HOLY-ISLAND, (Northumberland) on the N. E. side of the Co. near Berwick, so called by the Monks who lived in it to retire
from the world, was anciently a Bp's. see by the name of Landisfern, by reason of its situation over-against the r. Landi,
and had 22 Bps. successively. It has plenty of fish and fowl, but the air and soil are bad. It is 3 m. in com. and has a
T. a Ch. and a castle; which last was surprized and taken, in 1715, by the Erringtons and others, for Mr. Foster, the
pretender's general, but was soon inverted and retaken by a detachment from Berwick. Bede calls this a semi-isle, being
encompassed indeed with water at every flood, but sand at ebb. It lies not above 1 m. and half from the land; from whence,
at low water, people ride over to it. Under the T. there is a commodious harbour, defended by a fort on a hill to the S.
E. The W. part is left wholly to the rabbets. 'Tis joined to the E. part, which is much the broadest, by a small slip of
land.