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March 3. — The bonds of the pitmen of the rivers Tyne and Wear being near a close, they had a general meeting, on the above day, at Boldon Fell, in the county of Durham. The men began to arrive from their respective collieries shortly after nine o'clock, and, by eleven o'clock, it was supposed that there were between 7,000 and 8,000 on the ground. About fifty banners, with various mottoes and devices were displayed. This meeting was for the purpose of not agreeing with the coal owners for the next twelve months, unless they would bind the men belonging to the Union, and expunge the 2nd and 7th articles from the bond, &c. Mr. T. Hepburn, chairman, advocated the necessity of all their future proceedings being legal, and regretted the acts of several of the pitmen, some of whom were then being punished accordingly. The other speakers were Waddle, Parkinson, Arkle, and Atkinson, who all urged the necessity of supporting the Union for the maintenance of each other, as no less than £10,000. had been paid in the last twelve months from its funds. They also deprecated, in strong terms, the outrages which had been committed at Kenton, Waldridge, &c. After a few personalities had been vented against certain individuals, and the thanks of the meeting given to others, they quietly dispersed. [LHTB]

March 7. — A melancholy occurrence took place in Beamish Colliery, in the county of Durham. In consequence of an unexpected rush of water, William Millar, the viewer, and Robert Moody were drowned ; a third man escaped with difficulty. March 23, after the water had been considerably drawn off, the bodies were found in a most shocking condition. On taking the shoes from Moody, his feet separated with them. He left a widow far advanced in pregnancy, and four children. The bodies were interred at Tanfield, on the following day. [LRS]

April 14. — The pitmen of the rivers Tyne and Wear held a general meeting of their body at the Black-fell, near Wreckenton, in the county of Durham, to the number of about 9,000. The greater part of them walked in procession, carrying banners, &c. About eleven o'clock Mr. T. Hepburn, as usual, was called to the chair. After the chairman had opened the proceedings, several other speakers in succession addressed the pitmen, all of whom enforced the necessity of supporting the union, which they said would eventually baffle the machinations of their employers. In conclusion, he urged them to part quietly, and let the world see their determination to support good order. The meeting then broke up, the men formed under their respective banners, and left the place of meeting in the most peaceable manner. [LHTB]

April 21. — The works of those collieries where the men had made a stick, being at a stand, the owners had in many instances engaged other bands, and their late servants illegally retaining possession of their dwellings, there remained but one of two alternatives — either to submit to their late servants, or to put the newly engaged men into possession of the houses, &c., which are kept expressly for the occupancy of their workmen. On the above day (Saturday), the work of legal, but forcible ejection first commenced at Hetton colliery, in the county of Durham. Proper steps had been taken to prevent as much as possible any disturbance; special constables were appointed, a strong force of London police, was in readiness, assisted by a detachment of the Queen's bays, and those who refused to join the combined workmen were furnished with arms for their protection. While families and furniture were handed to the door, in the presence of the authorities, no resistance was offered, but the evening gave "dreadful note of preparation." Many of the union men assembled in a group; several were armed, occasional shots were fired, and, as if to intimidate the new hands, to prevent others from being induced to join, and to overawe the masters, a terrible vengeance was taken upon one of the bound men, named John Errington, who was found the next morning, barbarously murdered. On the Monday morning the coroner, T. C. Maynard, esq., arrived, and a jury having been summoned, immediately proceeded with the inquest, when, after a long and tedious investigation, which lasted about ten days, the jury returned a verdict of "wilful murder" against George Strong and Turnbull as principals, and against John Moore, and Luke Hutton, as accessories before the fact. These persons were committed under an escort of cavalry (it being apprehended that a rescue would be attempted by their comrades, by whom they were loudly cheered), to Durham gaol to take their trials at the ensuing assizes. Errington was one of the few pitmen at Hetton colliery who had consented to be rebound, and had in consequence become obnoxious to the union men, of which body he had been a strenuous advocate, but had seceded from their councils. This sanguinary deed was perpetrated by firing two marbles into his body, and such was the savage joy of these demoniacs, that when the funeral of the murdered man was passing the doors of the pitmen, it was barbarously assailed with terrible yells and execrations. [LHTB]

May 1. — In consequence of the pitmen not agreeing with the coal owners, and at the same time persisting to occupy the houses belonging to the latter, the work of ejection was still proceeding at several of the collieries. On the above day (Tuesday), a sanguinary attack, was made upon the advanced party of forty-five lead miners (whom the owners had engaged), while on their way to Tyne main and Friars' Goose collieries, situated on the south side of the river Tyne, about two miles east of Newcastle. So violent was the assault, and so deadly the means resorted to, that two of the poor fellows were nearly killed, and the remainder were pelted with stones, and otherwise maltreated while at Gateshead. Measures were then taken to preserve the peace; special constables were sworn in on the Wednesday, and on the day following, the work of ejection was commenced at Friars' Goose, the pitman having kept possession of their houses a fortnight longer than the stipulated time. Scarcely, however, had the proceedings begun, when several hundreds of pitmen, &c., commenced a furious assault with stones and other missiles, and the ejecting party were obliged to seek safety in flight. In the afternoon, on the information of the outrage reaching Archibald Reed, esq., mayor of Newcastle, an additional number of constables were sworn, who, at eight o'clock on Friday morning, provided with firearms and cutlasses, proceeded under the direction of Mr. Thomas Forsyth, the town-marshall, but without the aid of the military, to finish the work of ejection. On reaching Friars' Goose, a great number of pitmen were assembled, in whose presence, Mr. Forsyth delivered to his men two rounds of cartridge, containing swan shot, with strict orders not to fire till commanded. He then advanced, and the pitmen gave three cheers in defiance. Mr. Forsyth exhorted the pitmen to commit no breach of the peace, but they lent a deaf ear to his advice, and were reinforced every moment with fresh arrivals. The police in the mean time proceeded in the execution of their duty, and having entered the house of a pitman named Thomas Carr, his wife obstinately refused to go out, and was carried to the door by two men on a chair. She seized the hat of a policeman, flourished it over her head, and cheered on the mob; Carr then came forward, and begged that his furniture might be carted away to Gateshead. This request was complied with, and John Lough, sergeant at mace, with a small party of assistants, were deputed to guard the two carts. They were speedily met by upwards of 100 pitmen from the Felling, who attacked the guard, and wounded three of the men. Soon after, another body of the people attacked the premises appointed as a guard-house, overpowered the sentry, and carried off the guns. The noise and shouting brought Mr. Forsyth to the spot; he drew his cutlass and endeavoured to make his way through the immense masses of men that interposed between himself and the police. He was twice knocked down, and at length with great difficulty reached his companions, who were most unhappily stationed in a narrow lane, which was overlooked by a hill on each side, on which the pitmen stood, and threw brick bats, stones, &c., at them. The constables thus pressed, and considering their lives in danger, fired amongst the crowd, then making a rush, got out of their unfortunate position and gained a rising ground to the east, near to Mr. Easton the viewer's house. Some of the pitmen fired at them as they retreated. Five or six of the pitmen were wounded, one of them severely. Mr. Forsyth was wounded in the head and leg rather severely with stones; one of the special constables was also severely cut about the head. The police, from the place of their retreat, sent off two men express to Newcastle, for the military, the pitmen suspecting their object, obstructed their passage as much as possible. About twelve o'clock, one of these messengers galloped through Newcastle, on his way to the barracks without a hat, and exhibiting a cut in his face, and had one of his ribs broken from the injuries he had received. The soldiers proceeded without delay to Friar's Goose, attended by the mayor of Newcastle, and the rev. Mr. Collinson, rector of Gateshead. No further disturbances had taken place, and by the time of their arrival, the men had in a great measure dispersed. The police proceeded to search all the houses in the neighbourhood, and apprehended upwards of forty persons on a charge of being concerned in these outrages. These, with others, who were apprehended on the Saturday, were lodged in the gaol of Newcastle, and on the Monday, upwards of twenty, including three women, were committed for trial at the next Durham assizes, and were sent of to the county gaol under an escort of cavalry. The remainder were either bound over to keep the peace, or discharged. [LHTB]

May 26. — A general meeting of the pitmen of the Tyne and Wear was held on Boldon Fell. The meeting was addressed by Mr. T. Hepburn and several others, who moved and seconded a series of resolutions, but their observations contained nothing that betokened a speedy arrangement of the differences with the coal-owners. [LRS]

June 11. — About five o'clock in the afternoon, as Nicholas Fairles, esq., of South Shields, a magistrate for the county of Durham, was riding to Jarrow colliery he was accosted by two pitmen, under the pretence of asking charity, when one of them took hold of his hand, and the other seized him and dragged him from his horse; one of the men then gave him a violent blow on the head with a brick, when they fell upon him, and after kicking and beating him most unmercifully, left him on the road in an almost lifeless state. The transaction having been observed from a house at a short distance, assistance was immediately sent to him. From the dreadful nature of the wounds which Mr. Fairles received on his skull, he lingered until June the 21st, when he expired. One of the villains was apprehended, but the other escaped. His majesty's government offered a reward of three hundred pounds, and the vestry of St. Hilda, one hundred pounds, for the better apprehending and bringing to justice the persons concerned in this diabolical transaction. A coroner's inquest was held on the body, at South Shields, and a verdict of wilful murder returned against William Jobling and Ralph Armstrong, (the former of whom was in custody). It having been announced by a mourning placard that the funeral of the deceased would take place on Wednesday the 27th, several gentlemen, holding high official situations in the town and neighbourhood, expressed their wish to take part in the procession. On the morning, the flag on the church steeple, and those of the several ships in the harbour, were hoisted half-staff high, and most of the shops in the town were closed. At ten o'clock, the mayor of Newcastle, accompanied by W. Surtees, esq., the sheriff, and Mr. Alderman Sorsbie, arrived at the town-hall, and soon after, the chairman of the quarter sessions, for Durham; the rev. Mr. Baker, rector of Whitburn; the rev. Mr. Collinson, rector of Gateshead; and the rev. Mr. Hollingsworth, rector of Boldon; Bryan Abbs, and William Loraine, esqrs., magistrates ; James Edgcome, esq., collector of the customs at Newcastle, and several other gentlemen of the neighbourhood, together with the churchwardens, vestrymen, and respectable householders, joined the family of the deceased in following his remains to the grave. The pall was borne by the rev. Robt. Green, of Newcastle, lieut.-col. Craster, Cuthbert Young, Jeremiah Archer, Christopher Bainbridge, John Straker, Henry Major, and John Hedley, esqrs. The coffin was made out of a tree cut down for the purpose, which had been planted when Mr. Fairles came of age. It bore the following inscription, "Nicholas FairIes, died 21 June, 1832, aged 71 years. [LHTB]

June 15. — Between six and seven o’clock on the morning, an awful calamity occurred at Philadelphia, Newbottle colliery, by the explosion of a steam engine boiler on Lord Durham’s rail road, whereby five individuals were killed and thirteen dreadfully bruised, three of whom have since died, the others remain in a very precarious state. The workmen were in the act of repairing the boiler at the time of the explosion, which, together with large pieces of metal pipes, &c., were thrown to a great distance. The machine house was blown down and rent to the foundation, and stones, bricks, &c., scattered in all directions ; the dwelling house adjoining the machine was also blown down upon the family of Robert Sheldon, when four of them, three of his children, and his father, Joseph Sheldon, aged 87 years, were killed ; his wife had her arm broke while endeavouring to rescue her infant, and a little girl who is much bruised. A little boy and his grandmother were in the house, but escaped unhurt. [LRS]

June 16. — Another meeting of the pitmen of the Tyne and Wear, took place on Boldon-fell; but there was a great falling off in numbers. At this meeting it was determined that the men unemployed should remain so for ten weeks, and then, if no agreement could be come to, a general strike would be a matter for their consideration. [LHTB]

July 8. — In the evening of this day (Sunday), Cuthbert Skipsey, a pitman belonging to Percy Main colliery, was unfortunately shot at Chirton, near North Shields, in an affray between some pitmen and special constables, the latter of whom were appointed to protect such of the workmen as were unconnected with the strike among the colliers. At the inquest, which was held on the Tuesday, at the Rose Inn, Willington, before Stephen Reed, esq., coroner, much contradictory evidence was given — the police party stating that there was a general row, and that Skipsey struggled with a policeman named George Weddell, to get possession of his pistol, whilst the witnesses on the other side stated that the deceased went up to Weddell to endeavour to make peace, and that Weddell immediately pushed him back and shot him. The jury, after about an hour's consultation, returned a verdict of manslaughter against Weddell, who was admitted to bail to appear at the assizes. August 3rd, after a trial which continued about twelve hours, Weddell was found guilty of manslaughter, and sentenced to six months' imprisonment and hard labour. [LRS]

August 1. — William Jobling was tried at the assizes at Durham, and found guilty of the murder of Nicholas Fairles, esq. He was sentenced to be hanged on Friday, August the 3rd, and his body to be afterwards hung in chains near the scene of the murder. Soon after twelve o'clock on that day, Jobling suffered the extreme penalty of the law, on the drop erected in front of the county courts at Durham. After his condemnation, he was very attentive to his religious duties, and he exhibited on his way to and upon the scaffold, the utmost resignation and fortitude. He acknowledged, while in prison, the justice of his sentence, though he denied having been the principal in the fatal transaction which led to his ignominious death; he earnestly entreated a reverend gentleman, who attended him, to express to Mrs. Fairles and her family, his sorrow for what had taken place, and to assure her and them, that when he met Mr. Fairles, which was accidental, he had no intention to harm him. He hoped they would forgive him, as he sincerely forgave all mankind who had at any time done him any injury. His step was firm as he entered upon the scaffold, but the power of articulation failed him, and he was in consequence unable to address the spectators, as he had stated it to be his intention to do. After hanging an hour, the body was cut down and conveyed into the gaol, where it remained until the gibbet was ready. It was a very wet day, consequently the crowd was not so numerous as was anticipated. Fifty of the 8th hussars mounted, and fifty of the 15th regiment of foot, were drawn up in front of the drop, where they remained until the body was cut down. A portion of these regiments had marched from Newcastle to Durham for the purpose, and also to escort the body to Jarrow Slake. After the body was conveyed into the gaol, the clothes were taken off, but no incision made, it was then covered over with pitch, and the clothes in which he was hanged were replaced. On Monday morning, August the 6th, at seven o'clock, the body was taken in a small four wheeled wagon drawn by two horses, from Durham, escorted by a troop of hussars, and two companies of infantry, T. Griffith, esq., the under sheriff, Mr. Frushard, the gaoler, officers of the gaol, bailiffs, &c., &c. They proceeded by way of Chester-le-Street, Picktree, Sludge-row, Porto Bello, over the Black Fell, to White mare Pool, and thence by the South Shields turnpike road, to Jarrow Slake, where they arrived at half past one o'clock. The spectators were not numerous, perhaps about 1,000, and not many pitmen amongst them, on account it was supposed, of a meeting being held by them that day on Boldon Fell. On the arrival of the cavalcade at Jarrow Slake, it was joined by Bryan Abbs and William Loraine, esqrs., magistrates of the county; the military were then drawn up, and formed two sides of a square, the cavalry on the right, and the infantry on the left. The body was then lifted from the wagon, and was cased in flat bars of iron of two and a half inches in breadth, the feet were placed in stirrups, from which a bar of iron went up each side of the head, and ended in a ring by which he was suspended; a bar from the collar went down the breast, and another down the back; there were also bars in the inside of the legs which communicated with the above; and cross bars at the ankles, the knees, the thighs, the breast and shoulders; the hands were hung by the sides, and covered with pitch; the face was pitched and covered with a piece of white cloth. Being laid on a hand barrow, the body was conveyed to the gibbet, which was fixed nearly opposite the spot where the murder was committed, and about one hundred yards within the Slake from high water mark. The gibbet, which was fixed in a stone, one and a half ton weight sunk in the Slake, was formed of a square piece of timber twenty-one feet long, and a top projecting about three feet, with strong bars of iron up each side to prevent its being sawn down. At high water the tide covered the gibbet about four or five feet, leaving sixteen or seventeen feet visible. The body being hoisted up and secured, a police guard was placed near the spot, and remained there for some time. Jobling was the first person gibbeted under the new act of parliament, ordering the bodies of murderers to he hung in chains. The body, when gibbeted, had on the clothes in which the criminal appeared upon his trial :– his head was thrown quite back, so that his face appeared as if looking upwards. During the very dark night between the 31st of August and the 1st of September, Jobling's body was stolen from the gibbet and secretly disposed of by some persons unknown. [LHTB]

November 5. — Monday, as William Ridley, one of the furnace-men at Felling colliery, was at the bottom of the pit filling ashes to send to bank; while shaking the chain to give the signal to give the men at the top notice to draw the corf up, they instantly drew it away, and the chain being coiled at the bottom caught his leg, by which he was drawn without injury up the shaft to the bank, a depth of 120 fathoms, through a great quantity of smoke arising from the two furnaces he had just previously fired. [LHTB]

November 10. — A dreadful accident occurred at Gosforth new pit, by which two men lost their lives. They appeared to have been ascending the pit in the usual way, and by some means the engine drew them up to the pulley over the shaft, from which they fell ; one directly down the shaft, and the other, after alighting near the mouth of the pit, fell in also, by which both were literally dashed to pieces. [LHTB]

November 23. — Two fine young men, of the names Matthew King and James Linsley, were killed, whilst at work in the Sheriff Hill colliery, in consequence of a fall from the roof of the mine. It would appear that they had incautiously removed some coal without having supplied its place with props, which occasioned the accident. A coroner's inquest was held, and a verdict of accidental death returned. [LHTB]

December 21. — A dreadful accident occurred at Harrington, Durham. About half past five o'clock in the morning, as Thomas Dand, aged 44, his son 13, William Ray, 27, and William Cribbins, 19, were descending the shaft of the Hodgson pit, (a depth of 70 fathoms,) the rope broke, and the two former, father and son, were killed on the spot. William Cribbins, though taken up alive, was not expected to recover. William Ray fell across the bule of a basket. He was literally ripped up, and shortly afterwards died. [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