Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for TYNEMOUTH

TYNEMOUTH, a town, a township, a parish, a sub-district, and a district, in Northumberland. The town stands on the N side of the mouth of the river Tyne, at the terminus of the Newcastle and Tynemouth railway, 1 mile W of the market place of North Shields; occupies a promontory, known to the ancient British as Pendal, and terminating in cliffs; originated in a Roman station, subordinate to Segedunum or Wallsend; acquired consequence from a monastery, founded in the 7th century, and from a subsequent strong castle; retains traces of a St. Leonard's hospital, founded before 1320; suffered devastation, at various periods, by the Danes,-and in 1316 and 1389, by the Scots; was visited, in 1278 and 1298, by Edward I.,-in 1303, by Queen Eleanor,-in 1322, by Queen Isabella,-in 1633, by Charles I.; was garrisoned, in 1642, for the Crown,-taken, in 1644, by the Scots,-and stormed, in 1648, at Lilburn's revolt; gave the title of Earl, in 1687, to James Fitz-James, Duke of Berwick; had John of Tynemonth, author of the "Golden History," for a native, and John Wethemstede and Thomas de la Mere as priors; came into repute, in modern times, as an esteemed watering-place; enjoys a fine climate, charming scenery, and excellent bathing appliances; consists of well built streets, with numerous good private dwelling-houses; and has a post-office‡ under North Shields, a r. station with telegraph, good hotels, many good lodging-houses, commodious and elegant baths, a public hall and assembly-room, a county jail with capacity for 22 male and 18 female prisoners, a parochial church built in 1668 and situated at North Shields, a recent church called Holy Saviour's, an Independent chapel with tower and spire built in 1865, a Wesleyan chapel, a free school, and a workhouse. The monastery was founded, in 625, by King Edwin; was repeatedly destroyed by the Danes, and repeatedly restored or rebuilt by distinguished persons, prior to the middle of the 11th century; was given, for a time, to Jarrow abbey; was refounded in 1090, by Robert de Mowbray, as a black priory, subordinate to St. Alban's abbey; was fortified soon afterwards by De Mowbray, against William Rufus, and then took the name of T. Castle; had previously been the burial-place of St. Oswyn, King Osred, and King Malcolm Canmore; acquired in 1220 a renovated church 275 feet long, with transept 97 feet long, and with a choir 135 feet by 66; went, at the dissolution, to the Dudleys; and has left extensive and interesting remains. The castle was reconstructed into barracks in 1665; became a depôt in 1783; and is now occupied by infantry. A lighthouse stands within the yard; was built in 1802; and shows a revolving minute light 148 feet above sea-level, visible at the distance of 17 miles. The town shares in the business interests of North Shields; was made a parliamentary borough in 1832, and a municipal borough in 1849; comprises, as a borough, the townships of Tynemouth, North Shields, Preston, Cullercoates, and Chirton; sends one member to parliament; and is governed by a mayor, 6 aldermen, and 18 councillors. Amount of property and income tax charged in 1863, £7,965. Electors in 1833, 760; in 1863, 1,117. Pop. in 1851, 29,170; in 1861, 34,021. Houses, 4,952.

The township comprises 1,173 acres of land, and 652 of water. Pop. in 1851, 14,650; in 1861, 16,560. Houses, 2,589.—The parish includes also the rest of the borough, and the townships of Whitley, Monkseaton, and Murton; and comprises 7,222 acres. Real property, £69,334; of which £1,300 are in mines, £250 in quarries, and £3,293 in gasworks. Pop. in 1851, 30,524; in 1861, 35,404. Houses, 5,219. The head living is a vicarage, and that of Holy Saviour is a p. curacy, in the diocese of Durham. Value of the former, £298;* of the latter, £200.* Patron of both, the Duke of Northumberland. The p. curacies of North Shields-Trinity, North Shields-St. Peter, Cullercoates, and Percy are separate benefices-Three of the churches were recently built and endowed, at a cost of about £60,000,-two-thirds defrayed by the Duke of Northumberland, one-third by the Church Commissioners.—The sub-district consists of T. Cullercoates, Whitley, and Monkseaton townships. Acres, 3,489. Pop., 18,266. Houses, 2,880.—The district comprehends also North Shields, Wallsend, Long-benton, Earsdon, and Blyth sub-districts; and comprises 39,737 acres. Poor rates in 1863, £25,493. Pop. in 1851, 64,248; in 1861, 77,955. Houses, 13,212. Marriages in 1863, 717; births, 3,310,-of which 181 were illegitimate; deaths, 1,911,-of which 963 were at ages under 5 years, and 30 at ages above 85. Marriages in the ten years 1851-60, 5,355; births, 27,347; deaths, 16,482. The places of worship, in 1851, were 12 of the Church of England, with 6,965 sittings; 3 of English Presbyterians, with 1,500 s.; 4 of United Presbyterians, with 1,273 s.; 4 of Independents, with 1,815 s.; 1 of Baptists, with 690 s.; 1 of Quakers, with 400 s.; 25 of Wesleyans, with 6,512 s.; 7 of New Connexion Methodists, with 2,066 s.; 13 of Primitive Methodists, with 2,686 s.; 11 of Wesleyan Reformers, with 2,132 s.; 2 undefined, with 200 s.; 2 of Roman Catholics, with 700 s.; 1 of Latter Day Saints, with 50 attendants; and 1 of Jews, with 30 s. The schools were 36 public day-schools, with 3,768 scholars; 85 private day-schools, with 3,416 s.; 63 Sunday schools, with 7,234 s.; and 2 evening schools for adults, with 39 s.


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a town, a township, a parish, a sub-district, and a district"   (ADL Feature Type: "cities")
Administrative units: Tynemouth AP/CP       Tynemouth SubD       Tynemouth RegD/PLU       Northumberland AncC
Place: Tynemouth

Go to the linked place page for a location map, and for access to other historical writing about the place. Pages for linked administrative units may contain historical statistics and information on boundaries.