chiefly appertained, when the robbery was done, should competently restore the losse."* In London, the waits are remains of the musicians attached to the corporation of the city under that denomination. They cheer the hours of the long nights before Christmas with instrumental music. To denote that they were "the lord mayor's music," they anciently wore a cognizance or badge on the arm.†

In Bishop Pudsey's time, certain cotmen and villans of Heighington, in addition to other services, rendered their portion of "yolwaiting"; and besides working “in all ways as the villans of Heighington," the villans of Killerby rendered 4s., and those of Thickley, 2s. 8d. “of yolewaiting." Under Bishop Hatfield, the bond tenants of Heighington rendered for "yollwaytyng" at the feast of the Nativity, 6s, those of Midridge, 5s., those of Killerby, 4s., and those of West Thickley, 2s. 8d., for the same service.§ These extracts seem to shew, that in certain places in the palatinate of Durham, yulewaiting was a regular system of service due from the tenant to the lord. Hutchinson, speaking of yulewaiting, observes :-" Most of the ancient church customs were derived from the heathens, and this in particular; for when the sun approached to its winter period, or solstice, they devised the fable, that Typhon, or the evil spirit of darkness, was contending with the god of day, and that his legions were dispersed over the earth, to carry mischiefs

• Every Day Book, vol. I., page 827.

+ Ibid, I., p. 1626.

Boldon Buke.

Hatfield's Survey.

to mankind; therefore, to repel their malignity, or drive them from the habitations of man, music was used, and fires lighted. After Christianity was received, this old custom was retained, to please those whose minds superstition and ancient practices had prejudiced; and the waits, or musical watch, and yule-fires, were continued, only applying them to the birth of our Saviour, the Sun of Righteousness, instead of the former ridiculous fable."*

In Italy, and in all Roman Catholic countries, down to the present time, itinerant musicians, attired in grotesque dresses and conical hats, perform music peculiar to themselves during the season of Advent and Christmas, for which they receive voluntary contributions from the inhabitants. The custom of religious parties singing in the streets early in the morning of Christmas day, is probably derived from these Roman Catholic minstrels, or yule waits.

Whether ever any of the bishops of Durham resided in this town we have no means of ascertaining. As lords of the manor or borough of Sunderland, it is by no means improbable they would have a manor house, wherein they occasionally spent a few days, during which the services of the yule waits would be called into requisition. Or the manor house might be the permanent residence of the bishop's lessee, or bailiff, or senescal, where all the borough courts were formerly held.

The site of the yulewaitstand in Sunderland is not accurately known, but it probably was near the market

* History of Durham, vol. III., page 203.

cross, in the High Street, near the foot of Union Lane, where all announcements were made in the days of yore.

The minstrelsy of the waits was continued in Sunderland for centuries, down to the year 1809, when the first Sunderland Improvement Act was passed, and watchmen established in room of the quondam musical guardians of the night. The last of the waits, and who for years traversed the street and lanes of Sunderland, and serenaded the inhabitants with nocturnal music, was George Stephenson, who, fiddle in hand, played a short lilt at stated places; after which Jacob Wake, his partner, cried out "good morrow masters and dames all," then gave the hour and the airt the wind blew from. The announcement was varied to suit circumstances, and notice was always given when ice or fresh was moving down the river. (Now-a-days the town bellmen laughably announce "That ice or fresh is coming down the river by order of the harbour master!" and upon a late memorable occasion, one of these public functionaries, about 10 o'clock at night, astonished Her Majesty's loyal subjects, by announcing that "the Emperor of Rooshia is dead, the Emperor of Rewsha's deed, poor Auld Nick's deyd by order of Lord Palmerston !!") The services of the waits were paid by the voluntary contributions of the inhabitants.

The waits were also engaged to make announcements to the people of victories gained by British valour during the wars of the French revolution. At that time a small clique of men existed in Sunderland, not numbering more

(to the honour of the town) than about twelve, known as "Jacobins," who openly avowed themselves admirers of the proceedings of those monsters in human form, the Jacobins of France; amongst whom were John Carter, Nicholas Collingwood, George Longueville, shoemakers, Walter Cockburn, engraver, John Waddell, cutler, and John Arkless, dealer in old books, who fought in the rebel ranks at the battle of Culloden. The naval victories of the glorious 1st June, 1794, at St. Vincent (February 14th, 1797), Camperdown (October 11th, 1797), the Nile (August 1st, 1798), and Trafalgar (October 21st, 1805), were all announced at Sunderland by the waits, accompanied by large crowds of loyal inhabitants who invariably paid a visit to the houses of the sympathizers and fraternizers of France, before whose doors Stephenson played a patriotic air, followed by Wake proclaiming the victory, and the crowd giving such hearty British cheers as struck terror to the Jacobin enemies of their country.

In 1456, Robert Neville, bishop of Durham, granted

NEVILLE.

to Ralph Bowes, by copy of court roll, all the borough of Sunderland, the ferry-boat passage, fisheries, and the dues for ships, &c., to hold for his life.

On the 6th of March, 1457, Lawrence Booth, bishop of Durham, granted a commission to William

Raket, John Staunford, and Robert

Died in this city [Durham] at the Bede's Alms Houses, Queen Street, on the 10th inst., [April, 1857], aged 86, Mr. John Lightfoot. The deceased had for

Preston, to hold all the courts, as well of the Halmotes as of the Barons whatever, of the bishoprick, between Tyne, Tees, and Bedlingtonshire.

A vacancy occurring in the see of Durham, king Edward IV., by the following letters patent, dated February 12th, 1463, granted the borough of Sunderland to Robert Bertram.

ye, that

Edward, by the Grace of God, King of England and France, and Lord of Ireland, to all our bailiffs and faithful subjects, to whom these presents shall come greeting. Know we, of our special grace, having seized unto our hands the temporalities of the bishoprick of Durham, have granted, confirmed, and leased to Robert Bertram,* the borough of Sunderland-near-the-Sea, with all and singular the commodities and profits appertaining or belonging to the said borough, together with the passage across the river Wear there, and the fisheries in the waters of the said borough, as free as Robert Preston lately held

many years been apparitor [mace bearer] to the Bishops of Durham, and was probably the oldest parish clerk in the kingdom, having in that capacity officiated for the last 62 years, in the parish church of St. Mary the Less, in this city. He was also for many years one of the waits of this city.-Durham County Advertiser, April 17th, 1857, published by William Elliot Duncan and John Taylor Duncan, of the city of Durham.

* Robert Bertram was a very distinguished notary public at Durham, his name occurring in that capacity from 1452 to 1476; on the 22nd May, in which year he, Joan his wife, Isabel Milner his sister, and Thomas Bertram, chaplain, had letters of fraternity granted to them by the convent of Durham.-Raine's St. Cuthbert, p. 160. In the Account Rolls of the Benedictine House or Cell of Wearmouth for the year 1448-9, amongst other items of expenditure there is "Master Robert Bertram for writing a certain instrument concerning the matter between us and the Rector of Washington, 6s. 8d."