Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 2.djvu/95

Rh GATESHEAD. 87 GATHAMPTON. parliamentary borough, in the E. div. of Chester ward, co. palatine Durham, 14 miles N. by W. of Durham, and 274 miles N. by W. of London by road, or 293f miles by the Great Northern, and York, Newcastle, and Ber- wick railways. It is situated on the right bank of the Tyne, opposite Newcastle, of which it may be considered a suburb, and with which it is ^connected by a fine railway bridge, and by a handsome stone bridge of nine archea. Many antiquaries believe it to have been a fortified Roman station, from the numerous coins and other Roman antiquities discovered here. The present borough is of comparatively modern date, having been previous to 1695 only a small town governed by a bailiff appointed by the bishops of Durham : from that time till the passing of the Municipal Reform Act, in 1835, its affairs were administered by two stewards annually elected. The town having vastly increased in popula- tion and extent, was raised by the above-named Act into a borough divided into three wards East, "West, and South and placed under the government of a mayor, 6 aldermen, and 18 councillors, with the style of the "borough-holders and freemen of the borough of Gateshead." The limits of the municipal and parlia- mentary boroughs are co-extensive, comprising 4,391 inhabited houses in 1861, with a population of 33,587, against 25,568 in 1851, showing an increase in the decen- nial period of 8,019. The borough was enfranchised by the Reform Act, and returns one member to parliament. The number of registered electors in 1851 was 672. The town, which occupies rising ground on the S. bank of the navigable river Tyne, consists chiefly of one wide, irregular street, with several narrow streets and lines diverging from it and running down to the river ; the second important street descends towards tho bridge, but is so steep as to be almost impassable for carriages during winter. The more frequented streets are paved and flagged, but many of the others are not, and aru consequently in a very bad state, often nearly impassable, notwithstanding the exertions made since 1856 under the superintendence of the Public Health Committee. Many of the lower parls of the town are densely peopled with artizans, pitmen, &c., and the sanitary condition is by no means satisfactory, as shown by the prevalence of cholera and other epidemics. The houses are built partly of stone, but chiefly of brick, with not a few of common rubble. The town is lighted with gas, and is well supplied with water. Its trade is varied and prosperous, being so intimately connected with Newcastle as to be almost inse- parable from it. Within the borough there are extensive iron and brass foundries, and forges where anchors, chain-cables, boilers, agricultural implements, nails, and every variety of hardware are manufactured, also patent wire and other rope manufactories, glass and chemical works, and a large soap work, besides which there are manufactories for glue, whiting, paper, vinegar, hats, and candles, breweries, mailings, tanneries, steam saw-mills, Hour-mills, and ship-building. Another great source of industry is the manufacture of locomotive engines on the premises of the North-Eastern railway, situated in Hall-Moon Lane, where upwards of 1,000 persons are constantly employed. In the immediate vicinity of the town are extensive collieries, and also quarries of the celebrated Newcastle grindstones, exported to all parts of the world. The only public building is the townhall, erected in 1755, which is situated in the market-place, near the S. end of the High-Level Bridge. In it the borough magistrates hold their courts every Tuesday and Friday, and a county court is held monthly; it is also the head-quarters of the borough police, and con- tains tho council-chamber and police court. The county police have their office in West-street, where the county magistrates hold petty sessions every Tuesday. Gates- l is the head of a Poor-law Union of 20 parishes and townships, and contains the union workhouse, a commodious building situated in Union-lane. The me- chanics' institute occupies a handsome building in West- street, built by public subscription in 1848, and has a litirary of above 3,000 volumes. There are a dispensary and savings-bank, also extensive baths and washhouses, situated near Oakwell Gate, and opened in 1855. There are four churches in the town. St. Mary's, the parish church, is an ancient and spacious cruciform edifice, surmounted with a lofty tower. It was much damaged by an explosion, in October, 1854, but has been since restored and the chancel rebuilt. The register dates from 1559. The living is a rect.* in the dioc. of Durham, of the val. with the curs, of Trinity, St. Cuthbert's, and St. Edmund's annexed, of 1,300, in the patron, of the bishop. Trinity Church, situated in High-street, is a small ancient building of the 12th century, with handsome painted window and several tablets of the Ellison family. It consists of nave and end gallery only, with accommodation for 160 persons. The other two churches St. Cuthbert's and St. Ed- mund's are modern structures, the former erected in 1848. The Presbyterians, Wesleyans, Primitive and New Connexion Methodists have places of worship, and the Roman Catholics have a church at the top of West-street, erected in 1858 at the cost of 4,000. There are in Gateshead a grammar school with a small endowment, called the Anchorage School, held in the large room over the vestry ; a large National school for boys and girls, erected in 1842 at a cost of 1,000, in Ellison-street West ; also a British school and two infant schools. The charities produce above 618 per annum, of which 525 17s. is the revenue of St. Edmund's, or King James's Hospital, a religious foundation consisting of three ancient and ten younger brethren, with a chap- lain and head-master the last being the Rector of Gates- head for th time being. A weekly newspaper, called the Gateihead Observer, is published every Saturday, which is market day. Statute fairs are held in August and October. GATESHEAD FELLS, a chplry. in the par. of Gateshead, as above. It includes the vils. and limits. of Gateshead, High and Low Fell, Sheriff Hill, and Wreckenton. Collieries and stone-quarries have been worked here from time immemorial. This was fre- quently the battle-ground between the Danish invaders and the possessors of the soil. The old turnpike road from London passes through the village of Sheriff Hill, which is said to take its name from the fact of the sheriff and corporation of Newcastle coming thus far to meet the judges when on this circuit. The living is a rect.* in the dioc. of Durham, val. 172, in the patron, of tho bishop. The church, dedicated to St. John, is a modern stone edifice, with lofty tower and fine E. window of stained glass. The Wesleyan and New Connexion Methodists have chapels. Various ancient British and Roman remains have been found, especially tools. In the chapelry are several very handsome residences. GATESIDE, a vil. in the par. of Beith, co. Ayr, Scot- land, 9 miles N. of Irvine. GATESIDE, a vil. in the par. of Wamphray, co. Dumfries, Scotland, 18 miles N.E. of Dumfries. It is situated in Annandale, near Wamphray Water and the Caledonian railway. It contains an United Presbyterian meeting-house. GATESIDE, or EDENSHEAD, a post vil. in the par. of Strathmiglo, Cupar district, co. Fife, Scotland, 3 miles W. of Falkland, near West Lomond Hill. It is a station on the Edinburgh and Dundee railway. GATESIDE, a vil. in the par. of Kirkgunzeon, co. Kirkcudbright, Scotland, 7 miles E. of Castle-Douglas. GATESIDE, a vil. in the par. of Kilsyth, co. Stirling, Scotland, near Kilsyth. GATESIDE, a vil. in the par. of Neilston, co. Ren- frew, Scotland, 4 miles S.E. of Paisley. It is situated on the left bank of the river Levern, and has a cotton factory. GATESIDE, a hmlt. in tho tnshp. of Preston Patrick, co. Westmoreland, 2 miles from Burton-in-Kendal. GATEWOOD, a hmlt. in the par. of Cantley, West Riding co. York, 3 miles S.E. of Doncaster. GATEWOOD, a hmlt. in the tnshp. of Hatfield, West Riding co. York, 3 miles S.W. of Thorne. GATHAMPTON, a hmlt. in co. Oxford, 6 miles S.E. of Wallingford. It is situated on the banks of the Thames.