TYNEMOUTH, municipal, county and parliamentary bor ough, Northumberland, England, including the townships of Chir ton, Cullercoats, North Shields, Preston and Tynemouth. Pop. 64,913. North Shields, Tynemouth and Cullercoats are successive stations on a branch of the L.N.E.R. Tynemouth lies on the north bank of the Tyne, 81 m. E. of Newcastle. Tyne mouth is the principal watering-place and residential district on this part of the coast. On the point of the promontory on which it stands is a small battery called the Spanish battery. Within the grounds, to which the gateway of the old castle gives entrance, are the ruins of the ancient priory of St. Mary and St. Oswin the principal remains being those of the church, which was a magnificent example of Early English work engrafted upon Nor man. The municipal buildings are in North Shields, which is also an important seaport. (See NORTH SHIELDS.) Although Roman remains have been discovered, the early his tory centres round the priory, founded (617-633) by Edwin, king of Northumbria. In 651, Oswin, king of Deira, was buried here. After the conquest Malcolm, king of Scotland, and Edward his son, were also buried here. Earl Waltheof gave Tynemouth to the monks of Jarrow, and it became a cell to the church of Durham, but later, to the abbey of St. Albans in Hertfordshire. The priory
was probably fortified in Saxon times, and was strengthened by Robert de Mowbray. After the Dissolution the fortifications were repaired by Henry VIII. In 1642 it was garrisoned for the king by the earl of Newcastle, but surrendered to parliament in 1644. It became barracks at the end of the 18th century.
Tynemouth and North Shields did not become important until the 19th century; the establishing of a port here and holding of fairs being prevented by the people of Newcastle. Before that time charters were granted in 1203 and 1204 to the prior and convent, and include freedom from toll, etc. In 1292 there were disputes between the citizens of Newcastle and the prior, who bad built a quay at North Shields, but was obliged by act of parlia ment to destroy it. Edward IV. in 1463 confirmed the previous charters of the monks, and at the same time gave them and their tenants licence to buy necessaries from ships in the "port and river of Tyne," and to load ships with coal and salt. After the Napoleonic wars the trade of North Shields rapidly increased. The borough was incorporated in 1849, and has returned one member to parliament since 1832.