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January 21. — A melancholy accident happened in a coal pit, near Newcastle, by holing an unexpected old waste charged with inflammable air, which took fire from one of the workmen's candles. A general explosion ensued, by which 25 men and boys, and also 16 horses, were killed. [LRSN]

January 25. — In the morning, a most dreadful storm commenced at Newcastle, in a most sudden manner; the wind blew from the north a perfect hurricane; it was preceded by lightning, and the highest vane of St. Nicholas’ and Gateshead churches having been destroyed, it was supposed that they had been struck by the electric fire. Several coal keels were lost in the river; five ships of considerable value were driven from their moorings in Shields harbour into Jarrow Slake. The Barbara, of Shields, was driven upon the Herd Sand, and went to pieces; the Orwell, of South Shields suffered the same fate. The Hazard, of Sunderland, also went ashore at the same place, and the Alexander, and Margaret was driven upon the rocks at the north side of the harbour, the crews were all saved. In the evening of the same day, three men were lost on the military road, about fourteen miles west of Newcastle; they found themselves unable to proceed with their carts, and were endeavouring to reach home with their horses. A man named Emmerson, was also lost the same evening, between Newcastle and Shields. At Sunderland, on the above (Saturday) morning, the river Wear was in the most violent agitation; numbers of vessels drove from their moorings, and one had her sails torn entirely to pieces. At Hartlepool, Redcar, Marsk, Saltburn, &c., great damage was done to the shipping; indeed, so destructive was the storm, that the whole coast presented a dismal display of the havock it had caused. Upon the high lands, in the west parts of Northumberland, the storm was very destructive; many thousands of sheep were destroyed, several shepherds also lost their lives ; four of them were buried at one church in Northumberland. [LRS]

June 9. — An explosion took place in Picktree colliery, near Chester-le-Street, by which about thirty men lost their lives. Twenty-seven were buried in one grave in Chester church yard. [LRS]

June 11. — An explosion took place in Harraton colliery, by which twenty-eight human beings lost their lives. [LRS]

July. — There was a dispute between the keelmen of the Tyne and their employers. The keelmen did considerable damage to the staiths, and compelled many of the pitmen to leave their work ; they also attempted to stop the workmen in the iron works at Swalwell, which was prevented by a party of military. Eight keelmen were apprehended and committed to Newgate, Newcastle, but were afterwards sent off, under a guard of horse, to Durham. The military employed on this occasion were the North York and West York militia, and the Durham Rangers. [LRS]

 

 

 

• LRS — Local Records or Historical Register of Remarkable Events by John Sykes, published in 1833 in two volumes
• LRSN — Local Records of Stockton and the Neighbourhood by Thomas Richmond. Published in one volume in 1868.