Books, Modern Era, Archaeologia Aeliana Series 4 Volume 33 Pagess 134-141

Section VI. The Dents and the Hedleys.

John Dent of Walker was a son of William Dent of Swallwell and later of Wincomblee^a. William Dent was a farmer who became affluent through his connection with the coal trade, and particularly through his association with William Cotesworth, the Durham industrialist, for whom he acted as sub-agent, staithman and trustee²³. He rented a farm at Axwell and owned a copyhold property at Ryton Woodside, now known as Dent's Hall [Map]²⁴. His will was proved January 18th, 1743.

Note a. Hodgson states that the Dents were descended from the Dents of Byker, but gives no evidence of this descent.

Note 24. Nat. Coal Board deeds.

In 1767 the manor of Shortflatt [Map] was divided, John Dent taking the mansion house and the western moiety, and William Hepple, and his associate. Lancelot Robson of Belsay, sharing the eastern moiety. The deed also provided that John Dent and his heirs should "use, possess and enjoy" the eastern moiety of the "Shortflatt Isle" in Bolam Church [Map], and that Hepple and Robson and their heirs should have the western moiety (pi. XVI). In the same year the three proprietors of Shortflatt were summoned to a Court Leet of the manor of Bywell—an interesting survival of the feudal connection with the barony of Bolbec.

1770. John Dent lived at Wincomblee or Walker till about 1770, when he settled at Shortflatt [Map], occupying the seventeenth century part of the house, and letting the tower to the farmer who rented as the "West Farm" most of the Dent land. He died in 1786²⁵.

Note 25. Newcastle Courant, Nov. 25th, 1786.

[1831]. He [John Dent] was succeeded by his son, William Dent²⁶, who served in the Northumberland Militia for more than twenty- five years, retiring as lieut.-colonel. He died in 1831, leaving his real estate to William Dent Hedley (age 34), whose grandfather had married a daughter of William Dent of Wincomblee²⁷.

Note 26. Bapt. Long Benton, 1746.

Note 27. Wills of William Dent, 1742, and Hannah Dent, his widow, 1762.

Hodgson describes Shortflatt [Map] in about 1825 — "The approach to it is by a door-way in a garden wall, finely over hung with ivy. The tower is of strong masonry, and in good repair; its upper parts occupied by the farmer of the Shortflatt grounds, and its vault used as a cow house.... A shield over the door-way into the old entrance, if it was ever charged with armorial bearings, has been unfaithful to its trust."

William Dent Hedley was descended from a family which took an active part in the industrial and municipal life of Newcastle. His great-grandfather, William Hedley, described as a yeoman, was living in South Shields in 1730-1738²⁸, and later settled in Newcastle. His wife, Elizabeth, daughter of George Johnson of Monkseaton²⁹, came of a family promi nent in the coal trade; his sons, William and Robert, were master mariners, while John and Thomas were hostmen. Three of the sons were men of some local distinction, John being Mayor of Newcastle in 1777 and 1788, William an Elder Brother of the Trinity House, and Robert in 1769 Master of the Trinity House. In the next generation, Matthew Hedley was Master of the Trinity House in 1789 and Sheriff of Newcastle in 1801, Shafto John Hedley sheriff in 1791, and Robert Shafto Hedley mayor in 1799.

Note 28. Reg. St. Hilda's, S. Shields.

Note 29. Will of Wm. Johnson of Newcastle, 1750 (naming Wm. Hedley's wife and children); N.C.H,, IX, 296.

William Dent Hedley was the son of Matthew Hedley, and through his mother, Jane, daughter of Edward Charlton of Hexham, he was descended from the Loraines of Kirkharle and the Fenwicks of Wallington³⁰.

Note 30. Edward Charlton was a son of Forster Charlton of Lee Hall by Grace Dorothea, da. of Sir Wm. Loraine, Bart.—Hexham and Kirkharle Reg.; Pedigree and Memoirs of Loraine of Kirkharle (ed. L.L., 1902), 146-7; H.N., II, I, 247.

He [Commander William Dent Hedley aka Dent (age 13)] had had an adventurous career. Entering the Navy in 1810, he took part in the American war, and before he was nineteen he had taken an enemy ship, had been captured and had made his escape, had fought in the operations against New Orleans in 1814, and again been taken prisoner.

After sixteen years service, his [Commander William Dent Hedley aka Dent (age 29)] health broke down, and he retired in 1826 as lieutenant, later being promoted commander (retd list)³¹.

Note 31. O'Byrne's Naval Biographical Dictionary.

In 1831 a licence was granted for "William Dent Hedley of Shortflatt (age 34), son of Matthew Hedley, late of Newcastle upon Tyne, and grandson of William Hedley, late of the same place, by Ann his wife, formerly Ann Dent, who was the aunt of William Dent of Shortflatt, decd, to take the name of Dent, and to bear the arms of Dent quarterly with those of Hedley, such arms being first duly exemplified according to the laws of arms^b."

Note b. The arms exemplified in 1831 were—Quarterly: 1st and 4th, or, on a bend per bend gules and sable, three fusils conjoined of the field, for dent: 2nd and 3rd, gules, two chevronels or, between three hawks belled argent, for hedley. Crests—1st dent; a panther's head affrontee erased, with flames issuing from the mouth and ears, transpierced by an arrow barbed and flighted, the pheon towards the dexter, all proper: 2nd h edley; a swallow rising out of clouds, motto—Nil desperandum.

John Hedley, mayor of Newcastle 1777, bore gules, a chevron between three falcons argent, talons and bells or (hedley), a scutcheon in pretence, gules, on a bend argent three molets azure (shafto), his crest being a martlet or, wings endorsed (A.A., 4th ser., XIII).

The Dents of Newcastle and Byker bore or, on a bend sable, three lozenges erminois (N.C.H., XIII, 275). Also see S.S., CXXII.

Many structural changes were made at Shortflatt at this time, the most notable being the re-incorporation of the tower with the main building, the vaulted basement being converted into a drawing-room.

Edward John Dent (age 24), who became owner in 1880, made Shortflatt [Map] famous in sporting circles, his record as a breeder and trainer of greyhounds being six winners of the Waterloo Cup in eight years. His son, Lieut.-Colonel W. E. Hedley-Dent, assumed the name of Hedley-Dent in 1926³², and he and his wife have created a charming garden, and wide stretches of lawn, with beds of roses and lavender, and fine trees in the background, making a delightful setting for the old Border house, whose history I have told.