Bill Quay, 1848

BILL-QUAY, a village, in the chapelry of Nether Heworth, parish of Jarrow, E. division of Chester ward, N. division of the county of Durham, 3 miles (E.) from Gateshead. This place, which has its name from being situated opposite to Bill Point, is a manufacturing district, running along the south margin of the river Tyne. The Arkendale and Derwent Mining Company have works here, where lead-ore is occasionally smelted, and where is a large mill for rolling sheet-lead, and making the various oxides of that metal, called "litharge" and "red lead:" the extraction of silver is performed by a patent process. Some extensive greenglass bottle works have been established for nearly a century and a half. There are thirteen cinder ovens in operation; a tar, naphtha, and turpentine distillery; and an establishment for distilling oil from bones, the calx of which, after having been reduced to ashes, is used in making ivory-black, etc. Among other manufactories is one for preparing colours, and making mustard; and Mr. Boutland has a large ship-building yard and floating-dock. In a deep dene called Catdene, now overgrown with forest-trees and thorns, are extensive quarries, from which it is said the stone was obtained for building the walls of Newcastle.