Observations of the Rev John Skinner in 1801

Yesterday, I came across a book of diary entries by the Rev Skinner describing his walk along Hadrian's Wall in 1801.    I found the precursor to his walk very interesting. 

Firstly, he travelled from London to the Tyne on a "Newcastle Trader", which may have been something like a collier brig.   He left London on 19 August 1801, but took until 23 August to get to Southend, due to unfavourable winds & congestion on the Thames.   The summer weather was good, & winds light but favourable, and he landed at "Shields" on 28 August.   Only 9 days!   Sea travel was the norm between Thames & Tyne for most who needed to travel, and was common until well through the Victorian era.

Secondly he gives a description of colliers on the Tyne at Shields*, thus:   Some of the ships employed in the coal trade are also very large, that is from three to four hundred tons, but they compute their measurements here by keels which are lighters, each carrying eight pit chaldrons or sixteen London**.   Some of the largest colliers will carry twenty-five keels or four hundred London chaldrons; these are bought on the spot for about nine shillings each and sold in the Metropolis at above triple the sum, but when one considers the pay of the sailors who receive each five guineas, sometimes ten, the voyage, victualling the vessels, the wear of the cordage, the expenses attending loading and unloading and various other outgoings, their profits are not so considerable as they appear at first sight.   The vessels after having discharged their freight in the Thames, are obliged to take on ballast of dirt, mud, and sand which the boats belonging to Trinity House clear out of the shoal places on the river.   For this they pay a stated price.   On their return to Shields, this rubbish is discharged on each side of the Tyne, and has so much accumulated over the years, that large hills are formed nearly a hundred feet high and of great extent, towering above the houses.

* Skinner treats North & South Shields as being one town, rather like Sunderland on both banks of the Wear.

** Tyneside chaldrons were of a specific volume, equivalent to about 2.6 tons of coal; London chaldrons were half of this.   There were tax advantages in these differences, as well as greater profit.   Skinner is describing colliers as each carrying 300 - 500 tons of coal - so these sailing brigs would have been impressively large.