Whitehaven - Historial Account, 1811

WHITEHAVEN is the property of Lord Lonsdale; by the exertions of whose family it has risen, within the last 170 years, from a few huts, to a wealthy and flourishing town, which now occupies a distinguished station in the commercial world, and boasts of up- wards of 16,000 inhabitants. The name of Whitehaven is thought by some to have originated from the grey rock , called Tom Hurd Rock : but others , with more plausibility , affirm, from some old accounts handed down, that a person, whose name was White, the first fisherman who frequented this bay, and who lived at Land wath, about two miles from Whitehaven, built a cottage in that part now called the Old Town, to shelter himself, which thence took the name of White's Haven. In confirmation of this supposition, Whitehaven is generally called by many old people in the neighbourhood, Whitton, that is, White's Town. In the survey taken in 1566, Whitehaven consisted only of six fishermen's cabins, and one small bark, about nine tons burden-sufficient to supply the religious society of St. Bees with fish, salt, and other articles of their diet. In 1633, there were no more than nine or ten thatched cottages. Sir John Lowther, soon after conceiving the project of working the coal-mines, and improving the commerce of this county , obtained from King Charles II. in 1666, a grant of all the ungranted lauds within this district ; and in 1678, he obtained all the lands, for two miles northward, between high and low water mark. From this period we may date the commencement of Whitehaven's flourishing state. In 1693, the families in this town had increased to 450, which consisted of 2,272 inhabitants ; and in twenty- two years more, there were no fewer than 800 families, which have been progressively augmenting to the present time.

The increase of shipping, trade, and commerce, kept pace with that of population. It appears that in 1685, 46 vessels, exclusive of boats, belonged to the port of Whitehaven : the total burden of these ships was then 1871 tons , In 1772, there were 197 vessels belonging to Whitehaven, 5 to Parton, 97 to Workington , 76 to Maryport, and 12 to Harrington, according to a printed list then published, which, however, did not notice the tonnage. By another list, dated 20th May, 1790, it is stated, that 216 ships belonged to Whitehaven, 116 to Workington, 87 to Maryport, and 26 to Harrington ; in all 445, besides 15 on the stocks at the different ports. This wonderful increase of shipping, belonging to the coasts of Cumberland, has been made in little more than 200 years. The exportation of coals to Ireland is the great source of the support and wealth of Whitehaven ; but its trade is now extended to Africa, America, the West Indies , and almost every commercial town in Europe.

The approach from the north is by a fine portico of red freestone, with a rich entablature, ornamented with the arms of the family of Lowther. This edifice is not constructed for mere shew, but for the purpose of continuing the course of a gallery, by which the waggons , laden with coals, are designed to pass to the haven, where they may deliver their contents into the ships.

At the south- east end of the town, on an easy rising ground, there is a most noble mansion of the Earl of Lonsdale , called the Flat, and by some the Castle.

A dispensary, instituted here about 25 or 26 years ago, is well supported by the humane and charitable inhabitants of Whitehaven, as well as the noblemen and gentlemen in its vicinity.

The town of Whitehaven is built on a regular plan; the streets are generally spacious and clean, and cut each other at right angles . Buildings are neat, and many of them genteel : the shops exhibit a degree of elegance not often met with in the north : the houses are in general covered with blue slate, which gives the town a beautiful appearance from the adjoining heights. A narrow vale, the bottom of which is completely filled by the town, extends to the village of St. Bees, about five miles distant, nearly upon a level, and is generally supposed to have been formerly occupied by the sea ; this opinion is partly corroborated, not only by the appearance of the soil, but also by the discovery of a ship's anchor at a considerable depth in the ground, about half way up the vale. The whole valley might be cut through, so as to make it navigable for large vessels, at a moderate expense; which would often prove convenient to ships aiming at the port of Whitehaven, when certain winds render the passing round St. Bees' Head extremely dangerous . The small rivulet Poe meanders along this vale from St. Bees, and empties itself at Whitehaven ; over which an arched vault was thrown in 1764, by which the market place was greatly enlarged, and rendered much more commodious. -Water pumps are now put up, for the benefit of the public, which sup- ply the town much better than formerly.

The piers, or moles of the harbour, have been greatly enlarged and improved within these few years . They are -1st, The Breast Work and Old Quay -2d, The Old Tongue -3d, The New Tongue- 4th, The New Quay-5th , The New Work-6th, The North Wall . The New Work ( formerly called the Bulwark) has been entirely rebuilt on a larger plan ; and to the extremity of the Old Wall several yards have been added -which approach toward the New Work, and by narrowing the entrance into this part of the harbour, was intended to preserve the place from swells of the sea, to which it was much exposed. A considerable length has been also added to the Old Quay. Besides these improvements , foundations were laid down in 1809 for further altering the harbour, but not yet built upon. -The reader will form a clear idea of Whitehaven by referring to the very accurate accompanying map, from an actual servey by Mr. John Howard.

A very large and commodious poor-house was built here in the year 1743 ; and in 1795, the town of Whitehaven was incorporated, as to all concerns relative to the poor, under an amended Act of Parliament.

Here are three public breweries, one at Corkickle, a quarter of a mile distant, on the Egremont road, and one at Parton, near Morresby.

Whitehaven also contains six yards for ship-building ; and it is not unusual to see 12 or 16 new vessels upon the stocks at the same time . The vessels built at Whitehaven seem to have obtained considerable repute for strength, burden, and a small draught of water. A sail-cloth manufactory of considerable extent, and three large roperies , have also been established here.

A very handsome theatre on a plan copied from that of the Bath theatre, was built here by subscription , in 1769.-Public lamps were put up in Whitehaven in 1781. -Three banks have been opened here ; one in 1786, another in 1793, and a third in 1807.

The only packet-boat employed by Government between Great Britain and the Isle of Man, sails from Whitehaven and Douglas weekly. It was established în1766.

Whitehaven is defended by four batteries, mounting in all 98 cannon, among which are 12 forty-two pounders, and 18 of thirty- six . These batteries command the whole bay, and the coast towards Harrington and Workington : they were repaired, and an additional number of guns procured from Woolwich in 1788, owing, it is said, to the alarm occasioned by the landing of Paul Jones, who came on shore here on the 23d of April in that year.

The coal-works, being near the sea, are very convenient for shipping ; some of these mines are wrought many hundred yards under the sea, and others beneath the town. This latter circumstance, in its consequence, occasioned great alarm to the inhabitants some years ago which is thus recorded in the History of Cumberland, taken from the provincial newspaper of Whitehaven.

"About two o'clock, on Monday the 31st of January, 1791 , in the afternoon, the ground suddenly shrunk in the garden of H. Littledale, Esq. behind his house, in Dukes street, and the noise of subterranean waters was heard on the spot, by a servant there at work.- Near the same time, the ground sunk in a garden be- hind the house once occupied for the Dispensary, in Scotch-street, and in the burial-ground behind the Baptist meeting- house, in Charles -street, all on the north side of the town.

"This event created much alarm, as it was evident it proceeded from the falling in of some of the old coal-works ; and it afterwards appeared, that a great discharge of water had flowed in upon the working pits, and two men and a woman, with five horses, were drowned in the works. " On Wednesday evening, another plot of ground sunk, within a few yards of the former settling, in Mr. Littledale's garden ; and other sinkings, though much more trivial , were observed in different places . This accident was attributed to a workman in a new drift unfortunately striking into a drowned waste, or old working. Several workmen and horses were saved from the fate of the others, by remaining in their workings till the water ran off , which was in about two hours after its old lodgment had been pierced.

"The number of houses which were, in a manner, demolished by those sinkings, amounted to 18, among which was Mr. Littledale's elegant mansion ;-and between 60 and 80 families deserted that part of the town. The furniture was saved out of all the houses except two . The pavement in George-street was rent in many places.

"Skilful coal-viewers were immediately employed to inspect all the old workings which were accessible, and their report, that no further danger was to be ap- prehended, quieted the minds of the inhabitants, and brought them back to those deserted dwellings which were not shook by the alarming accident. -No further calamity has ensued."

Mr. Littledale's house is now repaired, and is the public office of the Earl of Lonsdale-the Town or County Court is held here.

Coal, it is supposed, was first raised here about 150 or 160 years ago ; and since which time the workings have increased rapidly. It is conjectured, that, at present, about 80,000 waggons of coals are annually raised in these collieries ; each waggon being equal to achaldron and one quarter, London measure ; containing 24 Cumberland bushels, or 72 Winchester bushels, and weighing, in general, from 42 to 44 hundred weight. Here are coal pits 320 yards deep, which are supposed to be the deepest coal- mines in the world . As they extend to a great distance under the sea, ships of large burden sail over where the miners are at work. Some very powerful fire -engines have been erected to draw off the water ; one of which has two boilers of 15 feet diameter each, a 70 inch cylinder, and 11½ inches working barrel . Its maximum in working is 15 strokes , each 64 feet long, in a minute . Twenty-seven gallons of water are drawn by each stroke, which is 405 gallons per minute, or 9240 hogsheads in 24 hours.

The coals are brought to the harbour in waggons, along a railed- way of an easy descent, and are carried by their own weight, with about two tons of coals in each. They are thus conveyed, on the same declining level, till they are brought above the vessels , and then at once projected down hurries into the ships. The coal-staith is on the west side of the town, adjoining the harbour, where five vessels of 300 tons burden are frequently loaden from the hurries at the same time.