The Newminster Charters
The stages by which Newminster acquired its lands, pasturage and other rights and properties in Kidland is meticulously documented in the Abbey's chartulary (NC 73-81; cf. NCH XV (1940), 449-50). The relevant documents are set out below:
1181 Odinel de Umfraville II leased to Newminster Abbey, the grazing in his forest of Alwent and Kidland 'with all its hills and valleys', for a term of 29 years, for which the monks payed 220 marks to Odinel, 3 marks to his wife, Alice, and 5 marks to his eldest son, Robert (NC 73-4). The monks' rights were tightly circumscribed. They had no power to lease grazing rights themselves. They could take what wanted from forest by order of the lord's foresters, but their dogs were to have one foot cut off to prevent them chasing the lord's game.
Bounder 1 - by the boundary of Bitlesden (Biddlestone township) as far as the boundary of Clenil (Clennell township), and thence by stream ('rivulum') of Kidland (Kidlandlee Dean) southward as far as the great road ('magnam viam') of Ernespeth (Yarnspeth stretch of Clennell Street), and by that road as far as the river/burn ('rivum') of Ernespeth (West Burn?), and by that burn to its very source, and eastward to the boundary of William de Vesci (baron of Alnwick - i.e. the boundary of his manor of Alnham), and so as far as the aforesaid boundary of Bitlesden'.
1184 Robert de Umfraville confirmed lease for 40 marks, following the death of Odinel (also confirmed by Richard and Gilbert - Robert's brothers) (NC 74).
pre-1195 William de Umfraville - a third brother - gave the abbey his land on the Cheviot moor called 'Witetowes' (NC 75):
Bounder 2 - from the stream (Well Clough??) nearer the Hangande-scauhe (Yarnspeth Law??) towards the north just as that same stream falls into the Osweiburne (Usway Burn), and thus directly west as far as the cross which the aforesaid monks set up in the sight of my knights ('per visum militum meorum') there; and from there across to the nearest stream bed from the southern part of Hetherdes Rode (Ward Law?), from there straight on beyond Hardrode as far as the great quarry (ad petariam magnam) lying on the slope and from that slope between the 'rastres of Scrothope' (Shorthope), and there by that Gruin (?) as far as the river bank of Rohope (Rowhope) and so in crossing just at the point the stream of Elyn (Wardlaw Burn or perhaps Trows Burn?) flows into the aforesaid river of Rohope and by that same stream of Elyn as far as the road of Hinclesheued (Clennell Street approaching the border), and by that same road up to Wyndihege (Windy Gyle), and by Wyndihege as much as I have there (i.e along the Scottish border) as far as the source of the Osweiburne and by that same river as far as the road of Hernespeth (Yarnspeth - Clennell Street) and by that same road as far as the first-named stream closer to Hangandescawe.
1195/1216 Richard de Umfraville gave Kidland and Alwenthopes to Newminster (NC 76). This represents the same area as covered by Odinell's lease:
Bounder 3 - from the cross which I made the aforesaid monks set as a boundary at the head of Halrehopeburne (Allerhope Burn) down that same Halrehope burne southwards into the Alewent (Alwin), as far as the point where Kidlandburne (Kidlandlee Dean) flows into the Alewent, and so westwards up that same Kidlandburne as far as the ditch ('fossatum') which the monks made as boundary between themselves and Thomas of Clenill, and so by that ditch as far 'in Redepeth' onto the great road of Ernespeth (Yarnspeth - Clennell Street), and so by that same road of Ernespeth as far as the river of Ernespeth (West Burn?), and so by the river itself as far as the head itself of the river of Ernespeth (Yarnspeth Law?), and so eastwards to the boundaries of Eustace de Vesci (baron of Alnwick), and by those same boundaries as far as Cousthotelau (Cushat Law) and so as far as Steng (Sting Head), and so midway between Holhopcriwes (Wholehope Hill?) and Blakedenhed (Black Butt?), and so across Frodesmor (Wether Cairn/Wholehope Hill) as far as the afrorenamed cross at Halrehopeheued.
1195/1226 Richard de Umfraville granted the abbey Scorthope, Fastside and Alribarns (NC 76):
Bounder 4 - from that spot where the near stream bed (Murder Cleugh?) from the southern part of Hetheredrode (Ward Law?) flows into Heppdenburne (Hepden Burn/Barrow Burn), and so descending by the Hepdenburne as far as that place where the streambed from middle Alribarnclou (Barrow Cleugh?) falls into Hepdenburne, and thus ascending by the same clough as far as the cross which I caused to be set up in Hardrode (Barrow Law?) on the boundary between between the aforesaid monks and Henry the crossbowman ('balistarius') and so towards the south as far as the cross placed above the Swire of Fastside (?), and so southwards by crosses as far as the Koket, where the cross is placed above the bank, and so ascending by the Koket as far as Ruhopeburne (Rowhope Burn) and so up the Ruhopeburne as far as that point where the stream of Slyn (Wardlaw Burn/Trows Burn?) flows into the aforesaid Ruhopeburne, and thence eastwards by the boundaries of Ruhoppe to the aforesaid nearer streambed from the southern part of Hetherederode.
pre 1226 Richard de Umfraville grants to the abbey all the land in Hepden (mod. Barrowburn) which was formerly held by Henry the crossbowman (NC 77), and which Richard had bought from Henry (NC 77-78):
Bounder 5 - from that place where the stream of Hepden flows into the Koket (Barrowburn) up as far as the most northerly Altriclou (Barrow Cleugh?) and from there across as far as Hardrode (Barrow Law?) and thence as far as the saddle beneath the Cundos (?) and from there descending by the hanging willows on Fastesyde (?) as far as the Koket.
post 1226 Henry the crossbowman (balistarius) confirmed grant by Gilbert de Umfraville I of all land in Hepden which Henry had sold to his former lord Richard de Umfraville for 54 marks - the sum was actually paid by the monastery - and which Richard had transferred to Newminster (NC 77-78).
1226/44 Gilbert de Umfraville I gave Turfhill or Tursill - the hill now called Shillhope Law - to Newminster (NC 55, 66, 78; cf. NCH XV (1940), 437):
Bounder 6 - By the stream of Hepden (mod. Hepden Burn/Barrow Burn) northwards as far across as Wndinfald (?), and so from Wndinfald across by the boundary of Fairhaluh (Fairhaugh township) to the Oswaiburne (Usway Burn) and so by the Oswaiburne to the shieling/lodge ('logia') formerly belonging to William Bataille, now to John of Letelwell (Batailshiel), and thence by the Thestirclou (Lee Cleugh?) southwards to Koket (Coquet) and so by the Coket ascending to Hepdenburne mouth.
1226/44 Gilbert de Umfraville I also granted the monastery a licence to build a fulling mill with associated mill-pond (stagnum) on his land on the south side of the Coquet at Hepden (Barrowburn), between Hepden Burn mouth and Rowhope burn - licenciam faciendi et firmandi stagnum molendini sui fullonici apud Hepden super terram meum ex australi parte de Coket, inter Hepdenburnemuth et Ruthopeburn (NC 78).
1226/44 Gilbert de Umfraville I and wife, Theophania, quitclaimed hunting rights on Cheviot and Coquetdale moors, which previous grants had retained, for sake of his father's and his ancestor's souls. Henceforth it was not lawful for anyone except the monks to hunt wolves and foxes on this land (NC 79).
1270 Gilbert de Umfraville II confirmed all his predecessors' charters and remitted 18 marks/ annum rent which monks had paid. Since his accession the monks had paid a total of £160 in rent to Gilbert (NC 79-80).
late 12th C? Monks entered into agreement with neighbouring lords over the return of straying horses (Robert de Muschamp) and boundary lines (Geoffrey de Lucy) (NC 80).
1233 The abbey made an agreement with Thomas, rector of Alwinton, over payment of tithes from Upper Kidland (mod. Kidlandlee), Holehope (Wholehope), Apetreley, Elfenseth, Whiteburne (White Burn), Ruhope (Rowhope) and their members Hernispeth (mod. Yarnspeth), Heppeden (mod. Barrowburn) and Turfhil (Shillhope Law) (NC 81).
(various dates) Newminster obtained grants of way-leave for their servants, flocks and herds on road to Kidland from all neighbouring landowners (NC, passim; NCH XV (1940), 450).