1. Chalcedon's Catalogue (1626-1628): Challoner, Memoirs of Missionary Priests, 1924 ed. p.229. Herst [Hirst] is near the modern town of Ashington.

2. Northumberland County History, vol.IV, p.227: Hexham Manor Rolls.Google Scholar

3. Beukley, an ancient fortification, stands high to the north of the Tyne valley. It now supports the radio pylon of Stagshaw.

4. N.C.H. vol. III, p. 100. Some of these Erringtons appear on the Recusant Rolls described as of Beukley, and must not on that account be confused with the Erringtons of Hirst.

5. Janet Errington, wife of Oswin Cresswell, dead by 1570 at latest.

6. Hodgson, Northumberland, II, i, p.393.

7. Proceedings, Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne, 4th ser. IV. no. 12.

8. “Janet, daughter of John Errington of Hirst” was named in the Administration of Mary Bee, Raine, Test. Ebor. quoted in N.C.H. vol. IV, p. 116.

9. Will of Luke Errington, Hodgson, Northumberland, II,ii,p.201. Luke is mentioned in connection with an incident occurring in 1597: cf. Hatfield Cal. vol.viii, p.73, and Cal. Acts of Privy Council, vol.57, p.279. One of his companions on this occasion was Andrew Clennell of Hirst.

10. Raine, Test. Dunelm.

11. Feodary's Book, lxvi, quoted in N.C.H. IV, p. 197.

12. Bain, Cal. Border Papers, 1,50.

13. Elizabeth Errington of Ogle Castle was convicted 1592: cf. C.R.S. XVIII, p.246.

14. Clark, Reg. Univ. Oxf. vol.II, 55.

15. Pollen, J.H., Acts of English Martyrs, p.255.Google Scholar

16. S.P. Dom.Eliz. 18 1/78, reproduced in C.R.S. V, pp.125 et seq. and in Foley, Records, V.741.

17. Many persons of the name of Taylor appear in this narrative, and it has not been found possible to collate them. There were many Taylors recusants in the parish of Lanchester, Durham, in particular the family at Cornsey.

18. Alfield Thomas, B., martyred at Tyburn, 6 July, 1585.Google Scholar

19. This, presumably, was B. William Hartley. If so, Hethfield must have seen him in prison, for the 5 Dec. 1585 Bishop Aylmar reported: “I have been so bold as to shutt up one Hartley and laye irons on him.” He remained in prison till the 15th Jan. following, when he was shipped abroad. Both William Hartley and Thomas Alfield had been connected with the disseminating of literature, and the disquiet felt by the Government over this contraband trade is revealed in these examinations.

20. Possibly the person mentioned in Anthony Atkinson's Information, (Dom. Eliz. 245/131: C.R.S. V, 220) as one who “is supposed to have some great somme of monye, y^t comes overseas for reliefe of ye needfull papists.”

21. Tower Bills, C.R.S. III, pp.21-24.

22. C.R.S. II, pp.261, 265.

23. ibid. V, p.125,n.

24. Dom. Eliz. 205/13, C.R.S. XXI, 132 f.n.

25. Probably, BB. Dickenson, Francis and Gerard., Miles They left Rheims 31 Aug. 1589 Google Scholar (N.S.), and encountering a heavy storm, were shipwrecked off the coast of Kent, and there captured. There need be no suggestion that the information which led to the discovery of the house at Shields was obtained from them. Tobie Matthew stated that it was discovered “by two seminary priests taken about Dover;” but cf. Challoner (op. cit. p. 162) “They escaped to the shore, where they met with a more violent storm, for being immediately apprehended upon suspicion or the information of some of the ship's crew…” etc. Possibly they had been bound for the Tyne; at all events, it was at Newcastle upon Tyne that the Rev. George Williams, who had left Rheims in company with the two martyrs, was eventually discovered and apprehended, seven months later. (Foley, III, 743).

26. Knox, Douay Diaries, pp.201, 216.

27. “A Note of Henry Sanderson's Employments,” Hist. MSS. Comm. Salisbury MSS. Cal. Vol. X, 202-5.

28. Dom. Eliz. 177/19: C.R.S. XXI, p.71. Mentioned as engaged in the traffic are High-clifie, searcher at Newcastle, a papist at heart with a papist wife; Gooderick, Hareclif, Grimshaw and Nevell. These are not Northumbrian names. It looks as though the underground route carried well away to the west.

29. Cf. with this the following fragment, which possibly refers to the same or a similar incident:

“An exa. taken of Ihon Errington sonne to Lancelot Errington dwelling at Denton within thre myles of Newcastell. Being asked wher he dyd embarke he sayethe he tooke shipping at the Shells [Shields] in a frenche shipp bownde for Deape. The sayd examynat say the yt he hath knowen the said Errington not long and that the…… …”

(Dom. Eliz. 138/31, quoted in Tomlinson, W.W. Denton Hall, p. 11)Google Scholar

There was no apparent relationship between the Erringtons of Denton and the Erringtons of Hirst, but doubtless they claimed “cousinship.”

30. C.R.S. XXI, p.87.

31. Edmund Duke, VV., Hill, Richard, Hogg, John and Holiday, John left Rheims 22 March 1590. “They landed in the North of England, and travelling through the country which they were not well acquainted with, they were stopped … and committed to Durham Jail.” (Challoner, op. cit. p. 164)Google Scholar

32. “Henry Sanderson's Employments,” ut supra.

33. Fr. Grene's MS. “F” quoted in Foley, III, 745 passim.

34. Roger Ashton, V., martyred at Tyburn, 23 June, 1592.Google Scholar

35. Foley, III, 766.

36. Pipe Roll, E.377/1: C.R.S. XVIII, 246.

37. Dom. Eliz. 245/131: C.R.S. V, p.220.

38. Parish of Brancepeth: the home of William and Grace Claxton,

39. 2nd son of Sir Wm, Ingleby of Ripley, and brother of V, Francis Ingleby. He married Anne, daughter of Charles, Earl of Westmoreland.

40. Son of Wm. Lee, Steward to the Earl of Westmoreland.

41. Son of Clement Ogle, of Dissington, Northumberland; ordained priest 1598 (Knox, Douay Diaries, I, p. 16)

42. Sharp MSS. 110, Prior's Kitchen, Durham.

43. She was convicted 1606/7 (E.377/16), and 1615 (E.377/22).

44. Metcalfe was the name of his paternal grandmother, a daughter of Sir Chas. Metcalfe of Nappa, Yorks.

45. The expenses incurred are preserved in the Municipal Accounts of Newcastle upon Tyne, printed in Richardson's Reprints and Imprints, Hist, vol. III, and in Welford, History of Newcastle upon Tyne, vol. III. The precautions taken indicate the importance attached to these two prisoners.

“August, 1594. Paid for George Errington 10 daies, lOd.; his bedding, 20d.; Jo. Engram, a seminarye, 4 nyghts, 4d.; his bedding, 8d. Iyinge in Newgate till he was uppon; 11 watchmen 2 nyghtes the 21 and 22 of Julii, 4d, a pees, 7s. 4d.; for 7 day after 4 watchmen a nyght comes to 10s. 8d.; for 4 menn more in the nyghte, 2s. 8d; for 8 bow strings, 8d. ….. 37s. 8 d.

46. Cf. Morris, Troubles, I, 243.

47. Cf Stow, Chronicle, p.729: “George Errington, a gentleman condemned to die for relieving and entertaining missioners from abroad.”

48. Henry Abbot was 37 years of age, married and with three young children. His baptism (20 Jan. 1559/60), marriage (28 Nov. 1587), and the baptisms of his children, Henry (18 Jan. 1588/9), Thomas (6 Jan. 1592/3), and Isabel (6 July 1594) are all recorded in the parish register of Howden, E.R. Yorks.