Records of a settlement at Eglingham go back to the early 12th century when it was part of an estate granted to Tynemouth Priory between 1106 and 1116. Priory records exist from the 13th and 14th centuries and give some idea of how many people lived here at this time. In 1296 there were six tenants, yet in 1378 the village had been visited by the Black Death and all was laid waste. By the early 17th century the population had recovered, with 20 householders listed in the Hearth Tax of 1665.