VI. 



The Newcastle Museum of Natural History. 



THE Newcastle Museum had its origin in a collection of birds and 

 miscellaneous objects made by Marmaduke Tunstall, Esq., of 

 WyclifFe-on-the-Tees, in Yorkshire, in the latter half of last century, 

 and it was then known as the " Tunstall " or " WycIifFe " Museum. 

 This collection was purchased after Mr. Tunstall's death (in 1790) by 

 George Allan, Esq., of Blackwell Grange, near Darlington. This 

 gentleman had already collected a series of curiosities, but the 

 accession of the Wycliffe specimens and other augmentations gave 

 him so considerable a museum that he had the objects arranged and 

 labelled in special rooms and opened to the public. The collection at 

 this period consisted principally of birds ; but other Natural History 

 specimens, certain relics of antiquity, coins, seals, and curiosities 

 formed part as well. The " Allan " Museum was thus comparatively 

 rich, and the records show that it attracted a large number of visitors. 

 After Mr. Allan's death, which occurred in 1800, the collection, with 

 other things, was advertised to be sold, but a number of Newcastle 

 gentlemen, members of the Literary and Philosophical Institution, 

 were successful in buying the museum privately before the sale, and 

 thus it was that this important collection was secured to Newcastle. 

 It formed a nucleus around which the magnificent collections yet 

 to be mentioned have been gathered. 



The " Allan " Museum was placed in the old committee-room of 

 the Literary and Philosophical Society for a few years. In 1829 a 

 section of the members of that society formed themselves into a 

 Natural History Society, and, acquiring ground from the parent 

 institution, built special rooms which did duty for many a year as the 

 home of the Newcastle Museum. Here the collections remained and 

 grew until it became perfectly hopeless to do justice to even a part of 

 them ; but at length a vigorous effort to provide a worthier and larger 

 habitation was made by many enthusiastic members of the society, 

 chief among whom we must note the well-known Mr. John Hancock. 

 This classic building (the Hancock Museum) was opened by the 

 Prince of Wales in 1884. 



As has been said, large accessions had been made to the 

 museum collections. Among such additions acquired by gift and 

 purchase we must note the Hutton, the Charlton, and the Cookson 



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