| Despite Newcastle-Upon-Tyne being strongly | | | | Newcastle quickly recovered and by 1665 had the fifth |
| associated with the industrial revolution of the 19th | | | | largest population, behind London, Bristol, Norwich and |
| century, the Romans were the first to build in the area. | | | | York. The wealth generated by the coal industry |
| Being at the eastern end of Hadrian's Wall, in 122 AD | | | | helped other trades to develop such as iron, glass and |
| the Romans realised the importance of having a fort | | | | salt industries. At the beginning of the 18th century the |
| at the point where the River Tyne could be crossed | | | | town became a regional centre and was able to |
| and where the wall ended. The site of the fort, known | | | | complete its development with an assay office and |
| as 'Pons Aelius', eventually became the same place on | | | | the first branch of Carr's Bank outside of London. With |
| which the settlement that became | | | | the population rising to 20,000 the writer Daniel Defoe |
| Newcastle-Upon-Tyne was founded. | | | | commented that whilst Newcastle might seem a |
| After the Romans left Britain, there is only scarce | | | | prosperous town there was " ..... a prodigious number |
| evidence of inhabitation of the area during Saxon | | | | of poor in Newcastle." By the end of the 18th century |
| times. However, following the Norman conquest of | | | | the richer inhabitants of Newcastle were leaving the |
| England in the 11th Century the strategic importance of | | | | squalor of being 'inside the city wall' for what eventually |
| the River Tyne's crossing point and its potential as a | | | | grew into the suburbs of Newcastle. |
| port was again realised. So it was, in 1080, that William | | | | In the 19th century the industrial revolution really took |
| the Conqueror's son, Robert, was dispatched north to | | | | off. A benefit of this was that the money generated |
| build a new wooden fort on the old roman site. Hence | | | | for the town led to the city centre being rebuilt in the |
| a New Castle was built! During the next 200 years the | | | | 1830's. Industries long associated with Newcastle that |
| castle, its fortifications and city walls developed | | | | began during this time include the Armstrong shipyard, |
| allowing Newcastle to become a thriving provincial | | | | Swan electrics and Parsons turbines. The famous |
| settlement. Merchants and traders in fish, cloth, sheep, | | | | Newcastle Swing Bridge was opened in 1876 to aid |
| coal and, of course, wool could all be found in | | | | shipping up and down the river, to further increase the |
| Newcastle at that time. Trade was so good that in | | | | export of its goods. Between 1850 and 1910 the |
| 1216 the town was granted a Royal charter enabling it | | | | population of Newcastle rose from below 90,000 to |
| to elect its own Mayor. In 1400, as Newcastle grew | | | | over 260,000 and it was in 1882 that the town of |
| even more, it was allowed to have its own sheriff and | | | | Newcastle-Upon-Tyne became a city. |
| became a county. | | | | Between the two world wars, Newcastle suffered |
| By the 16th century Newcastle had become the major | | | | massively in the depression with coal, ship-building and |
| town of the North East. It controlled the important | | | | heavy engineering all declining. In 1936 the Jarrow |
| shipping traffic on the River Tyne, from which it | | | | marchers set off for London from across the River |
| exported its greatest asset - coal. In the early 17th | | | | Tyne. The end of the Second World War did not see |
| century England was in the middle of an economic | | | | the fortunes of Newcastle restored, as along with the |
| slump as the price of wool plummeted. Newcastle, with | | | | rest of the UK, it lost more and more of its |
| its vast reserves of and expertise in mining coal, | | | | manufacturing capability. Whilst some of the 'traditional' |
| continued to thrive. The port at Newcastle on the | | | | industries have survived, with its status as a regional |
| River Tyne allowed it to expand its trade in coal by | | | | centre, Newcastle has been able to develop a thriving |
| over 1000%. The first recorded reference of the | | | | retail and service industry base. |
| saying "to take coals to Newcastle" - meaning to | | | | Today, as with many other cities, Newcastle is again |
| make a wasted journey - was in 1538. | | | | re-inventing itself with improved transport links, |
| With a population of about 10,000, the English civil war | | | | Quayside developments, shopping malls, new housing |
| of the mid-seventeenth century briefly slowed down | | | | and cultural opportunities. All in all this means that |
| the economic growth of the town. Newcastle declared | | | | Newcastle retains its place as a major UK city. The |
| itself for the Royalist cause and was under siege for | | | | term 'Geordie' is often associated with people living in |
| three months. It is said, but difficult to establish for | | | | the North east of England and Newcastle especially. |
| certain, that during the civil war King Charles I gave | | | | 'Geordie' should only be applied to someone born in |
| Newcastle its motto; "Fortier Defendit Triumphans", | | | | Newcastle or Gateshead and within site of the River |
| which means "Triumphing by a bold defence". | | | | Tyne. 'Geordie' is simply a familial diminutive of 'George'. |
| Unfortunately the truth is that Newcastle fell to the | | | | Geordies will often refer to Newcastle simply as 'the |
| Parliamentarian forces, which were mainly Scottish | | | | Toon'. |
| mercenaries. | | | | |