Gateshead is a borough by prescription, though not privileged to send members to parliament. It is situated 276 miles from London, on the south bank of the Tyne, opposite to Newcastle, to which it is united by a handsome stone bridge, formerly with an iron gate in the middle, bearing the arms of Durham on one side, and those of Newcastle on the other, thus forming a boundary between the bishopric and the county of Northumberland. This town in the time of the Romans was called Gabrosentum, a name derived from two British words, Gaffr, a goat, and Pen, a head; the ancient historians have called it Caprae Caput, i.e. Goat’s head, a name which Mr. Camden supposes to have originated from some neighbouring inn, known by the sign of the Goat’s Head: Mr. Brand, however, derives it from the Saxon Gaetshevedy the head, or termination, of a military road, or way, which in these parts is usually denominated gaet. When Edward VI. suppressed the bishopric of Durham, he annexed this place to the town of Newcastle; but Queen Mary soon afterwards restored it to the church. It is supposed to have been built before Newcastle, and to have been a frontier garrison against the Scots and Picts; being defended, in the time of the Romans, by the, second cohort of the Thraces. The earliest known record relating to it, however, occurs in the time of Bishop Pudsey, and is dated 1164, when that prelate granted by charter, to his burgesses of Gateshead, the liberty of his forest; and that each shall have in right of his burgage similar liberties to those enjoyed by the burgesses of Newcastle in right of their burgage, and likewise that they should have free passage within the liberties of the palatinate, with their goods, clear of all dues and exactions. Several succeeding prelates had their keepers of the park and castle here.

The town of Gateshead principally consists of one long street, ranging along a steep descent, and terminated by the bridge leading over the Tyne. On the east side of this street, about half a mile from the bridge, are the ruins of St. Edmund’s Hospital, which is supposed to occupy the site of a monastery established, according to Bede, before the year 653. The hospital was founded in the year 1247, by Bishop Farnham, who endowed it for a master, and there brethren; soon afterwards, however, he united it to the Chapel or Hospital of the Holy Trinity in Gateshead, and framed ordinances for its government About the year 1438, the revenue of this hospital was appropriated by Bishop Langley, on the petition of the prioress and nuns of St. Bartholomew, in Newcastle, to the support of that house, to whom it belonged at the Dissolution, at which time t was valued at 5l. 9s. 4d. per annum. James I. however, re-founded it, in the year 1610, by letters-patent, for the reception of three poor men, and ordered that it should thenceforth bear the name of the Hospital of King James. The ruins of these monastic buildings are thus described by Grose:—" The entrance is through a low square stone gate, decorated with pilasters, and seemingly of modern constriction ; the site of the house, with its offices and gardens, occupied about two acres and a half of land. Nearest the road stands the chapel, whose west end is handsomely ornamented with a number of pointed arches and niches, though the inside seems remarkably plain; it consists of a single aisle, 21 paces broad by 20 paces long.—Sone steps at the east end, leading to the altar, are still remaining. The arches of the windows, except those at the east and west ends, which are entirely printed, are round within and pointed on the outside ; a remarkable ornament is mounted on the east and, on a slender rod, being a small circle, chequered by several bars crossing each other at right angles. Towards the east end, on the site of the house, are the ruins of a mansion, which from its containing a catholic chapel, was set on fire by the populace in the year 1745, when the Duke of Cumberland marched through Gateshead with his army, to combat the forces of the Pretender.

In 1810 an act passed to enable the master am brethren to grant leases of the lands belonging to the hospital, and to empower the Bishop of Durham to make statutes and ordinances for its government, as also to augment the number of poor brethren. The revenue was then 4551. The chaplain was to receive 40l. per annum ; the three ancient brethren each 25l., and 10 younger brethren, the remainder divided amongst them in equal propriations. Near the hospital a new chapel was built, and consecrated by the Bishop of Durham in 180. Divine service is performed in it on Sundays by he chaplain of the hospital, and it is used during the week as a school, and conducted on Dr. Bell’s system. In 1811 the old ruined chapel, and Old Brethren’s houses, were pulled down, and new horses built on the site.

The Church, which is dedicated to St. Mary is a spacious and ancient structure, in the form of a cross, with a lofty tower, which was built in the year 1740 ; the upper part has however since been altered, and may be seen at a considerable distance; the aisles of this church are separated from the nave by pointed arches, supported on light and well proportioned octagonal columns, without capitals. It contains a good organ and galleries ; and the chancel has lately been repaired and beautified by the late rector. In the church-yard are several ancient monuments, among which is a singular one, said to have been erected by Robert Trollop, the architect of the Exchange at Newcastle, to cover his own intended place of interment; it is a square heavy building ; and the upper part contains several scriptural sentences, in gold letters on a black ground, but which are now mostly obliterated. It is recorded, that originally there was a statue, on the north side of this monument, pointing towards the Exchange, which is nearly opposite, and having the following lines below the feet,

Here lies Robert Trollop.,

Who made yon stones roll up ;

When death took his soul up,

His body fill’d this hole up.

Gateshead possesses several manufactories, particularly of cast and wrought iron, glass, &c. It is situated in Chester Ward, and its population, as stated in the last returns, was 5,593 males, and 6,174 females, being an increase of 2,985 souls since 1811; the houses were returned as amounting: to 1653.

Alterations, it is said, are to be made in the road leading over Gateshead Fell: three different plans have been proposed, one by throwing a chain bridge across the Tyne near Redheugh, another by the Back Lane, and a third by a line through the fields.

Proceeding southward, we cross an extensive and elevated ridge of hills, called Gateshead Fell, now cultivated and inclosed, which is famous for its grindstone quarries. Here, in the year 1068, a victory was obtained by William the Conqueror, over the combined forces of Edgar Atheling, heir to the crown of Scotland, and Malcolm, king of the Scots, with some Danish pirates. The conqueror, after the battle, marched to Newcastle, and almost levelled it with the ground, to prevent it again becoming a place of refuge to his enemies.

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GATESHEAD, a parliamentary and municipal borough, in the Chester-le-Street division of the county, union town, head of a county court district, township and parish, situated on the south bank of the navigable river Tyne, opposite Newcastle in Northumberland, with which it is closely connected, 14 miles north from Durham, 12 north-by-north-west from Sunderland, 7 west from Shields, 60 east from Carlisle, 80 north from York and 272 from London, in the east division of Chester ward, rural deanery of Chester-le-Street and archdeaconry and diocese of Durham: communication between Gateshead and Newcastle is afforded by the High-level bridge, a structure constructed by Sir R. Stephenson, of iron and stone, of six arches of open ironwork, resting on lofty stone piers, and carries the railway on the upper viaduct, and underneath, at the springing of the arches, is a common roadway; it is 1,337 feet long and 32 wide, the height from high water mark to the railway being 112 feet: another iron bridge was opened for traffic in August, 1871, by the Redheugh Bridge Company, crossing the Tyne between Bensham and the western suburb of Newcastle; this is a light and elegant structure, supported by three iron piers, with a clear headway of 87 feet above high water mark. Gateshead is also connected with Newcastle by a hydraulic swing bridge across the Tyne, which occupies the site of a bridge erected by the Roman emperor Hadrian, A.D.120, and called “Pons AElii ;” the mediaeval bridge, built in 1250, was destroyed by a flood in 1771, when it was replaced by a stone bridge, taken down to make way for the present structure; in dredging the river for the foundations of this bridge the substructure of the previous bridges was met with, that of the Soman bridge being the lowest: the Act for the erection of the existing bridge was obtained in 1861 by the Tyne Improvement Commissioners, and the first stone was laid in 1868: the bridge, like the High-level bridge, is in six spans, placed so as to correspond with Stephenson’s great work. The waterway spans are four in number, the two occupying the centre of the bridge each affording 103 feet of waterway for vessels: from abutment to abutment the bridge is 530 feet in length; the roadway is 22 feet wide, and the two side foot paths each 8 feet 6 inches, the total breadth over the hand rails being 48 feet: from end to end the swing portion of the bridge, comprising the two centre spans, measures 281 feet, and turns upon a ring of 40 wheels; in the centre of the bridge, upon four girders crossing the roadway, is an elevated valve house platform, above which is a lighthouse, which contains a No. 5 light. The hydraulic and steam machinery by which the bridge is swung is placed in the centre pier underneath the roadway, every portion being in duplicate; the bridge is worked from the valve platform, and though the dead weight is 1,459 tons by the pressure of water into the centre pivot, in about 90 seconds the whole of this ponderous mass can be swung round. The ironwork was entirely supplied by Sir W. G. Armstrong and Co. and cost upwards of £100,000, an additional outlay of about the same amount being required for the construction of the other portions of the bridge, which was opened for ordinary traffic on the 15th of June, 1876, the swing portion being first used on July 17th following: the whole of the movements necessary for the opening and shutting of the bridge can be effected by one man.

The North Eastern Railway Company’s locomotive depot, near the passenger station, where locomotives are manufactured, forms an extensive range of premises; there are also stationery, printing, and general stores, and altogether upwards of 2,000 persons are employed. The passenger stations of the company at East and West Gateshead are situated in Half Moon lane, and the goods station in Oakwellwate.

The early history of Gateshead is obscure, but there is evidence of the existence of the town in a charter, dated 1164, granted by Hugh Pudsey, Bishop of Durham (1153-97) to the inhabitants of Gateshead, in which, under certain restrictions, they are allowed the liberty of his forest there, with privileges equal to those enjoyed by the inhabitants of Newcastle, as well as a free passage for their goods through his county palatine. The circumstance of greatest interest in the early history of this town is the destruction of its church by fire in 1080: the earldom of Northumberland, after the execution in 1075 of Waltheof, the last Saxon earl, was given to Walchere, the Norman Bishop of Durham (1071-80), who, although of a mild and easy disposition himself, was too indolent to see or restrain the oppression of his officers. Luilf, a noble Englishman, accused them to the prelate, and a few days after was slain: Walchere declared his innocence of the homicide, and compelled the murderers to make legal compensation, engaging himself to act as mediator between them and the relatives of Luilf: both parties met by appointment at Gateshead, and the bishop, perceiving indications of violence amongst the English, retired into the church, which was immediately set on fire by the infuriated people: he compelled the murderers to go out, when they were immediately slain; unable to bear the heat of the flames he appeared at the door of the church, when a voice immediately exclaimed, " Good rede, short rede, slay ye the bishop!” and he fell, pierced by a number of wounds, 14 May, 1080; his body was found naked and mangled on the spot where he fell, by the monks of Jarrow, and was conveyed by them to their monastery, and eventually to Durham Cathedral, where it was buried.

From a very early period Gateshead was governed by a bailiff, appointed by the Bishop of Durham, to whom the manor belonged; but from 1695 till the passing of the Municipal Reform Act (5 & 6 William IV. c. 76) in 1835, the corporate authority was exercised by two stewards, elected annually by the borough holders and freemen: by the Act quoted above the government was vested in a mayor, 6 aldermen and 18 councillors, with the usual assistant officers, under the style of “The Borough-holders and Freemen of the Borough of Gateshead.” The same Act divided the borough into five wards-viz.: East, West, South, Southeast and South-west wards. The Corporation also act as the Urban Sanitary Authority. The borough, which has a commission of the peace and a police force, was enfranchised by the Reform Act of 1832 and returns one member to Parliament. The principal streets are paved, and the town is lighted with gas from works situated at Redheugh, which also supply a portion of Newcastle, and is well supplied with water. Many of the lower parts of the town are densely peopled by artizans and pitmen: numerous handsome streets, terraces and villa residences have been erected.

The parish church of St. Mary is a large and very ancient cruciform structure, consisting of chancel, nave of five bays, aisles, south porch and a western tower containing a clock and a fine peal of 6 bells, hung in 1773: the shape and hewing of the stone lead to the supposition that it was built out of the ruins of some Roman edifice: the south doorway is Norman, and the arcades are partly of the Decorated period: the church has within the last century undergone various alterations and repairs: the tower and part of the nave were rebuilt, the roof altered, and the spire taken down in 1740: the church suffered considerably from an explosion that took place here in October, 1854, at a fire originating in a worsted factory situated near the church, when the whole of the windows were destroyed, and the structure, especially the chancel, seriously injured: a complete restoration of the interior was effected in 1875 at the cost of £5,600, when three stained windows were added and the tower arch opened: a new organ was introduced in 1820 at a cost of £525: the stained east window is a memorial to those who perished by the explosion in 1854: in recent years a handsome reredos has been erected and the sanctuary paved with marble at a cost of about £400: there are about 1,000 sittings. The registers date from the year 1559, and are in a fine state of preservation. The living is a rectory, average tithe rent-charge £277, gross yearly value £1,005, including 16 ¼ acres of glebe, with residence, in the gift of the Bishop of Durham, and held since 1881 by the Rev. William Moore Ede M.A. of St. John’s College, Cambridge.

The Mission room in connection with the parish of St. Mary, situated at the foot of Windmill hills, is a large building of iron, seating 800 persons, and is used for services on Sundays and as a room for meetings.

Holy Trinity is an ecclesiastical parish, formed July 12, 1864; the church, situated in the High street, is an ancient building of stone in the Early English style, erected about 1250, and the west front affords a remarkably perfect specimen of the architecture of that period: it was almost entirely destroyed in January, 1746, on the occasion of a riot in the town, but was restored in 1837, and consists of nave only: there is a stained window, and a tablet to the Ellison family: there are sittings for 200 persons. The register dates from the year 1864. The living is a vicarage, net yearly value £302, with residence, in the gift of the Bishop of Durham, and held since 1881 by the Rev. Harry William Stewart B.A. of University College, Durham.

St James’s is an ecclesiastical parish, formed August 30, 1864; the church, situated in Park road, was erected in 1865, and is a building of stone, consisting of chancel, nave of five bays, aisle, north porch and a bell turret; in 1872 a memorial was placed at the east end of the church to Henry Allhusen esq. lieut.-col. of the 1st Newcastle-on-Tyne Artillery Volunteers, by his workmen and companions in arms: there are 540 sittings. The register dates from the year 1865. The living is a rectory, average tithe rent-charge £95, net yearly value £282, with residence, in the gift of the Bishop of Durham, and held since 1881 by the Rev. Arthur Read Stogden M.A. of St. Catharine’s College, Cambridge.

Christ Church is an ecclesiastical parish, formed Dec. 15, 1874, from that of St. Mary: the church, situated near Prince Consort road and in Bewick road, and erected in 1871 from designs by Messrs. Adams and Kelly, of Leeds, at a cost of £6,100, is a building in the Transitional and Early English styles, consisting of chancel with polygonal apse, nave of five bays, aisles, organ chamber and vestry, west and south porches, and an octagonal turret at the north-west angle 85 feet in height: the pulpit, font, reredos and reading desk are of Caen stone, with marble shafts and carved panels: the church was enlarged in 1884 and will now seat 850 persons. The register dates from the year 1874. The living is a vicarage, gross yearly value £295, with house, in the gift of the Bishop of Durham, and held since 1874 by the Rev. Jonas Hoyle, of St. Bees, and surrogate.

The Parish church of the Venerable Bede, Sunderland road, erected in 1885 from designs by Messrs. Oliver and Leeson, of Newcastle, at a cost of £3,500, and consecrated May 11, is a cruciform edifice in the Early English style, consisting of chancel, transepts, nave and north porch: there is a memorial window to Jane Dorothy McIntosh, second daughter of the Rev. James McIntosh, late vicar: the church affords sittings for 634 persons. The register dates from the year 1885. The living is a vicarage, gross yearly value £300, with house, in the gift of the Crown and the Bishop of Durham alternately, and held since 1887 by the Rev. John Wilkins B.A. of the University of London.

Bede’s Mission room, situated on the Sunderland road, is now used as a Sunday school and for other purposes in connection with the church.

St. Edmund’s is an ecclesiastical parish, formed May 19, 1865, out of St. Mary’s, Gateshead, St. Alban’s, Heworth, and St. John’s, Gateshead Fell: the church, in St. Edmund’s place, erected at a cost of £1,331, raised by public subscriptions, is a building of stone, consisting of chancel nave, aisles and a bell cot: the church was restored in 1869 at a cost of £1,500 and will seat 550 persons. The register dates from the year 1865. The living is a vicarage, gross yearly value £230, with residence, in the gift of the Bishop of Durham, and held since 1877 by the Rev. Thomas Haslewood, who is also chaplain of King James’s Hospital.

The Catholic church, dedicated to St. Joseph, and situated at the top of West street, was built in 1858 from designs by Mr. A. Dunn, architect, at a cost of over £6,000, and is an edifice of stone in the Early English and Transition styles, consisting of chancel, nave of five bays, aisles, side chapels, south porch and baptistery at the north-west angle: there are two memorial windows, one of which was erected to the late William George Montgomery: the church will seat 1,000 persons. A residence for four priests, with a large school for boys, girls and infants attached, was added in 1881, at a cost of upwards of £3,000.

The English Presbyterian church, the successor of an earlier structure in Bailey Chare, opened in 1786, is situated in the Durham road, and was erected in 1877, from the designs of Mr. J. J. Lish, Newcastle, at a cost of £7,650: it is a building of stone in the Gothic style, consisting of nave, aisles, porches, vestibule, and a tower with spire about 150 feet in height; the western gable is pierced with three circular stained windows, and at the west end are a lecture hall, sessions house, vestry and offices: there are sittings for 906 persons.

The English Presbyterian church, in Park terrace, Windmill hills, erected in 1888, at a cost of about £3,500, is a structure of brick and stone in the Elizabethan style, and has a tower with pinnacles: there are sittings for 600 persons.

The Congregational church, Bensham road, is a Gothic stone building, with a tower and spire, erected at a cost of £3,800.

Bethesda (Methodist New Connexion) chapel, situated in Melbourne street, and erected in 1835, is a large structure of brick, seating 950 persons, with a school-room on the basement: the same sect has a small chapel in Fife street, Mount Pleasant.

The Wesleyan chapel, in High West Street, erected in 1860, in place of an earlier chapel built in 1815, is a rectangular building of stone, and will seat 1,300 persons: large mixed schools for 750 children are adjacent: there are also Wesleyan chapels in Bensham road, Durham road, Mount Pleasant, Low Teams and Low Fell.

The Free Methodist chapel, situated in the Durham road, is a brick building in the Elizabethan style, and has Sunday schools attached: there are sittings for 800 persons.

The Salvation Army barracks, in Ellison street west, formerly a Presbyterian chapel, is a plain edifice of brick, seating about 640 persons, with a school-room on the basement floor.

There are Primitive Methodist chapels in Carr’s hill, Durham road, Ely street, Sunderland road and Victoria road, Teams. The Primitive Methodists have also a large Sunday School and Lecture Hall in Durham road. There are also Baptist chapels.

The Cemetery, situated on rising ground near Mount Pleasant, covers an area of 34 acres, and contains two mortuary chapels. The total cost, including the superintendent’s house and office, was about £13,000, and in 1888 it was enlarged at a further cost of £11,500. In the cemetery is a fine monument, raised by public subscription, to James Renforth, champion oarsman of the world, who died in America, June, 1871. The cemetery is under the control of a Burial Board.

The Town Hall, West street, erected in 1870, at a cost of £13,000, is an edifice of stone in the Italian style, containing a large assembly room used for concerts and public meetings, council chamber, police court, in which the borough magistrates hold their petty sessions and where county court sittings are held monthly, and offices for the town clerk, magistrates’ clerk, borough engineer, and surveyor, and accountant. The corporation insignia consist of a mayor’s chain and badge and borough seals: the chain and badge, presented by 100 ladies of Gateshead 7 April, 1851, are of gold, and the former consists of a series of ornamental links alternating with a monogram formed by two intertwined letters G; the badge exhibits on a medallion a representation of the borough seal of the 17th century, which has for its device a large embattled gateway, with smaller postern towers at the sides; the seal in use is an embossing stamp with the same device, and the crest of a goat’s head: the mayor's robe is of scarlet cloth with black velvet facings.

The Post Office, now in Swinburne street, was first established here in 1771.

The Dispensary is a large building in Nelson street, established in 1822, and is supported solely by donations and public subscriptions.

The Gateshead Children’s Hospital, off Durham road erected in 1887, is a structure of brick and stone, containing 14 beds.

King James’s Hospital, in St. Edmund’s place, rebuilt in 1811, is a religious house, founded by H. de Ferlinton, in in the reign of Henry III. and dedicated to St. Edmund and St. Cuthbert, but the ancient charters having been lost, it was re-founded by James I.: attached is a chapel, rebuilt in 1810. The rector of Gateshead for the time being is the master, and there are three ancient brethren who reside in the hospital, each receiving £27 10s. yearly, and 41 younger brethren, who receive £26 10s. yearly: the whole of the appointments are made by the rector; the yearly revenues of the charity at the time of the Charity Commissioners’ report amounted to £525 17s. and are now (1889) about £1,000. The chaplaincy, value £70 yearly, has been held since 1885 by the Rev. Thomas Haslewood, vicar of St. Edmund’s. There are several other charities, including Powell’s, of £47 10s. yearly, for the support of pensioners; Henry Smith’s, of £20 for clothing, and other benefactions amounting in gross to £136 yearly, for distribution in money.

The Public Library, Swinburne street, erected in 1884 and opened by the Right Hon. Lord Northbourne, Feb. 25, 1885, is a building in the Romanesque style from designs by the late Mr. John Johnstone, architect; the facade consists of a massive base forming the ground story, surmounted by a colonnade enriched with festooned pediments: on the key Stone of the entrance is a finely carved head of Archimedes; over the entrance is a projecting window the frieze of which is embellished with scrolls, and an excellently carved head of the late Thomas Bewick, the engraver: the entrance itself consists of a large arch with Doric columns and entablature. The lending library was opened on the 9th Nov. 1885, by the Mayor, Alderman McDermott, and now contains over 7,000 volumes: Councillor Silas Kent is chairman of the committee. A School of Science and Art, in connection with the Government Department at South Kensington, is conducted in the building.

The Mechanics’ Institution, first established in 1837, now occupies a spacious building in West street, erected in 1848 by subscription, at a cost of £1,372, on a site given by Cuthbert Ellison esq.: it contains a large lecture room on the first floor, library and reading room on the ground floor and librarian’s residence; the library comprises upwards of 3,000 volumes, and the reading room is supplied with daily and weekly newspapers and periodicals.

The Baths and Laundries, situated at Oakwellgate, occupy an extensive range of buildings in the Elizabethan style and were opened to the public in 1855.

New Swimming Baths are now (1889) in course of erection at Mulgrave terrace, at a cost of £4,000, defrayed by the Corporation: the building, of red brick, with stone facings, will contain a swimming bath 80 feet long by 30 feet wide, and also eight private baths.

The Gateshead Floral and Horticultural Society, established in 1856, holds its annua] show in August, at Saltwell park; Mr. John Elliott is president.

A Recreation Ground of three acres, near the Sunderland road, was planted with trees and opened in 1889 by the Corporation.

Within the borough there are important iron foundries, engineering and iron works, where anchors, chain cables, and all descriptions of ironwork are manufactured: there are also patent wire and other rope manufactories, chemical and glass factories, breweries, grindstone quarries, and in the borough and immediate neighbourhood are extensive collieries.

Daniel de Foe is said to have been resident here when he wrote “Robinson Crusoe,” first published in 1719; and Thomas Bewick, “the restorer of the art of engraving on Wood,” died here, after a residence of sixteen years, 5th November, 1828; his son, Robert Elliott Bewick, also a distinguished wood engraver, died here 27th July, 1849: John Dobson, the architect, was born at Gateshead in 1787, and died 8th January, 1865.

The Drill Hall and head quarters of the 5th Volunteer battalion Durham Light Infantry, situated at Bute terrace, Alexandra road, was erected in 1885 and is a large building of red brick, 120 feet long and 60 feet wide: the hall will hold 1,200 persons, and is let for balls, banquets and large meetings, for which it is well adapted; attached to the hall is the sergeant-instructor's residence, store rooms and armoury, the latter containing 400 rifles. This hall is also the head quarters of the Durham Rifle Association.

Gateshead is also the head quarters of the F and G companies of the 1st Durham Engineer Volunteers.

The Ecclesiastical Commissioners are lords of the manor of Gateshead; the principal landowners are the Ecclesiastical Commissioners and Lord and Lady Northbourne: there are several other smaller owners.

The area is 3,002 acres; rateable value, £253,195; the population in 1861 was 33,589, and in 1871, 48,627, and in 1881 65,845, which includes 479 officers and inmates in the workhouse and 161 in the Albert Memorial Industrial school.

The parliamentary and municipal limits are co-extensive; the population in 1871 was 48,627 and in 1881 65,845.

Bensham forms a western suburb of Gateshead and is an ecclesiastical parish, formed April 4, 1865, out of St. Mary’s parish. The church of St. Cuthbert, erected in 1844, is a building of stone, in the Romanesque style, consisting of apsidal chancel, nave of five bays, aisle, vestry and a tower at the south-west angle with spire and containing one bell: there are three memorial stained windows to Cuthbert Ellison esq. and Mrs. Ellison, parents of Lady James, of Betteshanger, Sandwich, and Whitehall gardens, London, and two others to members of the Wailes family: the aisle was added in 1875, at a cost of £2,000: the church seats 750 persons, and is surrounded by a churchyard, which is not now used for interments save in special cases. The register dates from the year 1865. The living is a vicarage, net yearly value £300, with residence, in the gift of the Bishop of Durham, and held since 1884 by the Rev. Douglas Sherwood Guy M.A. of Trinity College, Cambridge. Bensham Wesleyan chapel, erected in 1875, at a cost of upwards of £10,000, is a building in the Italian style, from designs by Mr. F. R. N. Haswell, of North Shields: there are stained memorial windows to the late Rev. J. P. Haswell, and an organ, erected at a cost of £700: the chapel will seat 800 persons: attached are Sunday schools, a lecture hall and vestries, and a chapel-keeper's house.

St. AIDAN’S is an ecclesiastical parish, formed in 1889 out of the parishes of St. Cuthbert’s and St. Paul’s. The site for a church near the Redheugh bridge has been chosen. Services are held in a Mission room licensed for public worship in St. Cuthbert’s road. The living is an incumbency, endowed with £150 by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, in the gift of the Bishop of Durham, and held since 1889 by the Rev. Edward Hamilton Stewart M.A. of Trinity College, Cambridge.

Low Team is an ecclesiastical parish, formed out of St. Cuthbert’s, Gateshead, July 4, 1871. The church of St. Paul, in Askew road west, was erected in 1885, at a cost of £3,954, and is a building of stone in the Perpendicular style, consisting of chancel, nave, transepts and south porch, and will seat 500 persons. The register dates from the year 1871. The living is a vicarage, gross yearly value £300, and residence, in the gift of the Crown and the Bishop of Durham alternately, and held since 1871 by the Rev. John Wilkinson B.A. of Trinity College, Dublin. There are Wesleyan and Methodist New Connexion chapels. The population in 1881 was 6,328.

Petty Sessions are held at the County Police station every Tuesday at 11 a.m. The following places are included in the petty sessional division :-Felling, Heworth, Whickham, Dunston, Usworth, Washington, Blaydon, Winlaton, Ryton & Crawcrook.

Gateshead Union

The union comprises the following parishes :-Chopwell Crawcrook, Gateshead, Heworth, Ryton, Ryton Woodside, Stella, Whickham & Winlaton, with a population in 1881 of 106,196; rateable value, £407,455.

The Union house is situated in Union lane; it occupies a large range of stone buildings standing on rising ground, called the Windmill hills; a new building is now (1889) being erected at the Teams, at a cost of about £40,000, & when completed will accommodate, including staff, nearly 1,000 persons; it will be a building of red brick on the Pavilion principle, affording ample means of classifying the different paupers in what is termed the main building, with school buildings for the children & hospital for the sick, together with separate entrance building for the vagrants; John Penrose, master; Robert Foreman Cook M.B. medical officer; Mrs. Jane Penrose, matron; G. Cummings, school master; Miss Mary Laidler, schoolmistress.

Places of Worship, with times of Services

Parish Church of St. Mary, Church street, Rev. William Moore Ede M.A. rector; Rev. Robert C. Page, Rev. Canon Reginald T. Talbot M.A. & Rev. Andrew Amos, curates; 10.45 a.m.; 6.30 p.m.; Wed. 7.30 p.m.

Christ Church, Bewick road, Rev. Jonas Hoyle, vicar; Rev. Matthew Burra Parker B.A. & Rev. Francis Sittwell Knight Gregson B.A. Curates; 10.45 a.m.; 6.30 p.m.; Wed.7.30p.m.

Holy Trinity, High st. Rev. Harry Wm. Stewart B.A. vicar; 10.45 a.m.; 6.30p.m.; holy communion 8 am.; daily,7p.m.

St. Aidans, Rev. Edward Hamilton Stewart M.A. incumbent.

St. Cuthbert’s, Bensham, Rev. Douglas Sherwood Guy M.A. vicar; Revs. Andrew E. Burn & Thos. W. Little, curates; 10.45 a.m.; 6.30 p.m.; Wed. 7.30 p.m.

St. Edmund’s, St. Edmund’s place, Rev. Thomas Haslewood, vicar; Rev. Robert Amos Waters, curate; 10.45 a.m.; 6.45 p.m.; Thur. 7.30 p.m.

St. James’, Park road, Rev. Arthur Read Stogdon M.A. rector; Rev. James Mackay M.A. & Rev. Arthur A. Blair M.A. curates; 10.45 a.m.; 6.30 p.m.; daily 7 p.m.

St. Paul’s, Low Team, Rev. John Wilkinson B.A. vicar; Rev. Robert E. Deane M.D. curate; 8 & 10.45 a.m.; 6.30 p.m.; daily, 9 a.m. & 7 p.m.

Venerable Bede, Sunderland road, Rev. John Wilkins B.A. vicar; 8 & 10.45 a.m.,; 6.30 p.m.; Wed. 7.30 p.m.

St. George’s (Iron Church), Durham rd. Rev. Jonas Hoyle M.A .

St. Saviour’s (Iron Church), 10.45 a.m. & 6.30 p.m.; Tues. 7.30 p.m.; daily 8.30.

St. Joseph’s Catholic, High West street, Rev. Patrick Thomas Mathews, Rev. Philip Fitzgerald & Rev. William Ormonde, priests; mass, 8, 9 & 10 & high mass, 11 a.m.; catechising, benediction & children’s service, 3.30 p.m.; vespers, sermon & benediction, 6.30 p.m.; daily, 7 & 8 a.m. & 7.30 p.m.

Presbyterian Church of England, Durham road, Rev. Robert Stewart M.A. pastor; 10.45 a.m.& 6.30 p.m.; Wed.6.30 p.m.

Presbyterian, Park terrace, Windmill hills, Rev. J. Anderson Watt, minister; 10.45 a.m. & 6.80 p.m.; Wed. 7.30p.m.

Baptist, Durham road, Rev. Albert F. Riley, minister; 10.30 a.m. & 6.30 p.m.; Wed. 7.30 p.m.

Brethren Meeting Room, 12 Albert st.; 10.30 a.m.&6.30 p.m.

Christians’Meeting Place, School street; 10.30 a.m.& 6p.m.; Wed. 8 p.m.

Congregational, Bensham road, Rev. John George Binney, minister; 10.45 a.m. & 6.30 p.m.; Wed. 7.30 p.m.

Methodist Free Church, Durham road, Rev. James King; 10.30 a.m. & 6 p.m.; Wed. 7.30 p.m.

Methodist New Connexion.-Gateshead Circuit. Rev. William Hewson Alcock & Rev. James Pope Goodwin, ministers.

Melbourne street, 10.30 a.m. & 6 p.m.; Wed. 7 p.m.

Fife street, Mount Pleasant; 10.30 a.m. & 6 p.m.; Tues. 7.30 p.m.

Dunston, Ravensworth road; 10.30 a.m. & 6 p.m.; Thur. 7 p.m.

Low Fell, Durham road; 2.30 & 6 p.m.; Thur. 7 p.m.

High Felling; 10.30 a.m. & 6 p.m.; Wed. 7 p.m.

Felling Shore; 2 & 6 p.m.; Thur. 7 p.m.

Sheriff Hill; 2.30 & 6 p.m.; Tues. 7.30 p.m.

Sunniside; 2.30 & 6 p.m.; Wed. 7 p.m.

Swalwell; 2.15 & 6 p.m.; Thur. 7 p.m.

Teams; 10.30 a.m. & 6 p.m.; Wed. 7 p.m.

Wardley, Wardley colliery; 2 & 5.30 p.m.; Mon. 7 p.m.

Windy Nook; 2.30 & 6 p.m.; Tues. 7 p.m.

Weckenton; 2.30 & 6 p.m.; Tues. 7 p.m.

Primitive Methodist.-Gateshead Circuit.

Rev. William Johnson & Rev. Henry Pratt, ministers.

Carr’s Hill; 10.30 a.m. & 6 p.m.; Mon. 7 p.m.

Durham road; 10.30 a.m. & 6 p.m.; Thur. 7 p.m.

Ely street; 10.30 a.m. & 6 p.m.; Wed. 7 p.m.

Sunderland road; 10.30 a.m. & 6 p.m.; Thur. 7.30 p.m.

Victoria road, Teams; 10.30 a.m. & 6 p.m. , Wed. 7 p.m.

Bewicke Main; 2 & 5.30 p.m.; Tues. 6.30 p.m.

Eighton Banks; 2 & 5.30 p.m.; Mon. 7 p.m.

Felling, Coldwell St.; 10.30 a.m. & 6 p.m.; Thur. 7 p.m.

Heworth colliery; 2 & 6 p.m.; Mon. 7 p.m.

Kibblesworth; 10.30 a.m. & 5.30 p.m.; Tues. 7 p.m.

Low Fell; 10.30 a.m. & 6 p.m.; Wed. 7 p.m.

Swalwell (Hexham road); 2 &. 6 p.m.; Tues. 7 p.m.

Whickham; 2 & 6 p.m.; Tues. 7 p.m.

Windy Nook; 2 & 6 p.m.; Mon. 7 p.m.

Wesleyan Methodist

Rev George Hobson & Rev. Campbell Jefferies.

Bensham road; 10.30 a.m. & 6.30 p.m.; Wed. 7.30 p.m.

High West street; 10.30 a.m. & 6.30 p.m.; Wed. 7 p.m.

Mount Pleasant; 10.30 a.m. & 6 p.m.; Thur. 7 p.m.

Low Teams; 6 p.m.; Mon. 7 p.m.

Bill Quay; 10.30 a.m. & 6 p.m.; Wed. 7 p.m.

Blaydon; 10.30 a.m. & 6.15 p.m.; Tues. 7 p.m.

Burnopfield; 2 & 6 p.m.; Mon. 7 p.m.

Dunston, Ravensworth rd.; 10.30 a.m. & 6 p.m.; Mon.7 p.m.

Durham road; 10.30 a.m. & 6 p.m.; Thur. 7.30 p.m.

Felling; 10.30 a.m. & 6 p.m.,; Wed. 7.15 p.m.

Fellside; 6 p.m.; Thur. 7 p.m.

Kibblesworth; 2 & 5.30 p.m.; Thur. 7 p.m.

Low Fell; 10.30 a.m. & 6 p.m.; Tues. 7 p.m.

Marley Hill; 2.30 & 6 p.m.; Mon. 7 p.m.

Rowlands Gill; 2.30 & 6 p.m.; Tues. 7 p.m.

Springwell; 10.30 a.m. & 6 p.m. Tues. 7 p.m.

Swalwell; 10.30 a.m. & 6 p.m.; Tues. 7 p.m.

Team colliery; 2.30 & 6 p.m.; Thur. 7 p.m.

Usworth colliery; 10.30 a.m. & 6 p.m.; Tues. 7 p.m.

Washington; 10.30 a.m. & 6 p.m.; Tues. 7 p.m.

Whickham; 2.30 & 6 p.m.; Wed. 7 p.m.

Winlaton; 2.30 & 6 p.m.; Wed. 7 p.m.

Weckenton; 10.30 a.m. & 6 p.m.; Thur. 7 p.m.

Mission Rooms

Christ Church, 57 Prince Consort road.

St, Aidan’s Church Mission, St. Cuthbert’s road; 10.45 a.m. & 6.30 p.m.; Wed. 7.30 p.m.

Venerable Bede, 45 Somerset place, Sunderland road.

Baptist Mission Room Sc Sunday School, 16 Victoria street, Rev. Albert F. Riley, minister.

Berlin street, Wesleyan Methodist; 6 p.m.

Christian Brethren, Cumberland st.; 10.30 a.m. & 6.30 p.m.

Derwent road (35).

Leopold street (19 & 21); 10.45 a.m. & 6.30 p.m.; Thur. 7.30 p.m.

Presbyterian, Chandless street; 6.30 p.m.; Thur. 7.30 p.m.

Primitive Methodist, Askew road; 6 p.m.; Mon. 7 p.m.

United Christian, 366 High street.

Wesleyan Methodist, East street; 6 p.m.; tues. 7.30 p.m.

Wesleyan Methodist, High Level rd.; 6 p.m.; Mon. 7.30 p.m.

Whitehall road (7); 10.45 a.m. & 6.30 p.m.; Thur. 7.30p.m.

Schools-Public.

High School for Girls (Girls’ Public Day School Co. Limited), Windmill hills, Miss Isabella Cooper, principal.

High School for Boys, Durham road, John Thomas Dunn d. sc. headmaster.

Gateshead School of Art & Science & Public Library, Swinburne street, William Fitz-James White, headmaster; Charles E. Dyer, secretary.

The Abbot Memorial Industrial schools, situated in Durham road, form a spacious brick building, erected in 1868, by Mrs. Abbot, in memory of her husband, & are intended for 100 boys & 50 girls of the destitute & unfortunate class; there are about 100 boys & 50 girls: the boys are taught shoe making, gardening, tailoring & mat making, & the girls sewing, knitting & the usual domestic occupations: when their time is complete they are placed out in suitable situations: the school is managed by a committee selected annually from governor.

Science & Art, Borough house, Bensham road, George Bill M.A. master.

National Schools.

St. Cuthbert’s (Lady Vernon), Derwentwater road (mixed & infants), erected in 1846, for 760 children; average attendance, 360 boys, 196 girls & 204 infants.

St. Mary’s, Elli on street west (mixed & infants), erected in 1842, at a cost of £907, exclusive of the site, Sc thrice enlarged; it now holds 900 children.

Catholic Schools.

St. Joseph’s, Bensham road, built in 1881, for 646 boys & girls & 312 infants; average attendance, 640 boys & girls, 280 infants.

St. Joseph’s, junior, Park road, built in 1886, for 400 children; average attendance, 380.

British & Other Schools.

Congregational (mixed), 16 Rochester street, built in 1876, for 450 children; average attendance, 400.

Wesleyan, High West street, built in 1862, for 750 children; average attendance, 700.

Board Schools.

A School Board of eleven members was formed November 28, 1870.

Offices, West street.

Clerk, Edwin James Harding.

Attendance Officers, R. Renwick, 43 Coburg st.; G. Robinson, 21 Old street; & H. Kelly, 43 Exeter street.

Inquiry Officer, Ralph Renwick, 43 Coburg street.

Alexandra road, built in 1875, for 383 boys, 383 girls & 355 infants; average attendance, 345 boys, 320 girls & 334 infants.

Askew road, built in 1881, for 247 boys, 247 girls & 343 infants; average attendance, 272 boys, 239 girls Sc 296 infants .

Durham road, South street, built in 1881, for 342 boys, 257 girls & 248 infants; average attendance, 366 boys, 288 girls & 300 infants .

Ellison’s, near Trinity church, High street, erected by the late Cuthbert Ellison in 1837, for 166 infants; average attendance, full.

Ely street, junior (mixed), for 180 childred; average attendance, 173.

Fife street (infants), Mount Pleasant, for 152 children; average attendance, 153.

Grant street, for 200 children; average attendance, 163.

High Level road (infants), for 150 children; average attendance, 98.

Higher Grade (mixed), Windmill hills, for 491 boys & girls; average attendance, 346.

Industrial Day, Windmill hills, for 100 children; average attendance, 75.

Oakwellgate, built for 789 children; average attendance, 704.

Prior street, for 1,344 children; average attendance, 972.

Redheugh, Prest street, Askew road west, for 800 children; average attendance, 707.

Sunderland road, for 1,050 children; average attendance, 1,029 .

Victoria, Derwent road, built in 1888, for 1,020 children; average attendance, 482.

Windmill hills (infants), for 201 children; average attendance, 180.