le-Spring; Captains Edward and Adam Shipperdson, of Murton and Bainbridgeholme, near Sunderland; Nicholas Heath, of Little Eden, Esq.; Thomas Shadforth, of Eppleton, Esq.; Thomas Mitford, of Pespoole, Esq.; George Grey, the elder and younger, of Southwick, Esquires (the former of whom was one of the aldermen of Sunderland); Gilbert Marshall, of Selaby, Esq.; Captain Shaw, of Pittington; Captain Sharpe, of Hawthorne ; Captain Rowe; and the noted Lilburnes (who, as Mr. Surtees observes, were at one time, in effect, lords paramount of the borough and port of Sunderland), viz., Robert Lilburne, of Thickley, Esq., M. P., and his brother Lieut.-col. John Lilburne, of independent memory; their uncle, Alderman George Lilburne, Esq., M. P., of Sunderland, and his sons, George and Major Thomas Lilburne, of Offerton, Esq., M. P., of whom the latter is said in his epitaph to have been "one of the instrumental persons in his majesty's happy restoration."

After such an array of local republican interest, including sundry members of the ancient corporation of Sunderland and their family connexions, we cannot wonder that Bishop Morton's charter, and in fact every thing originating in episcopal government, was suffered to expire and, after the borough became by purchase the property of Col. George Fenwick, almost every spark of warm-hearted loyalty might be said to be extinguished. Both before and after the conveyance of the borough, considerable quantities, amounting in all to the sum of £68,121 15s. 9d., of the episcopal possessions of Durham were disposed of to various parties, by virtue of an ordinance, of which the following is a copy :-

"An Ordinance* of the lords and commons assembled in parliament, for appointing the sale of Bishops' Lands, for the use of the commonwealth, in 1646.

"Whereas by an ordinance of the lords and commons, made the ninth of October, one thousand six hundred and forty-six, the name, title, stile, and dignity of archbishop of Canterbury, archbishop of York, bishop of Winchester, bishop of Duresme, and of all other bishops of any bishopricks within the kingdom of England and dominion of Wales, from the first of September, 1646, is wholly abolished and taken away, and all and every person and persons are disabled to hold the place, function, or stile of archbishop or bishop of any church, see, or diocess, within the kingdom of England and dominion of Wales, by any authority whatsoever; and all counties palatine, honors, manors, lands, tenements, and hereditaments, and other the premisses in the said ordinance mentioned, were and are vested and settled, adjudged and deemed to be in the actual possession and seizin of Thomas Adams, alderman, then lord mayor of the city of London, Sir John Wollaston, Knt., Sir George Clarke, Knt., John Langham, alderman, John Fowke, alderman, James Bunce, alderman, William Gibbs, alderman, Samuel Avery, alderman, Thomas Nowell, Christopher Pack, John Bellamy, Edward Hooker, Thomas Arnold, Richard Glide, William Hobson, Francis Ash, John Babington, Laurence Broomfield, Alexander Jones, John Jones, Richard Venner,

* Not having a parliamentary printer's copy to refer to, we cannot supply the date of this ordinance from official sources, but on the authority of Mr. Surtecs (see p. 448), as well as from the preamble to the conveyance of the borough we learn it was the 16th November, under which date Whitelocke informs us some alterations of the Lords to the Ordinance for the sale of Bishops Lands assented to, others not." -Memorials, p. 232.

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Stephen Estwick, Robert Mead, and James Storey, their heirs and assigns, upon trust and confidence, that the said persons before named, their heirs and assigns, should have and hold the premisses and every of them, subject to such trust and confidence, as both houses of parliament should appoint, declare, and dispose of the same, and the rents and profits thereof, as the said houses shall order and appoint.

"Provided and it is further declared and ordained, that whereas the late bishop of Durham, and other his predecessors bishops of Durham, have hitherto exercised and enjoyed as counts-palatine, sundry great franchises, liberties and jurisdictions, commonly called jura regalia ; that this ordinance, nor anything therein contained, extend not, nor be construed to extend, to give power or authority to the persons herein named, or any of them, to sell, dispose, or any way to contract for the said jura regalia, belonging unto the said bishop or his predecessors as counts-palatine, or any of them; but that the same shall remain in the said trustees named in a late ordinance, intitled, 'An Ordinance for the abolishing of archbishops and bishops, within the kingdom of England and dominion of Wales, and for settling their lands and possessions upon trustees, for the use of the commonwealth, to be disposed of as both houses of parliament shall think fit and appoint'; anything in this present ordinance to the contrary thereof contained in anywise notwithstanding."

• Scobel's Acts, p. 101; Hutchinson's Durham, vol. i., p. 512.

CONVEYANCE OF THE BOROUGH OF SUNDERLAND, AND THE MANORS OF HOUGHTON-LE-SPRING AND MORTON, TO COLONEL GEORGE FENWICK.

"This Endenture, made the nynth day of November, in

WOLLASTON

ET

FENWICK.

(22)

the year of our Lord God, One thousand six hundred forty and nyne, between Sir John Wollaston, Knight, John Fowke, Samuel Avery, Christopher Packe, and Thomas Noell, aldermen of the Citty of London, James Bunce, William Gibbs, Francis Ash, John Bellamy, Edward Hooker, Thomas Arnold, Richard Glyd, William Hobson, John Babington, Lawrence Bromefield, Alexander Jones, Richard Vennar, Stephen Estwicke, Robert Meade, and James Storie, cittizens of the said citty of London, being all of them p'sons trusted by severall Ordinances of the Lords and Com'ons assembled in Parliament, with lands and possessions of the late Archbishopps and Bishopps, and with the sale thereof for the use of the Com'on Wealth, in such sorte as therein is menc'oned, of th' one parte; and George Fenwicke, of Brinckburne in the countie of Northumberland, Esquier, of th' other parte; Witnesseth, that the said Sir John Wollaston, John Fowke, Samuel Averie, Christopher Packe, Thomas Noell, James Bunce, William Gibbs, Francis Ash, John Bellamy, Edward Hooker, Thomas Arnold, Richard Glyd, William Hobson, John Babington, Lawrence Bromfield, Alexander Jones, Richard Vennar, Stephen Estwicke, Robert Meade, and James Storie, in obedience to the said Ordinances, and by virtue thereof, and in execution of the power and trust thereby com'itted to them, and att the desire and

by the warrant of Robert Fenwicke,* Thomas Ayres, Tymothey Middleton, Richard Turner, James Russell, Edward Cressett and John Blackwell, Esquires, authorized and appointed amongst others, by an Ordinance of the said Lords and Com'ons, made the sixteenth day of November, which was in the year of our Lord God One thousand six hundred forty and six, to treate, contracte, and agree for the sale of the said Lands, in such sorte as therein is menc'oned, and in considerac'on of the some of Twoe thousand eight hundred fifty one pounds, nyne shillings & sixpence of lawfull money of England, the first moyety whereof, being one thousand fower hundred twenty five pounds, foureteene shillings and nine pence, the said Thomas Noell and Francis Ash, two of

* When the lands belonging to the See of Durham were sold by order of parliament, the manor of Bedlington and Choppington farm were purchased, 21st Jan., 1649, and again in 1650, for £1296 Os. 54d. by Robert Fenwick, Esq., a representative in parliament for Northumberland in 1654 and 1656. According to Dr. Raine (History North Durham, p. 365), "he was of the family of Fenwick of Bitchfield," where, carved upon a stone lintel over a doorway leading into one of the rooms, is the following inscription :

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:

"RF 1622 IF" probably the initials of himself and wife. He was, continues Dr. Raine, “also one of the contractors for the sale of Bishops' lands, and when he purchased Bedlington and other estates belonging to the see of Durham, there was due to him the large sum of £800 for arrears of salary." The Rev. John Hodgson (Hist. Northumberland, part 2, vol. 2, p. 351) says that he "resided at Bedlington, and in 1661 compiled a long and elaborate pedigree of the Fenwick family, a copy of which, with its numerous evidences, drawings of seals, &c., is now in the College of Arms. Perhaps he was the same Robert Fenwick, for whom, upon letters from General Leven, there was an order of Parliament, Feb. 3, 1647-8, for a thousand pounds for his losses and good affections (Whitelocke's Memorials, p. 291)." June 11, 1657, Robert Ogle, of Eslington, gentleman, gave information before the house of commons, that Sir Robert Collingwood, of Brandon, inveighed against Robert Fenwick, Esq., a member of this present parliament, saying "He was a base fellow; his father was hanged for felony, and he did wonder who sent him to parliament.” -Journals of House of Commons, vol. vii., p. 554.