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January 15. — Thirteen vessels, principally coal laden, driven on the sands at Stranton during a heavy gale, 4 of which became total wrecks, but happily no lives were lost. [LRSN]

January 27. — Died, at his house, in Bedford-row, London, in the 86th year of his age, the celebrated Charles Hutton, LL. D., F.R.S., and for upwards of forty years professor of mathematics in the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich. Dr. Hutton was born in Percy-street, Newcastle. Like many others, he was entirely a self-taught mathematician. In the years 1755 and 1756, Charles Hutton (whose father was employed in the colleries) worked as a hewer in Old Long Benton colliery, but a lameness in his arm, from an accident when young, rendering him unfit for so laborious an employment; he opened a school in the village of Jesmond, but afterwards removing to Newcastle, he taught with great reputation till 1773, when on the 29th of May that year he was appointed by the board of Ordnance to the professorship of mathematics in the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich, in the room of Mr. Cowley, superannuated. He was elected from a number of candidates, after a strict examination of several days. The following year Mr. Hutton was elected a fellow of the Royal Society, In 1770, he published in Newcastle, his "Treatise on Mensuration, 4to., dedicated to his grace the duke of Northumberland. The celebrated Mr. Thomas Bewick, then an apprentice to Mr. Beilby, commenced his career as a wood-engraver, by engraving the mathematical diagrams for this work. His publications were very numerous, and have nearly all become standard works in the mathematical seminaries. The beautiful marble bust of him, executed by Gahagan, and which had been presented to himself, September 21st, 1822, by a committee of the subscribers, he bequeathed to the Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle. After the expenses of the bust were paid, a considerable surplus remained on hand, with this the committee agreed to engrave a die for striking off medals (one of which to be given in a case to each subscriber), to contain on the obverse the head of Dr. Hutton in profile, with an appropriate legend — on the reverse, emblems of two philosophical discoveries by him ; the one on the density of the earth, and the other on the exact force or strength of gunpowder, with an appropriate motto.— Mrs. Hutton died at Jesmond, near Newcastle, May 26th, 1785. [LRS]

February 2. — The Tees, of Stockton, and 3 other vessels driven on shore, near Hartlepool, 2 of which (coal laden) sunk. [LRSN]

February 12. — At three o'clock on the morning, a fire broke out in the lead manufactory of Locke, Blackett, & Co., in Gallowgate, Newcastle, which at first had a very alarming appearance; but by the assistance of the engines of the Newcastle Fire-office, and those from the barracks, it was got under before six o'clock. The fire was confined to the red-lead house, where it commenced, the roof of which was burnt off, and two other roofs slightly injured. [LRS]

February 21. — An explosion inflammable air took place in Ouston colliery, near Chester-le-street, by which four men were killed, and two severely burnt. [LHTB]

June 19. — A most melancholy accident happened at Walker colliery, near Newcastle. An air-course having to be opened, some workmen were set to open an old shaft, which had been filled up for twenty five years. The length of time it had been filled up, induced a belief that the earth, &c., filling it, had become united to the sides, and in consequence, the under viewer and five men unfortunately proceeded to remove the earth from the bottom of the shaft, at the same time that others were working at the top of it. They had not worked long, when the whole mass slid down, and buried them under it. Men were immediately set to work to dig them out, when they were found in a shocking mangled state all quite dead. [LHTB]

November 3. — A dreadful explosion of inflammable air took place in the Plain pit of Rainton colliery, in the parish of Houghton-le-Spring, Durham, belonging to the marquis of Londonderry, when fifty-three men and boys perished, and several others were dreadfully hurt, two of whom afterwards died ; twelve horses were also killed. A little before eight o'clock, one of the overmen, and soon after, one of the workmen, descended the pit, and succeeded in bringing several of the sufferers to bank ; and in the course of the morning the bodies of all who had perished were brought up, with the exception of four, who were in the most distant parts of the mine. The bodies presented a most shocking spectacle, being much burnt, and many of them very much mutilated. [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.
• 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.