PERSE-BRIDGE, (Durham) on the Tees, W. of Darlington, where priests were formerly stationed, to officiate for the
devotion of travellers as well as of the neighbours, in a chapel the ruins of which remain hard by the bridge. This would
tempt one to think the original name of this place was Priests-Bridge, especially if it be true, as tradition says, that
the old bridge, which was of wood, was replaced with one of stone by 2 neighbouring priests. A Roman altar, besides urns,
coins, and other marks of antiquity, has been found here; and it is supposed that here the Roman highway from Catarick
entered this Co.