History of Newcastle upon Tyne: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 19:29, 14 October 2006

Revision as of 19:33, 14 October 2006

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During the [[English Civil War]], Newcastle supported [[Charles I of England|King Charles]] and was stormed 'with roaring drummes' in [[1644]] by Cromwell's Scots allies, based in pro-Parliament [[Sunderland]], thus ensuring London's [[coal]] supplies. The grateful King bestowed his motto ''"Fortiter Defendit Triumphans"'' upon Newcastle. Ironically, Charles was imprisoned in Newcastle by the Scots in [[1646]]-[[1647|7]].

For a short time in the 17th century, Newcastle exported large quantities of [[urine]] down the coast to [[Ravenscar, North Yorkshire]], to be used in the production of [[alum]] (a [[dye]] [[Mordant|fixative]]) for the [[textile industry]].<ref>{{cite web|first=Adam |last=Hart-Davis|title=SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY|url=http://www2.exnet.com/1995/12/18/science/science.html|accessdate=2006-10-07}}</ref> The urine was collected from public [[urinal]]s or barrels in the city and it has been suggested that this may be the origin of the popular (though mildly offensive) English [[phrase]] [[take the piss|"taking the piss"]].

In the 18th century, Newcastle was the country's largest print centre after London, Oxford and Cambridge, and the [[Literary and Philosophical Society]] of 1793, with its erudite debates and large stock of books in several languages predated the [[London Library]] by half a century. Newcastle also became the greatest glass producer in the world.