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Females

39741

4623 Employed in agriculture go, and in trade 1679.

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The above returns of the population of Newcastle and Gateshead have excited univerfal furprise, the number of inhabitants, upwards of forty years ago, being reckoned at fifty thousand; and it is well known the town has encreased in buildings, both ufeful and ornamental, above one-third within the laft twenty years.

It is therefore manifeft, that there must have been some great mistake either in the former calculations, or in the recent ones. No blame, we are certain, can attach to the refpectable gentlemen employed in making the enumeration: they could have no motive in deceiving the legiflature refpecting the real population. if, then, there is an error in the grofs return, we are inclined to believe it originated with the people themselves; for, as the bustle of business in Newcastle puts it out of the power of the inhabitants to attend much to acts of parliament, and the lower class being unacquainted with the real intention in making this general furvey, a confider

able

able part of them erroneously imagined that it was to be followed up by a capitation-tax! Impreffed with this frightful idea, very many perfons are fuppofed to have given returns of at leaft one-third lefs than the actual number. Added to this, inmates, travellers, foldiers, and vaft numbers of fea-faring men, were generally omitted.

Another argument, which strongly tends to prove the inaccuracy of the recent enumeration, is, that Newcastle has, for many years past ranked as the third or fourth town in England, both for wealth and commercial importance, and of courfe for population. Befides, fuch has been the influx of people from the interior, in thefe times of preffure, that it is with the utmoft difficulty dwelling-houfes can be obtained, even at very advanced rents.

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These obfervations, we prefume, may juftify the former calculations of the population at fifty thoufand to have been founded in truth; and, for the above reasons, we may venture to ftate the real number of the inhabitants of Newcastle, with the populous borough of Gateshead, to be near fixty thoufand.

Dr. Hutton fays, that this great number of people is fupplied with all kinds of provifions from the very plentiful markets of the town; here being used annually, in his time, above 5,000 beeyes, or oxen and Cows, 10,000 calves, 143,000 sheep and lambs, with fwine, fish, poultry, eggs, butter, hams, bacon, &c. from the neighbouring counties in prodigious abun dance. The market days for corn are Tuesday and Saturday. See his Survey of Newcastle.

STREETS,

STREETS, &c.

From the local fituation of Newcafile, the old ftreets and alleys feem to have been very irregular ; thofe of a more modern date are a little better planned, paved, and executed,

QUAY, OR KEY-SIDE.

The wall that was here being taken down, the quay, in confequence, has been fo enlarged and improved as to become one of the largest, longeft, and molt commodious wharfs in the kingdom. It meafures, fays Bourné, 103 rods; yet fo prodigious has the fhipping of the port of Newcastle encreased of late years, from almost all nations, particularly the northern, that, extenfive as it is, it is found often infufficient, and the veffels can only come to the Quayfide to unload in their turns. A fcheme has lately been handed about, to make it ftill more commodious, by ordering all the wherries to unload above the bridge, making a quay from the Skinnerbourn foundery to the Lead Stairs, to include two arches of the bridge, and to have the dwelling-houses there converted into warehouses. The above plan would be more especially neceffary, fhould a canal from the east to the weft fea ever be cut. The names of the chares leading from this place to the Butcher Bank, Pandon, &c, are familiar enough to the inhabitants; and it would afford fmall gratification to others to be told that one is called Broad Chare, another Grindon Chare, another Peppercorn Chare, &c. They are twenty-one in number; but, although

their appearance has little to recommend them, yet there are abundance of ftorehouses and lofts for corn, and indeed for valuable commodities of every kind. The west end joins the bridge, and about the middle of the quay is the cuftom-house, a stately building, which shall be defcribed in its proper place.

SAND-HILL.

This part of the town, the scene of fo much bufiness, derives its name, we are told, from its being a bill of naked fand, where the inhabitants used to affemble for recreation. We are alfo informed, that at high water the tide used to carry fmall veffels up part of the Side to the foot of the Dean, (now Deanstreet) over which the Roman wall paffed, by the Low Bridge. By this it would appear that the Tyne was broader and larger in former times than it is now. Nor is this at all improbable. We all know that the whole ifland was almoft covered with wood, when the Romans firft invaded Britain. Philofophers tell us, that trees and forefts are powerful alembics, and that their foliage ftrongly attracts the moisture in the clouds, which, diftilling on the ground, forms ́rills, rivulets, and flowing inceffantly into rivers, greatly encreases their quantity of water. We are told, that fince the cutting down of the huge forests of America, and clearing the grounds, on the banks of their large rivers, the waters are conftantly decreafing, in proportion as these natural alembics are removed. This may have been the cafe with the river Tyne. However, the Sand-hill has fuffered a happy transformation, as from a hill of barren fea fand, it has become the great market-place of New

castle,

caftle, furrounded with rich and fpacious fhops, abounding with every kind of valuable and useful merchandize.

On the fouth fide of the Sand hill stood the hospital called Maifon de Dieu, or Houfe of God. Here were maintained a warden, being a prieft, nine poor men, brethren, and four poor women, fifters. This ancient edifice was founded about the beginning of the reign of Henry the Fourth. The celebrated Roger

de Thornton, the munificent benefactor of Newcaftle, and its reprefentative in Parliament, was the founder of this charitable inftitution. The house was dedicated to St. Catharine.

A royal licence was obtained from king Henry IV. dated February 12th, 1403, to enable Roger de Thornton, burgefs of Newcastle upon Tyne, to alien in mortmain, to the mayor, fheriff, aldermen, and commonalty of that town, a piece of ground, one hundred feet in length, and twenty-four in breadth, within faid town, wherein certain poor perfons were to be provided with meat and clothing, in a " House of God," to be built by the faid Thornton; and where they should pray daily for the health of the faid mayor, sheriff, &c.; as alfo for that of the founder, while he lived; and, after their respective deaths, for their fouls, and the fouls of the father and mother of the founder, and those of all the benefactors of that intended hofpital.

By the name of the warden, brethren, and sisters of the hofpital of St. Catharine, called Thornton's Hofpital, they might plead, and be impleaded, in all courts, and have a common feal. In fubfequent reigns, there were additional emoluments bestowed upon the Maifon de Dieu of Thornton, till fir Rich

ard

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