ALNEWICK, (Northumberland) commonly called ANWICK, 236 cm. and 310 mm. from London, is a good thoroughfare on the r. Alne,
in the London road to Berwick. It has been particularly fatal to the K.'s. of Scotland. In the R. of K. Will. Rufus it was
besieged by Malc. III. K. of Scotland, and the castle (where the assizes are sometimes held) then the strongest in these
parts, was on the point of surrendring, when a soldier stabbed him with a spear, pretending to deliver him the keys on the
point of it; and his son Edw. endeavouring to revenge his death, was here slain, and his army routed. This T. is also
famous for a victory obtained by the English over Will. K. of Scots, who was here taken, and carried prisoner, with his
feet bound under the horse's belly to K. Hen. II. who detained him, 'till he gave security to pay 100, 000 l. for the
ransom of himself, and some others. The Lp. formerly bel. to the Tylsons, then to the Fitz-johns, and afterwards to the
Veseys, one of whom gave it to Ant. Beck, Bp. of Durham, to hold in trust for his natural son 'till he came to age; but
the Bp. betrayed his said trust, and sold both this castle and honour to Hen. Piercy, a great man in those parts, from
whom the E's. of Northumberland descended, in whose family it remained 'till lately, if it does not still: for though in
the R. of K. Hen. IV. by the rebellion of Hen. Hotspur, E. of Northumberland, and his father, the castle and manor, with
other their estates, were seized by the K. as they were again for the same cause, in the R. of Edw. IV. yet the family was
at length reconciled to the crown, and had this castle, etc. and most, or all of their estates restored. And in 1643 this
T. gave a title of honour to Hen. Piercy of Alnwick, Brother to Algernon, E. of Northumberland. The D. of Somerset has a
seat here. Every man, who takes up his freedom of this T. has cause to remember K. John, by being obliged, according to a
clause, 'tis said, in his charter, to jump into a bog, wherein they sometimes sink to the chin. K. John travelling this
way happened, it seems, to stick fast in this hole, and therefore inflicted this very punishment on the T. for not mending
the road. Mt. on S.