Descent of property in Heddon
from A History of Northumberland (1930) vol 13
Summary by David Gardner-Medwin (2011)

From Walter of Bolbec I, who was granted the Barony of Styford by Henry I (reigned 1100-1135), it descended (with a short break) to his grandson Walter de Bolbec IV (died childless 1206), thence to his nephew Hugh de Bolbec (died 1262).

The manor then contained 160 acres of demense and about 63 acres in other components.

The barony was inherited Hugh's four daughters, of whom two had no offspring, so the barony was therefore divided equally between the descendants of the others:
Philippa (married Roger of Lancaster) and
Margery (married secondly Ralph, Baron Greystoke)..

Margery's moiety (the west side of Heddon) descended in her family (Greystoke, Dacre and Howard) until in 1796 the sixth Earl of Carlisle sold it to Nathaniel Clayton (transaction completed 1812). It remained in the Clayton family until 1918 when Bay's Leap, Heddon Town and Heddon Mill farms were sold to Adam and James Hedley.

Philippa's moiety (the east side of Heddon) descended on her death (1294) to her son
John of Lancaster, then (c.1338, when his widow died) to a probable relative
William Harle (died 1346/7), then to his son
Robert Harle, who founded a chantry at Kirk Harle 1348 endowed with the estate at Heddon, vested in Blanchland Abbey until its dissolution, when the bailiff to whom it was leased was
Edmund Claxton (later with Roger Mitford).

In 1611/12 the former possessions of Blanchland Abbey granted to
John Eldred and others, who sold the Heddon moiety to
Sir Robert Wingfield, who sold it in 1631 to
Henry Deth of Stamford, who sold it in 1631/2 to
Ralph Carr of Derwentcoates, Co. Durham. He retained the mining rights but sold the manor, land etc. in 1635 to
Reynold Horsley of Milbourne and Richard Pearson of Newcastle, trustees for
James Metham of London. In 1659 the trustees vested the property in
James Metham of Newcastle (cousin and heir of the above). He sold it to his mother,
Julian Dent in 1661 (having been widowed and remarried to Thomas Dent). After her death c.1675 it reverted to her son
James Metham, until his death, intestate in 1684. It then passed in two parts to his two half-sisters (née Dent):
Isabel, wife of William Bigge of Newcastle and
Julian, wife of John Hindmarsh of Little Benton (after legal wrangling lasting until 1706).

[1717 the Common lands of Heddon, 1020 acres, were awarded to the Earl of Carlisle (504 acres on the west), Mrs Hindmarsh (260 acres on the north-east) and John Bigge, son of William and Isabel (256 acres on the north-west.]

By descent the quarter belonging to Isabel Bigge passed to
Charles William Bigge, who sold it in 1810 to
George Bates of Aydon, from whom it descended by 1930 to
Mrs Bates, the widow of Cadwallader John Bates of Langley Castle.

The quarter belonging to Julian Hindmarsh passed to her son
Thomas Hindmarsh, whose heir was
Sarah Orde (née Shafto), wife of Revd. Thomas Orde of Kirknewton. On her death, the property was divided between her son and daughter
John Orde and Elizabeth, wife of Thomas Shadforth, master mariner (married 1775).

John Orde's eighth (he died in 1818) descended to his son and then grandson
Leonard Shafto Orde, who sold it in 1874 to
John Clayton (who already owned the western moiety).

Elizabeth Shadforth's eighth on her death was divided into four parts for her three sons and a daughter (Elizabeth, wife of John Dutton). The sons sold their parts to Edward Collingwood of Chirton (died 1806) who left his estate to his great nephew
Edward Stanhope, who took the name of Collingwood. The Collingwood trustees in 1874 sold it to
John Clayton.

The Dutton's 32nd part descended to
William Henry Dutton, who sold it in 1857 to
Thomas Bates of Aydon and Heddon.