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Local Records
1849
January 21. — Dreadful accident at the Monkwearmouth colliery, by which Mr. John Elliott, overman, was thrown down the pit, a depth of 1620 feet (the Monkwearmouth pit being the deepest in the world), and, of course, killed. [WARD1850]
February 4. — Richard and John, sons of Mr. John Holmes, of Stockton, who was crushed to death between a coal wagon and an engine in July, 1846, were both mortally injured on the same line of railway (the Clarence), near Stillington; Richard being killed on the spot, and the other so dreadfully scalded as to die on the 4th. The brothers were engineman and fireman on the same engine, against which some carriages and wagons had been accidentally driven with great violence. [WARD1850]
February 8. — At the annual meeting of the Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle, the portrait of Robert Stephenson, Esq., M.P. , nearly full length, by Lucas, was presented to the institution. It had been subscribed for by a party of upwards of thirty engineers, and given to his father, Mr. Geo. Stephenson, with the understanding that, at his death it should thus be disposed of. [WARD1850]
February 18. — A brig of seventeen keels, in the building yard of Mr. Hylton Carr, Hylton Ferry, Sunderland, nearly ready for launching, was destroyed by fire. [WARD1850]
February 20. — Died, at Minsteracres, aged 75, George Silvertop, esq. The deceased, like most Roman Catholics gentleman of the last century, was educated at Dowey, but returned to this country at the outbreak of the French Revolution. He succeeded to his paternal estates in 1814. In the same year he visited Napoleon, then at Elba, and printed an account of his interview with the Emperor which was received with great approbation. He was subsequently selected by Lord Liverpool as the medium of private communication between Great Britain and the Holy See, in which capacity he acquited himself with much address. Mr. Silvertop was appointed High Sheriff of Northumberland, in 1830, and was the first Roman Catholic who had filled that office since the reign of James II. He was the first to notice and to forster the genius of the celebrated sculptor Lough, who was born near Ministeracres, and his purse was ever open to merit struggling with difficulty or misfortune. [LRF]
March 24. — A public meeting (adjourned from the 16th) was held in Newcastle, in furtherance of legislative interference for the prevention of accidents in mines; the mayor in the chair. Mr. Goldsworthy Gurney explained his plan of ventilating mines by steam ; the principle of which is to cause a current of air by the steam creating a partial vacuum in the process of cooling on its issue from the boiler. It was highly approved of by the meeting, which adopted a memorial to the government in accordance with the objectives of the meeting. [WARD1850]
May 22. — At a meeting of representatives and owners of collieries of the Tyne, Wear, and Tees districts, at the Assembly Rooms, Newcastle, steps were taken to regulate the vend of coals with a view to an improvement in the trade. [WARD1850]
May 25. — At the County Court, held at Morpeth, a pitman at Netherton colliery was summoned for a debt of 15s., and on the judge asking him how he could pay the amount, he said rather than pay it he would go to goal. Before his committal could be made out, he walked out of court, making prisoners of all within it by locking the door, and before they could liberate themselves he got clear off. [LRL]
June 5. — About seven o'clock this morning one of those sudden and disastrous explosions which, although of too frequent occurrence in this district, seem, nevertheless, contingent on the hazardous occupation of the coal miner, took place at Hebburn Colliery, about six miles from Newcastle. About 100 men were at work at the time of the accident, but the effects of the explosion were confined to the north-western portion of the mine, where thirty-four men and boys were employed, all of whom, with but one exception, were killed. The explosion had been tremendous, and the bodies were mutilated in a manner never witnessed before, but this, it was believed, arose from the ignition of a quantity of gunpowder, which had been placed near the spot by one of the workmen on the previous day. [LRF]
June 14. — An explosion of gas occurred in Gosforth colliery, near Newcastle. Three men were killed, and several other were much injured. [LRL]
July. — Whilst workmen were engaged in sinking Seaton and Seaham Colliery, they found a live toad embedded in the solid limestone rock, 183 feet from the surface. The reptile, which was of a very curious shape, died soon after ir was extricated, and was afterwards exhibited at Seaham, by Mr. Thomas Chilton, innkeeper. [LRF]
August 8. — This afternoon an awful storm of thunder and lightning broke over Newcastle and the neighbourhood. About two o'clock the sound of thunder and large drops of rain indicated the approach of a tempest. In a short time flash after flash of the intensest brightness lighted up the otherwise murky expanse, and peal after peal shook many dwellings to their foundations. At Cramlington nine young men had taken refuge in the engine shed at Shank House Colliery, when the lightning struck the building, and killed a man named Robert Liddell. Five men were also struck and much burnt near the same place. [LRF]
September 5. — The first cargo of coals from Earl Grey's new colliery at Broomhill was shipped at Amble, amidst some rejoicing. [LRL]
October 20. — A man named George Hunter, a pitman at Cowpen, was murdered under the following circumstances. He was proceeding from Cowpen to Blyth Square, where he resided, when he was waylaid by two men, who knocked him down and beat him with bludgeons about the head in a most dreadful manner, so that he died on the following day. Hunter had refused to join the trades' union, formed at the colliery, which was supposed to have been the cause of the murder. The perpetrators of the deed were not discovered. [LRF]
November. — A valuable seam of coal was won this month on the Old Durham estate, the property of the Marquis and Marchioness of Londonderry. [LRL]
November 28. — A valuable seam of coal, 5 feet 4 inches thick, having been won at Acomb colliery, near Hexham, the property of Messrs. Stobart and Co., much rejoicing took place to commemorate the event. About the same time, a fine seam of coal was won at Fourstones, near Haydon Bridge. [LRL]
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