Heddon's history timeline AD43 to 1599
The Heddon history time-line is based on work by Pat Farnaby for his previous village web site.
43 Romans conquered Britain up to the River Humber.
43 - 410 Possible Romano-British enclosure visible as crop-marks in aerial photos in a field west of Close House (Wylam)
61 Queen Bodicea's rebellion against the invading Romans failed.
81 Romans completed the conquest of Britain.
c100 In a large cairn on Turpin's Hill were found in 1771 and 1795 two stone coffins, in one of which were two urns, with copper coins of Domitian, Antoninus Pius and Faustina. Site of a Roman barrow or possible Roman reuse of a Bronze Age cairn? Link
105 Chinese invented paper
122 The building of Hadrian's Wall commenced. Hadrian’s Wall was the north-west frontier of the Roman empire for nearly 300 years. It was built by the Roman army on the orders of the emperor Hadrian following his visit to Britain in AD 122. The building of Hadrian’s Wall probably began that year, and took at least six years to complete. Link
c300 A rock-cut cistern, known as the 'Giant's Grave' discovered in late C18th just south of the Fort Vindovala (Rudchester), measures 3.9m by 1.5m internally and 0.5m deep. It is generally regarded as Roman and, apart from the Mithraeum, is the only surviving structure of the vicus. Link
c300 Roman temple of Mithras (Mithraeum) at Rudchester (excavated in 1953). Link
410 Roman Army withdrew from Britain to defend Rome against the Barbarians.
476 Fall of the Roman Empire in the west .
c650 Christians built a Saxon Chapel at Heddon.
653 According to the Venerable Bede, Peada, Prince of the Middle Angles, and Sigebert, King of the East Saxons, were baptised on the site of Heddon Church by Bishop Finan of Lindisfarne. Link The fact that a royal prince has been baptised within the church entitles the choir to wear red robes, something that otherwise would need the monarch's permission.
680 Some of the oldest parts of St Andrews Church were built. Link
748 Chinese printed the first newspaper.
1070 Normans introduced the Feudal system
1086 Domesday Book surveyed land and buildings in England for tax purposes (It showed that 95% of people worked in agriculture).
1096 Beginning of the Crusades.
1100-35 The manor of Heddon was bestowed by Henry I on Hugh de Bolbec, becoming known as the Bolbec Barony. Link
1165 Hugh de Bolbec's grandson, Walter, founded a monastery at Blanchland Link
1215 Signing of the Magna Carta.
1274 Heddon appeared in the Hundred Rolls as "Edwinistre". This suggests that Heddon may have been one of the hill forts of Edwin, King of Deira and Bernicia (later to become Northumbria) from 616 to his death in 632 or 633.
1285 Simon Rudchester built the original tower at Rudchester.
1290 Existing documents show Richard Turpin of Houghton had a law suit with the Prior of Tynemouth regarding lands in the parish of Heddon.
1296 In the Lay Subsidy, Rudchester was recorded with seven taxpayers. The Military Road map of 1749 showed seven houses there, but Armstrong's map of 1769 indicated the site contained only the hall Link
1296 A list of the vicars of St Andrew's church, from this date, is to be found in the church porch.
1328 Scotland gained independence.
1335 The Bolbec Barony was devolved between two surviving heiresses, Margery and Phillipa.
1346 Phillipa's share passed through the family of her husband, Roger of Lancaster, to William of Harle who died in 1346. His son, Robert, gave the lands to the Abbey of Blanchland.
1348 The Black Death spread to Britain, from Europe, killing one million people, 25% of the population.
1419 The Rudchester estate passed to the Rutherford family.
1513 Scottish invading army defeated at the battle of Flodden.
1534 Henry VIII declared himself "Head of the English Church".
1539 Dissolution of the monastery at Blanchland, to which St. Andrew's church belonged, passed the right of choice of vicars of Heddon to the Crown, and subsequently to the Lord Chancellor.
1545 Martin Turpin of Whitchester killed John Rutherford of Rudchester.
43 - 410 Possible Romano-British enclosure visible as crop-marks in aerial photos in a field west of Close House (Wylam)
61 Queen Bodicea's rebellion against the invading Romans failed.
81 Romans completed the conquest of Britain.
c100 In a large cairn on Turpin's Hill were found in 1771 and 1795 two stone coffins, in one of which were two urns, with copper coins of Domitian, Antoninus Pius and Faustina. Site of a Roman barrow or possible Roman reuse of a Bronze Age cairn? Link
105 Chinese invented paper
122 The building of Hadrian's Wall commenced. Hadrian’s Wall was the north-west frontier of the Roman empire for nearly 300 years. It was built by the Roman army on the orders of the emperor Hadrian following his visit to Britain in AD 122. The building of Hadrian’s Wall probably began that year, and took at least six years to complete. Link
c300 A rock-cut cistern, known as the 'Giant's Grave' discovered in late C18th just south of the Fort Vindovala (Rudchester), measures 3.9m by 1.5m internally and 0.5m deep. It is generally regarded as Roman and, apart from the Mithraeum, is the only surviving structure of the vicus. Link
c300 Roman temple of Mithras (Mithraeum) at Rudchester (excavated in 1953). Link
410 Roman Army withdrew from Britain to defend Rome against the Barbarians.
476 Fall of the Roman Empire in the west .
c650 Christians built a Saxon Chapel at Heddon.
653 According to the Venerable Bede, Peada, Prince of the Middle Angles, and Sigebert, King of the East Saxons, were baptised on the site of Heddon Church by Bishop Finan of Lindisfarne. Link The fact that a royal prince has been baptised within the church entitles the choir to wear red robes, something that otherwise would need the monarch's permission.
680 Some of the oldest parts of St Andrews Church were built. Link
748 Chinese printed the first newspaper.
1070 Normans introduced the Feudal system
1086 Domesday Book surveyed land and buildings in England for tax purposes (It showed that 95% of people worked in agriculture).
1096 Beginning of the Crusades.
1100-35 The manor of Heddon was bestowed by Henry I on Hugh de Bolbec, becoming known as the Bolbec Barony. Link
1165 Hugh de Bolbec's grandson, Walter, founded a monastery at Blanchland Link
1215 Signing of the Magna Carta.
1274 Heddon appeared in the Hundred Rolls as "Edwinistre". This suggests that Heddon may have been one of the hill forts of Edwin, King of Deira and Bernicia (later to become Northumbria) from 616 to his death in 632 or 633.
1285 Simon Rudchester built the original tower at Rudchester.
1290 Existing documents show Richard Turpin of Houghton had a law suit with the Prior of Tynemouth regarding lands in the parish of Heddon.
1296 In the Lay Subsidy, Rudchester was recorded with seven taxpayers. The Military Road map of 1749 showed seven houses there, but Armstrong's map of 1769 indicated the site contained only the hall Link
1296 A list of the vicars of St Andrew's church, from this date, is to be found in the church porch.
1328 Scotland gained independence.
1335 The Bolbec Barony was devolved between two surviving heiresses, Margery and Phillipa.
1346 Phillipa's share passed through the family of her husband, Roger of Lancaster, to William of Harle who died in 1346. His son, Robert, gave the lands to the Abbey of Blanchland.
1348 The Black Death spread to Britain, from Europe, killing one million people, 25% of the population.
1419 The Rudchester estate passed to the Rutherford family.
1513 Scottish invading army defeated at the battle of Flodden.
1534 Henry VIII declared himself "Head of the English Church".
1539 Dissolution of the monastery at Blanchland, to which St. Andrew's church belonged, passed the right of choice of vicars of Heddon to the Crown, and subsequently to the Lord Chancellor.
1545 Martin Turpin of Whitchester killed John Rutherford of Rudchester.
