Building The Nest

“This first set of paintings that make up the ‘N’ takes us through the early formations of Newcastle United and their pre WW1 success. The first painting, ‘Laying the Eggs’ shows magpies and their nests to represent the first football clubs to form on Tyneside. Before this takes place though the nest must be built and in this case the nest is the city of Newcastle itself.”

Newcastle in the Middle Ages

• 1080 the Normans built a wooden bridge across the Tyne and a wooden fort to safeguard the crossing.
• The 12th century The ‘new castle’ was rebuilt in stone in ). Soon a little town grew up in the shadow of the new castle and was named after it.
• 1216 Newcastle had a mayor. 1294 The first record of a ship being built on Tyneside.
• 1400 It was made a county in its own right separate from the rest of the county had a population of around 4,000

The 16th and 17th Centuries

• 1539 Henry VIII closed the friaries.
• 1642 Civil war between king and parliament.
• Mid 17th century Around 400,000 tons of coal were exported from Newcastle each year.
• 1658 A new Guildhall was built 1681 The Hospital of the Holy Jesus was built.

The 18th Century

• 18th century private companies began providing piped water but only a small number of people could afford it.
• 1711 Newcastle gained its first newspaper.
• 1736 An assembly room was built where balls were held and card games were played.
• Mid 18th century the population of Newcastle had risen to around 20,000.
• 1751 An infirmary was built.
• 1755 Newcastle gained its first bank.
• 1766 A customs house was built.
• 1773-81 A new bridge was built over the Tyne after the Medieval one was destroyed by a storm.
• 1777 a dispensary was opened where the poor could obtain free medicines.
• 1788 The Theatre Royal was first built.
• Later 18th century The salt industry in Newcastle declined but a pottery industry began to flourish.

The 19th Century

• 1801 At the time of the first census Newcastle had a population of 28,000
• 1818 The streets were lit by gas.
• 1831 The population reached 53,000.
• 1832 An outbreak of cholera killed 306 people.
• 1835 The boundaries were extended to include Byker, Westgate, Elswick, Jesmond and Heaton.
• 1836 A modern police force was formed.
• 1825-1840 The town centre was rebuilt. This was mostly the work of three men, John Dobson, an architect, Richard Grainger, a builder and John Clayton the town clerk, each who have streets named after them.
• 1825-31 Dobson designed Eldon Square and Grainger built it.
• 1830s Dobson designed and Grainger built Grey Street.
• 1829-34 A man named Thomas Oliver designed Leazes Terrace. Grainger built it.
• 1838 A railway was built from Newcastle to Carlisle. 1837 Leazes Park was laid out.
• 1838 Grey’s monument was erected. 1844 The Roman Catholic Cathedral of St Mary was built.
• 1848-49 Another outbreak of cholera killed 412.
• 1844 A railway was built from Newcastle to Darlington.
• 1847 A railway was built from Newcastle to Berwick.
• 1849 A railway bridge, High Level Bridge, was built over the Tyne to connect Newcastle to London.
• 1850 Queen Victoria opened central railway station, which was designed by Dobson.
• 1851 The population of the borough reached over 87,000.
• 1853 The worst outbreak of cholera when 1,533 people died.
• 1858 A Corn Exchange (where grain could be bought and sold) was built. So was a Town Hall.
• 1873 The first public park in Newcastle, Leazes was opened.
• 1870s The rest of Town Moor was laid out as parks. 1876 A swing bridge was erected.
• 1877 The first recorded game of football was played on Tyneside.
• 1878 The first public library in Newcastle opened 1879 horse drawn trams ran in the streets.
• 1880 Brandling Park opened. 1884 Hancock Museum opened in the present building.
• 1892 The Magpies were born. Newcastle United was Formed.