South Shields - History

History

The first evidence of a settlement within what is now the town of South Shields dates from pre-historic times, Stone Age arrow heads and an Iron Age round house have been discovered on the site of the Arbeia Roman fort. The Romans built a fort here around AD 160, and expanded it around AD 208 to help supply their soldiers along Hadrian's Wall. Divisions living at the fort included Tigris bargemen (from Persia/modern day Iraq), Spanish/French soldiers, and Syrian archers/spearmen. The fort was abandoned as the Roman Empire declined in the 4th century AD, but was probably a royal residence of King Oswald of Northumbria, records show that his son Oswin was born within 'Caer Urfa,' by which name the fort is thought to be known after the Romans left. Many ruins still exist today, and some structures have been rebuilt as part of a modern museum.

In the 6th century, North East England was famed for its centre of religious enlightenment and education, with the holy isle of Lindisfarne, close to Bamburgh and important religious clergy: St Aidan, St Bede, St Cuthbert, St Hild (Hilda). This region was known as Bernicia with Bamburgh as its capital and later merging with Deira (Yorkshire) forming the powerful Kingdom of Northumbria.

In the 9th century Scandinavian peoples made Viking raids on the monasteries and towns all along the coast and later conquered the Saxon Kingdoms of Northumbria, Mercia and East Anglia. It is said in local folklore that a Viking ship was wrecked at Herdsands in its attempts to disembark at a cove nearby.

The current town was founded in 1245 and developed as a fishing port. The name South Shields developed from the 'Schele' or 'Shield' which was a small dwelling used by fishermen. Salt-panning expanded as an industry in the 15th century, polluting the air and surrounding land. In 1644 During the English Civil War, Parliament's Scottish Covenanter allies to aid their ongoing siege of Newcastle, captured the town (and its small fortification close to the site of the Roman fort but no longer standing) in a bid to control the mouth of the River Tyne and caused the Royalist force to flee south, leading to the Battle of Boldon Hill.

In the 19th century, coal mining, alkaline production and glass making led to a boom in the town. Population increased from 12,000 in 1801 to 75,000 by the 1860s (bolstered by economic migration from Ireland, Scotland and other parts of England. These industries played a part in creating wealth both regionally and nationally. In 1832, with the Great Reform Act, South Shields and Gateshead were given their own Member of Parliament and became boroughs, resulting in taxes being paid to the Government instead of the Bishops of Durham. The rapid growth in population brought on by the expansion of industry made sanitation a problem as evident by Cholera outbreaks and the building of the Cleadon water tower to combat the problem. In the 1850s 'The Tyne Improvement Commission' began to develop the river, dredging to make it deeper and building the large piers to help prevent silt build up of the channel. Shipbuilding previously (along with coal mining) a monopoly of the Freemen of Newcastle became another prominent industry in the town with John Redhead's Yard being the largest.

During World War I German Zeppelin airships bombed South Shields in 1915. Later during World War II the German Luftwaffe repeatedly attacked the town and caused massive damage to industry and killed many residents. Gradually throughout the 20th century, the coal and shipbuilding industries ceased, culminating in the policies of Margaret Thatcher, the Prime Minster during the 1980s. Unemployment is still a problem in South Shields. In the 21st century, most of the town's populace work in the cities of Sunderland and Newcastle upon Tyne in the public sector/service sector; with a small minority working in service industries/retail and the ever increasing role of tourism in the local economy.