Durham Mining Museum - Local Records Extracts (original) (raw)

1789

The sulphur well at Dinsdale, Durham, was this year accidentally discovered by some labourers employed by the late Mr. Lambton, in searching for coal. The men had bored to a depth of 72 feet, chiefly through red rock and whinstone, when the spring burst forth with a tremendous smoke and sulphureous stench. The remarkable qualities of the water attracted the attention of the labourers, who dug a hole in the channel of the spring for the purpose of bathing, and one of them, who had been long afflicted with chronic rheumatism, was perfectly cured by the bath and drinking the water. A cold bath was built in 1797, and a warm bath was since been added. The Dinsdale Spa has gradually become a place of great resort, and the little village of Middleton, a quarter of a mile below the bath, has been sometimes crowded with visitors. [_LRS_]

January 12. — In the evening, during a severe frost, a coble, with three women and one man in it, was enclosed by the ice in ihe middle of the river Tyne, near Newcastle, where it remained till next morning, when the people were got ashore in a most terrible situation, but by proper care, they were all perfectly recovered. On the 13th there was a most dreadful storm of wind accompanied with heavy showers of snow. In the afternoon several ships were driven from their moorings. The Merchant, of Newcastle, and the Berwick, of Perth, were driven from below the Low-crane to within a few yards of the bridge, where they were providentially stopped by the ice, three keels and a boat were driven against them, the latter of which was split in pieces. At. the lower part of the quay all the ships were driven foul of each other. The Supply, of Wells, lost her windlass; the Susannah, of Sunderland, lost her bowsprit, &c. The Dove, of Newcastle, and several other ships, received damage. Three keels were driven against the easternmost ships with such violence as to be thrown upon each other. Several other misfortunes occurred in the river Tyne. [_LRS_]

March 30. — A very numerous party of General Lambton�s friends assembled at Chester-le-Street, to celebrate the event of his having succeeded to the entire property of Flatts estate and colliery, which formerly belonged to a branch of the Allans, of Grange. The bells were rung, a feu de joie was fired by a party of his majesty�s dragoons quartered there, and several barrels of ale were distributed to the populace. The evening concluded with a general illumination. [_LRS_]

• LRS — Local Records or Historical Register of Remarkable Events by John Sykes, published in 1833 in two volumes