1632. Paid for whipping black Barborie 6d.
1649. Paid at Mris Watsons, when the Justices sate to examin the witches ¾; for a grave for a witch 6d; for trying the witches £1. 5. 0.
1671. Paid for powder and match when the Keelemen mutinyed 2/-.
1684. For carrying 26 Quakers to Durham £2. 17s.
In the north-west of the county, Ryton Church (Holy Cross), dates from the thirteenth century, and is all of one period. It consists of a chancel, nave with north and south aisles, western tower with spire, and south porch. In the chancel is a square-headed piscina in the usual position, a priest’s doorway, and a low side-window, now built up. In the north wall is an ambry. The arcades of the nave are of three arches each, the easternmost pillars on each side being octagonal, the others cylindrical. The corbel-table of the tower is of interest, several of the corbels being carved in foliage designs. The wooden, lead-covered spire is contemporary with the tower. Within the altar-rails is a fine sepulchral effigy in marble of a deacon.
Returning again to the central districts, the Church of St. Mary and St. Cuthbert at Chester-le-Street is the successor of an early wooden edifice, which sheltered for the greater part of two centuries the remains of the latter saint, before the Danish invasion of 995 caused his guardians—for better security—to remove their charge to Ripon. Egelric, fourth Bishop of Durham, decided to rebuild the church of stone, but it is doubtful if any remains of his church are incorporated in the present building. The date of the erection of the latter is uncertain.
The oldest portions of the present church are the north and south walls of the chancel, and in the south wall are inserted three windows, dating from the thirteenth century, and evidently contemporary with the three eastern bays of the arcade of the nave. The remaining bays of the nave and the tower are later additions, and the graceful spire still later, dating from the Early Decorated period.
At the time of the Reformation there were two chantries in the church, one being in the south aisle, at the east end of which there is a trefoil-headed piscina and square ambry. At the west end of the north aisle, partly within and partly without the church, is an interesting two-storied erection, containing four chambers, which must have, at one time, been an anchorage. The church is chiefly remarkable for the series of fourteen monumental effigies of presumed members of the Lumley family. Eleven, however, were the work of sculptors employed by John, Lord Lumley, at the end of the sixteenth century, and two were removed by him from the graveyard of Durham Abbey, under the mistaken impression that they represented two of his ancestors.
"The first effigy, evidently imaginary, represents Liulph in a coat of mail.... Above this venerable personage is a long inscription commemorating the whole family descent.
"Next to Liulph lies Uchtred, in a suit of chain armour....