Gateshead St Mary

Parish Notes Durham

Gateshead St Mary

[Population 1911: 11,162]

The Parish
Church
Townships
Topography
History

Its Records
The Parish Chest
Non-Parochial Records
Monumental Inscriptions
Indexes

Church

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 16¼ 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. [Kelly's Directory of Durham and Northumberland (1890), page 126.]

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Non-Parochial Records

Newcastle Courant 22/2/1834 [marriage] The 17th inst. at Gateshead, Mr John Lynn, of this town, butcher, to Miss Jane Pigg, of North Shields.

Newcastle Courant 29/9/1848 The Wesleyans of Gateshead are about to commence a day school for girls, which is to open in November. Their catechism is to be taught, and the children taken to their chapel, but neither of these conditions will be enforced where parents object, only it will be expected that the children attend some place of worship on the sabbath.

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Monumental Inscriptions

Prints of the stones illustrated are available to purchase: please enquire.

	[12] detail: Ann Cooper.		[86] Thomas & Susannah Hopkirk.
	[160] George Brown.		[187] Robert Robson.
	[188] William & Martha Masterton.		[251] Hannah Littlefare.
	[285] John Friend.		[301] Rutherford children.
	[327] Jane Addey.		[330] Joseph Dobinson.
	[333] John & Isabella Ions.		[415] George Huet.

[159] ... Bur.. Place
...RY MILES[?]
[nothing more to be discerned]

[166] In Memory of
JOHN HUTCHINSON Tanner
who died 29th of March 1766
aged 55 years
Also of
FRANCIS DUNCOMBE Painter
who died 8th October 1770
aged 53 years
And of ANN his Wife who was WIDOW
to the above JOHN HUTCHINSON
SHE died 5th Decemebr 1792
Aged 72 years
GEORGE STRAKER of Walker

[167] The Burial Place of JOHN and ANN PYBUS
ELIZABETH their Daughter died
the 9th of March 1812
Aged 26 years
The above ANN PYBUS
died the 14th of August 1813

[182] The Burial Place of
WALTER SMITH Maltster
In NEWCASTLE & ELIZABETH
his Wife & Their Issue She died
July 18th 1746 Aged 44 years
He died Jany 27th 1762 Aged 62
Also ELEANOR WALKER
Daughter of WALTER SMITH
who died Septr 24th 1784 Aged 36
Likewise THOMAS WALKER
her husband who died [under ground]

[183] The Burial Place of
James Smith ...aler in Gateshead
who departed life april ... aged 44
ELIZABETH HUDSON Wife of
WILLIAM HUDSON Painter
died 24th of Feby 1811 aged 38 years
The above WILLIAM HUDSON
died 23rd March 1812
Aged 41 years.

[307] This Stone was erected
by the Union Lodge
GATESHEAD
in Memory of
RALPH ARTHUR
who departed this Life 2nd July 1801
aged 61 years
SUSANNAH ARTHUR his
Wife died Jany 9th 1802 aged 63 years
Their Daughter ANN died March 13th
1804 aged 34 years

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