Ephraim Armorer, of Belford, the second son, married Ann, daughter and heir of George Middleham, of Alnmouth, a family of long standing there, and the chief proprietor of that place. They had two children,

Ephraim, son and heir, aged 1 year in 1615.

Margaret (Harl. Mss. 1448, fo. 45.)

Soon after this, Belford came into the possession of the ancient family of Forster; but I do not know how, probably by purchase, for in 1639, the manor of Belford belonged to John Forster, of Bamburgh Castle.

In 1663 it was worth £300 a year, and was then the property of Lady Forster.

It became in more recent times the estate of Abraham Dixon, Esq., to whom was granted a weekly market on Tuesdays, and two fairs yearly, (14 Geo. II. part 2. m. 18); from him it descended to his son, of the same name. His only sister married Mainwaring Ellerker, Esq., and Mr. Dixon devised it to Mr. Onslow, his sister's grand-child.

By this means it became part of the possessions of Lord Onslow, by whom it was sold to some gentleman in Scotland; and ultimately it was purchased by the late William Clark, Esq., of Benton, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne. He very much improved the estate, the house and grounds, and left it to his eldest son, the late William Brown Clark, Esq., and his issue male. Here the latter lived from 1837 to 1840, as owner; but dying in 1840 without such issue, it passed under the entail to the Rev. John Dixon Clark, his Brother, the present resident owner thereof, our excellent host upon the present occasion, and one who takes much interest in the prosperity of our Club.

I may add, that on the 23rd of May, 1722, David Graham, the eldest son of the Duke of Montrose, was created Earl and Baron Graham of Belford, no doubt from some old connection with this manor, in the persons of the abovenamed Nicholas de Graham, John, his son, and Alice de Graham, his daughter.

The second meeting was held at CHATTON, on Thursday, the 28th of May, 1857. The members present were, R. C.

Embleton, P. J. Selby, the Rev. J. Dixon Clark, Robert Home, William Dickson, the Rev. Matthew Burrell, Vicar of Chatton, Major Elliott, the Rev. William Darnell, William Boyd, Charles Rae, Captain Selby, R.N., and the Rev. John Bigge, Frederick Wilson, of Alnwick Castle, and John Charles Langlands, as visitors.

After breakfasting at the Blue Bell, the party proceeded to Chillingham, first viewing in their way the improvements making in the parish Church, at Chatton, which is being altered from a barn-like building, into a structure in the early English style of Architecture.

The Vicarage House and grounds reflect the greatest credit on the present Vicar, they are perfect in every comfort, and handsome in appearance. It is by his exertions chiefly that the Village is so much improved since our last meeting at this place.

The Castle of Chillingham, from the beauty of its situation, embosomed in stately woods, and surrounded by a great extent of sylvan scenery, from the wild character of the park in which it stands, coupled with old associations, is certainly one of those grand baronial residences, of which the district ought to be proud.

When the Club visited it, the fresh and light green foliage was in full leaf, and contrasted beautifully with the dark shades of the evergreen pines. Nothing could be more enchanting than many of the scenes in the park, and perhaps none more pleasing than the long vista of lime trees on each side of the broad carriage drive, the delicate shining freshness of their leaves, and the light and feathery formation of their branches.

The Park contains the celebrated breed of cattle, supposed to be the original British Byson. For details concerning them, I must refer to the paper of Mr. Luke Hindmarsh on this subject, read to the British Association, at Newcastle, and to the interesting letter addressed to him by the Earl of Tankerville, on the Sth of June, 1838.

The highest part of the park is called "Ros Castle," which is visible from a great distance. The origin of the name is

BB

left in obscurity. It may be out of compliment to the great northern baronial family of "De Ros," who were extensive proprietors of manors in this part of the country; one of whom was the owner and builder of Wark Castle, on the Tweed. There are no erections upon it, and it is only called a Castle, or "Ros Castle," from its high commanding and almost inaccessible situation. This family take their name from the manor of Ros, in the adjoining parish of Belford.

Another curious object in natural history, is that of the live toad, which was discovered in the centre of a block of marble, in preparing it for a chimneypiece in Chillingham Castle.— (Wallis's Northumberland.) It will defy the members of our Club to say how it got there, and for how many ages it was immured, without air or food, in the depth of the solid rock.

The Hurle Stone is about a mile west of Chillingham, near the public highway, built on an eminence in a field. I do not know the meaning of its name. In the endowment of Chillingham Vicarage, it is referred to as the "Stone Cross," and may have been a road-side cross when these things were common in the land.

The party assembled at 4 o'clock to dinner, after which, as president, I read a communication from Philip Hardwick, Esq., relative to the Chapel of Bewick, which I do not further notice, as it will be printed in our transactions.

I also produced for examination, a series of drawings of the Chillingham Tomb, made forty years ago.

F. Wilson, Esq., the resident architect, at Alnwick Castle, pronounced it to be of the perpendicular character, and of the date of about 1450, and of which he said there are many examples in different parts of England.

Some portions of a long paper prepared by the Rev. James Raine, for the Mechanics' Institute, at Durham, were read. It related to the life of a distinguished member of the Chillingham family, and therefore I made the following short note of it.

Dr. Robert Grey was the eldest son, by a second wife, of Sir Ralph Grey, of Chillingham. His mother was daughter of Sir Thomas Mallet, of Enmore, in Somerset, and had been previously the wife of Sir Thomas Palmer.

His eldest brother (by his father's first marriage) was William Grey, the first Lord Grey of Warke, and the direct lineal ancestor of the Earl of Tankerville. His uncle was Sir Edward Grey, of Howick, the youngest brother of his father, and the ancestor of the present Earl Grey, of Howick.

Dr. Grey was born in 1610, educated first at Northallerton, and in 1617 he delivered an address from the school, to King James, on his progress into Scotland.

In 1623 his father bequeathed to him the Manor of Langtonupon-Swale, and in the same year his mother appointed a tutor to him and his brother Edward, with a salary of £20 a year, under the supervision of Dr. Neale, Bishop of Durham.

He was sent to Christ's College, Cambridge, and became a Fellow. He took orders as a Clergyman, but from the necessities of the times, he, as a soldier, joined the fortunes of his King.

In 1644 he was among those besieged in Millum Castle. At that time his brother, Lord Grey, was fighting on the side of the Parliamentarians.

In 1652 he nearly lost his estate for his loyalty, but was released, upon promising to take what was called the engagement.

On the 15th of March, 1652, he was collated to the Rectory of Bishopwearmouth, and on the 10th of May following, to the 8th Stall in Durham Cathedral; but these preferments were in name only, the Church being then in the hands of the Usurpers.

In 1660 he was by mandamus restored to his preferments, and was then in his 50th year, and he enjoyed them for nearly another half century.

King James II. succeeded in 1684. He endeavoured to bring the realm to acknowledge the Pope, contending also for power to dispense with the laws at his Kingly pleasure. Dr. Grey and others were not so pliant, or so easily converted to such views. The Bishop of Durham (Crewe) pressed Dr. Grey and Dr. Morton to read King James's declaration for the dispensing power in their parish churches, which they declining and arguing against it, his Lordship angrily told the Dr. that

his age made him doat, and that he had forgot his learning. The good Dr. briskly replied, he had forgot more learning than his Lordship ever had. Well (said the Bishop) I'll forgive and reverence you, but I cannot pardon that blockheaded Morton, whom I raised from nothing. They, therefore, took their leave of the Bishop, who, with great civility, waited upon them to the gate of Durham Castle, and the porter opening the wicket or postern only, the Bishop said, "sirrah, why don't you open the great gates. "No, my Lord, (says the Rev. Dr. Grey) we will leave the broad way to your Lordship, the straight way will serve us."

In King James's time, riding on horseback from his rectory at Bishopwearmouth to Durham, Mr. John Lamb, one of King James's Justices of the Peace, a busy active man for that party, and raised from being a coachman in Mr. Chaloner's family, overtook the Dr. and sneered at him, and told him he wondered he could ride on so fine a palfrey, when his Saviour was content to ride on a colt, the foal of an Ass. The Dr. replied, “'tis true, Sir, but the King has made so many asses Justices of the Peace lately, that he has not left me one to ride upon."

I cannot trespass further by extracting more from Mr. Raine's interesting paper, but it is evident Dr. Grey was a most upright, religious, and charitable man, and spent his revenues and the income of his estates, in relieving the distressed. I must refer to that paper, and to Mr. Raine's History of North Durham, for further particulars.

He was found dead at his devotions, at Bishopwearmouth, in 1704, aged 94.

He was great uncle to Ford Lord Grey, Earl of Tankerville.

Ralph Lord Grey was his administrator, and his freehold estates ultimately came to him.

The gardens at Chillingham were not in their fullest summer costume. The party admired the Blue Wistaria (Wistaria Chinensis) growing in a healthy state against the Western Wall of the flower garden at the Castle, its handsome light blue pendent flowers, in large clustered spikes, were coming out, which they do before the leaves. This plant is about 8