221 
NORT HD M 
true and genuine breed of that fpecies in Great Britain. 
The (beep of Northumberland are of three forts ; the 
Cheviot-fheep, the heath-lheep, and the long-woolled 
fheep. Of thefe the Cheviot breed is the molt remarkable 
for its beauty; the fecond fort are peculiarly adapted to 
the bleak and heathy diftrifts ; the third kind have the 
advantage of fatting- at an early age, and producing great 
quantities of good wool. 
The rivers of Northumberland are numerous, and 
fpread, by a great variety of branches, throughout almoft 
every part of the county. The principal of them are the 
Tyne, the Tweed, the Blythe, the Wanfoeck, the Coc- 
quet, the Ain, anti the Till. The Tyne rifes from two 
fources, one behind Crofs Fell, and another on the bor¬ 
ders of Scotland, which, till the junction of their ftreams, 
are denominated the North and South Tyne. This river 
was formerly celebrated for its falmon-fimeries; but thefe 
are now entirely deftroyed. It is ftili, however, of high 
importance in a commercial view, being navigable for 
vefiels of large burden far above Newcaftle, which is one 
of the firft trading towns on the eaftern coaft of ourifland. 
The Tweed divides England from Scotland, and confe- 
quently forms the northern boundary of the county. It 
rifes at a place called Tweed’s Crofs in Tweedale, and re¬ 
ceives, in its progrefs through North Britain, three rivers, 
much celebrated in long, the Ettrick, the Leader, and the 
Tiviot. The annual rental of the falmon-fifheries on this 
river amounts to the enormous lum of 15,766b and the 
yearly value of the falrnon fold is eftimated at 6o,oool. 
Near the mouth of the river, a rent of 800!. per annum is 
paid for a fiftiery not exceeding two hundred yards in 
length. The Blythe and Ain both fall into the German 
Ocean, and form eftuaries which are navigable for a fhort 
diftance, and hence are extremely convenient for the ex¬ 
portation of coal. The Cocquet has its fources near B3 7 - 
gate-hall, and on the Cheviot-hills, celebrated in the old 
long of Chevy Chace ; and pours its waters into the fea 
near Warkworth, where there is a fifhery for falmon-trout 
and gilfe. By a recent alteration in its channel, this river 
feems to be preparing itfelf for being an excellent harbour 
for fmall vefiels. The Wanlbeck is the mod noted of any 
ftream in the county for the beauty of its banks; and is 
immortalized by Akenfide in his Pleafures of Imagina¬ 
tion. The Till, riling among the Cheviot-hills, is called 
Brennich as far down as Wooler. On the banks of tile 
Ain was fought the great battle of Fiodden-field, where 
James IV. king of Scotland was (lain. This river, after 
being joined by the united currents of the Bovent and 
Glen, falls into the Tweed. The Bovent is remarkable 
for line pebbles. 
In amineralogical eftimate, Northumberland is a county 
of diftinguilhed importance. Lead-ore is found in great 
abundance, particularly in its weftern parts. Allendale 
mines have been wrought for time immemorial, and at 
■prefent afford an annual produce of about 32,000 bings 
of ore, which is linelted and refined at Dukefield, and 
yields l'even or eight ounces of filver for each fother of 
lead. The other lead-mines are at Shilden, near Cor- 
bridge, and at Little Houghton, in the vicinity of Barn- 
borough. Indications of the fame metal all'o appear near 
Simonburn, and in different places fouth of the Tyne. 
There likewife have been mines in Rothbury Fore ft, and 
at Newborough ; and ore is obtained in confiderable quan¬ 
tities at Fallow-Field, but the fmall quantity of filver it 
contains is not equal to the neceffary expenfe of fmelting 
it. Zinc abounds in mod of the lead-veins ; and iron- 
ftone lies imbedded in vaft quantities in the ftrata of in¬ 
durated clay throughout the whole of the coal-diftvitf , 
which is computed to extend (including a fmall portion 
of Durham) twenty miles in length, and fifteen in breadth, 
being an area of three hundred fquare miles. 
At Kenton, in particular, are difeovered immenfe fof- 
filated trees, fome of which have been hewn into feats, 
and fhow the yearly rings of their growth, and alfo the 
roughnefs of the bark. Lime-ftone, of an excellent qua- 
B £ R L A N D. 
lity, abounds in almoft all parts of the county, except in 
the coal-dijtrifl, the boundaries of which have been de- 
feribed, and in the porphyry-traft of the Cheviot-hills. 
Stone-marl is plentiful in many places near the Tweed, 
and fhell-marl is found in a few places in Glendale Ward, 
principally at Wark, Sunnylaws, and Learmouth, where 
it has been formed by a depofit of various kinds of fhells, 
both univalve and bivalve, many of which areftill perfect, 
and form a ftratum, feveral feet in depth, of fine calcare¬ 
ous earth. In the centre of this bed of marl is a horizon¬ 
tal ftratum of fand, about twelve inches thick, certainly a 
matter of curious fpeculation to the natural hiftorian. 
Some years ago, a red flag, in the attitude of running, and 
entire, was dug up here; as well as the fcalp and horns 
of fome animal of the ox fpecies, but more than twice the 
dimenfions of the horns.of any ox or cow at the prefent 
day an inhabitant of this ifland. 
Northumberland cannot be faid to poffefs any decided 
ftaple manufacture. Many arts, notwithftanding, are 
praCtifed here upon a large fcale; the principal of them, 
as may be fuppofed from what has been ftated, being de¬ 
rived from, or connected with, the coal-trade and mines, 
as fliip-building, roperies, forges, founderies, copperas, 
coal-tar, foda or marine-alkali, white-lead, potteries, 
glafs-works, and a variety of others which it feems un- 
neceffary to mention. Hexham has been long noted 
for its manufacture of gloves, which employs 300 per- 
fons. Small manufactures of woollens are likewife efta- 
blilhed at Alnwick, Mitford, and Acklington ; and cot¬ 
ton-mills have been lately ereCted at Nether-Witton. 
The commerce of the county confilts in the exportation 
of all the articles it produces in any confiderable quantity ; 
and particularly in the exportation of coal, of which 
12.4.90,707 tons were exported from the Tyne only, in 
eight years, from January ift, 1802, to December 30th, 
1809. The imports embrace almoft every article of ne- 
ceffity, convenience, or luxury, not fupplied within its 
own boundaries. Newcaftle, Berwick, and Alnemouth, 
are the chief feaports ; but numerous fmaller harbours 
are difperled along the coaft, and alfo on the banks of the 
navigable rivers. 
Northumberland is politically divided into fix wards, 
and fix hundred and thirty-five conftableries. The names 
of the wards are Tir.dale, Morpeth, Caftle, Glendale, 
Balmborough, and Cocquetdale ; which contain the fol¬ 
lowing borough and market towns : Newcaftle-upon- 
Tyne, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Alnwick, Bamburgh, Cor- 
bridg'e, Bel ford, Hallwhiftle, Haydon-bridge, Belling¬ 
ham, Hexham, Morpeth, North Shields, Ovengham, 
Rothbury, Stamfordham, Warkworth, and Wooley. It 
fends eight members to the national council, viz. two 
for the county, and two for each of the three boroughs 
of Newcaftle, Morpeth, and Berwick. “ We appre¬ 
hend,” fays Mr. Oldfield, “ that Northumberland hpd fum- 
mons for knights of the (hire in the 22ft of Edward I. 
the time of the general writ to counties ; but Mr. Prynne, 
in his lift, takes notice of its firft return in the 26th of 
that king.” The balance between ariftocracy and inde¬ 
pendence is nearly even in this county. The intereft of 
the duke of Northumberland has generally been ftrong 
enough to return one of the members; and, in 1774, he 
attempted to bring in both. In this he was oppofed by 
fir William Middleton, one of the late reprefentatives, 
who, affifted by the independent yeomen and gentlemen, 
finally obtained a vidtory, and was accordingly feated. 
Charles Grey, eiq. afterwards vifeount Howick, and now 
earl Grey, reprefenled this county in fix fucceflive parlia¬ 
ments, and was fucceeded in 1807 by earl Percy; and, on 
his being fummoned to the houie of peers, in 1812, fir 
Charles Miles Lambert Monck, fon of the late fir William 
Middleton, was chofen, and has continued to reprefent 
the county ever fince: Col. Thomas William Beaumont 
is the other member. 
According to the parliamentary returns of 1801, this 
county, with Berwick-upon-Tweed, comprifed 28,052 
lioufes, 
