M o d e r n c h a r i t
i e s .
S t . N ic h o la s ’s
c h u r c h .
E x c h a n g e .
But the more modern charities in this town are very confiderabl*
firftly, the general infirmary for the fick of the counties of Durham
Northumberland, and Newcajlle, which, from its inftitution to 177$
has difcharged, cured, about thirteen, thoufand patients* Tl
fecond, is the lying-in hofpital, for married women; and another chi
rity for the fupport of thofe who lie-in at their own houfes. Thin»
ly, a public hofpital, for the reception of lunatics. Fourthly, thf
Keelmen’s hofpital, a fquare building,with cloifters, founded, in 170J
by the poor keelmen, who allowed a penny per tide for that purpof
Befides thefe, are numbers of charity-fchools, and hofpitals for tk|
reception of the aged of both fexes.
The tower of St. Nicholas’s church is very juftly the boail ofth|
inhabitants. Its height is a hundred and ninety-fourfeet;,rouii
the top are feveral moft elegant pinnacles, from whofe bafe fpringl
feveral very neat arches,, that fupport the lanthorn, an open edinc«
ornamented with other pinnacles of uncommon l'ightnefs. TB
church was originally founded in the reign of Henry I. The?
tower,, built in the time of Ilenry VI. by Robert Rhodes-, andoip;
the bottom of the belfry is an entreaty to pray for the foul of tlfl
founder.
The exchange contains variety of apartments,, and alfo the courts*
of.juftice for the town. The front towards the river is enrichedw«
two feries of columns, and is of the architecture of the period «
Jamesl. The builder, Robert 'Trollop, is buried oppofite to it«
the church-yard of Gatejhead. His ftatue pointing towards tfl
exchange- fto.od formerly over his grave,, with thefe lines under IB
feet, i
He|
Here lies Robert Trollop,
Who made yon ftones roll-up.
When death took his foul-up,
His body fill’d this hole-up.
mmcajtte >s divided into four parilhes, with two chapels *, and
Lt a dozen meeting-houfes ; and is a county containing a fmall
|ri& of ten miles circuit, a privilege beftowed on it by Henry
I rendering it independent of Northumberland. It firft fent mem-
*rs to parlement in the reign of Edward I. + and was alfo honored
ill a fword of ftate. It is a corporation, governed by a mayor,
triff, and twelve aldermen. Their revenues are confiderable. An
ikl allowance is made to'the mayor of a thoufand pounds, befides
¿coach, furniihed. manfion-houfe, and fervants : he has alfo extra-
lowarices for entertaining the judges on their circuit, who lodge at
im a y o r’s houfe. The iheriff has alfo a handfome allowance for a
Iblic table. The receipts of the'corporation in 0Staler, 1774, were
¿0360/. 9s. 8d. the diiburfements 19445/. It is reckoned, that be-
\en this town and Gatejhead, there are thirty thoufand inhabitants,
ilufive of thofe who live on each fide of the river, adjacent to both
¡aces J. The exports are very confiderable, confifting of coals,
sid, glafs, fait, bacon, falmon, and grinding-ftones. Here are not
fwer than fixteen'glafs-houfes, three fugar-houfes, great manufac-
,‘tes of fteel and iron, befides. thofe of wrought iron at Swalwell,
Jee miles up the river : alfo another of broad and narrow woollen
|otb, which is carried on with great fuccefs, and not fewer than.
1 If Gatejhead is included, five parilhes and four chapels*,
t W/ii, III. 9 ; .
It fliMs’s map, 1772*
thirty
N u m b e r o f
p e o p l e .
. E x p o r t s *