Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 3.djvu/42

Rh NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE. 30 NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE. The livings are, St. Nicholas, a vie.,* val. 474, in the dioo. of Durham, and gift of the bishop ; St. Andrew's, St. John the Baptist's, All Saints', St. Peter's, St. Ann's, all perpet. curs, in the dioc. of Durham, vary- ing in val. from 300 to 150, in the presentation of the Vicar of Newcastle ; also St. Paul's and the new church at Byker, in the patron, of the crown and bishop alternately; St. Thomas's, and St. Mary the Virgin's, in the corporation of Newcastle. St. Nicholas's church stands on an eminence facing the approach to the high- level bridge, and near where the Roman wall passed. The original structure was built in 1091 by Bishop Osmund, and given to Carlisle Priory, but was burnt in 1216. The present one is a cruciform structure, re- built in 1359. It is 245 feet long by 73 feet wide, with a pinnacled tower surmounted by a spired lantern on springers of the time of Henry VI., 194 feet high from the base of the tower, which contains an illuminated clock and a peal of eight bells. Attached to the church were formerly ten oratories, and it still contains a carved choir and stalls, an antique font, a canopied brass of R. Thornton, bearing date 1429, also a monument to Moises by Flaxman, with an epitaph by Lord Stowell, and several interesting old tombs of the Percys. The E. window represents Christ bearing the Cross, and the altar-piece is by Tintoretto ; here also is an illuminated Bible more than 600 years old. On the S. side of, and adjoining the church of St. Nicholas, is the building presented to the parish by Sir Walter Blackett in 1736, containing the libraries of Cousins and Tomlinson, comprising many curious and valuable theological works. St. Andrew's church stands on the W. side of Newgate- street, in the north-western quarter of the town, and is said to be the oldest in Newcastle, having been built before 1219, but it has undergone repeated alterations and repairs. It has a large low square tower, and con- tains the toinb of Sir A. Athol, bearing date 1383, and several other old monuments, and an altar-piece by Giordiani. St. John the Baptist's church is a spacious cruciform structure of stone, standing on the N. side of Westgate-street. It is believed to have been built about 1287, and has an embattled tower crowned with four ornamented pinnacles, and containing a clock and six bells. The church, which had formerly three chantries attached, contains a stained-glass window, an ancient font, and many old monuments, also the tomb of John Cunningham, the poet, who lies buried in the church- yard. All Saints' church, at the bottom of Pilgrim- street, near the centre of the town, is a Grecian structure, rebuilt by Stephenson in 1789 at a cost of 27,000. It has a lofty tower surmounted by a steeple 202 feet high from the base of the tower, aad is entered under a portico, supported by five columns of the Doric order. The interior is in form of an ellipse 86 by 72 feet, and the crypt is part of the old church built in 1286. The register commences in 1600, and contains the names of William Lord Stowell and the Lord Chancellor Eldon. St. Peter's church, in Oxford- street, is a Gothic edifice with a tower, erected in 1843 as a chapel-of-easo to St. Andrew's. St. Ann's church stands on the N. side of the New-road, near the Ouse burn, and is a stone struc- ture, rebuilt in 1768 on the site of an ancient chapel of the same name. It has a square embattled tower sur- mounted by a light steeple. St. Paul's church, situated in High Elswick, and the new church at Byke, are stone edifices of recent erection. The church of St. Thomas- a-Becket is a stone edifice, erected in 1830. It stands in the Magdalene Meadows, near Barras Bridge, and has a lofty tower. The church of St. Mary the Virgin, erected in 1858, is a stone structure, with a tower surmounted by a steeple, and situated in the Elswick-villa road. The Roman Catholics have a church dedicated to St. Mary, which was erected in 1843. There are besides about 30 places of worship belonging to Dissenting congrega- tions, including Wesleyan, Association, Primitive and New Connexion Methodists, Independents, Baptists, English, Scotch, United and Reformed Presbyterians, Scotch Kirk, Free Church, Unitarians, Glassites, Society of Friends, Swcdenborgians, and Jews, providing accommodation for about 16,000 persons. There are many public schools, the principal one being the Royal Free Grammar school founded in 1525 by Thoinai Horsley, Mayor of Newcastle, and made a royal founda- tion by Queen Elizabeth. It is held in the old hall of St. Mary's Hospital, built in the reign of James I., and has an income from endowment of about 500, besides a share in Bishop Crew's 1 2 exhibitions at Lincoln College, Oxford, lately abolished, and several exhibitions to Cam- bridge. The number of scholars is about 140. Hugh Moises, and Dawes, author of "Miscellanea Critica," were once head-masters, and many celebrated men have ranked among its pupils, including W. Elstob, Bishop Ridley, Mark Akenside, the poet, Chief Justice Chambers, Brand, the antiquary and town historian, Horsley, the antiquary, and Lords Eldon, Stowell, and Collingwood. There are also several other foundation, schools, as the Trinity House school, founded in 1712, where mathematics and navigation are taught; the Royal Jubilee school, established in 1810 ; besides numerous National, British, infant, Roman Catholic, Denominational, ragged, and Sunday schools, situated in different parts of the borough, and partially endowed. The charitable foundations are numerous, including the hospital for the cure of contagious fever ; the Infirmary, situated in Westgate ; two dispensaries, one in Nelson- street, the other in the New-road ; a lying-in-hospital in Now Bridge-street ; the Penitentiary in Diana-street ; a deaf and dumb asylum, situated in Charlotte-square ; the Victoria Asylum for the blind; the eye infirmary in Saville-row; the Westgate Hospital, founded in 1815 to commemorate the Peace ; the Trmity House, originally founded at the close of the 16th century, for regulating pilotage, lighthouse dues, &c., and chartered by Henry VIII. for 26 brethren and sisters, with a chapel, offices, and school attached ; the keelmen's hospital, or benefit society, founded in 1701 by the bargemen who carry the coal down the Tyne in "keels," or lighters, to bo shipped ; St. Mary Magdalene's Hospital, with an income from endowment of 1,200, but there is not now any resi- dence for the brethren ; the Holy Jesus, or Freemen's Hospital, founded in 1683, with an income of 600, for the reception of 13 poor men and 37 women, who receive 1 per mouth besides coals and clothing; the Hospital of St. Mary the Virgin, in connection with which new almshouses have recently been erected in the Elswick- villa road, besides numerous other benevolent and pro- vident establishments. The annual produce of the local charities amounts to near 3,000. There are several ex- tramural cemeteries, as Jesmond Cemetery, which en- closes 1 1 acres ; Westgate Cemetery contains about 3 acres, and Ballast Green about the same. Six weekly and two daily newspapers are published in the town, viz. the Neivcastle Courant and Chronicle on Friday, the Guardian, Newcastle Journal, Northern Weekly Standard, and North of England Advertiser on Saturday, the Northern Daily Express and the Daily Chronicle. There are in the town several learned societies, as the Newcastle Society of Antiquaries, the Surtees Society for publiahing old MSS., a fine arts institution established in 1822, literary and law societies, also benefit societies, subscription and circulating libraries, and news-rooms supplied with all the London journals and papers. There are also a botanic and horticultural society, a farmers' club, and a natural history society, which last has a well-selected museum. Many distinguished and eminent men have been born at Newcastle ; amongst the number may bo mentioned Duns Scotus, who was educated at the con- vent of Grey Friars in tins city, where also Hugh of Newcastle and Friar Martin were monks ; Nicholas of Durham, the opponent of John Wycliffe; William Elstob, the divine and antiquary, and his sister, Mrs. Elstob, the Saxon scholar ; Akenside, the poet ; Rev. H. Bourne, the local historian ; Hutton, the mathematician , Sir Robert Chambers, chief justice in India; Admiral Lord Collingwood ; the late Lord Chancellor Eldon ; Thomas Bewick, the famous wood engraver ; Bulmcr, the printer ; Scott, the engraver ; Dean Holdsworth ; G. Walker; and Grey, author of Memoria Technlca. The