SHIELDS. 



parliament palTed an aA, in which it was ordered, " that 

 fufficieiit and well-fenced ballaft-lliores, quays, and fteaths, 

 be built at Sliields," and " that North Shields be made 

 a market-town two days in the week, for t!ie relief of the 

 country and garrifon of Tynemouth, and for all the great 

 confluence of people and fleets of (hips." 



In confequence of this aft, North Shields would foon 

 have become a place of great commercial importar.ce ; but 

 on the rettoration, the rights claimed by the corporation of 

 Newcaftle were refumed ; and North Shields was deprived of 

 its markets and fair. From that time every mean which a 

 narrow and illiberal policy could devife, was employed to re- 

 tard the growing profperity of this port ; but towards the 

 conclulion of laft century, many of the ur.jull reltriAions 

 which formerly fubliited were removed, and the different 

 trades permitted to be followed without molellation. It 

 was only, however, in the year 1804, that North Shields 

 obtained t!ie privilege of holding a weekly market and fairs, 

 by petition of the inhabitants to the duke of Northumber- 

 land, as lord of the manor of Tyneinouth, iu which the fcite 

 of North Shields is included. The day of the firlt opening 

 of the market was^ufliered in with great rejoicings, and at 

 noon a falute of cannon announced the completion of the 

 long wi(hed-for event. The market-day is Friday, and the 

 fairs are held on the laft Friday in April, and the firft Fri- 

 day in November. 



North Shield^;, from thefe circumftances, and the patriotic 

 exertions of the duke of Northumberland, is become, in 

 the courfe of a few years, a large and populous town. It 

 contains many handfome Itreets, and two elegant fquares, be- 

 tides the market-place, lately formed, which may rival any 

 provincial market-place in the kingdom. On one fide is a 

 fpacious quay, with a crane for the delivery of goods, 

 where fhips of 300 tons burthen mav difcharge or take in 

 cargoes with perfect faiety. Another fide is adorned with 

 a noble Itdne building, which is now ufed as an inn, and is 

 furmounted with the Percy arms. North Shields, forming 

 part of the parilli of Tynemouth, has no parifh church, 

 but it pofFefles feveral chapels of cafe, and meeting-houfes 

 for almoft every clafs oi^ did'entors. The other pubhc 

 itruftures and eltablilhments here are a theatre, a difpenfary, 

 asd a large fchool-houfe, erected by fiibfcription, in com- 

 memoralion of the royal jubilee, where a great number of 

 boys and girls are educated on the Lancaltrian plan. Here 

 are likewile many well-condufted and flourifhing benefit fo- 

 cieties, an afylum for fick and friendlefs feamen, and a lying- 

 in-hofpital. A fiibfcription library has alfo been opened in 

 North Shields, and is laid to contain an extenlive coUeftion 

 of valuable books. 



The harbour of North Siiields is calculated to accommo- 

 date 25CO fail of (liips ; and in fpring tide?, veflels of 5C0 

 tons burthen can pafs the bar without danger. The veilels 

 belonging to this port, exclufive of Imall coalters, are Hated 

 in the " Hillorical View of Northumberland," to amount to 

 1000 ; but this number, we prefume, includes the (hipping 

 of Newcaltle and South Shields alfo, of which Nt>rth Shields 

 may juitly claim one half. One great inconvenience com- 

 plained of by the commercial intereft here and at South 

 Shields, is the want of an independent cuiLom-houlc ; which 

 obliges the captains of all veflels failing from this port to 

 clear their fliips at Newcaftle, a diftance of ten miles up the 

 river. 



The principal trade of North Shields, as of the river 

 Tyne generally, confifls in the exportation of coals to Lon- 

 don, and other parts of the eaftern coaft of England ; but 

 fome veilt Is are likewile employed in the Baltic and Ameri- 

 can trade ; and during the late wars, 9 great number was 



hired to government for the tranlport fcrvice. The maoUf 

 faftures eftablidied here are chiefly fuch as depend upon the 

 fhipping intereft, as (hip and bocit-building, rope and fail- 

 cloth making, brewing, baking, &c. ; but there are bkewife 

 in North Shields a foundery for call iron, an extenfive tan- 

 nery, one ikinnery, a tobacco manufactory, a glove manu- 

 faftory, and five hat manufactories. 



The feamen of this port are frequently very riotous and 

 turbulent, when they want a rife of wages, or are in any 

 way diflatiafied with the conduit of the (hip-owners. In 

 thefe inflances they have generally acted upon a regular 

 plan ; forcing every failor to remain on fiiore, and preventing 

 any vetlel from proceeding to f^a until their demands were 

 complied with. An alarming combination of this kind was 

 formed in the months of September and October laft, (1815,) 

 and threatened fuch ferious confequences, as to render go- 

 vernment interference necelTary, when order was happily re- 

 flored without bloodfhed. 



North Shields, according to the parliamentary returns of 

 181 1, contains 804 houfes, and a population of 7699 

 perfons. 



For fome further account of this port and the adjoining 

 country, fee the articles NEWC.^sTLE, Tyne, Tynemouth, 

 and South Shields. A Hiftorical and Defcriptive View of 

 the County of Northumberland, S:c. two vols. 8vo. New- 

 caftle, 1812. 



Shields, South, a market -town and fea-port in the parifh 

 of Jarrow, eaft divifion of Chefler ward, and county pala- 

 tine of Durham., fituated dircdtly oppofite to North Shields, 

 at the diftance of 21 miles N.N.E. from the city of Dur- 

 ham, and 278 N.N.E, from London. Like North Shields, 

 it owes its importance chiefly to the coal trade and ftiipping 

 intcrelt, but the proportion of manufactures carried on here 

 is greater than at the former town. About fifty years ago 

 this place poffeHed upwards of two hundred faltpans, but 

 that branch of bufinefs has greatly declined, and others of 

 higher importance are fubftitutud in its ftead, as (hip-building, 

 and the manufacture of glals, foap, &c. South Shields 

 was conftituted a market-town by bilhop Trevor, in the 

 year 1770. The market-day is Wednefday, and there are 

 two annual fairs, on the 24th of June and the 4th of Sep- 

 tember. The vcfTels belonging to this port am.ount to about 

 300 in number. The church, which is a chapel of eafe un- 

 der .larrow, is evidently a flrufture of great antiquity ; the 

 ftyle of its architecture being that of the Anglo-Norman 

 era. Some antiquaries are of opinion that there was a Ro- 

 man ftation at the point of land near South Shields, which 

 forms the fouthcrn entrance into the Tyne, and the conjec- 

 ture is certainly probable, though by no means authenticated 

 as a fadt. 



South Shields, like North Shields, has of late years 

 greatly incrcafed in population and extent ; but it is utfti- 

 tute of many of the advantages poflefled by the other. 

 Here are, befides the eltabliftied church, feveral diflenting 

 meeting-houfes ; alfo feveral benefit focicties and charity- 

 fchools. The petty fefTions for the eaft divifion of Cheftcr 

 ward are hi-ld in the towu-houfe here, which is a refpeClable 

 building, fituated in the centre of the market-place. Moft 

 of the ftreets of this town, however, are narrow, and the 

 houfes very indifferently built. According to the parha- 

 mentary returns of 1811, it contains 528 houfes, and a po- 

 pulation of gooi perfons. 



About two miles to the weftward cf South Shields is the 

 village of Jarrow, celebrated for its monallery, which was 

 originally founded about the year 68j ; but has fince been 

 frequently rebuilt. This religious lioufe was dedicated to 

 St. Paul, and appropriated to the reception of Benediftine 



monks. 





