Andy Millne

Cholera outbreak at Bedlington. Description of Bedlington in A Topographical Dictionary of England. BEDLINGTON (St. Cuthbert), a parish and division, in the union of Morpeth, N. division of the county of Northumberland, 5 miles (S. E. by S.) from Morpeth; containing 3155 inhabitants, of whom 2023 are in the township of Bedlington. This district was purchased about the beginning of the tenth century by Cutheard, second bishop of Chester, who gave it to the see, by which means it was annexed in jurisdiction to the body of the county palatine of Durham lying between the Tyne and the Tees; it anciently had courts and officers of justice within its own limits, appointed under commission from the Bishop of Durham. The town or village stands on high ground, in a pleasant situation, and consists principally of one long street of considerable width, forming a kind of sloping avenue to the river Blyth, which glides past, between steep banks. The parish, commonly called Bedlingtonshire, and including the townships of North Blyth, Cambois, Choppington, Netherton, and East and West Sleckburn, is on the coast of the North Sea, and is bounded on the north by the Wansbeck, and on the south by the Blyth, which is navigable for small craft, and affords facility of conveyance for the produce of the Bedlington iron-works. At these works, which are among the oldest and most extensive in the kingdom, are manufactured chain-cables, bolts, bar and sheet iron, and all the heavier articles in wrought iron, which are conveyed to the port of Blyth, where they are shipped for London: the buildings occupy an exceedingly romantic site, the banks on each side of the river rising to a considerable height, while the impatient waters hasten rapidly along, and, in passing over a dam, form a very beautiful cataract. There are also some extensive collieries, and several quarries producing grindstones, scythe-stones, and whetstones of superior quality. Petty-sessions are held occasionally. The living, of which the net income is £454, is a vicarage, valued in the king's books at £13. 6. 8., and in the gift of the Dean and Chapter of Durham, who are also appropriators. The great tithes of the township have been commuted for £361. 10., and the vicarial for £40. 8. 4.; there are 234 acres of vicarial glebe. The church is dedicated to St. Cuthbert, whose remains are said to have rested here, on the flight of the monks from Durham upon the approach of the Conqueror, in 1069; it was enlarged and repaired in 1818. At the eastern extremity of the village is a petrifying spring, called Spinner's Well.

Blyth Building Society opened its first branch in Bedlington.

The founder of the Gibson family of nailers died and his wife Ann took over the running of it.

Michael Longridge refuses his second knighthood.

Longridge gave evidence at the Children's Employment Commission.

The steamship Bedlington was built in 1841 by T D Marshall of South Shields for the Bedlington Coal Company (1851 in April the "Auld Reekie" steamer from Leigh arrived in Blyth to tow the "Bedlington" to Leith as her career was over for the coal company. 1854 on March 19th the Bedlington was sunk nine days before the outbreak of war between Britain and Russia. the location being near Ismail on the Danube).

The population in Bedlington was 2023.

Bedlington has a place in postal history as it has the earliest known recorded usage of an adhesive stamp to prepay postage. The Penny Black officially came into service on May, 6th, 1840. However someone sent a letter from London under a "Mulready" wrapper to a Mr. Blenkinsop of Bedlington four days earlier. This then made the letter the earliest known in the United Kingdom. Together with this, the Mulready wrapper was not officially valid until the same day as the Penny Black. The Mr. Blenkinsop the letter was sent to, was an engineer at the Bedlington Ironworks, and what makes the letter more intriguing is that he had died nine years earlier. The stamp and wrapper were worth up to half a million pounds in 1991. How much today? With Mr. Blenkinsop not being alive when the letter was sent, it was forwarded to his family who lived in Carlisle, bearing a May 4th, 1840 Morpeth postmark, probably adding more value to it.

Michael Longridge refuses a knighthood.

Longridge established the Barring "Henry" Colliery.

Bells Place was built at the east end of Bedlington.

The Blyth & Bedlington Literary Supplement was produced at the Dene as a monthly edition.

Chartism ceased in Bedlington.

Seventeen locomotives were built at the locomotive factory at Bedlington.

Daniel Gooch designs the North Star engine. This became the model for all broad gauge engine to follow.

Bedlington "A" Colliery began sinking the shaft. Known as the "Auld Pit".

Chartism had huge support and one of the biggest rallies ever seen in the UK was held on the Town Moor at Newcastle upon Tyne.

A Locomotive Works opened on the Bebside bank of the river. The first loco built was called "Michael Longridge" and was the first of about 160-200 engines made here. Bedlington engines "De Snelheid"‚ "De Arend" and "Bayard" hauled the first trains in Holland and Italy respectively (1839). Bedlington locos were delivered to various railway companies around Britain and also to Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Holland, Italy and Persia (Iran).

Bedlington rail was used in the construction of Russia's first railway line (between Tsarskoe Selo and Pavlovsk), opened by Tsar Nicholas I on 30th October 1837.

The first meeting of the Bedlington Coal Company takes place at Durham.

Demesne Farm begins. Farming began by the Abbs family.

Daniel Gooch at the age of 21, becomes the engineer for the Great Western Railway.

Chartism begins in the Bedlington area.

The boiler of the steam locomotive, John Bull, on display in the National Museum of American History, Washington DC was almost certainly manufactured at the Bedlington Ironworks in 1831.

William Hare of "Burke & Hare" notoriety came to Bedlington in February. He was recognised and the people of Bedlington chased him out of Bedlington by throwing stones at him as he ran away.