impede the free run of salmon, and so force them through the lock or trap, in which they were taken. Keepier or Kepier, near Durham, derives its name from kep, to catch, viz., the fish, and the yare, which crossed the river at the place. In bishop Beck's (1283 to 1310) roll, we find that the yare at Whickham had been destroyed by the men of Prudhoe, a lordship of the Umfrevilles, situated higher up the river Tyne; probably it had been made higher than was usual, so as to prevent the fish from passing upwards even when the river was flooded. In such a case these higher up the stream would suffer; and they appear to have taken then, as often in similar circumstances is done now, the law into their own hands, and to have broken down the dam.-Appendix to Greenwell's Translations of the Boldon Buke. It seems probable that such of these yares at Sunderland, as were most detrimental to the port and river, were suppressed

"Exchequer Lands. John Hedworth holds one mes suage with garden containing half an acre of land, and renders per annum, 12d. He also holds one cottage, formerly John del Shell's, and renders per annum 2s. 6d. He also holds another cottage, and renders per annum at the said terms, 2s. 6d. John Hobson holds

under subsequant episcopal commissions of conservatorship; particularly, a commission issued by Bishop Neville, the 24th of July, 1440, orders the reduction or removal before the feast of Saint Bartholomew, next ensuing of the following yares under the penalty of one hundred marks each, namely, against Robert Jackson, for yares called Marle-yare and Chestan-yare; John Wessinton, prior of Durham, for Drilad-yare and Eb-yare; John Hedworth, for Owen's-yare; Lord Lumley, for Outlaw-yare; William Bowes, knight, for Rowden and Biddick-yares; and Robert Hilton, knight, for Weydiles-yare and Synden-yare. These yares were not only a hindrance to the free passage of salmon and other fish up the river, but also obstructed the navigation, whereby the passage of ships, vessels, boats, and keels were greatly impeded, contrary to the form of the statute; "a grievous injury to all our community, and a manifest impoverishment of our royal liberties of Durham."Spearman, page 30. Robert Jackson, mentioned above, was probably the bishop's coroner for Easington ward in 1432..-Spearman, page 21. He perhaps had a house in Sunderland, as well as at Farrington Hall, near Silksworth, for in the Finchale Account Rolls we meet with him (or at least a person of the same name) occupying, or rather holding, a tenement here belonging to that priory, for the rent of which he was in arrear in 1411, 1415, and 1431. In 1406, there was paid to Robert Jackson, for red herrings. twenty shillings; in 1411 (in part payment of six pounds, thirteen shillings, and fourpence), twenty shillings; and in 1412, there was paid in

Wearmouth's, at the end of the town there, formerly the lord's demesne, containing half an acre, which used to render per annum 2s., but is now waste and without a tenant."

In 1388, Lord John de Neville died, seized of ten burgages in Sunderland, held by fealty and suit at the borough court. About the same time, John Hedworth, (son and heir of Richard Hedworth above named,) who married Katharine, sister and co-heiress of Robert Darcy, of Harverton (Harraton), Esq., was seized of twelve acres of land in Sunderland, held under 8s. burgage rent and landmale.* The Hedworths held, at their highest pitch of elevation, besides Harraton, the manor of Southwick, the Grange of Saltwellside, Urpeth, Ricleden, near Chester, lands in Cleadon, Whitburn, Scots House, Jarrow, Hedworth, and Sunderland, and in Moorhouse and Picktree, part of the manor of West Herrington, derived from the heir of Darcy, the manor or grange of Burnigill, and lands in Woodham, Brafferton, and Bursblades, traced from the heiress of Chaunceler. Part of the property of the Hedworths in Sunderland (which descended to, and was in the possession of Sir John Hedworth, who was knighted at Whitehall, 14th March, 1603, and died

full four pounds, thirteen shillings, and fourpence. Account Rolls passim. In 1421, Robert Jacson, of Sunderland, occurs (with William Lambton, Esq., of Lambton, Thomas Langton, of Wineyard, and Richard Bucley, Clerk,) as an arbitrator betwixt the Prior of Durham and Thomas de Claxton, relative to an outrent of 268. in Wolveston.-Surtees, vol. II., page 176.

Hutchinson's Durham, vol. II., page 251.

+ Surtees's Durham, vol, II., page 178.
LL

February, 1642-3) was situate on the north side of the High Street, between the present custom house on the west, and Dean's Yard, and the house, 129, High Street, (sometime the property and residence of Brass Crosby, Esq.,) formerly the leasehold of the Dean and Chapter of Durham, on the east, as appears from the Gowland and Hugall manuscripts, belonging to the Earl of Durham,

descendant of Sir John Hedworth,) now in our possession. This part of the Hedworth property in Sunderland is now possessed by Mr. Thomas Campbell, Mr. John Ferguson, Mrs. Lilburne, and others.

SKIRLAW.

In 1390, Walter Skirlaw, bishop of Durham, granted a commission of survey of the river Wear. In 1406, and again in 1418, the rents of the borough of Sunderland, the ferry-boat, fisheries, and the profits and duties accruing from ships, &c. plying to the port, were accounted for to Cardinal Bishop Langley's auditor and chancellor.

In a rental of free tenants, 8 Bishop Langley, 1414,

LANGLEY.

under "Sunderland," mention occurs of "De quadam placea vocata Yolewaytestand,"-a certain place called the Yolewaytestand. This place is probably the same as that mentioned in Hatfield's survey, under the name of Yholwatson. The first syllable of this word is evidently the old northern name of

Christmas, that solemn festival which commemorates the

day that gave

"To man a Saviour-freedom to the slave."

It may be difficult (says the Rev. William Greenwell) to define in what "wayting" consisted; probably it has reference to a service with which must be connected the protection of that manor-house in which the bishop happened to be residing during the festivities of Christmas. In Mos. Goth., "wahts" is watching, guarding. It is probable that our modern "waits" were originally simply watchmen, moving about from street to street during the night, and to enliven their round, and to give notice of their presence, adding a performance on some musical instrument. It appears that when not moving about, they had a station in which to rest.*

The musicians, (says Hone,) who play by night in the streets at Christmas, are called waits. It has been presumed, that waits, in very ancient times, meant watchmen; they were minstrels at first attached to the king's court, who sounded the watch every night, and paraded the streets during winter, to prevent depredations. Robberies, murders, and other acts of violence were become. so frequent, that King Henry III, in 1253, commanded watches to be kept in the cities and borough towns, for the preservation of the peace; and this king further ordained, "that if any man chanced to be robbed, or by any means damnified, by any theefe or robber, he to whom the charge of keeping that county, city, or borough

* Greenwell's Appendix to the Boldon Buke.