1795-03-16 | b. Bishopwearmouth, Durham | TNA: RG 6/404, /627; George Richardson (1850) The Annals of the Cleveland Richardsons. Newcastle-upon-Tyne, privately printed; censuses |
1821-09-27 | grocer, of Sunderland; m. Sarah Dixon (1795–1860, d. of George and Rachel Dixon), at Staindrop, Durham | TNA: RG 6/203, /527; Edward H. Milligan (2007) Biographical Dictionary of British Quakers in Commerce and Industry 1775–1920. York: Sessions Book Trust |
At the Friends' meeting-house, Staindrop, yesterday se'nnight, Mr John Richardson, grocer, Sunderland, to Sarah, daughter of Mr George Dixon, coalowner, Cockfield. |
Durham County Advertiser, 1821-10-06 | |
Children: | Rachel (1822–1915), John Wilson (1824 – after 1861), Hannah (1827–1910) | censuses; GRO index; Annual Monitor |
1828-01-19 | grocer, of Sunderland; a vendor of Webster & Co.'s Durham Mustard | Durham County Advertiser, 1828-01-19 |
1834-09-05 | grocer, of Sunderland; assignment to trustees for the equal benefit of creditors | Perry's Bankrupt Gazette, 1834-09-06 |
1837-11-03 | had subscribed £5 to the Newcastle upon Tyne, Edinburgh, and Glasgow Railway | Newcastle Courant |
1841 | grocer j., of Brunswick St, Stockton, Durham, living with his family, father-in-law, and one female servant | TNA: HO 107/317/23 f23 p15 |
1851 | grocer and tea dealer of [194] High St, Bishopwearmouth, Durham, living with his family | HO 107/2396 f331 p67 |
1861-02 | d. Staindrop, Durham | Annual Monitor; Paul M. Street gedcom |
1796-03-14 | b. Bishopwearmouth, Durham | TNA: RG 6/404, /627; censuses; Annual Monitor; George Richardson (1850) The Annals of the Cleveland Richardsons. Newcastle-upon-Tyne, privately printed; Edward H. Milligan (2007) Biographical Dictionary of British Quakers in Commerce and Industry 1775–1920. York: Sessions Book Trust |
1824-11-09/1826-11-29 | notices from the broker to the Neptune insurance syndicate to Caleb Richardson of losses sustained, with receipts for the payment by Caleb Richardson of his share of the underwriting losses | notices at Durham Record Office, D/X 776/74-106 |
1827-04-26 | miller, of Bishopwearmouth; m. Mary Driver (1800–1890, of Leeds, d. John and Mary Driver), at Leeds | TNA: RG 6/786, /861; Annual Monitor; Milligan (2007) |
On Thursday, the 26th ult., at the Friends' Meeting-house, Leeds, Caleb Richardson, of Bishopwearmouth, to Mary, only daughter of the late J. Driver, of Leeds. |
Yorkshire Gazette, 1827-05-05 | |
1827 | corn miller, of Olive lodge, Ryhope lane, Bishop Wearmouth | History, Directory & Gazetteer of Durham and Northumberland |
1827-12-18 | of Olive Lodge, Bishopwearmouth | letter from wife, in Durham Record Office, D/X 776/66 |
Children: | John Winn (1828–1901), Joseph (1830–1902), Sophia (1831–1866), Mary Frances (1833–1848), Edwin (1834–1902), Frederick (1837–1883), Hannah Wilson (1839–1860), Stansfield (1840–1917), Emily (1845–1893) | digest of Durham Quaker births: index; Annual Monitor; censuses; Old York Scholars' Association (1971) Bootham School Register. London: Oyez Press; Milligan (2007); GRO index |
1828 | gent., of Ryhope la. | Pigot's Directory |
1828-04-09 | miller, of Bishopwearmouth | digest of Durham Quaker births: index |
1830-01-15 | miller, of Bishopwearmouth | |
1830-02-14 | of Olive Lodge, Bishopwearmouth | letter from brother, in Durham Record Office, D/X 776/67 |
1830-03-12 | miller, of Bishopwearmouth | surrender, at Durham Record Office, SF/Su 90 |
1831-08-16 | miller, of Olive Lodge, Bishopwearmouth | digest of Durham Quaker births: index |
1833-01-07 |
On Monday night, a daring burglary was commited at Olive Lodge, Bishopwearmouth, occupied by Mr. Caleb Richardson, one of the Society of Friends. As no force appears to have been used in effecting an entrance, it is supposed the thieves had secreted themselves in the premises during the early part of the evening. A considerable quantity of plate, and a writing-desk containing eight sovereigns were stolen. The desk was left in an adjoining unfinished house; but no trace of the thieves has as yet been discovered. The value of the property stolen is supposed to amount to about £75. |
Newcastle Journal, 1833-01-12 |
1833-01-23 | miller, of Bishopwearmouth | digest of Durham Quaker births: index |
1833 | of Olive-street, Bishopwearmouth; voted for Sir William Chaytor and David Barclay in the parliamentary election | poll book |
1834-08-29 | miller, of West Lodge, Bishopwearmouth | digest of Durham Quaker births: index |
1836-12-13 | elected a guardian of the poor for Bishopwearmouth | Newcastle Courant, 1836-12-17 |
1837-02-22 | miller, of West Lodge, Bishopwearmouth | digest of Durham Quaker births: index |
1837-07-26 | of Tunstall-lane and Low-row, Bishopwearmouth; voted for David Barclay and Andrew White in the Sunderland borough election | poll book |
by 1837-10-25 | subscribed £5 for the general survey and preliminary expenses of the Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Edinburgh, and Glasgow Railway | Newcastle Journal, 1837-10-28 |
1839-01-07 |
in a severe gale: A chimney about 120 feet high, belonging to the steam-mill of Messrs. Caleb and William Richardson, millers, in Bishopwearmouth, was blown down, which broke in the roof and gable end of the building; part of it fell into an adjoining tanyard belonging to the same proprietors, and killed two of the workmen on the spot, namely, Thos. Robson and Lancelot Moore; another of the workmen had one of his legs broken, and a boy was severely injured. |
London Evening Standard, 1839-01-10 |
1840-11-27 | miller, of Sunderland; one of the petitioning creditors in the bankruptcy of John Bentham, of Sunderland | Liverpool Mercury, 1840-12-04, citing the London Gazette |
1841-02-11 | letter from Caleb Richardson, Bishopwearmouth to his father John Richardson at Croydon concerning business and family matters, illness | letter at Durham Record Office, D/X 776/44 |
1841 | miller, of Lodge, Tunstal lane, Bishopwearmouth, living with his family and four female servants | TNA: HO 107/309/8 f36 p12 |
1841-09-16 | of Tunstall-lane, Bishopwearmouth; polled for Viscount Howick in the parliamentary election | poll book |
1843-06-29 | flour merchant, of Bishopwearmouth | conveyance, at Durham Record Office, SF/Su/100 |
1845-03-20 | of West Lodge, Bishopwearmouth | letter from son, at Durham Record Office, D/X 776/134 |
1845-10-17 | on the provisional committee of the Sunderland Dock, on the south side of the river Wear | Newcastle Courant, 1845-10-17 |
1845-11-30 | with his brother William, attended the funeral of five men killed in an explosion at Bishopwearmouth | Newcastle Journal, 1845-12-06 |
1846-09-18 | on the platform at the Anti-Slavery Meeting at the Athenæum in Sunderland, addressed by Frederick Douglass | Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury, 1846-09-26 |
1847-04-01 | chaired the annual meeting of ratepayers, held in Bishopwearmouth Vestry Room; elected a member of the Highway Board for the ensuing year, with 36 votes | Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury, 1847-04-03 |
1848-02-05 | of West Lodge, Bishopwearmouth, at the date of the death of his daughter Mary Frances at the Friends' school, Birkhamstead | Leeds Times, 1848-02-12 |
1848-05-29 | at an inquest into the death of a woman and her
two children, in flooding at Bishopwearmouth: Caleb Richardson, Esq., was unanimously appointed by the jury to wait on the highway board to suggest the propriety of having larger grates for the sewerage, to ensure the more effectual discharge of the surface water. |
Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury, 1848-06-03 |
1849-04-14 | has been elected a member of the Sunderland Board of Guardians, for Bishop-Wearmouth | Newcastle Journal |
1850 | of West lodge, Bishopwearmouth; of Caleb & Wm Richardson, millers and tanners at Bishopwearmouth | Ward's Northumberland & Durham Directory |
1850-04-20 | has been re-elected a member of the Sunderland Board of Guardians; headed the poll at Bishopwearmouth, with 587 votes | Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury |
1851 | corn miller (17 men) tanner (9 men) iron master and farmer (2 men), of West Lodge, Bishopwearmouth, living with his family and three house servants | HO 107/2396 f507 p32 |
corn miller and tanner, of West lodge | Hagar & Co.'s Directory of the County of Durham | |
1851-10-20 | of Bishopwearmouth; charged with non-payment of church rates of 7s. 6d.; C. & W. Richardson similarly charged for £2 10s. 3d. | Durham Chronicle, 1851-10-31 |
1852-03-12 | an assessor for Sunderland, from St Michael's Ward | Newcastle Courant |
1852-08-18 | had a farm near Bishopwearmouth | North & South Shields Gazette and Northumberland and Durham Advertiser, 1852-08-27 |
1853 | of Tunstall Lane, Bishopwearmouth, qualified to vote by virtue of his freehold house in Durham lane | electoral register |
1853-04-05 | headed the poll for election as a guardian for Bishopwearmouth, with 972 votes | Durham Chronicle, 1853-04-15 |
1854-01-02 | member of the Grand Jury for the Durham County Sessions | Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury, 1854-01-07 |
1855-09-05 | of West Lodge, Bishopwearmouth | Newcastle Journal, 1855-09-08 |
1856-12-18 | of Bishop-Wearmouth at the daughter of the marriage of his son Joseph at Stockton | Newcastle Journal, 1856-12-20 |
1857 | partner in the Derwent Iron Company | Newcastle Journal, 1858-01-23 |
1858 | of West lodge, Tunstall road, Bishopwearmouth | Post Office Directory of Northumberland & Durham |
1860 | took over Clark's Tannery in Bishopwearmouth, and established a steam-powered flour-mill on the site | Tyne & Wear Sitelines |
1861 | retired corn miller, of West Lodge, Tunstall Road, Bishopwearmouth, living with his family, two grandsons, a domestic servant cook, a house maid, and a kitchen maid | TNA: RG 9/3772 f56 p14 |
1868 | of Bishopwearmouth; apparently eligible to vote in Leeds | poll book |
1871 | retired miller and farmer, of West Lodge, Bishopwearmouth, living with son and one domestic servant | RG 10/5006 f23 p39 |
1875-04-24 | of Bishopwearmouth; d. | Annual Monitor |
1875-04-29 |
THE LATE MR CALEB RICHARDSON The funeral of the late Mr Caleb Richardson took place at the Bishopwearmouth Cemetery yesterday. In Mr Richardson's removal, Sunderland has lost one of its oldest inhabitants. Born in the last century, he has outlived nearly all his early friends and associates. With his father, Mr John Richardson, he established, in 1814, the Bishopwearmouth Steam Mill, now carried on by three of his sons, Edwin, Frederick, and Stansfield. For upwards of 20 years, under the old and new law, Mr Richardson was a Guardian of the Poor for Sunderland Union, and took a leading part in connection with the construction of the present Workhouse. Whilst always studying the interest of the ratepayers, he was kind and [honest?] to the deserving poor. Mr Richardson was also for a number of years a member of the Highway Board. The deceased did not take a very active part in politics, but was always found consistently supporting the Liberal cause both in the borough and county. |
Shields Daily Gazette, 1875-04-30 |
carte de visite reproduced with permission of the Religious Society of Friends in Britain |
1798-01-13 | b. Bishop Wearmouth, Durham | TNA: RG 6/404, /627 |
1822-02-21 | m. John Gilbert Holmes (1798–1864, ship owner, of Bishop Wearmouth), at Sunderland | George Richardson (1850) The Annals of the Cleveland Richardsons. Newcastle-upon-Tyne, privately printed; TNA: RG 6/1151; RG 9/1061 f60 p44; GENUKI; Judkins et al |
Children: | Hannah (1823–1830), John Richardson (1824–1846), Eleanor (1826–1859), Robert Pattison (1827 – ?), Henry (1829–1913), Benjamin (1830–1909) | Annual Monitor; RG 6/228, /404, /775, /778, /1149; digest of Durham Quaker births: index; censuses; GRO index; Judkins et al |
1830-12-31 | d. | TNA: RG 6/228, /1151 |
1830-12-30 | "At Bishopwearmouth, on the 30th ult. aged 30, Mrs. Holmes, wife of Mr. John G. Holmes, wharfinger, Sunderland." | Newcastle Chronicle, 1831-01-08 |
1831-01-02 | bur. Nile St fbg, Bishop Wearmouth, Durham | RG 6/228, /1151 |
1799-02-10 | b. Bishopwearmouth, Durham | TNA: RG 6/404, /627; censuses |
1810/1813 | of Sunderland; at Ackworth School | Ackworth School Centenary Committee (1879) List of the Boys and Girls admitted into Ackworth School 1779–1879). Ackworth |
c. 1823/1825 | paying "attention to subjects connected with civil engineering" | Michael R. Bailey, ed. (2003) Robert Stephenson – The Eminent Engineer. Aldershot: Ashgate |
c. 1825 | apprenticed to George Stephenson & Son, in Newcastle | Michael R. Bailey, ed. (2003) Robert Stephenson – The Eminent Engineer. Aldershot: Ashgate |
one of two men appointed by Robert Stephenson to help him with surveying and levelling work, and preparation of plans | Michael R. Bailey, ed. (2003) Robert Stephenson – The Eminent Engineer. Aldershot: Ashgate | |
1826-10-11 | of Olive Lodge, Bishopwearmouth; wrote to Mary Driver, on her betrothal to his brother | letter, in Durham Record Office, D/X 776/181-182 |
1828-05 | replaced John Dixon as contracting engineer on the Canterbury Railway | information from Stephen Williamson |
1828-10-21 |
To prevent any misapprehension from a paragraph in our last paper as to the progress of the Canterbury and Whitstable railway having been stopped, we think it but just to our worthy townsman, Mr Joshua Richardson, under whose superintendence it is, to state that the cause of this great undertaking having been suspended is a dispute between the directors and the lessee. |
Tyne Mercury; Northumberland and Durham and Cumberland Gazette |
1829-03 | gave evidence before a House of Commons Committee, on the proposed Newcastle and Carlisle Railway; had undertaken a part of the survey of the proposed route; according to his evidence the line of that railway was subject to floods: those of 1815 and 1828 would have flooded 20 and 10 miles of line respectively | Michael R. Bailey, ed. (2003) Robert Stephenson – The Eminent Engineer. Aldershot: Ashgate; information from Stephen Williamson |
1830-02-14 | wrote to his brother Caleb, from Canterbury; hopeful of succeeding to the post of engineer to the River Wear Commissioners, at Sunderland | letter to brother, in Durham Record Office, D/X 776/67 |
1830-05-03 | made a speech at the opening of the Canterbury Railway | information from Stephen Williamson |
1830-07-09/1831-04 | assistant resident engineer of the Leicester and Swannington Colliery Railway, for which Robert Stephenson was contracting engineer | |
1830-09-15 | flagman on the Comet, one of the eight locomotives at the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway | |
1830-11-13 | resident engineer for the construction of the proposed tunnel for the Leicester and Swannington Railway | Leicester Chronicle, 1830-11-13 |
though his experience was limited to the
Canterbury line, had been appointed as resident assistant to Robert
Stephenson Stephenson therefore needed to monitor both Richardson's work and that of the six contractors, none of whom was experienced with this type of work. A series of regrettable events brought sharply home to him the pitfalls of delegation and dealing with contractors. |
Michael R. Bailey, ed. (2003) Robert Stephenson – The Eminent Engineer. Aldershot: Ashgate | |
1831-01-22 | had just published his Observations on the Newcastle and North Shields Rail-Way | Newcastle Courant, 1831-01-22 |
1831-02 |
In February 1831, Stephenson was appalled to receive a letter of complaint about Richardson, from the railway's chairman, alleging 'a material variation in the measurement [of spoil] from the quantities stated by Mr. Joshua Richardson' in at least one location. After assessing the situation, Stephenson had no hesitation in dismissing his resident engineer and 'offered to send another competent Assistant Engineer in place of Mr Joshua Richardson' . . . . |
Michael R. Bailey, ed. (2003) Robert Stephenson – The Eminent Engineer. Aldershot: Ashgate |
from 1831-08 | manager of the Canterbury and Whitstable line for a year | information from Stephen Williamson |
1831-09-27 | appointed as engineer to the North Shields line, on a salary of £200 p.a., but opposition from the Newcastle and Carlisle Company prevented subscribers coming forward | |
1831-11-12 |
"Mr Joshua Richardson, the engineer, has been here from Canterbury, and attended meetings of the directors [of the Newcastle and Carlisle Rail-Way], held on Tuesday and Saturday last." |
Newcastle Courant, 1831-11-12 |
1831-11-30 | Friar's Goose to Gateshead and Blaydon Railway (with enlarged plan of Gateshead) by Joshua Richardson | plan in Durham Record Office, Q/D/P/44 |
1832-02 | ordered a third stationary engine for the Whitstable company, from Robert Stephenson & Co. | information from Stephen Williamson |
1832 | engineer and manager, of St Stephen's Rd | information from Stephen Williamson, citing Pigot |
1832-03-22 | engineer to the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway Company, which had just completed Whitstable harbour | Durham County Advertiser |
1832-09 | contract with the Whitstable company not renewed, probably owing to the railway's financial difficulties | information from Stephen Williamson |
1833-06-20 |
JOSHUA RICHARDSON, CIVIL ENGINEER, Newcastle-upon-Tyne has at present a vacancy for a Pupil. A Premium will be required. Apply as above if by Letter, post paid. Royal Arcade, Newcastle on-Tyne, 6th month 20th, 1833 |
Yorkshire Gazette, 1833-06-29 |
1833-09-25 | civil engineer, preparing a report on the proposal for a railway connecting Newcastle and Tynemouth | Newcastle Journal, 1833-09-28 |
1833-10-10 |
IMPORTANT IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS.—We have just been favoured with a sight of a model of a new chair or pedestal for securing iron rails to the blocks or sleepers, invented by Messrs Joshua Richardson and W.E. Gillespie, Civil Engineers of this town, which we think is likely, from its great merit, soon to come into general use, and to effect a most important improvement in the economy and durability of public railways. The present mode of fastening the rails to the chairs in a direction parallel to the rails is apt to cause the keys, by the motion of the waggons, to become loose, and thus occasions a very great yearly expenditure. The method now proposed by Messrs Richardson and Gillespie effectually secures the fastening of the rails to the chairs; and the motion of the waggons, so far from loosening the keys, has a direct tendency to tighten them. The inventors, who intend shortly to take out a patent, have, we are happy to hear, entered a caveat so as to prevent their discovery from being pirated.—Tyne Mercury |
Caledonian Mercury, 1833-10-10 |
1833-11-21 |
Newcastle upon Tyne 11 Month 21 1833 To the Committee of the York Retreat I wrote to you (under cover to Thomas Allis) on the 14th ult. soliciting a Copy of the Medical Certificate on the authority of which my Father was placed under restraint as a person of insane mind – wishing also to know at whose request the medical visit was paid and by whose authority he was placed under your care? – Not having received an answer to this application I again respectfully solicit from you the information I requested and am respectfully Joshua Richardson |
The Retreat Archive, RET/1/5/1/38/11/8, Correspondence |
1833-11-29 | Newcastle Subscription Water Co. Works in Newcastle and Gateshead, by Joshua Richardson, engineer, and W.E. Gillespie, surveyor—plans of pipelines | plans in Durham Record Office, Q/D/P/51; plans in Northumberland Record Office, QRUP/27 |
1833 | directed the survey of the Newcastle to North Shields Railway and Tynemouth | plan in Northumberland Record Office, QRUP/28 |
1833-12-28 |
ON SALE, FOUR HARTLEPOOL DOCK AND RAILWAY SHARES. Apply to Joshua Richardson, Civil Engineer, Royal-Arcade. |
Newcastle Journal, 1833-12-28 |
before 1851 (presumably before 1834) | m. Hannah Burt (1801–1888, d. of Thomas and Isabella Burt, of Newcastle) | TNA: HO 107; digest of Durham Quaker births: index; Annual Monitor; George Richardson (1850) The Annals of the Cleveland Richardsons. Newcastle-upon-Tyne, privately printed |
1834-01-06 | had had a servant named Henry McDuff, who had died on the turnpike road, from intoxication and subsequent exposure to cold and wet | Newcastle Courant, 1834-01-11 |
1834-01-28 | elected a member of the Institute of Civil Engineers | Civil Engineer List |
1834-05-03 |
In the Press, and will speedily by Published, a SECOND EDITION OF OBSERVATIONS ON THE PROPOSED RAILWAY FROM NEWCASTLE TO NORTH SHIELDS, By JOSHUA RICHARDSON, Civil Engineer, Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, &c. |
Newcastle Journal, 1834-05-03; see also Newcastle Courant, 1835-09-12 |
1834-05-21 | the Corporation commissioned him to survey the Tyne between Newcastle and Shields, to consider improvements and the state and prospects of the river | Newcastle Journal, 1834-05-24 |
1834-10-11 | his pamphlet on 'Observations' warmly reviewed; "we sincerely recommend it to the consideration of our readers" | Newcastle Journal, 1834-10-11 |
Children: | Hannah Isabella (1833–1898), Mary Eliza (1835–1929), Charlotte (1837–1909), John Joshua (1840–1851), Esther Maria (1842–1917) | censuses; GRO index; Annual Monitor; information from Stephen Williamson |
1836-02-06 |
THE RIVER TYNE. In the Press, and speedily will be Published, THE SUBSTANCE of a REPORT, addressed to the Joint Committee of the Corporation and Chamber of Commerce of Newcastle, on the best PRACTICAL MEANS of IMPROVING the NAVIGATION of the RIVER TYNE. With an APPENDIX, containing an account of a personal examination of the RIVER CLYDE, in 1835, and the successful Plans which have been adopted for its Improvement. By JOSHUA RICHARDSON, C.E. Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, London. |
Newcastle Journal, 1836-02-06 |
1836/1838 | employed surveying alternative routes from Newcastle to Edinburgh—an inland one via Gala and Carter Fell and a coastal one via Berwick and Dunbar | information from Stephen Williamson |
1836-06-18 | has given his first report to the provisional committee for the Tyne, Edinburgh, and Glasgow Railway | Newcastle Journal, 1836-06-18 |
1836-07-23 | a long letter from JR published, on the Newcastle and Edinburgh Railways | Newcastle Journal, 1836-07-23 |
1836-11-15 | wrote a letter, from Edinburgh, on the Newcastle-on-Tyne, Edinburgh, and Glasgow Railway | Newcastle Journal, 1836-11-19 |
1837-02-11 | "has received instructions from the Committee to survey the Line" | Newcastle Journal, 1837-02-11 |
1837 | published An Account of the Public Meetings holden in the several Towns in Scotland through or near which The Railway from Newcastle to Edinburgh & Glasgow is proposed to go, with the Resolutions passed at the Meetings, together with the General Report on the Line, by Joshua Richardson, Esq., M.I.C.E.L., with a coloured map of the Railway, engraved by Collard | Joseph Smith (1893) Supplement to a Descriptive Catalogue of Friends' Books |
1837-06-17 | in the Press: Also, the SECOND GENERAL REPORT on the NEWCASTLE, EDINBURGH, and GLASGOW RAILWAY, by JOSHUA RICHARDSON, Civil Engineer, Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, London; Honorary and Corresponding Associate of the Glasgow and Clydesdale Statistical Society, &c. &c. |
Newcastle Journal, 1837-06-17 |
1837 | published Second General Report of the Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Edinburgh, and Glasgow Railway. Addressed to the Provisional Committee. By Joshua Richardson | Smith (1893) |
1837-07-28 | appointed engineer to the Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Edinburgh, and Glasgow Railway | Newcastle Journal, 1837-07-29 |
a few days before 1837-10-07 | had been presented with the freedom of the borough of Hamilton | Newcastle Journal, 1837-10-07 |
1837-10-30 | enrolled as an honorary member of the convenery of Kelso | Preston Chronicle, 1837-11-25 |
1838-10-19 |
THE COURT FOR RELIEF OF INSOLVENT DEBTORS. [ . . . ] THE Matters of the Petitions and Schedules of the Prisoners hereinafter named, (the same having been filed in the Court) are appointed to be heard as follows:—At the Court House at the Town of Newcastle upon Tyne, in the County of the same Town, on the 9th Day of November, 1838, at the Hour of 12 at Noon precisely. JOSHUA RICHARDSON, formerly of Newcastle upon Tyne, Grocer, afterwards of the following Place, namely:—Newcastle upon Tyne; Condercum Villa, in the Township of Benwell, Northumberland; Bird Hill, in the parish of Whickham, Duham; Whitelee, in the Parish of Elsdon, Northumberland; Camphouse, near Jedburgh; Kelso and Merose, in the County of Roxburgh; Edinburgh; Peebles, in the County of Peebles; and Lanark Hamilton and Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, Civil Engineer, and late of Claremont Place, Gateshead, in the County of Durham, Civil Engineer. |
Newcastle Courant, 1838-10-19 |
1838-11-09 | released from the town gaol | Newcastle Journal, 1838-11-17 |
1839-02-08 | of 50, Lowther Street, Carlisle; wrote long letter to the Carlisle Journal | Carlisle Journal, 1839-02-16 |
1839-09-28 | "The Directors of the London and Croydon Railway have conferred the appointment of Principal Engineer of that Line upon our able and experienced townsman, Joshua Richardson, Esq. who has already entered upon the duties of his important office at Croydon." | Newcastle Journal, 3819-09-28 |
1841 | engineer, of High Street, Croydon, Surrey, living with his family, father, and two female servants | HO 107/1078/5 f18 p30 |
1841/1850 | civil engineer; kept a journal, now at West Glamorgan Archive Service—GB/NNAF/C104948 | Neath MS Collection 3, GB/NNAF/C104948 |
surveyor for the Neath & Merthyr Railway (later leased to the GWR) consulting engineer to Lord Craven's coalfields in Shropshire and Warwickshire; consulting engineer to the Neath Abbey Coal Company | information from Stephen Williamson | |
1842-10-05 | letter from Joshua Richardson, Croydon to his brother Caleb, Bishopwearmouth discussing his failure to obtain a government appointment, visit to London to see Brunel, great competition for engineering posts on the railways, thoughts of emigrating to Upper Canada due to poor prospects in England etc. | letter at Durham Record Office, D/X 776/68 |
1846-03-16 | read a paper 'On the Ventilation of Mines', to the Institution of Civil Engineers | Morning Post, 1847-03-25 |
1847-12-04 | "The institution of civil engineers has awarded the Telford Medal in silver, as well as the Council's premium of books, value five guineas, to Mr. Joshua Richardson, of Neath, formerly of this town, for his paper on the ventilation of mines, which was read at a meeting of the institution in March last." | Newcastle Journal, 1847-12-04 |
1848-04-10 | civil engineer in Neath; gave evidence to the inquiry into the recent colliery explosion near Neath, having inspected the colliery the previous Thursday | Cardiff and Merthyr Guardian, Glamorgan, Monmouth, and Brecon Gazette, 1848-04-22 |
1849-01-17 | review of his newly published On the Prevention of Accidents in Mines | Blackburn Standard, 1849-01-17 |
1849-02-20 | read paper to the Institution of Civil Engineers, on 'On the explosion of fire-damp which occurred in the Eaglesbush or Eskyn Colliery, Neath, South Wales, on the 29th of March, 1848' | Bristol Mercury, 1849-02-17; Morning Post, 1849-02-23 |
1849-12-08 | "The Institution of Civil Engineers has awarded to Joshua Richardson, C.E., of Neath, the council's premium of books, value ten guineas, for his paper on the "Coal field and collieries of South Wales." | Bristol Mercury, 1849-12-08 |
1850-05-26 | petitioned the Court of Chancery for the winding up of the Sea, Fire, Life Assurance Company, "an audacious swindling concern" | Bury and Norwich Post, 1850-05-22; Morning Post, 1850-07-01 |
1851 | civil engineer, of 15 Queen Street, Neath, Glamorgan, Wales, living with his family and one house servant | HO 107/2463 f266 p4 |
1853-02-01 | read paper to the Institution of Civil Engineers, 'On the Pneumatics of Mines' | Morning Post, 1853-01-28; Morning Chronicle, 1853-02-03 |
1853-11-04 | given a Council premium of books, suitably bound and inscribed, for this paper | London Daily News, 1853-11-04 |
1854-09-06 | had given evidence in an arbitration at
Carnarvon, as described by the plaintiff: There was some ore raised at the mine, but unweighed and undelivered. To ascertain the quantity, I, along with another engineer, took the specific gravity, and found a cubic yard to contain 2¾ tons, to which I swore. It being desirable to Mr. Fothergill to reduce this amount, this, with other similar duties, was undertaken by Mr. Edmund Wood, of Chepstow, contractor and valuer, and Mr. Joshua Richardson, of Neath, mining engineer, of whom the latter had, as he stated, with a pleasant smile, been in the habit of taking specific gravities for twenty years. |
Star of Gwent, 1854-09-09 |
1856 | engineer, C.E., of Queen street, Neath | Pearse's Swansea Directory |
1858-03-20 | C.E. and F.G.S., Neath | Gloucestershire Chronicle |
1859-05-28 | chaired a working men's meeting at Neath Town Hall, on the subject of temperance | Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, 1859-06-01 |
1860/1864 | member of the Institute of Civil Engineers, of Neath, South Wales | Civil Engineer List |
1861 | civil engineer, of 14 Queen Street, Neath, living with his family and one house servant | RG 9/4086 f71 p8 |
1862-06-18 | of Neath; one of the witnesses for the plaintiffs in Pearsons v. South Staffordshire Railway Company, at Wolverhampton | Birmingham Daily Post, 1862-06-27 |
1863-06-18 | of Neath | London Evening Standard |
1864-08-18 | subscriptions invited for the Aberaman Ironworks Company, the property of which had been surveyed by JR | Morning Post, 1864-08-18 |
1866 | F.G.S., civil engineer, of Queen street, Neath | Harrod & Co.'s Post Office Directory of Glamorganshire |
1867-09-10 | had subscribed 10s. to the testimonial to the Rev. John Matthews, Zoar Chapel, Neath | Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, 1867-09-11 |
1868-11-28 | had estimated that it would take 10,000 years to exhaust the coal in South Wales | Merthyr Telegraph, and General Advertiser for the Iron Districts of South Wales |
1869-09-28 | present at a public meeting at Neath town hall, to discuss the proposed removal of the South Wales railway station at Neath; seconded the resolution, which was carried nem. con. | Western Mail, 1869-09-30 |
1871 | civil engineer, of 14 Queen Street, Neath, living with his family and one general servant domestic | RG 10/5431 f18 p3 |
1872-02-27 | had produced a long report preparatory to the launch of the Welsh Freehold Coal and Iron Company | Morning Post |
1873-05-14 | of the Neath Min. Inst. | Belfast News-Letter, 1873-05-14 |
1873-12-17 | "the eminent colliery engineer" | Morning Post, 1873-12-17 |
1874/1876 | member of the Institute of Civil Engineers, of Neath, South Wales | Civil Engineer List |
1875/6 | civil & mining engineer, M.INST.C.E., F.G.S., of 14 Queen St, Neath | Butcher & Co.'s Directory of Swansea, Neath |
1881 | civil engineer (retired), of 17 Queen Street, Neath, living with his family and one domestic servant | RG 11/5340 f72 p3 |
1886-03-22 | of Neath; d. Neath RD | Annual Monitor; GRO index |
JOSHUA RICHARDSON, one of the oldest Members of the Institution of Civil Engineers, was born at Bishop Wearmouth, in the county of Durham, on the 10th of February, 1799. He was descended from a family long noted in the north of England for upright conduct, sound judgment, and great decision of character. His father, John Richardson, in 1814, was one of the first men who introduced steam-power for the grinding of bark in his tanyard, and utilizing it as the motive-power in his flour-mills. The novelty of this adaptation created great interest in the district, and numerous visitors from a distance came to witness the successful application of this powerful accessory to science. Joshua Richardson received a sound education; his mental development was not rapid, but he was very persevering, and being of a reflective temperament, studious habits, and a hard reader, associating also with intelligent companions, he obtained much information in scientific knowledge, natural philosophy, and general literature, also in geology. He always traced his predilection to engineering to the delight he had as a boy watching day by day the progress of the erection of the high-level bridge at Sunderland, over the river Wear, at that time regarded as a marvel of engineering skill. He was trained in youth for mercantile pursuits, and it was not till early manhood that he resolved to pursue the profession of a civil engineer. He became an articled pupil of George and Robert Stephenson, about the time of the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, when the railway system was about being generally adopted in the country. He had the privilege of close intercourse with Robert Stephenson, to whom he was much attached, also of being introduced to some of the leading engineers at that time. He prized the opportunity afforded of becoming acquainted with practical engineering in the factory and drawing-offices of Robert Stephenson and Co., at Newcastle, and used to advert to the instruction gained there as being of service to him in his after career. He assisted in surveying several of the early railways, and had to give evidence on the levels of the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway before a Parliamentary Committee. His first appointment, as Resident Engineer, was under Robert Stephenson, on the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway and harbour. The gradients of the railway were such as to require a tunnel, and a steep incline was worked by means of a stationary engine and rope. This railway was the first in the south of England opened for general traffic. He took an active part in the arrangements, and its completion was the cause of great rejoicing in Canterbury and the vicinity. On the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, as belonging to the engineering staff, he was placed on one of the locomotives in the procession. In after-life he would dilate on the triumphant success of the enterprise-though sadly, clouded by the melancholy death of Mr. Huskisson, of which mournful event he was an eye-witness. He surveyed a line of railway from Newcastle to Shields, and was employed on some of the Midland railways. After completing his term of pupilage, he was appointed Engineer and Manager of the works of the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway. In 1832 he settled in the North. He was elected a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers on the 28th of January, 1834, and took great interest, when opportunity offered, in attending the meetings. He was appointed Engineer of the new Water Company in Newcastle, and prepared the Parliamentary plans and estimates for the waterworks, and superintended their construction. The Commissioners of the River Tyne and the Newcastle Corporation engaged him to survey and report on the deepening of the river. In 1836 he published his report 'On the best practical means of improving the navigation of the River Tyne, with an appendix on the River Clyde at Glasgow.' Previous to this, the second edition of his 'Observations on the proposed Railway from Newcastle-on-Tyne to North Shields' was issued. For several years his time was devoted to the promotion and preliminary surveys and plans of railways in the North of England and Scotland, also in colliery practice. Desirous for the improvement of the colliers and others resident. in the North Durham district, with the aid of the late Mr. Hutt, M.P., and some local gentlemen, he took an active part in establishing the Literary and Mechanical Institution in Burnopfield, of which he became Vice-President. The Newcastle Corporation awarded him a premium for the original plan of the steam-boat jetty erected on the River Tyne, the principle of which was afterwards adopted in several other seaports. On the completion of the London and Croydon Railway in 1839, he was elected Engineer of the Company and Manager of the working details of the line. Subsequently he removed into Wales, on his appointment as Engineer and Managing Director of extensive collieries and railways in Glamorganshire. He was also engaged to select, and to survey, the line of the Vale of Neath and Merthyr Railway, and he prepared the necessary plans and estimates; the works were afterwards executed under the patronage of the Great Western Railway, to whom the line is now leased. He obtained the premium offered for the best plan of the Burnham Docks and Harbour in Somersetshire. He had considerable practice in reporting on the coal-fields, and the best mode of working the coal of North and South Wales, the Forest of Dean, and the West of England, and was engaged on slate quarries, lead, iron, and copper mines. He had professional employment in Belgium and in France, where he furnished a report 'On the extensive deposit of magnetic iron ore at Dielette, near Cherbourg, and the best mode of working and converting it, with estimates, plans, and sections. This report, was published in 1866. For a long series of years he was the Consulting Engineer of the late Lord Craven for his coal-fields in the Clee Hills, Shropshire, and at Coventry in Warwickshire. He acted in the same capacity for Sir William R. Clayton, Sir Charles Boughton, the Neath Abbey Coal Company, and many others. In the valuation of coal property and colliery plant he was often applied to as a trustworthy authority. In law, in arbitration, and in Chancery suits connected with engineering, he had much experience, and was frequently required to examine, report on, and give evidence in the public Courts. Of his publications, the work 'On the Prevention of Accidents in Mines' was a subject he had naturally considered, and felt convinced that if the sanitary measures practised in the best regulated collieries were legally enforced, they would tend to diminish suffering and loss of life. The book was very favourably reviewed by the press. It had a wide circulation, and obtained the attention of several members of the Government. Lord Wharncliffe wrote to him respecting its object, and arranged for his giving evidence before a Committee of the House of Lords appointed to inquire into the subject of inspection of mines. After the Bill enforcing inspection was passed, Joshua Richardson had frequent intercourse on professional subjects with the newly-appointed inspectors, especially with his old experienced acquaintance, Mr. Matthias Dunn, of the Northern district, and with Mr. Herbert Mackworth, of South Wales, who always enjoyed conferring and consulting with him on topics affecting the safety of mining operations. He was extremely neat and methodical in the arrangement of his books, papers, plans, and correspondence ; noted for writing clear, explicit, and comprehensive reports, and often surprised those who consulted him by the correctness of his geological and engineering knowledge. He was the Author of four Papers communicated to the Institution; namely, 1. 'On the Ventilation of Mines,' read on the 23rd of March, 1847; 2. 'The Coal-field and the Coal of South Wales,' read on the 13th of February, 1849. At a time when the rapid exhaustion of the coal in Great Britain was occupying the public mind and creating alarm, this Paper attracted much attention, and was, by permission of the Council, re-published in the Bristol and Glamorgan Directory. 3. 'On the Explosion of Fire-damp which occurred in the Eaglebush, or Eskyn Colliery, near Neath, South Wales, on the 29th of March, 1848, read on the 20th of February, 1849.3 4. 'On the Pneumatics of Mines,' read on the 1st of February, 1853. For the first of these papers he received a Telford medal, and for the others premiums of books. He much valued the Minutes of Proceedings of the Institution, which were to him treasures of science, and each volume was duly read and the plans examined. He had the whole series from the beginning, neatly bound and arranged, and until late in life he would comment with enthusiasm on the amount of practical engineering they embodied. Desirous of spreading the advantages of the Institution, he frequently recommended young rising engineers to become candidates for admission, taking care that none but those who fulfilled the stipulated conditions should aspire to the honour. He was warmly interested in young men entering on active life, especially in those employed by him, watching over and advising them for good. He showed much tact in managing and organizing bodies of working men, maintaining his authority and yet gaining their respect and regard. For many years he was a contributor to the columns of the 'Mining Journal,' discussing the various topics engrossing the attention of engineers. In 1846 he was elected a Fellow of the Geological Society. He was a good walker, and occasionally accomplished 40 miles a day ; the exploring of rocks, examining the strata, collecting fossils and other specimens, were all sources of pure pleasure, as well as being serviceable in mining and engineering operations. He would often encourage his younger friends to pursue this branch of knowledge, so as to enhance the interest of their excursions and pedestrian tours. Not only as a man of science was Joshua Richardson active and energetic, but he was equally so in the cause of philanthropy. Kindness and tenderness of heart were his distinguishing characteristics, and he could not witness misery and suffering without desiring to relieve it ; as far as circumstances warranted, he was prompt to succour the distressed. He had not wealth to bestow, but he had the pen of a ready writer; was a good and fluent speaker, and could eloquently plead the claims of justice and humanity. Often solicited to take part on the platform in public matters, he was bold to speak according to his convictions, but was no blind partizan. Trained as a member of the Society of Friends, and sound in the faith of that Christian body, he maintained and advocated the doctrine of peace and good-will to all mankind, and he was local Secretary of the Peace Society. He took part as well in the Anti-Slavery cause. He was deeply imbued with the love of the Bible, and the sublime truths of the gospel, and for ten years he was Secretary of the Neath Auxiliary Bible Society. He united with others in forming a Benevolent Society in Neath for the relief of the deserving poor, and acted as secretary. He was eminently the friend of education, believing it to be the basis on which mainly depended the progress and elevation of the lower classes. The ignorance prevailing in some parts of Wales, especially amongst the colliers, deeply impressed him with the need of elementary schools. Encouraged and assisted by some of the best and most benevolent men in the district, and by their generous co-operation, he was instrumental in establishing 'Neath School Society,' of which the British School, with similar schools, were the results. He with others took a warm interest in the erection of commodious schools for boys, girls, and infants. For upwards of twenty years he acted as Government correspondent, manager, and honorary secretary, and was said to be 'the mainspring of the movement.' He was also Honorary Secretary to the school in connection with the Neath Abbey Ironworks. In 1872, at a numerous meeting at the Town Hall, Neath, he was presented by the friends of education, as a testimonial of their approval, with a silver tea- and coffee-service of elegant design, on which the following inscription was engraved: 'Presented to Joshua Richardson, M. Inst. C.E., F.G.S., in recognition of his services in the cause of unsectarian education in Neath, 1872.' Though of a retiring, unobtrusive disposition, he was cordial, courteous, and refined, with a well-stored mind full of resources, and he possessed good conversational powers. He was thoroughly domestic in his habits ; home was his delight, and his chief earthly happiness was in the bosom of his family. The one great sorrow of his life was the loss of his only son, of whom he could rarely speak in after-life without deep emotion. He died on the 22nd of March, 1886, at the age of eighty-seven. |
obituary in Proc. ICE, LXXXVI, 1885/6, pp. 358-63 |
1801-06-03 | b. Bishopwearmouth, Durham | TNA: RG 6/404; censuses; Annual Monitor; Edward H. Milligan (2007) Biographical Dictionary of British Quakers in Commerce and Industry 1775-1920. York: Sessions Book Trust |
1828-05-07 | tanner, of Bishopwearmouth; m. Eliza Brown (1803–1854, d. of William and Elizabeth Brown, of near Huntingdon), at Ives, Huntingdonshire | TNA: RG 6/18, /19; "England Marriages, 1538–1973", database, FamilySearch: 12 March 2020, William Richardson, 1828; Annual Monitor; censuses; George Richardson (1850) The Annals of the Cleveland Richardsons. Newcastle-upon-Tyne, privately printed |
Children: | William Henry (1829–1895), Alfred (1830–1848), Eliza Brown (1832–1903), Katharine (1834–1892), Charles Stansfield (1836–1879), Olivia (1838–1902), John George (1840–1894), Albert (1843–1864), Theodore (1846–1846) | Annual Monitor; censuses; GRO index; Old York Scholars' Association (1971) Bootham School Register. London: Oyez Press; Milligan (2007); original source for Theodore misplaced—not in Richardson (1850) |
1829-07-28 | tanner, of Bishopwearmouth; one of the trustees for the creditors of George Maw of Southwick | Newcastle Courant, 1829-08-01 |
1834-09-05 | miller and tanner, of Sunderland; one of the trustees for his brother John | Perry's Bankrupt Gazette, 1834-09-06 |
1835-11-14 | tanner; one of four men re-appointed Surveyors of the Highways for the township of Bishop-Wearmouth | Newcastle Journal, 1835-11-14 |
1839-01-07 |
in a severe gale: A chimney about 120 feet high, belonging to the steam-mill of Messrs. Caleb and William Richardson, millers, in Bishopwearmouth, was blown down, which broke in the roof and gable end of the building; part of it fell into an adjoining tanyard belonging to the same proprietors, and killed two of the workmen on the spot, namely, Thos. Robson and Lancelot Moore; another of the workmen had one of his legs broken, and a boy was severely injured. |
London Evening Standard, 1839-01-10 |
1841 | miller and tanner, of Low Row, Bishopwearmouth, living with his family and three female servants | TNA: HO 107/309/8 f31 p2 |
1841-07-24 | of Bishopwearmouth; one of the trustees of Thomas Adamson, of Bishopwearmouth | Newcastle Journal, 1841-09-11 |
1845-11-30 | with his brother Caleb, attended the funeral of five men killed in an explosion at Bishopwearmouth | Newcastle Journal, 1845-12-06 |
1846-02-26 | of Bishopwearmouth; member of the grand jury at the Durham Quarter Sessions | Newcastle Courant, 1846-02-27 |
1851 | corn miller and tanner, of 12 Green Terrace, Bishopwearmouth, living with his family, brother-in-law, two house servants, and a visitor | HO 107/2396 f514 p5 |
by 1855-12-29 | of Sunderland; had become an annual subscriber of £1 1s. to the Royal Victoria Asylum for the Blind | Gateshead Observer, 1855-12-29 |
1861 | tanner employing 18 men and 6 boys, of 15 Grange Crescent, Bishopwearmouth, living with his family, a cook, and a housemaid | RG 9/3772 f31 p17 |
1861-10-24 | gentleman | entry for son's marriage in parish register of St Saviour, Paddington |
1862-06-30 | a member of the grand inquisition at the Durham Midsummer Sessions | Newcastle Journal, 1862-07-01 |
1864-10-19 |
TO TANNERS AND OTHERS. TO BE SOLD OR LET, the BISHOPWEARMOUTH TANNERY, situated in Sunderland, consisting of One Hundred and Eighty Four Pits, with complete set of Pipes and Pumps, worked by Steam; Shades heated by Steam; Bark Houses; Warehouses; Boiler and Steam Engine; Bark Mills; Ripley's Patent Direct-Acting Boiler, &c., with Utensils, all in complete working order. The Tannery is well placed for supply of Bark, and Sale of Spent Bark. It is the only one in Sunderland, and thus has an advantage in the purchase of Market Hides.—Apply to W. RICHARDSON & SON, Tanners, Sunderland. |
Newcastle Daily Chronicle |
1866-10-31 | gentleman | entry for son's marriage in parish register of Sherston Magna |
1867-03-12 | "P.P.G.M. William Richardson", permanent secretary of the Bishopwearmouth district of the Rose of Houghton-le-Spring Lodge of Oddfellows | Durham County Advertiser, 1867-03-15 |
1871 | miller and tanner, retired, of 15 Grange Crescent, Bishopwearmouth, living with his daughter, companion, a cook domestic, and a housemaid | RG 10/5005 f68 p24 |
1879-08-22 | of Sunderland; d. 15 Grange-crescent, Bishopwearmouth | National Probate Calendar; Annual Monitor; GRO index |
1879-08-26 |
FUNERAL OF MR W. RICHARDSON, OF SUNDERLAND.—The remains of Mr William Richardson, of Grange-terrace, Sunderland, who died last Friday at the age of 78 years, were interred in the Friends' Burial Ground, Bishopwearmouth Cemetery, yesterday afternoon. A very large number of the members of the Society of Friends, of which deceased was one of the most respected members, were present. The Young Men's Christian Association of this town was also represented on the occasion by some of its members, Mr Richardson having till a short time ago been a member of the committee and an important supporter of the institution. Mr Frederick Taylor made some remarks at the grave, and a service was held in the chancel afterwards. Prior to 1857 Mr Richardson was a member of the firm of Messrs C. and W. Richardson, of the Bishopwearmouth Steam Flour Mills. He retired from the business at that time, and it has since been carried on by Messrs E. and F. Richardson. |
Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette, 1879-08-27 |
1880-01-14 | late of 15 Grange-crescent, Bishopwearmouth, gentleman; will proved at Durham by William Henry and John George Richardson, sons and executors; personal estate under £18,000 | National Probate Calendar |
carte de visite reproduced with permission of the Religious Society of Friends in Britain |
Children of John and Margaret Richardson | Richardson page | Family history home page | Website home page
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