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May 27. — The thanks of the Society of Arts, and the silver medal were given to Mr. William Featherstonhaugh, of Lambton, near Chester-le-Street, for a description, a drawing and a model of a machine invented by him to counterbalance the ropes used in the shafts of mines. [LHTB]

November. — The Joseph and Hannah, a small collier, belonging to Sunderland, sailed from Portsmouth with five others; they had not been long at sea before a lugger privateer made its appearance, and attacked the Joseph, the other colliers made the best of their way. The privateer ordered the Joseph to strike, which he not complying with, they fired into him instantly ; the collier returned the fire, with only two small swivels and one 4-pounder, and did some execution. Unfortunately they could not get the priming to lie on the touch-holes of the swivels, which soon rendered them useless. By some contrivance, they covered the 4 pounder with a sail, in order to keep it clear of the wind. While this was doing the privateer ran alongside, when one of the collier’s men coming up with a red hot poker, in order to fire the gun, seeing one man in the act of boarding, immediately ran the poker into his mouth, and tumbled him into the sea, where he met his fate. By this time the collier had swung his bowsprit across the enemy, and his main chains catching hold of her, being clinker built, the sheathing gave way, and tore her in such a manner that in a few minutes she parted in two, and went with her crew to the bottom, before any assistance could be given. The captain of the collier, was at this time, laid on his back steering the ship, and only two men assisted on deck, as the others had been wounded in the action. The privateer mounted eight guns, and had 45 men on board. The collier only five men and boys. [LHTB]

 

 

 

• LHTB — Local Historian's Table Book of Remarkable Occurrences Connected with the Counties of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Northumberland and Durham by M.A. Richardson. Published in five volumes in 1844.