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

1818

January 12. — A numerous and most respectable party of gentlemen dined together at the Assembly Rooms, in Newcastle (Charles John Brandling, esq., of Gosforth, in the chair), on the occasion of presenting a piece of plate (a tankard of large dimensions) tp Mr. George Stephenson, for the service rendered to science and humanity by the invention of his safety lamp. This, added to a former donation of the coal trade at large, amounted to nearly £1,000. [_LRS_]

July 9. — A meeting held in Stockton, at the request of Mr. Christopher Tennant, to consider the practicability of connecting Stockton (by means of a canal) with the western part of the county. After explaining to the meeting the advantages to be derived from the measure, he read various documents confirmatory of his statements, and also the report of Mr. G. Leather, who had, by his instructions, surveyed the country with a view of pointing out the lowest, least expensive, and shortest practicable line for a canal from the Tees into the present working coal field. The length of the proposed line, which was to commence near Portrack, and terminate near Evenwood Bridge, was 29½ miles ; the rise, 442 feet ; the number of locks, 50; the estimated cost, £205,283. An estimate was also made of a proposed branch from Bradbury, to the North of Tudhoe, near Durham, the length of which was 9¾ miles, and the cost £35,812. The report appearing favourable to the project, a resolution was passed, "That the documents presented by Mr. Tennant, and now read, be accepted, and a committee appointed to arrange for the public meeting on the 31st already called by the Mayor, in answer to a requisition, signed by no less than 349 tradesmen and gentlemen." [_LRSN_]

July 30. — His imperial highness the grand duke Michael, brother to the emperor of Russia, accompanied by his suite, arrived at the Bridge inn, Sunderland. They were soon after waited upon by the Rev. Dr. Gray, whom they accompanied to the rectory, where they took refreshment. They afterwards inspected the iron bridge, patent ropery, barracks, exchange, &c., and took an excursion up the river Wear in a boat. During the time of the grand duke's visit at Sunderland, a guard of honour was placed at his door. Next morning, his imperial highness and suite left Sunderland for Newcastle. They soon after paid a visit to the Royal Jubilee school, where they were received by the committee and the master, the boys, who had broken up for the harvest holidays the day before, having been expressly assembled. After staying here a short while, the party paid a visit to the low glass-houses and Heaton colliery. Next morning they left Newcastle for Alnwick castle, where they were engaged to dine with the duke of Northumberland. On their arrival, his highness was received on the steps of the principal entrance by their graces the duke and duchess of Northumberland, and immediately upon his alighting, the band struck up "God save the King," and a salute of 21 guns was fired. [_LHTB_]

July 31. — At the public meeting held this day in Stockton to consider of an application to Parliament in the ensuing session for making a navigable canal from the Tees to Evenwood Bridge (Earl Strathmore in the chair), Mr. Tennant again explained his views in proposing this measure ; and after Col. Sleigh had moved a resolution in its favour, Mr. Raisbeck rose to advocate the scheme of a canal from Stockton to Winston, by way of Darlington, and moved as an amendment, "That a committee be appointed to inquire and report which of the undertakings alluded to will most extensively promote the general interests of the port," &c. No one rising to second the amendment, the original motion was carried; and resolutions were passed to apply to parliament for an act, the next session ; and that the subscribers should raise £206,000 in shares of £100 each, and be incorporated as "The company of proprietors of the Stockton and Auckland Canal ;" and "That in case the proportion of the estimate required by the standing orders of the House of Commons shall not be subscribed before the 1st of January next, the present subscriptions shall from that day be considered void." Another meeting of friends to the measure was held Oct. 31st, when speeches were made by Messrs. Cartwright, Sleigh, Crowe, and Tennant in favour of, and by Mr. B. Flounders, of Yarm, against it. A second report from Mr. Leather was read, principally in answer to the objections urged against the plan. In November a deputation (Messrs. Cartwright, Crowe, and Tennant) attended a meeting in London for promoting the measure, but was unsuccessful in raising the necessary subscriptions. A meeting of subscribers to the canal, held Dec. 15th, after expressing regret at the failure of the measure, appointed a committee "To ascertain whether a Railroad on the northern line, which it is supposed may be constructed so as to shorten the distance still more, should not be substituted for a canal." [_LRSN_]

August 5. — An explosion of inflammable air took place in Wall's End colliery, by which four men lost their lives. This is the only explosion that has been known to have happened at the Davy lamp. It occurred as follows:– Two men and two boys were working in an explosive mixture. One of the men extinguished his Davy in trimming it, and sent one of the boys to the "stationary" light, in a safe part of the mine, to get it re-lighted. The boy returning with it in haste, fell when near to the man to whom he was carrying it, and falling with the lamp upon the corner of a cast-iron tram-plate, burst a hole in the wire gauze cylinder of the lamp, and the explosion instantly took place. The man survived a few hours, and told Mr. Buddle the circumstance, who took up the Davy on the spot where the boy was killed, and found it in the state described. [_LHTB_]

October 11. — As Joseph Madelen, a miner, employed in South Moor colliery, in the county of Durham, was hewing at a solid stratum of coal, about six feet in thickness, and thirteen fathoms from the surface of the earth, he found a frog enclosed in the solid mass, which, immediately on being liberated, began to exercise the functions of animal life. The recess in the coal in which it was found, was exactly fitted to its body, and had apparently no communication whatever with the surface of the block. The animal was exactly the colour of the coal, but on being put into a vessel of water, its sooty covering disappeared, and it appeared speckled like the rest of its species. [_LHTB_]

October 30. — The workmen of Collingwood Main colliery, in cutting through part of the lands at Chirton, near North Shields, for a water level, came to the remains of a human body, enclosed in flagstones set upon their edges, about four feet below the surface, and covered over by others of a similar description. Only a skull and two or three mutilated bones were found, which, on being exposed to the air, crumbled into dust; the bottom of the enclosure contained nothing else, except some white sand. [_LHTB_]

November 3. — His imperial highness the archduke Maximilian, cousin to the emperor of Russia, with his suite, on their tour to the north, honoured North Shields and Tynemouth with their presence. Accompanied by Nicholas Fairless, esq., and other gentlemen, he visited the ancient priory and fortifications of Tynemouth, the North Shields subscription library, and the various manufactories, and expressed himself highly gratified, particularly with Mr. Flinn's improved harpoon guns, whale lances, and other instruments used in the Greenland fishery. The same evening his imperial highness and suite arrived at the Queen's head inn, Newcastle, and on the following day visited several of the collieries on the north side of the Tyne, below the bridge, attended by William Clark, esq., of Benton, and captain Morgan. They also examined St. Nicholas' church, and other objects of curiosity in that town. On the 5th, they left Newcastle for Alnwick castle on their way to Scotland. [_LHTB_]

November 13. — A public meeting was held in Darlington for the purpose of considering the committee's report of the survey taken a few years ago by Mr. Rennie for a canal, and lately by Mr. Overton, for a railway between Stockton and the collieries in the Auckland district, by way of Darlington, (Dr. Fenwick in the chair). After the reading of the report, the meeting was addressed by Messrs. J. Backhouse, jun., Edward Pease, J. Grimshaw, &c., and resolutions were passed to apply to parliament for an act to make a rail or tramway on the plan and estimate given by Mr. Overton, and to raise the sum of £124,000 (the estimated expense) in shares of £100 each. The railway was to commence at Stockton from the vacant ground belonging to the corporation, and to terminate near Etherley colliery, being a distance of 35 miles. In addition to the main line Mr. Overton proposed 8 branches (to Croft, Yarm, &c.), together 16 miles. Supposing 20 miles of the main line to be made a double way (the rest single), he calculated the total expense of the whole would amount to £124,000. [_LRSN_]

• LHTB — Local Historian's Table Book of Remarkable Occurrences Connected with the Counties of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Northumberland and Durham by M.A. Richardson. Published in five volumes in 1844.
• LRS — Local Records or Historical Register of Remarkable Events by John Sykes, published in 1833 in two volumes
• LRSN — Local Records of Stockton and the Neighbourhood by Thomas Richmond. Published in one volume in 1868.