ENCYCLOPAEDIA LONDINENSIS; 
OR, AN 
UNIVERSAL DICTIONARY 
OF 
ARTS, SCIENCES, and LITERATURE. 
NEWCASTLE 
EWCASTLE-upon -TY'NE, the capital of the 
county of Northumberland, and a diftinft county by 
itfelf, is feated on the banks of the river Tyne, within the 
county of Northumberland, England. Julius Agricola, 
the general of Vefpafian, eftablifhed a Roman poll here 
about the year 80. Its appellation at this period is un¬ 
certain ; but in lefs than half a century afterwards we find 
it denominated Pons JElii, from the bridge built over 
the river by the emperor Hadrian, when he conftriufted 
liis celebrated vallum, or wall, which terminated here, 
and has been traced palling the weft door of St. Nicholas 
church. The rampart formed by Agricola alfo ran 
through a part of the town, and not improbably termi¬ 
nated near the fite of the caftle, which might have been 
originally a Roman fort. After the evacuation of Britain 
by the Romans, the hiftory of this place is very little 
known, though thpr<? ie no doubt of its having been a 
town of fome importance under the Northumbrian mo- 
narchs of the Saxon line. Grey, in his Chorographia, 
fays, “ the town of Pampedon (now included in New- 
caftle) is very ancient. I find one of the kings of North¬ 
umberland that had a lioufe in it, which we now call Pan- 
don-hall.” At the time of the conqueft it occurs under 
the name of Munk-ceujire, a defignation received from 
the .number of religious foundations which had been 
erefted in it during the heptarchy. In 1080, the caftle, 
whence the town has fince obtained the appellation of 
Newcaftle, was built by Robert Curthofe, fon of William 
the Conqueror, on his return from an expedition into 
Scotland againft king Malcolm, in revenge, for having 
afforded protection to Edgar Atheling. This ftrufture, 
with its neceffary appurtenances, occupied an extent of 
three acres, and was a fortrefs of great ftrength, having 
been defended by a deep foffe, and two mafiive walls. 
Only fourteen years after its ereCtion, it was feized by the 
adherents of earl Mowbray, the laft of the ancient line of 
the earls of Northumberland, who had revolted againft 
William Rufus. That prince, laying clofe fiege to it, 
however, with a ftrong force, foon compelled the garrifon 
to furrender. In the time of Henry II. the great tower 
of the caftle underwent confiderable repairs. At the fame 
period, alfo, the fortifications were much ftrengthened and 
augmented 5 and the whole fitted up as a royal refidence, 
John Baliol did homage in the great hall to Edward I. 
for the crown of Scotland 5 and David Bruce was long de¬ 
tained a prifoner here, under tbecharge of John Copeland. 
Twelve of the ancient Northumbrian barons paid caftle- 
guard rents and comage to this fortrefs, being the tenures 
by which they held their lands. Thefe were abolifhed, 
Vot.XVII. No, 11S 7 . 
UPON TYNE. 
together with the tenure by knights’ fees, in the reign of 
Charles II. From 1605 to 1616, the caftle appears to 
have been in the poffefiion of the worlhipful company of 
tailors; and in 1618 it was granted to Alexander Steven- 
fon, one of the pages to the king, on a leafe for fifty 
years ; but this was afterwards purchafed by the corpora¬ 
tion. Sir John Morley, mayor of the town in 1644, gar- 
rifoned this edifice in fupport of the parliamentary caufe, 
and withftooda very defperate fiege againft the Scots army, 
commanded by the earl of Callender and general Levin. 
Since that time it has gradually fallen to decay. Of the 
outer wall nothing remains but the principal entrance, 
called the Black Gate; the inner wall was entirely demo- 
lifhed in 1S11. The Great Tower, a mafiive fquare ftruc- 
ture, is Handing ; it is about eighty feet high, and its ex¬ 
terior walls meafure near fourteen feet in thicknefs. 
There are no fire-places in any part of this edifice, except 
in a few fmall rooms, apparently gained out of the walls 
in later times. The dungeon has been ufed, for time im¬ 
memorial, as the county-prifon during the afiizes. A 
very bold and fpacious circular ftaircale afcends to the 
fummit of the tower; and adjoining, on the eaft fide, is a 
chapel of moft beautiful and curious architedture. The 
corporation have lately purchafed this building, and in¬ 
tend to throw an arched roof over it, and to pull down 
all the old houfes built againft it. 
In ancient times, the town, as well as the caftle, was 
fortified by a ftrong w'all and ditch. “ In the reign of 
Edward I. a rich citizen of Newcaftle was carried off from 
that town into Scotland ; and, being at laft ranfomed, he 
began to enclofe Newcaftle with a very firm wall, and the 
reft of the inhabitants following his example, he finifhed 
the undertaking in the reign of Edward III.” This wall 
had feven mafiive gates, and feventeen round towers, with 
fmaller watch-towers in each interval between them; but 
all the gates are now levelled, except two, the Weft 
Gate and New Gate, Leland calls the Weft Gate, “a 
mightie ftrong thinge of four wards and an iron gate;” 
and, fpeaking generally of the wall, he adds, “ the ftrength 
and magnificens of the waulling of this towne far paffeth 
all the waulls of the cities of England, and moft of the 
townes of Europe.” Above the Weft Gate is the hall of 
one of the incorporated companies; New Gate is occupied 
as the town-prifon. 
The rife of Newcaftle to eminence as 3 borough feems 
to have taken place gradually. William Rufus granted 
the inhabitants fome privileges, which were confiderably 
augmented by Henry I. and John. At this time it was 
governed by bailiffs only 5 but in 1251 a mayor was ap- 
B pointed. 
