The parish registers of Longhorsley can be found on the family search web site. They show a number of families named Grey. The marriage of John Grey to Frances Watson can be found and the baptism of a John Grey on 3rd April 1697 which match the Milfield family tree. The parish registers on line only show father's names but no other children who have a father called John are born in Longhorsley until Ann in 1720 and then no more until a family or families being baptised between 1743 and 1771. John Grey of Licolmfield is said to the father of John Grey of Longhorsley. This family of John Grey is shown below.

 

Where was Lincolmfield? Maps of old Longhorsley can be found on the communities.northumberland site here from where the first three parts of maps were taken.

John Grey of Lincolmfield is the first person at the top of the GREY family tree from the History of Northumberland, Volume XII.

This tree replaced the one in the previous volume and can be assumed to be the state of the Milfield Greys' knowledge of their pedigree in 1922.

View Lincolm in a larger map

Fryers map of 1820 shows Lincomb as a curved shape and a High Lincomb.

Left: Google map showing Linkham House today and Linkham Lane, with the surrounding farms. Linkham House is modern building, built about 20 years ago, east of where High/er Lincoln is shown on the old maps. No modern feature matches where Fryer's 1820 map shows Lincomb as a curved shape. The spelling Lincolm, Lincom, Lincomb, Lincoln and Linkham appear to refer to the same place.

Many thanks to Bill Ricalton for his help in 2013 in finding the right area.

Longhorsley has its own local history web site where there is a list of transcribed memorials from old St Helen's Church. You can view a plan here. The Grey transcription which is relevant is Number 115F:

Elizabeth daughter of Mr John GREY of Longhorsley Died June 17[60] Aged 8 years William his son died Decemr 16 17[--] Aged [6] Years Geo his son died Janr 7th 17[52] Aged 3 years Thos his son died Janr 17[--] Aged 1 year. Ann his daughter died May 3d 1760 aged [2] Years. Mr John GREY died [------] 6th 1778 aged 68 years. [……………] 1785 aged [--] .Headstone fallen - lower section missing

 

Right: Greys born in Longhorsley whose father's name is John from the Longhorsley registers on familysearch. These may be the children of John and his cousin Margaret Grey from Felton who he married in either Felton or Longhorsley on 29 May 1743. It makes him 44 when he first became a father if this is the correct man. His first marriage to Margaret Dobson in 1736 appears to be childless. (1)

George Grey of Sandyhouse and Milfield was baptised on 15th March 1754 according to the Milfield tree in History of Northumberland, Volume XII. However the family bible records that "George Grey of Sandyhouse and West Orde born 1749" But this has been added by later hand. The first George appears to have died aged 3 if this is the correct grave. William baptised on 27 November 1752 also fits the family tree.

The surviving Greys of this family on the Milfield tree include a John born about 1746 and an Edward born about 1765 who do not appear here.

A John Grey yeoman of Longhorsley south moor is recorded as having a will (2) dated 24 Nov 1778, which fits the inscription but the age of 68 would make his birth 1710, not 1697. He could be the son of William on the chart below. (3) Durham University probate records.He lists his male children in this order: Edward, John, George, William and James.

 

 

Other Grey families at Longhorsley include a Thomas Grey having children at the same time as William whose family chart is below,

The only other Grey memorial in the churchyard that has been found is for a William Grey: Number 87: "In memory of William GREY of Horsleybricks who departed this life December 12th 1796 aged 80 years. His wife Mary Ann GREY died January 14th 1793 aged 6[9] years. William their son died Nov [1st] [ ] aged [—] years. John their son died Febry [15th] [1817] aged [79]"

 

Earlier Longhorsley Greys on family search who may or may not be related are an Edward Grey who had two children, one called Edward baptised 7 January 1668 and a Willliam, baptised on 2 February 1671.

John Grey of Lincolnfield would have been their contemporary.

(1) John's first marriage to Margaret Dobson, is dated 23 October 1736 in Newcastle in "A History of Northumberland, Volume XI" by Kenneth H. Vickers, and has Margaret Dobson as the mother of his children. The date appears to be correct but his children were from a subsequent marriage. This was why the Grey family asked for a second tree to be submitted in the next volume of the History. It is a mistake copied by quite a few submitters on ancestry. In the second version of the tree in Volume XII" the second marriage is there but the Dobson marriage is dated 1756. This appears to be a mistake since John was having children with his cousin at this point. There is also a record of a John Gray marrying a Margaret Dobson in Longhorsley on 22 Feb 1736. This may be the parish having a record of the same event in Newcastle. Similarly John's wedding to Margaret Grey appears in both the Felton and Longhorsley registers.

(2) List of pre 1858 wills at Durham University: North East Inheritance Database.

(3) The Milfield Tree shows James Grey who died at Milfield in 1813 as being of Longhorsley South Moor and the Chirm. It seems possible that the family of William Grey may be connected. ""CHIRM, a village in the township of Wingates and parish of Longhorsley, in the county of Northumberland, 4 miles S.E. of Rothbury." 1868 Gazetteer

(4) The Northumberland poll-book; containing a list of the freeholders who voted at the contested elections for the county of Northumberland in the years 1747-8, 1774, and in Feb. and March, 1826. Including a complete collection of the papers which appeared in 1774, and the authentic papers, speeches, &c. relating to the election in Feb. and March, 1826 containing a list of the freeholders who voted. Coquetdale Ward for 1747 has an Edward Grey at Old Felton, (p. 13), and a William Grey at Burham, Felton (p.18). In 1774 there is a William Grey at Burgham and a William Grey at Felton (p. 185). By 1826 there is no longer any William Grey at Coquetdale, although the Greys at Long Framlington are still represented and John Grey at Milfield Hill is listed for Glendale Ward, while a John Grey who lives at Old Felton but has a freehold in Morpeth is listed in Morpeth Ward in 1826. (p.36).( N.B. Later pages are renumbered from 1)

(5) Northumbrian Documents of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century comprised of the Register of Estates of Roman Catholics in Northumberland. Published by the Surtees Society 1918. Records of Edward Horsley Widdrington in about 1717 pages 64-66, Records for the estates of Thomas Riddells' possessions in Longhorsley in about 1763 on pages 110- 113.

(6 ) Research on Wingates in 2007 for the The Wingates Community History Group Compiled by: The Archaeological Practice Ltd. Newcastle upon Tyne: page 45 " the Thornton estate remained in family hands until the 1760s when, following the death of James Thornton in 1761, the property was divided between Thornton’s two daughters who passed their portions on to the families into which they had married. A list of the properties on the estate was drawn up during the 1760s (ZTR, XXI/5), probably as part of the settlement of the will and also in connection with a family dispute over some of its terms (see Hodgson 1827, 319) which lists the properties on the estate, giving details of the farms, their rentals and names of the tenants and the terms of the tenancy. These are as follows: Farm name Tenant Rent Terms of tenancy, Wingates James Horne £100 For 15 years from 12 May 1757, Wingates Middle farm and Moor John Gray £100 No written agreement, but verbally for 11 years from 12 May 1765 East part of Wingates William Gray £82 No written agreement, but verbally for 11 years from 12 May 1766, Wholm and part of Wingates Ralph and George Young £83 No written agreement but verbally for 11 years from 12 May 1765, Garrett Lee and Part of Wingates, Mary Burn £67. 10s. For 11 years from 12 May 1763, Garrett Lee Lionel Aynesly £52. 10s. For 11 years from 12 May 1763, Wingates South Moor John Flood £24 No details given. In addition, the colliery at Chirm was leased to Thomas Stair for £20"

Howard Family Papers relating to Northumberland - Long Horsley Longhorsley leases:N12/6 - N12/14 2 January 1677 Leases of land in Long Horsley to: N12/6 Edward Gray. N12/9 Thomas Gray. N12/22 13 September 10 William III (1698) (1) Charles, Earl of Carlisle (2) Edward Grey, Yeoman Lease by (1) to (2) of a messuage in Long Horsley. N12/33 28 April 1719 (1) Charles, Earl of Carlisle (2) Edward Grey Lease of lands in Longhorsley.

NORTHUMBERLAND HEARTH TAX: PART XI from the Journal of the Northumberland and Durham Family History Society, page 42 "The places covered by our eleventh selection of extracts from Doug Smith's transcript of the Northumberland Hearth Tax Returns of 1664 lie in the area between the Rivers Wansbeck and Coquet from the coast to about 20 miles inland. As before, the first column shows the persons chargeable in each township, followed by the number of hearths in respect of which each was assessed. The second column shows the persons who were not liable to pay the tax; it should however be remembered that wholly exempt persons such as occupiers of property with an annual value of less than £1 were not named in the Hearth Tax records LONG HORSLEY Sir Tho Horsley 6 Noe Minister" Robert Swan 1 Wrn Hutson 1 Tho Thompson 1 Tho English I John Watson I Tho Hills 1 Gawin Wharie 1 Robt Watson I Edward Johnson 1 Robt Browne 1 Jonh Leighton 1 George Benton 1 George Bailes 1 Robt Grey 1 Wrn Dobson 1 Tho Woodhman 1 John Dixon I George Dobson 1"

 

 

The Longhorsley register of 1668 to 1723 has this note in it after this entry 1668: B Edward the son of Edward Grey of Longhorsley was baptised Jan 7th B William son of Edward Grey baptised Feb 1670

" This oldest register belonging to this parish was falling to bits for want of attention and was given by the Vicar in 1761 to an illiterate parish clerk to renew. The clerk copied only such names as he himself could decipher and burnt the original register and imagined it of no use which is the reason of this being imperfect. The above is from the report of several responsible persons who remember the circumstances. Inserted by me March 1803."

John Grey of Longhorsley's will. His will was made on 24 November 1778 when he was ill, and proved in 1779. He had married Margaret Grey, either his cousin or the daughter of his cousin Edward of Burgham, Felton. She was left £10 a year. His will mentions the three farms of which he was a tenant and land in Corbridge. His son Edward became a surgeon and he was left eight acres of land called Stanners on the south side of the river Tyne near Corbridge. His other living children were John, who was left £50, Margaret, who was left £300 and George, William and James who were to share their father's possessions from the three farms after having paid the other legacies. The farms were "at Nesbit in the parish of Chatton, Wingates in the parish of Longhorsley and at Longhorsley." All these children were relatively wealthy. George bought land at West Ord and John bought land at Middle Ord. William lived at Nesbit and later Kimmerstone and also owned Berrington. James was of "Longhorsley South Moor and the Chirm". The two farms at Longhorsley may be "South Moor", part of Wingates, leased from the Thornton family and "Town Farm" rented from Thomas Riddell. The gravestones of two of the witnesses of the will can be seen at St. Helens: Joseph Middleton the Vicar and William Common the school master. George Grey Butler writes that he has seen "there is added (after probate) a note: “The above will was proved on or about 13 Jany 1779 by George Grey of Wingates Farmer, William Grey of Nesbit Farmer & James Grey of Longhorsley South Moor Farmer, the sons of the said deceased the Executors”

Google map showing the area today, with markers showing approximate house locations. A closer look at the map shows the outlines of a building at the Low Linkham site with the faint traces of the original path to the fork in the road also marked.

Below: Map of High Linkham and Low Linkham from 1860s from BHO British History on line web site here. Sheet 063 of Map of Northumberland. Originally published by Ordnance Survey, Southampton, 1864-1867.

Lincolm could be a descriptive name for the landscape. Saxon place names, - colm, - com and – comb are variations of - ‘comb’/ ‘combe’ meaning a valley, ‘ham’ meaning a village. ‘Lincolen’ can also mean a lake and Lin, on its own, means flax. The two houses appear to have been built in a valley near the stream. So far " Lincolmfield" has not been found on any maps, and no tenancy documents have been found either. However it seems to be an industrial area at one time with coal mining and lime kilns. The ground is very uneven and mining may be what the curved shape on the 1820s map represents. It isn't known if John was a farmer although that has always been the assumption. John Hodgson's History of Northumberland notes that the place where Clavering's cross once stood, north of Stanton House was called Limekilnflat. He lists tenants of the area in 1679 including 4 at a "Limekilnfield". No Grey is named but there is a Cuthbert Smith of Longwitton in the area, who may be the same Cuth. Smith named at a land owner in Whalton in 1663. There is a lime kiln marked on the 1860s ordinance survey in the field south of Low Linkham (see left) and another east of Haredene on Greenwood's map.

The headstone fits the parish register and the illegible dates could be: "Elizabeth daughter of Mr John GREY of Longhorsley Died June 17?52] Aged 8 years William his son died Decemr 16 17?[52] Aged [6] Years Geo his son died Janr 7th 17?[53] Aged 3 years Thos his son died Janr 17[53] Aged 1 year. Ann his daughter died May 3d 1760 aged [2] Years. Mr John GREY died [------] 6th 1778 aged 68 years. [……………] 1785 aged [--] ." A sad list of five dead children. The original has not yet been seen. If the last 3 children were also theirs it looks as if the first James also died and possibly Robert as well, as he is not mentioned in his father's will.

There is a death record online in 1785 for a James Grey of Wingates Moor. His may be the illegible name on the gravestone. The James Grey on the printed pedigree of Milfield who died aged 70 in 1813, buried at Ford cannot be the correct James, as James of South Moor, farmer was an executor of his father's will in 1779. However if the first James died as late as 1785, it is unlikely that the James baptised in 1771 has the same parents. The records do not show the mother's name. Another marriage of a John Grey to a Margaret Ralphy on 3 Dec 1719 has been found at Longhorsley. It isn't known if this was John's first marriage or a different John. It is likely that they are the parents of Ann baptised in 1720.

Voters at Longhorsley were listed in 1774.(4) There is a William Grey at Felton and a William Grey at Burgham. The John Grey who was having his children baptised in Longhorsley church from 1743-71 is not listed as a voter. Either he was not a freeholder or possibly a catholic? An undated document (5) (?1763) lists the estates of Thomas Riddell of Great Swinburn Esq. "The messauge and farm called Town Farm in the possession of John Grey 138 pounds, Part of Horsley Bricks called North farm, let to George Burn and James Wallas, 74 pounds. The other part of Horsley Bricks called South farm, let to William Grey, 22 pounds and a messuage and farm called Burgham, let to William Grey, 80 pounds 5 shillings". The Thornton estate records (6) show: Wingates Middle farm and Moor John Gray £100 No written agreement, but verbally for 11 years from 12 May 1765 East part of Wingates William Gray £82 No written agreement, but verbally for 11 years from 12 May 1766, Wholm and part of Wingates Ralph and George Young £83 No written agreement but verbally for 11 years from 12 May 1765, Garrett Lee and Part of Wingates, Mary Burn £67. 10s. For 11 years from 12 May 1763, Garrett Lee Lionel Aynesly £52. 10s. For 11 years from 12 May 1763, Wingates South Moor John Flood £24 No details given. In addition, the colliery at Chirm was leased to Thomas Stair for £20"

Wingates South Moor may be the Wingates Moor of the 1860s map or it could be South Farm at Wingates. John Grey is a yeoman of South Moor when he writes his will in 1778 and James Grey is also said to be of South Moor. John's son George married a Mary Burn and there is a George Burn at Horsley Birks and a Mary Burn at Garret Lee and Wingates in 1763 who could be her relatives. The Youngs would fit with the family of William Grey. See below.

William Grey of Horsley Birks.

The parish registers at Longhorsley have a large number of children whose father's name is Wiilliam Grey. The burial records show a William Grey burial dated 03 Nov 1805 Wm GREY Age 50 Abode Horsley Bricks, Notes died 01 Nov 1805, Farmer . There is a record of a William Grey marrying an Ann Young at Longhorsley on 3 July 1754. This fits with the Youngs at the the nearby farms. But if she was born in 1724 she would only be 14 when John was born if he died aged 79. It is possible since the stone is so worn that 79 might be 59? This would make his birth 1758 rather than 1738 and therefore nearer his brother.

"In memory of William GREY of Horsleybricks who departed this life December 12th 1796 aged 80 years. His wife Mary Ann GREY died January 14th 1793 aged 6[9] years. William their son died Nov [1st] [1805 ] aged [50] years. John their son died Febry [15th] [1817] aged [59]"

As the sons were both buried with their parents perhaps they never married?

William and Mary Ann may have had more children. These children could be some of them with John born in 1768 rather than 1738.

It is possible that the other earlier children of a William Grey baptised at Longhorsley could be William of Horsleybirks siblings.

It looks as if the Thomas Riddell estates "Part of Horsley Bricks called North farm, let to George Burn and James Wallas, 74 pounds. The other part of Horsley Bricks called South farm, let to William Grey, 22 pounds and a messuage and farm called Burgham, let to William Grey" may apply to these two Williams. (5)

(Is William senior William of Burgham?

The occupier of Burgham before William was an Edward of Burgham. Burgham lies halfway between Longhorsley and Felton and some of the Burgham Greys could have been baptised at either place.

There are also children of a Robert Grey born between 1751-61, William Grey 1755-70, Peter in 1771, and Roger 1788- 1800.

For more on the Greys of Bywell, Burgham and Felton and some theories on how they may be related here and here