On Thursday morning the 24th December, 1840, was published at 89, Side, Newcastle, the first number of "A Journal, unconnected with Politics, for the exclusive benefit of Advertisers, under the title of The Great Northern Advertiser and Commercial Herald." This was an advertising sheet, distributed gratuitously till March 25, 1841, when it was made double its original size and charged 3d., the gratuitous distribution of the advertising portion being continued till June 30 of the same year, when it ceased. From this period till February 1842, the paper was charged 44d. It was then reduced in size and price, viz. to 3d. It was enlarged soon after, and again enlarged, the price continuing the same, till October, when it had all the sporting intelligence excluded from its columns, and was again raised to 4 d. on the 13th October 1842, after which no alteration in size or price. On Sept. 30, 1843, it came to be the Newcastle Advertiser.-MS. Col,

1840 (Dec. 24.)-A cruel outrage, which ended in death, was perpetrated on a man named Robt. Hannay, the unfortunate deceased was a stone-mason, and resided in Morpeth, but had been working at Stannington, and on his going home from work on Saturday night about ten o'clock he had fallen in with three men, supposed to be pitmen, near Morpeth church, with whom it is probable he had quarrelled, as he stated when he was found that he had been ill used by three men. The injuries appeared to have been inflicted by a pick. An inquest was held on the body, and a verdict returned of Wilful Murder against some person or persons unknown.'-Local Papers.

December 27. The parish church of St. Oswald, in the city of Durham, was in considerable danger from an alarming accident. The flue of a stove, which is conducted through the flooring of the belfry, into the tower, had been overheated, and had ignited the wood-work by which it was encircled. Flames had already begun to appear, when, providentially, the sexton coming to ring the bell at eight o'clock, discovered the accident, and the fire was soon put out.-Ibid.

December 29.-Died of hydrophobia, Mr. William Bell Brown, foreman to Messrs. Middleton, curriers, Sunderland. On the 9th of November preceding, his thumb was bitten by a cocker dog; but the wound having been dressed, and no alarming symptoms presenting themselves, nothing more was thought of the matter, until the 26th of that month, when he complained of a stiffness of the hand. On Sunday and Monday, December 27th and 28th, he was indisposed; still, however, so little apprehension was entertained for his safety, that his sister, who lived in the house with him, was married on the latter day. On Tuesday morning he died; and on Wednesday an inquest was held, when Mr. Thompson, surgeon, by whom (and by

Dr. Brown) he had been attended, deposed that death was undoubtedly the result of hydrophobia. Verdict accordingly.—Local Papers.

1840 (Dec. 29).—An inquest was held at Hetton-le-hole, on view of the body of William Frazer, who died very suddenly, on the preceding night. Verdict, "Died of apoplexy." Died of apoplexy." The deceased was only married on the morning before he died, to a second wife, his first wife being then in existence, and living at Newbottle. The latter was a consenting party to the second wedding, assuring her husband that she would never trouble him for any thing. What is almost equally revolting is, that the second wife did not know but her first husband was alive, and in America!-Ibid.

December 30.-Wednesday night, about ten o'clock, as the Hero coach was entering the city of Durham, by the new north road, on its way from Newcastle, the leaders came in contact with the shafts of a waggon, belonging to a west-country carrier, which was proceeding in the opposite direction, and the driver of which was absent from his team. The off-side leader received one of the shafts in his chest the blood spouted out in a torrent, and the poor animal fell and died almost instantly. Fortunately no other accident was sustained.-Ibid.

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The ceremony of laying the foundation-stone of the new District church at Deptford, near Bishopwearmouth, took place on Thursday the 31st of December, 1840. The stone was laid by the hon. and rev. G. V. Wellesley, D.D., assisted by the rev. Richard Skipsey, and Mr. Thomas Moore, the architect, in the presence of a highly respectable and numerous assemblage. In the foundation stone was deposited a leaden case, containing several coins of the present reign, together with a sheet of parchment bearing the following inscription:-"On Thursday, Dec. 31st, 1840, this Foundation Stone of a New Church, in the township and parish of Bishop-Wearmouth, was laid by the Hon. and Rev. G. V. Wellesley, D.D., Rector of the parish. The means of building this sacred edifice have been procured by the united and benevolent subscriptions of the rector and inhabitants, under the sanction and liberal aid of Dr. Maltby, bishop of Durham, the Durham and London Church Building Society, and the munificent donation of the trustees required for the building of the church, by the most noble the marquess of Londonderry. The ground being the liberal gift of Mrs. Anne Aylmer, of Walworth castle, Durham," &c. The stone being laid, Dr. Wellesley offered a suitable prayer, and terminated the interesting proceedings by pronouncing the benediction. The site on which the church is built is in the midst of a very populous district, where the want of one had been long and deeply felt by the inhabitants. The edifice is in the

style of architecture which prevailed towards the close of the thirteenth century. The greatest length of the building is 109 feet, the width 60 feet, and it has a handsome spire 100 feet high. The whole exhibits considerable taste and elegance, and reflects great credit upon the architect. The marquess of Londonderry gave the freestone required for the building.-Local Papers.

1840 (Dec 31).-Died, at the Vicarage house, Newcastle, in the 72nd year of his age, the rev. John Dodd, for sixteen years vicar of that town, during which period he evinced an unvarying zeal for the spiritual interests of the flock committed to him. Amid the many and laborious duties of his responsible charge, his anxiety for erecting new churches and schools is particularly deserving of notice. On Wednesday, January 6th, the last solemn offices were performed towards the remains of the deceased in St. Nicholas' church, on which mournful occasion every mark of respect was paid to departed worth by the clergy of the town and neighbourhood, as well as by the public at large. At an early hour in the forenoon the bells of the several churches commenced tolling, and a little after one, the time appointed for the burial, the procession moved from the vicarage, in Westgate street, in the following order :

Second Mourning Coach, with six Clergymen, as Pall Bearers, viz. :

The Clergy of the several Parishes and Neighbourhood, two abreast.

The Authorities of the Town.

Private Gentlemen.

St. John's Parish Officers.

St. Andrew's Parish Officers.

The body was received at the entrance of the church by the rev. Robt. Green and the rev. R. W. L. Jones, as officiating ministers, who preceded it to the pulpit, the choir at the same time singing Clark's Anthem, "I am the ressurection and the life," &c. On ar

The Western Entrance of the Church of St. NICHOLAS, Newcastle, 1845.

riving at St. Nicholas' church, the parish officers of St. Nicholas and All Saints, with the Sunday school teachers, halted and divided, to suffer the procession to pass between, when they fell in, and passed with the whole into the church, the children of the several schools moving forward into the church, and taking up their place on each side of the middle aisle, so that the body was borne between them, to a position near the front of the pulpit, where the clergy took up their position during the service; after which the body was removed to the place of interment, and followed by the parties in the same order as on entering the church. The rev. Mr. Jones read the service in the church, and the rev. Mr. Green at the vault, outside the church. The pulpit, the corporation pew, the choir gallery, and the organ, were hung with black, and during the service the church was crowded with persons of all classes. As the procession passed, the shops in the line were partially closed, as a mark of respect to the memory of the deceased, and throughout the whole solemn ceremonial the utmost order and decorum prevailed.-Local Papers.

In the list of new patents for December, 1840, is the name of John Brumell Gregson, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, soda water manufacturer, for improvements in pigments, used in the preparation of the sulphates of iron and magnesia.-Ibid.

Died this year, at Norton, near Stockton, aged 105, Mrs. Mary Wilkinson.-Ibid.

1840 (December.).-This month, the bishop of Durham announced his intention of giving prizes during his incumbency to the amount of thirty guineas annually, for the encouragement of literature and science. The following prizes were proposed for the year 1841 :1. A prize of ten guineas for the student who should pass the last examination at the end of the Academical year, in the Hebrew Text and Septuagint Version of the book of Genesis, beginning with the twelfth chapter, and of the first twenty chapters of the book of Exodus; and in the gospel of St. Matthew in Greek, with especial reference to Hellenistic phraseology and expression. 2. A prize of ten guineas for the best Latin prose essay on the following subject, "Quænam fuerit, Romanæ reipublicæ sub Augusto constitutio?" The essays to be sent to the Warden on or before the 30th of April, 1841. 3. A prize of ten guineas for the best proficient in mathematics at the final examination of Students in Arts and in Civil Engineering. No prize to be adjudged, except in cases of positive merit.— Local Papers.

The hen-roosts in the village of Dalton-le-Dale and neighbourhood, having been visited about this period by an intruder, who had taken away and killed almost all the cocks and hens about the place, a person was determined to watch his hen-house, and had not waited long before a large tom-cat made his appearance. The prowling depredator entered the hen-house, where he killed a game-cock, and was trying to make his escape, when he was shot, after having run wild about three or four years. He was found to measure 2 feet 10 inches from the tip of his nose to the end of his tail, and weighed threequarters of a stone !-Ibid.

The coals shipped on the river Wear during the year 1840 were 497,546 chaldrons, being an increase of 13,589 chaldrons over the previous year. Ibid.

The gross customs revenue of the year 1840, for the port of Sunderland, was nearly £120,000; being an increase of £8,000 over that of 1839. In 1839, the number of vessels was 836, with a measurement of 170,057 tons; at the close of 1840, the number was 927 vessels, measuring 190,122 tons; showing an increase on the year, of 91 ships, and 20,072 tons. The tonnage of Sunderland at this period was exceeded by three ports only, namely, London, Newcastle, and Liverpool. Forty-nine vessels belonging to the port were lost during this year.-Ibid.

1841 (Jan. 1).-A shoemaker of Hexham, named Robert Atkinson, about 50 years of age, who was much addicted to drinking, began the year by "getting on the fuddle," and indulged in drinking till Tuesday morning, when, after calling up a publican, and request