CHAPTER III.

Description of Cherryburn—The surrounding common—The 32–49 peasantry—Will Bewick—Anthony Liddell—Thos. Forster—John Chapman—Their peculiarities and way of life—The very old men—Their avidity for news—Old Soldiers—John Cowie—Ben Garlick—Their enthusiastic description of the battles they had fought—The Borderers—Their propensity for war and rapine—Their names—The farmers of Tyneside—The lairds—The gentry—Plan of the late Duke of Northumberland for raising the character of the peasantry—Parish relief degrading—Proposed iron works at Eltringham—Failure of the scheme