contested between the families Brandling, a staunchly Royalist and Catholic family, Blaxton and Wyclyffe. While several elements of the estate where divided by share, in 1509 the entire manor of Felling was granted by Deed of Partition to Robert Brandling and his heirs "for life and to the total extinction" of any other claims. The Brandling family Brandling duly lived at Felling with his wife Anne. He became sheriff of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1524, was mayor of Newcastle five times and was knighted by the Duke of Somerset at Mussleburgh. When he died in 1568, the estate passed to his brother Thomas. In 1605, Thomas' grandson, Robert Brandling, inherited the manor. Robert Brandling was granted Newminster Abbey by King James in 1610, served as High Sheriff of Northumberland in 1617 and was in 1621 elected Member of Parliament for Morpeth. When he died in 1636, the estate passed to his son, Sir Francis Brandling. Francis was also an MP, albeit for Northumberland, between 1624 and 1625 though he abandoned Felling in favour of residence at Alnwick Abbey. He died in 1641 and was succeeded by Charles Brandling, a cavalry colonel who also resided at both Felling and Alnwick. Charles had two brothers. The older of which, Ralph, was killed at the Battle of Marston Moor, while the second brother, Robert, also participated in the English Civil War and was captured in an otherwise successful Royalist engagement at Corbridge in February 1644 after which he switched sides and fought for the Roundheads; an action which earned him the reputation as "a very knave" which he carried until his death in 1669. Early industrialisation 1680–1800 By the turn of the 18th century, Felling consisted of little more than the large Brandling estate and a small scattering of tiny farming villages. However, Ralph Brandling, the incumbent of the Brandling estate at that time, had come to realise the value of the rich coal deposits on his estate and began drift mining around 1670. He initially found the large coal seams under his estate difficult to extract due to their depth, and indeed it was imported coal from Newcastle-upon-Tyne which saw the development of more extensive industries in salt, glass and chemicals which began to attract workers to the area. At around 1750, a large copper-works was opened at the banks of the River Tyne; the first such works to be developed on the river.