Thomas Graham, committed for highway robbery; Richard Lowe, committed for forgery; and John Outerside, under sentence of transportation for shop-breaking, broke out of the gaol of Newgate, Newcastle, by forcing their way through the chimney to the roof of the prison , from whence they lowered themselves down by a rope  made from their bed-clothes, which they fastened to a sun-dial on the roof. John Sill, convicted with Outerside, attempted to escape at the same time, but being rather corpulent, he stuck fast in the chimney , and could neither get out nor back again, till he was assisted down by the keepers. On the evening of the same day, four men escaped from Morpeth gaol, by exactly similar means.

From: T Fordyce, J. Sykes. Local records; or, Historical register of remarkable events which have occurred in Northumberland and Durham, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and Berwick-upon-Tweed..., published 1867