Heddon's history timeline 1600 to 1799
The Heddon history time-line is based on work by Pat Farnaby for his previous village web site.
1620 The Close House estate was sold by the Reades family to Robert Bewicke
1635 The mining rights in Heddon were reserved to Ralph Carr
1640 Stagecoaches were introduced
1640 The Scottish Army encamped on Heddon Law on 27th of August before the Battle of Newburn Ford. Link
1642 Start of the English Civil War
1644 The Scots army, which laid siege to Newcastle, stayed overnight at Heddon on their way to Corbridge, to confront the English cavalry. Link
1653 Oliver Cromwell became "Lord Protector of England"
1654 Francis Carr (son and heir of Ralph Carr) sold the mining rights of Heddon to Henry Widdrington of Black Heddon, who in turn sold them to Hon. Charles Howard (Carlisles) of Naworth Castle
1656 Parish records from this date onward are in the custody of the County Records Office.
1665 The Great Plague of London killed 100,000 people
1666 The Great Fire of London ended the plague
1678 The parish Church donated one pound, two shillings and eleven pence towards the building of St Paul's Cathedral.
1670s The price of a burial stall in the church was two shillings. An affidavit had to be sworn out that the shroud was made of wool to help the wool trade
1671 The first Parish books were kept, giving details of collections and Churchwardens up to 1903
1704 The bell of St Andrews Church was recast, at a cost of £4 10 0.
1706 Hoard of 15 gold and nearly 500 silver coins, the earliest AD 168, was found in the general area of the Giant's Grave at Rudchester. Link
1707 Scotland joined Britain in the "United Kingdom of Great Britain"
1716 East Heddon was sold to Alderman Matthew White of Newcastle and Blagdon
1717 Inclosure (award of Common Lands) divided the ownership of Heddon township between four people The Earl of Carlisle, Thomas Bigg, Julian Hindmarsh and the vicar of Heddon, the Rev James Carmichael, (and his successors). The vicar received the Glebe field (approx 13 acres)
1721 Robert Walpole became the first Prime Minister
1724 Earliest Gravestone to be now found in the churchyard of St Andrew's church.
1724 Census of the parish put the population at 175 families and 754 souls in the six townships, of the parish (East Heddon, West Heddon, Houghton, Close House, Whitchester and Eachwick)
1739 John and Charles Wesley started the Methodist religious revival
1745 Jacobite Rebellion led to General Wade ordering the construction of the Military Road
c1746
1748 The Wylam Waggon Way was constructed
1752 General Wade constructed the Military Road. During construction of the Military Road through Heddon on the Wall. Roman coins and medals, in a decayed wooden box, were found in the ruins of the old wall at Heddon. Some of the medals were in excellent condition, some were of silver, but most of copper. The more interesting were purchased by the Royal Society. The coins were from the reigns of Maximain and Constantine (A.D. 394), a period when the Roman Legions were withdrawing from Britain. Link
1754 A parish census carried out by the then vicar, Mr Armstrong showed that in Heddon village there were 175 families, with 754 people
1769 James Watt invented an efficient steam engine
1771 The river Tyne flooded. All the bridges in the Tyne Valley were destroyed except for the bridge at Corbridge. The Tyne Bridge in Newcastle was one of those swept away.
1775 American War of Independence began
1779 Close House Mansion was built for the private use of the Bewicke family
1781 George Stephenson was born in Street House (Stephenson's Cottage)
1784 A Heddon Colliery was the first in the coal trade to start using mechanical means of "screening" the coal to separate by size
1789 French Revolution began
1794-99 Newcastle to Maryport Canal schemes proposed (but never built)
1796 Heddon Square (Frenchman's Row) cottages were built
1796 The Sixth Earl of Carlisle sold his share of Heddon to Nathaniel Clayton for the sum of £15,750
1797-1804 Thomas Bewick's 'History of British Birds'
1799 Income Tax was first imposed in Britain at a rate of two shillings in the pound (10%) on incomes over £200 as a means of paying for the war against the French forces under Napoleon.
1635 The mining rights in Heddon were reserved to Ralph Carr
1640 Stagecoaches were introduced
1640 The Scottish Army encamped on Heddon Law on 27th of August before the Battle of Newburn Ford. Link
1642 Start of the English Civil War
1644 The Scots army, which laid siege to Newcastle, stayed overnight at Heddon on their way to Corbridge, to confront the English cavalry. Link
1653 Oliver Cromwell became "Lord Protector of England"
1654 Francis Carr (son and heir of Ralph Carr) sold the mining rights of Heddon to Henry Widdrington of Black Heddon, who in turn sold them to Hon. Charles Howard (Carlisles) of Naworth Castle
1656 Parish records from this date onward are in the custody of the County Records Office.
1665 The Great Plague of London killed 100,000 people
1666 The Great Fire of London ended the plague
1678 The parish Church donated one pound, two shillings and eleven pence towards the building of St Paul's Cathedral.
1670s The price of a burial stall in the church was two shillings. An affidavit had to be sworn out that the shroud was made of wool to help the wool trade
1671 The first Parish books were kept, giving details of collections and Churchwardens up to 1903
1704 The bell of St Andrews Church was recast, at a cost of £4 10 0.
1706 Hoard of 15 gold and nearly 500 silver coins, the earliest AD 168, was found in the general area of the Giant's Grave at Rudchester. Link
1707 Scotland joined Britain in the "United Kingdom of Great Britain"
1716 East Heddon was sold to Alderman Matthew White of Newcastle and Blagdon
1717 Inclosure (award of Common Lands) divided the ownership of Heddon township between four people The Earl of Carlisle, Thomas Bigg, Julian Hindmarsh and the vicar of Heddon, the Rev James Carmichael, (and his successors). The vicar received the Glebe field (approx 13 acres)
1721 Robert Walpole became the first Prime Minister
1724 Earliest Gravestone to be now found in the churchyard of St Andrew's church.
1724 Census of the parish put the population at 175 families and 754 souls in the six townships, of the parish (East Heddon, West Heddon, Houghton, Close House, Whitchester and Eachwick)
1739 John and Charles Wesley started the Methodist religious revival
1745 Jacobite Rebellion led to General Wade ordering the construction of the Military Road
c1746
1748 The Wylam Waggon Way was constructed
1752 General Wade constructed the Military Road. During construction of the Military Road through Heddon on the Wall. Roman coins and medals, in a decayed wooden box, were found in the ruins of the old wall at Heddon. Some of the medals were in excellent condition, some were of silver, but most of copper. The more interesting were purchased by the Royal Society. The coins were from the reigns of Maximain and Constantine (A.D. 394), a period when the Roman Legions were withdrawing from Britain. Link
1754 A parish census carried out by the then vicar, Mr Armstrong showed that in Heddon village there were 175 families, with 754 people
1769 James Watt invented an efficient steam engine
1771 The river Tyne flooded. All the bridges in the Tyne Valley were destroyed except for the bridge at Corbridge. The Tyne Bridge in Newcastle was one of those swept away.
1775 American War of Independence began
1779 Close House Mansion was built for the private use of the Bewicke family
1781 George Stephenson was born in Street House (Stephenson's Cottage)
1784 A Heddon Colliery was the first in the coal trade to start using mechanical means of "screening" the coal to separate by size
1789 French Revolution began
1794-99 Newcastle to Maryport Canal schemes proposed (but never built)
1796 Heddon Square (Frenchman's Row) cottages were built
1796 The Sixth Earl of Carlisle sold his share of Heddon to Nathaniel Clayton for the sum of £15,750
1797-1804 Thomas Bewick's 'History of British Birds'
1799 Income Tax was first imposed in Britain at a rate of two shillings in the pound (10%) on incomes over £200 as a means of paying for the war against the French forces under Napoleon.