Wallsend: Difference between revisions

| official_name = Wallsend

| static_image = Wallsend Town Hall.jpg

| static_image_caption = [[Wallsend Town Hall]]

| country = England

| region = North East England

| population = 43,826

| os_grid_reference = NZ301664

| map_type = Tyne and Wear

| coordinates = {{coord|54.991|-1.534|display=inline,title}}

| post_town = WALLSEND

| postcode_area = NE

| postcode_district = NE28

| dial_code = 0191

| constituency_westminster = [[NorthNewcastle Tynesideupon Tyne East and Wallsend (UK Parliament constituency)|NorthNewcastle upon Tyne East and TynesideWallsend]]

| civil_parish = =

| metropolitan_borough = [[North Tyneside]]

| metropolitan_county = [[Tyne and Wear]]

'''Wallsend''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|w|ɔː|l|z|ˈ|ɛ|n|d}}) is a town in [[North Tyneside]], [[EnglandTyne and Wear]], England, at the eastern end of [[Hadrian's Wall]]. It has a population of 43,842 and lies {{convert|3.54|mi|km|1round=0.5|abbr=off}} east of [[Newcastle upon Tyne]].<ref>[http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D8271.xls Office for National Statistics : ''Census 2001 : Urban Areas : Table KS01 : Usual Resident Population''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070208210730/http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D8271.xls |date=2007-02-08 }} Retrieved 2009-08-26</ref>

In Roman times, this was the site of the fort of [[Segedunum]]. This fort protected the eastern end of [[Hadrian's Wall]], which did not terminate at the western wall of the fort, but continued from its south-eastern corner down to the shore of the [[River Tyne]]. As David Breeze writes, "In the early nineteenth century, as recorded by [[John Collingwood Bruce|Bruce]], [[John Buddle]] the Younger had often seen the Wall foundations extending far into the river when swimming there as a boy."<ref>''Handbook to the Roman Wall'', Fourteenth Edition by [[David Breeze]], p.136.</ref>

The withdrawal of the Romans from the Wall immediately brought the Picts from the north and shortly afterwards the Angles, sailing from near the mouth of the [[River Elbe]] with frequent raids both from sea and from land. [[Ida of Bernicia|Ida]] the Saxon laid waste to the whole of the north in 547 and Wallsend doubtless suffered in the general devastation. It was not until the golden age of Northumberland under [[Edwin of Northumbria]], and the subsequent introduction of the Christian faith by King [[Oswald of Northumbria]] (635-642) and [[St Aidan]], that Wallsend enjoyed a time of peace and progress. This time of peace came to an abrupt end in 794 when the Danes (or [[Vikings]]) swarmed up the Tyne in great numbers. In the years before the [[Norman conquest]] there was a struggle for mastery between Danes and SaxonsAngles.

Several urban [[sanitary district|sanitary districts]] were formed in the parish in the late 19th century: [[Willington Quay]], [[Howdon]] and Wallsend itself. The first two joined to form the Willington Quay [[Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland)|urban district]] under the [[Local Government Act 1894]], with the portion of the parish outside any urban sanitary district forming the parish of [[Willington, Tyne and Wear|Willington]] in [[Tynemouth Rural District]]. Wallsend was incorporated as a [[municipal borough]] in 1901,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/william-stephen-daglish-57593|title = William Stephen Daglish &#124; Art UK}}</ref> and in 1910 took over Willington Quay and Willington, and also part of the parish of [[Longbenton]].

Russian novelist [[Yevgeny Zamyatin]] worked at Swan Hunter in 1916–17, and used it as background for his great anti-utopian work [[We (novel)|''We'']] which was a major influence on [[George Orwell]]'s ''[[Nineteen Eighty-Four]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2009/jun/08/george-orwell-1984-zamyatin-we|title = What George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four owes Yevgeny Zamyatin's We| website=[[TheGuardian.com]] |date = 8 June 2009}}</ref>

Much of Wallsend's early industry was driven by coal mining. The [['''Wallsend Colliery]]''' consisted of seven pits which were active between 1778<ref name="northtyneside.gov.uk">{{cite web|url=http://my.northtyneside.gov.uk/page/5751/history-wallsend-parks|title=History of Wallsend Parks - North Tyneside Council|date=8 October 2014|access-date=7 February 2017}}</ref> and 1935.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=http://www.dmm.org.uk/colliery/w022.htm|title=Durham Mining Museum - Wallsend Colliery|first=Durham Mining|last=Museum|access-date=7 February 2017}}</ref> In the 1820s the pits became incorporated as Russell's Colliery, which then became the Wallsend and Hebburn Coal Company Ltd. By 1924 the colliery employed 2,183 people. Its most prominent manager was mining and railway engineer [[John Buddle]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/John_Buddle|title=John Buddle - Graces Guide|access-date=7 February 2017}}</ref> who helped develop the [[Davy Lamp]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mininginstitute.org.uk/events/hire/room-showcase/event/18-buddle-lamp-talk |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402142046/https://www.mininginstitute.org.uk/events/hire/room-showcase/event/18-buddle-lamp-talk |title=Behind the controversy: John Buddle and the development of the safety lamp |date=4 March 2015 |archive-date=2 April 2015 }}</ref>

Between 1767 and 1925 there were 11 major incidents recorded at the colliery resulting in over 209 deaths.<ref name="auto"/> On 18 June 1835 a gas explosion in one of the tunnels killed 102 miners,<ref name="northtyneside.gov.uk"/> the youngest of whom was aged eight and the oldest 75. Many of the dead were found with their cloth caps in their mouthmouths. This is believed to have been an attempt to prevent inhalation of the gas which eventually killed them. The bodies were extracted and buried in St Peter's churchyard at the top of the bank overlooking the Wallsend Burn. A plaque has been erected within the churchyard to commemorate this tragedy.

The town is home to [[Wallsend Boys Club]], an [[association football]] club, which has produced many famous [[association football|football]] players such as [[Alan Shearer]], [[Lee Clark (footballer)|Lee Clark]], [[Steve Watson]], [[Peter Beardsley]], [[Robbie Elliott]], [[Mick Tait]] and [[Michael Carrick]]. It is also hometown and birthplace to internationally successful musician [[Sting (musician)|Sting]], whose song ''[[All This Time (Sting song)|All This Time]]'' refers to the Roman wall and fort. The musical ''[[The Last Ship (musical)|The Last Ship]]'', composed and written by [[Sting (musician)|Sting]], is set in Wallsend.

In 2011, Wallsend had a population of 43,826 compared with 42,842 in the previous census.

*[[Peter Higgs]] - theoretical physicist born in Newcastle upon Tyne;, winner of the [[Nobel Prize in Physics]]

*[[John McKay (UK politician)|John McKay]] - MP for Wallsend 1945–1964

*[[Chi Onwurah]] - politicianMP for [[Newcastle upon Tyne Central (UK Parliament constituency)|Newcastle Upon Tyne Central]] 2010 to present<ref>[http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/oldsections/elections/general_election_2010/constituencies/522.newcastle_upon_tyne_central/candidates/2893._chi_onwurah/ ]{{dead link|date=December 2019}}</ref>

*[[Richard Gaddes]] - Operaopera Administratoradministrator<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://oxfordindex.oup.com/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.A2235173|title=Gaddes, Richard (born 1942), opera administrator : Grove Music Online - oi|year=2013|access-date=7 February 2017|doi=10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.a2235173|last1=Merkling|first1=Frank|last2=Bryan|first2=Karen M.|series=Oxford Music Online|publisher=Oxford University Press}}</ref>

*[[Ochre (musician)|Ochre]] - electronic musician

*[[Steve Bruce]] - footballer and football manager

*[[Brian Laws]] - footballer & manager

*[[Michael Carrick]]

* [http://www.tyneandweararchives.org.uk Tyne and Wear Archives Service: historical information on Wallsend] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070405111556/http://www.tyneandweararchives.org.uk/ |date=5 April 2007 }}