NE WC AS TLE- (JPON-T YNE. 



195 



seven gates ; besides which the place was defended 

 by a wide fosse or ditch. Newcastle, at this early 

 period, had become one of the principal commercial 

 ports of the kingdom ; and it appears from authentic 

 documents, that in 1280 the revenues of the town had 

 risen to 200 a year, a considerable sum at that pe- 

 riod. This income was chiefly derived from munici- 

 pal duties on coal, the use of which for fuel did not 

 however become general till long subsequently to this 

 period. In 1346 seventeen ships and 314 mariners 

 were furnished from this port, on the requisition of 

 Edward III., for the siege of Calais. The situation 

 of Newcastle, near the borders of Scotland, exposed 

 it to repeated attacks during the wars between the 

 two kingdoms. On the insurrection of the Scots 

 against the authority of Charles I., they invaded 

 England, and took possession of this place in 1640. 

 This was a prelude to the civil war, during which 

 Newcastle was garrisoned by the royalists, but it was 

 again taken by the Scots, then in alliance with the 

 parliament, after a long siege in 1644. 



The town of Newcastle, including those parts 

 without the walls, extends about two miles along the 

 bank of the Tyne, and one mile from the river side 

 towards the north and north-west ; the ground being 

 uneven, but rising as it recedes from the river. Many 

 of the houses are built of stone, and the others of 

 brick ; the streets near the Tyne, which are the most 

 ancient, are narrow, steep, and irregular ; and the 

 buildings on the declivity of the hill are extremely 

 crowded, but many modern improvements have taken 

 place ; some of the streets have been widened, and 

 a considerable number of new ones have been erected, 

 especially in the northern and western quarters of the 

 town. Among the principal streets may be reckon- 

 ed Westgate street, Percy street, Northumberland 

 street, Pilgrim street, Mosley street, and Dean 

 street. Besides the churches, there are several pub- 

 lic edifices of importance. The mansion house, or 

 official residence of the mayor, was built in 1691. 

 The trinity house, erected in 1505, consists of a hall, 

 chapel, and apartments for poor brethren, belonging 

 to a society anciently called the Guild, or fraternity 

 of the Blessed Trinity. The exchange and town- 

 court is a noble structure, erected in 1658 ; but it 

 has since received considerable alterations. The new 

 courts of justice for the county of Northumberland 

 form oblong quadrangles ; the ground-floor, partly 

 below the surface of the ground, containing cells for 

 criminals ; and on the upper floor are an entrance- 

 hall, grand jury room, law courts, rooms for the 

 judges, &c. The north elevation of this building has 

 a Grecian Doric tetrastyle portico ; and the south 

 elevation has a portico also of the Grecian Doric 

 order, copied from the Parthenon at Athens. The 

 assembly rooms, to which are attached a news-room 

 and a library, constitute a handsome and commodious 

 edifice, erected in 1774. The theatre royal, which 

 is a neat and convenient structure, appropriately 

 decorated, was opened in 1788. The bridge over 

 the Tyne was erected in the place of a former bridge, 

 destroyed by the great inundation in November, 1771. 

 On an eminence commanding the town are the re- 

 mains of the ancient castle. The great tower is 

 about eighty feet high, and sixty-four feet by fifty-four 

 in extent outside the walls, which are fourteen feet 

 in thickness. None of the town gates remain stand- 

 ing, except Newgate, which has been used as the 

 borough prison ; but there is a new gaol and house 

 of correction in Carliol street. 



Newcastle is distinguished by several institutions 

 for the advancement and diffusion qf knowledge, as 

 the literary and philosophical society, established in 

 1693; the literary, scientific, and mechanical in- 

 stitution, where lectures are delivered on natural 



philosophy, chemistry, &c. ; the society of antiqua- 

 ries, founded in 1813, a principal object of which is 

 that of forming a collection of archaeological curiosi- 

 ties discovered in the counties of Northumberland and 

 Durham; the botanical and horticultural society. 

 Pilgrim street ; and the Newcastle institution for 

 promoting the fine arts, in Blackett street. There 

 is a valuable public library at St Nicholas' church, 

 founded by the Rev. Dr Tomlinson ; at the infirmary 

 is a medical library ; and there are some others. 



The importance and prosperity of Newcastle have 

 chiefly originated from the coal trade, for the prose- 

 cution of which the town is admirably situated on the 

 bank of a navigable river, and in the midst of one of 

 the most extensive coal-fields in Great Britain, or 

 perhaps any part of the world. Coal is scarcely 

 mentioned in history till after the grant of Henry III. 

 relative to the right of digging for coal in 1239 ; but 

 thirty-six years after that period, the commerce in 

 this article had become very considerable, and it con- 

 tinued perpetually increasing, notwithstanding the 

 prejudice against using coal for fuel was so great, 

 that in 1306 it was prohibited in London under severe 

 penalties. This prohibition was subsequently re- 

 moved, and it appears, from Rymer's Foedera, the 

 trade in coal between Newcastle and London was 

 authorized by government in 1381. In the latter end 

 of the reign of Elizabeth the duty of 4d. a chaldron 

 on coal exported from Newcastle produced annually 

 the sum of 10,000. In 1699 two-thirds of the coal 

 trade of England belonged to this town, whence 300,000 

 chaldrons a year were sent to the metropolis ; and 

 600 vessels of eighty chaldrons burden each, together 

 with 4500 men, were employed in carrying on this 

 commerce. The quantity of coal shipped from New- 

 castle in 1791 was 404,367 chaldrons, sent coastwise ; 

 and 45,702, over sea ; in 1801, 452,092, sent coast- 

 wise; and 50,401, over sea; in 1811, 634,371, sent 

 coastwise; and 18,054, over sea; in 1821,692,321, 

 sent coastwise ; and 48,097, over sea ; and in 1826, 

 800,437, sent coastwise; and 62.620, oversea. In 

 1832, the quantity of chaldrons shipped was 748,348, 

 and the port dues amounted to 7,062. It is proper 

 to observe that the Newcastle chaldron, by which tlu> 

 preceding quantities are estimated, is nearly equal to 

 two chaldrons London measure. Coal is conveyed 

 from the pits to the river side generally by means of 

 railways, and thence carried to the vessels in which 

 it is exported, in keels or long-boats, manned by 

 keelmen. 



Besides coal, the exports are cinders, glass, earth- 

 enware, cast and wrought iron and steel ; pig, sheet, 

 and red and white lead, lead shot, painters' colours, 

 tar, copperas, sal-ammoniac, lamp-black, grindstones, 

 flag-stones, fire-stones, bricks, canvass, soap, &c. The 

 principal articles of import are corn, clover, and other 

 seeds, flax, hemp, linen yarn, wine, spirits, fruit, 

 sugar, tobacco, barilla, butter, cheese, tallow, hides, 

 skins, oak bark, coffee, mahogany, and other woods, 

 staves, tar, iron, &c. &c. The manufactures of New- 

 castle and its vicinity are numerous and extensive, 

 amongst which the principal are the iron and glass 

 works ; the latter being of high importance, and long 

 reckoned so, as contributing an immense duty to 

 the revenue. The founderies, soaperies, brewer 

 ies, potteries, roperies, sail-cloth manufactories, and 

 tanneries, are very large. Here are, besides, salt, 

 lead, and chemical works ; several of the chimneys 

 erected at these works are very lofty, one of them 

 being 257 feet high, and a shot tower, 175 feet high ; 

 here are also corn, mustard, and paper mills, malt- 

 kilns ; and colour and glue manufactories. 



Newcastle has received no fewer than thirty-six 

 royal charters from various successive monarchs, com- 

 mencing with the one granted by William llitfus, iu 



N2 



