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January 15. — The frost was so intense, that the river Tyne, at Newcastle, was completely frozen over. The temptation to indulge in skating was not to be resisted; and on the above day (Saturday) a Dutch seamen put the strength of the ice to the test, by passing over it with beef bones tied to the soles of his shoes, and a long pole of wood in his hand, that in case the ice had broken under him, he might have supported himself with the pole until assistance had been afforded him. Numbers soon afterwards ventured upon it, and the next day, notwithstanding it snowed very hard almost the whole time, the skaters were numerous, and continued their diversion till the evening. On the Monday and Tuesday, the ice having been swept by the keelmen, who, by this means, endeavoured to raise a little money to maintain themselves whilst laid off work by the frost, the number of people who ventured upon the ice was very great, and even ladies graced the scene with their presence. The skaters were very numerous, and amongst those who delighted the spectators by their grace and expertness in this most elegant exercise, were particularly noticed Cuthbert Ellison, esq., M.P., for Newcastle, and Messrs. Gibson, Horne, Bigge, Smith, &e. The ice, after these two days, was covered with such a quantity of snow as to render skating impracticable. The snow being reduced by a quantity of rain which fell, became afterwards so frozen as to present once more an uncommonly thick surface of ice. Of this opportunity numbers availed themselves; the river, for several days, continued to be covered with crowds of people, amusing themselves in different ways upon its surface. Several booths were erected upon the ice for the sale of spiriuous liquors, and some fires kindled. The immense thickness of the ice removing all fear of danger, numerous parties, of all ages, ranks, and sexes, were to be seen in every direction, perambulating over its glassy surface, and enjoying the novelty of the scene. Several races took place, both with and without skates, for prizes consisting principally of different pieces of wearing apparel, as hats, stockings, &., but in one instance, of the substantial comfort of a leg of mutton ! These afforded great amusement. On other parts of the ice, parties might be seen playing at foot-ball, quoits, &c., and in other directions, fruit and cake sellers, fiddlers, pipers, razor-grinders, recuiting parties, &c., were to be met with. In short, the whole scene more resembled a country wake or fair, or a race-ground, than any thing else to which it could be compared. From the brilliancy of the moon, which was then full, the sports were continued each night to a late hour. Another partial thaw took place, but a very sharp frost succeeding, the same scenes and amusements were renewed. On one day, a horse and a sledge were upon the ice, and on another, a horse and a gig. Both getting on and off the ice was attended with some difficulty, the edges being so broken by the rising and falling of the tide. Gangways were laid down at different places, to remedy this inconvenience, and a toll being exacted from every person who passed over, became a source of revenue for those persons who were laid off employment by the frost. Each gangway was attended by four men, who were changed every day. The average thickness of the ice was stated at about ten inches; in some places there was a double ice. The sheet which admitted of skating extended from Redheugh to the Glass-house bridge. The navigation of the river was completely closed, as far down as St. Peter’s Quay. The ice finally broke up on Sunday, the 6th of February. [LRS]

February 8. — Died, at Tweedmouth, James Robinson, commonly called Jemmy Dumps, aged 94 years, an eccentric character. He was a drum-major at the battle of Preston, in 1746, and was highly offended when told that he ran away on that day. He gained his livelihood by leading coals and sand, and attending to farmers' carts, on the High-street, at Berwick. He slept in the same apartment with his asses, and had not lain on a bed for twenty-two years. [LRS]

April 5. — An explosion took place in Howden pit, Percy Main colliery, when four human beings lost their lives. [LHTB]

May. — A society, of which Sir Ralph Milbanke was president, was instituted, under the patronage of the duke of Northumberland, and many of the nobility and gentry of the north, having for its object the prevention of those sudden and disastrous explosions in coal mines, of which the melancholy effects have been so frequently experienced. Part of their plan was to publish a report, containing a comprehensive view of the modes of ventilation then practised in the north of England, and also, if their funds would enable them, to offer premiums for the best treatises, or any further important discovery or improvement, which might effectually promote the object they had in view. [LHTB]

June 2. — The skeleton of a man was found at the depth of thirty fathoms, in an old pit at Chirton, near North Shields. The discovery excited much curiosity. The duke of Argyle, who resided at Chirton, in the reign of William III., built a small house of undressed stone, in a shrubbery, which was afterwards converted into a brothel. About the year 1784, a young seafaring man disappeared, and was never more heard of. One of the inmates of this house, vulgarly called Cushet Hall, remembered a young man being rudely taken away from her by three men on the Newcastle road, and he was supposed to have been thrown down the pit near the house. The pit was then being filled up by order of the owners ; the rubbish had filled it to within about thirty or forty fathoms of the top, and the workmen proceeded and entirely closed it. The owners of Collingwood Main having occasion for a shaft there, caused the rubbish to be cleared out, in doing which the skeleton was discovered, Several of the ribs were broken. The soles of the shoes were very perfect. [LHTB]

August 12. — A melancholy accident happened at Hebburn colliery, near Newcastle. Elias Mould, under-viewer, has descended one of the pits, with the deputies and overmen, to change the course of the air for ventilation, when the pit fired, and himself and ten others were unfortunately burnt to death. [LHTB]

September 9. — An explosion took place in the Leafield colliery, in the parish of Chester-le-Street, which killed four men, and much injured five others. [LHTB]

December 16. — A great hurricane commenced about sun-rise and continued through the whole day, which did great damage to Newcastle and the neighbourhood. About eight yards of the parapet wall, which surrounds the roof of All Saints’ church, was blown into Silver-street; and a large stone urn was blown from the steeple, and fell at the head of the Butcher’s Bank. A window also of that church, one of St. Nicholas’, and one of Hanoversquare chapel, were blown in. Stacks of chimneys in the houses of George Waldie, esq., S. W. Parker, esq., Dr. Headlam, Mr. Turner, Mr. Anderson, Mr. Bell, and many others, were blown down, and falling on the roofs, completely destroyed them. A house belonging to Mr. Charles Turner, in Pilgrim-street, had the roof and two upper storeys entirely destroyed. The high brick wall that en closed Mr. Croser’s garden, at the Shield-field, was blown down into the lane. The fury of the tempest was most conspicuous in the vicinity of the river Tyne, which, swelled by the rains, came rolling down like a sea, and beating with fury against the bridge, the spray was carried forward by the wind into the lower parts of the town, where it fell with all the effect of a shower of rain. The ships at the Quay were obliged to strike their top gallant-masts, and not a boat durst venture on the river. A sailor was blown from the mast of a vessel at the Quay, and, falling on the deck, was killed on the spot. Two wherries were upset on the river, from both of which the people were saved. Another, laden with cinders, was swamped near the Close. Several keels were also swamped, and the crews of several, which were overtaken on their passage by the storm, were obliged to throw the greatest part of their coals overboard, to save themselves from sinking. Carr’s-hill and Gateshead-fell, from their exposed situations, particularly felt the effects of the storm. A great part of Jarrow church was unroofed, and many yards of a high garden wall at Westoe, belonging to William Ingham, esq., was blown down. The same gentleman had a hay-stack thrown down, and scattered by the winds in all directions. Many other stacks shared the same fate, and several trees were torn up by the roots. At North Shields several houses were unroofed, and numerous chimneys, walls, &c., were blown down. Many keels and wherries were sunk, and a keel belonging to Messrs. Nichol and Ludlow was crushed to pieces. One man fell from a keel near the New Quay, and was drowned in the sight of several persons, who could render him no assistance. A keel was driven out to sea with its crew on board, who, after great exertions, happily succeeded in reaching Holy Island in safety. A garden brick wall, thirty yards long, near Bedford-street, with the fruit trees, was laid flat, almost in a mass. At Durham and the vicinity much damage was done. A stack of chimneys in Lord Barrington’s house, in the College, being blown down, fell upon the roof, through which it penetrated into the best lodging-room, destroying the bed, and forcing its way into the drawing-room below. Another stack of chimneys fell from the house of Dr. Gray into the College. At the new school in Claypath, large slates were blown to a distance of sixty yards; no person received any injury. At Sunderland, the gale blew with indescribable fury. About one o’clock, a garden wall, on the east side of Nile-street, Bishopwearmouth, was blown down, and Mr. George Cameron, a very respectable master mason, of Sunderland, who was passing by at the time, was so severely wounded on the head, that he only survived three hours. The bricks flew with such violence across the street as to break several squares of glass in the houses on the opposite side. Several houses in Sunderland and the neighbourhood were entirely unroofed, and numbers were partially so. [LRS]

 

 

 

• 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.
• LRS — Local Records or Historical Register of Remarkable Events by John Sykes, published in 1833 in two volumes