NUMBER - 2003 DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Saturday 19th/ Sunday The Great Siege of Berwick and the Battle of 20th July 2003 Halidon Hill Saturday 13th September Doors Open Day in Berwick, includes guided tour and historical commentary on the Council Offices. Tours every half hour 10am – 12.30. Friday 26th – Sunday 28th The Story of Norham Castle and exhibition by September 2003 Norham and Ladykirk History Society in the Village Hall Saturday 27th September Friends Summer Outing to Norham Castle event (please use the enclosed form to order your tickets 1 Other Societies’ Lectures Please note only a few Societies hold meetings in the summer months. BORDER ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Venue: Parish Centre, Berwick. Time: 7.00 p.m. Monday 1st September Lecture by Steve Speak, Tyne and Wear Museums Service Monday 6th October Lime Trade on Holy Island : Roger Jeremy DUNSE HISTORY SOCIETY Venue: Duns Social Club, 41 Newton St, Duns. Time: 7.30 p.m. GLENDALE LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY Venue: Cheviot Centre, Padgepool Place, Wooler. Time: 7.30 p.m. Wednesday 10th September AGM and Snippets from the Archives : Linda Bankier Embleton Local History Society Venue: Parish Church Room, Embleton. Time: 7.30 p.m. Wed 17th September AGM: speaker to be arranged Northumberland & Durham Family History Society (North Northumberland Group) Venue: White Swan, Lowick. Time: 10.00 a.m. Sat 20th September The Cully Brothers: Dr. Ann Ord 2 NOTICE: FROM THE TREASURER Data Protection Act. Details of members of the F.B.D.M.A. are held on a computer, purely for administration purposes. As such we need to comply with these regulations. Because of the size and purpose of our society we do not need to be registered. Every member has to agree with having their details being stored on a computer. If they do not can they contact me, Keith Wills on 01289 387366 or Linda Bankier at the Record Office. The information is purely for the use of the F.B.D.M.A. and will not be given to a third party without permission of individual members. Distribution of newsletter. Last year we spent 10% of our income on postage in sending out the newsletter. In an effort to cut costs we are experimenting with the idea of sending out the newsletter by e. mail. If anyone would like to take part in this can they please e.mail me at [email protected] In order that those members who have taken out standing orders regarding their subscription can remember, the letters S/O will appear on the newsletter mailing label. (You have probably already thrown this one away). Thanks Keith Wills Treasurer F.B.D.M.A. Lough House Berrington Lough Berwick upon Tweed TD15 2PP Tel: 01289 387366 Fax: 01289 387482 E.mail [email protected] ARCHIVE NEWS 3 It seems a long time since I last wrote a bit for the newsletter, however, it has been very busy in between both with Record Office business and Union of the Crowns 400. Since the last newsletter, one of the activities which has taken up a lot of my time has been the Union of the Crowns 400. Our first event was held at the beginning of April and as part of it, there was “ Bygone Borderlands “ which was held in the Guildhall and the Committee Rooms at Wallace Green. Thank you to everyone who supported the event - the organisations on both sides of the border who put together the displays ( not an easy task) ; the individuals who gave the talks and lecturettes ; the individuals who manned the displays and those who worked very hard in the background. I think the event was a great success although the Friday night was very fraught trying to get all the displays up. It was great to see so many people coming in to the Guildhall to see the displays and spending time looking at them and talking to the people manning them. It was also encouraging to see a mixture of local people and visitors to the town. I met a number of people whom I had corresponded with or who come in to the Office once a year who had made a special trip up for the weekend to see everything that was going on. I would reckon that a couple of thousand people visited the Guildhall over the two days. Obviously, that was only the first event of the series. King James’ sports have gone well and now we are working towards the Medieval Weekend in July and the Norham weekend at the end of September. See other articles for information. As well as Union of the Crowns, I have been involved in a lot of other outreach work. One of the exhibitors at the Bygone Borderlands exhibition was a newly formed group based at Seahouses – Old Parish of Bamburgh Local History Archive. The group are trying to set up a Community Archive on the Bamburgh/Seahouses and Beadnell area – photographs/ transcripts, maps, etc which they want to make available to the people in the area. I have been helping them, giving them advice on professional issues and supporting them. Their intention is to make available copies of archives in Seahouses but place original items here in the Record Office at Berwick. The group are planning to hold an exhibition in Seahouses at the end of August – see dates for your diary. Other outreach work I have done recently include giving a talk to Berwick History Society on Berwick’s charter granted in 1604 and to the Soroptimists Club on my work as an Archivist.. I have also hosted a visit to the Office by a group from Alnmouth who were interested in finding out about the resources kept here and the work of all the volunteers. The last few months have also been busy with education work. In March, I made my annual visit to Holy Island to spend a morning with the Junior School of Royal Grammar School in Newcastle. In May, Berwick Middle School were doing a 4 project on the coming of the Railways to Berwick and so three classes came in to find out about the Royal Border Bridge and how we look after archives. As well as teaching children, I have also been doing some more work with Northumberland College. At the end of March, we held a taster evening in Etal Village Hall on the Internet and the Genealogist. Since then, I have run a 5 week course on the Internet and Genealogy at the College Annexe in Berwick and at the beginning of July, I will be running a 5 week course at Etal. This should be interesting as it will be my first experience of teaching on the College’ travelling bus with laptops and Internet access ! Many of you will be aware that the Archives and the Museum are working at the moment with the consultants, PLB who are investigating the possibility of moving and integrating both services on one site. We have had several meetings with the consultants and held a successful public meeting in May. The consultants will be producing their final report shortly and then we will have to see where we go from there. Hopefully , we will be able to update your further in the next newsletter. Linda Bankier OLD BERWICK DOCUMENT Recently, Bernard Shaw from the Civic Society brought in the thr To all Christian People to whom this present writeing shall come, William Scott of the Borough of Berwick upon Tweede, Burgesse sendeth Greeting. Whereas the said William Scott and Anne his wife and Thomas Crawforth of Berwick upon Tweede aforesaid gentleman, sonne and heire of Thomas Crawforth, late of Berwick aforesaid, Burgess, deceased have by their Indenture beareing Date the nynteenth day of July in the Thirty ffifth yeare of his now present Majestie King Charles the Seconds Reigne over England, etc. In this same yeare of our Lord one thousand sixe hundred eighty and three given Granted, Bargained, Sold, Aliened, enfeoffed and confirmed unto Arthur Edmeston of the Borough of Berwick upon Tweede, aforesaid Burgesse, his heires and Assignes forever all that Burgage or Tenement with the Appurtenances scituate, standing and being in Berwick aforesaid on the south side of a Streete there called Marygate betweene a 5 tenement belonging to William Keymish on the east and a Tenement belonging to Robert Moore gentleman on the west, As in and by the said recited Indenture relation being thereunto had more fully may appeare. now knowe yee that the the said William Scott doth hereby Authorize, ordaine and Appoint his trusty Ffriends Lislye fforeside and Joseph fforster of the Borough of Berwick upon Tweede, Burgesses or either of them Jointly or severally to be his Lawfull Attorney or Attorneys for him and in his Name Into and Upon the said Burgage or Tenement with the Appurtenances or any parte thereof, in Name Of the wholl to Enter and thereof peaceable possession and seizin to Take. And after such peaceable possession soe by them or either of them Had and taken Like Quiet and peaceable possession, Livery and seisin for Him, and in his Name to Give and deliver to the said Arthur Edmeston And his heires forever According to the true Intent and Meaneing of the said Rented Indenture of Sale. In Witnesse whereof the said William Scott hath hereunto sett his hand and seall the Sixeteenth day of October In the Thirty fifth years of the Reigne of our Soveraigne Lord Charles the Second by the grace of god king of England, Scotland, ffrance and Ireland defendor of the ffaith etc.