Town and Gown on the Tyne

A study of data from Jesmond, Newcastle and the North East, examining the past, present and future of social statistics.

By Special Collections Newcastle University, Curated and researched by Murray Dick, Senior Lecturer in Multimedia Journalism from the School of Arts and Cultures

Relations between locals and students in Newcastle can be difficult.

But, if we share a better understanding of Newcastle's present and its future, maybe we can improve relations between 'town' (locals) and 'gown' (students).

This exhibition uses a new experimental theory of data visualisation to tell a story about life around Jesmond, Newcastle, and the North East through words, numbers, and images. This approach views "embellished" social statistics as visual arguments. These arguments unfold within the environments they depict, making them recognisable and relevant to everyone.

The Origins of Public Statistics in Newcastle

From the 1830s, a new enthusiasm for gathering and analysing public statistics emerged in the UK, led by civil servants, liberal social reformers, and medical researchers. With the creation of the General Register Office (1837), this enthusiasm was first applied to the issues of poverty and the living conditions of the poor. Data was also gathered to inform government policy on society, crime and warfare.

In medicine the analysis of data in the spread of disease would lead to the emergence of epidemiology. Epidemiology is the study of population health and includes the spread of infectious diseases.

Outbreak of cholera in gateshead, 1831

This letter is contained within the first two scrapbook volumes concerning information abiut the outbreak of cholera in Gateshead, 1831-1832. It was written on Boxing Day, 26th December 1831. It details that cholera had broken out in Gateshead, with the death of 6 people in Beggars' Entry, 2 in Hilgate, and 1 in Jackson's Chare.

Cholera is a bacterial infection carried in contaminated water or food; at the time of this outbreak, people did not know this. No cure was found throughout this outbreak, nor would it be found until the middle of the 19th century.

Collections relative to the cholera at Gateshead in the county of Durham, volume I (1831). Rare Books Collection, RB 616.932 BEL

Collections relative to the cholera at Gateshead in the county of Durham, volume I (1831). Rare Books Collection, RB 616.932 BEL

Air Quality

Unhealthiness of towns: its causes and remedies, George Robinson (1847). Friends Collection, Friends 138

Unhealthiness of towns: its causes and remedies, George Robinson (1847). Friends Collection, Friends 138

During the First Industiral Revolution (1780 - 1830) when manufacturing grew, cities and towns experienced air polution from coal burning. This led to respitory disease, and shortened lifespans. in the 1840s, public equiries were undertaken to find solutions.

In 1845 the State of Large Towns and Populous Districts was published, raising concerns about the poor air quality in the industrialised North East. Medical experts belived that diseases were carried through polluted air, and the report noted that outbreaks of cholera and typhus seemed to spead most devistatingly in areas with the poorest air quality. The report recommened in homes and public building such as churches.

Photograph of Dr. John Snow (1885). Image in public domain.

Photograph of Dr. John Snow (1885). Image in public domain.

John Snow: On the Mode of Communication of Cholera (1849)

In 1827 at age 14, John Snow became an apprentice to William Hardcastle, a surgeon in Longbenton, Newcastle. Snow treated colliery workers in Killingworth during one of the first recorded Cholera outbreaks in the UK. He attended lectures at Durham University's School of Medicine (which later became a part of Newcastle University in 1963) before completing his apprenticeship and moving to London.

On the Mode of Communication of Cholera, John Snow (1849). Medical Collection, Med.Coll 616.932 CHO(11)

On the Mode of Communication of Cholera, John Snow (1849). Medical Collection, Med.Coll 616.932 CHO(11)

On the Mode of Communication of Cholera (1849) set out the findings of a statistical experiment he undertook during his time in London. It proved that cholera was carried in water supplies contaminated with diarrohea. This was in contrast to the dominant theory at the time, which was that the disease was airborne, and transferred through 'bad vapours'.

In his statistical maps, Snow used General register Office data reports. The Weekly Return of Births and Deaths in London report published local incidences of the disease, which Snow used to map its spread around Soho, in central London. Snow's map would become key to the emergence of the field of epidemiology within medicine, and to our contemporary understanding of how viruses spread.

Map from On the Mode of Communication of Cholera (1849), John Snow. Image in public domain.

The North East's Historic Health Maps

The enthusiasm for public statistics that first emerged in the 1830s would not lead to change for many decades. in 1872, following Parliament's passing of the Public Health Act, all English boroughs were required to appoint a medical officer. Henry Armstrong was appointed to oversee Newcastle, and held the position of Chief Medical Officer for over 40 years.

He laid the groundwork for future investigations, and eventually for the improvement of serious social problems, including poverty and the spread of deadly diseases. It was a position that proved to be significant, but also challenging, as he faced opposition from both businessmen and medical professionals who were skeptical of his ideas and had their own vested interests to protect.

A report on the high death rates in Newcastle (`1873)

In 1873, Henry Armstrong Published a report as Chief Medical Officer on the comparatively high death rate in Newcastle. Its principal focus was the deadly spread of scarlet fever and diarrhoea. The report's recommendations include the segregation of those affected by fevers, and 'lock downs' of infectious households, until they had been 'disinfected'. Armstrong criticised the lack of a system for tracing the spread of the disease, much like the more recent NHS Test and Trace policy during COVID-19 lockdowns.

*Report of the Committee appointed to inquire into the causes of the high death-rate, in the borough of Newcastle upon Tyne* (c.1873). 19th Century Collection, 19th C. Coll. 942.8 NEW(24)

*Report of the Committee appointed to inquire into the causes of the high death-rate, in the borough of Newcastle upon Tyne* (c.1873). 19th Century Collection, 19th C. Coll. 942.8 NEW(24)

*Map of Newcastle upon Tyne, Principal Fever Dens* (1873–82), Henry E. Armstrong. Tyne and Wear Archives.

*Map of Newcastle upon Tyne, Principal Fever Dens* (1873–82), Henry E. Armstrong. Tyne and Wear Archives.

Mapping Newcastle's Fever Dens

Armstrong made statistical mapping techniques, which included the use of colour or patterning to show statistical differences across geographical space. This can be seen in his map of Newcastle upon Tyne Principal Fever Dens (1873-82). For Armstrong, maps represented solid, real evidence of his suggestions, such as the need to isolate households where disease had taken hold, until they had been cured, to prevent a wider spread.

This is one of several maps produced by Armstrong during his time as Chief Medical Officer in Newcastle. He created a system of colours and shapes to illustrate the distribution of various diseases, indicating cases of infection and morality.

The green areas highlight public spaces such as the Town Moor and Leazes Park, which he considered vital to improving the city's public health. He regarded these areas as offering a quantity of green space "probably unequalled in any other large city or town" in England (Armstrong, 1883, p91). In his view they contributed meaningfully to Newcastle's hygienic conditions.

Map of Newcastle upon Tyne, prevelant zymotic diseases, Henry Armstrong (1883). Tyne and Wear Archives

Twentieth Century Newcastle in Numbers

From the end of World War II, average life expectancy in the UK increased dramatically from 66 years in 1946 to 82 in 2015. However, much of this increase is associated with older people living longer. in 2014, 65-year-olds could expect to live nearly 20 more years, compared to just 13 years in 1951.

It's unclear whether the increase in life expectancy has also come with an increase in the number of healthy years people can expect to live. This is important because it affects both the fairness of the retirement age and the relationship between different generations.

Minor Health Problems in Post-War Britain

Although a generation of public health improvements had reduced the frequency of certain highly dangerous diseases in most people's lives, medical problems persisted. As the diagram shows in this book, staphylococcal infection could be a long-term issue, affecting even those who lived comfortably. This diagram sets out the spread of styes, boils and carbuncles (clusters of boils) amongst a family living in a "pleasant, roomy, Victorian house" in Gosforth. The introduction of penicillin in the 1940s provided a breakthrough in treating such infections. However, penicillin resistance continued to cause problems. Increased used of domestic disinfectants and improvements in general hygiene may have contributed to the decline of these problems.

*A thousand families in Newcastle upon Tyne: an approach to the study of health and illness in children*, Sir James Calvert Spence (1954). Clarke Local Collection, Clarke 1534

*A thousand families in Newcastle upon Tyne: an approach to the study of health and illness in children*, Sir James Calvert Spence (1954). Clarke Local Collection, Clarke 1534

Photo of Byker Wall from the Chronicle Live.

Photo of Byker Wall from the Chronicle Live.

Inner City Pressure

The 1970s in the UK was a period marked by difficult social and economic problems. The country's economy was hit hard by the Arab oil embargo, causing high inflation, economic shutdowns, and rising unemployment, especially among the young. Things were so bad that a three-day working week was put into effect to conserve the nation's energy supplies.

By late 1978, the UK was facing a "Winter of Discontent", marked by the widespread protests over wage demands. The stress was especially felt by young people, particularly those from families with long-term poverty living in cities. Though the boundaries and some of the placenames have changed, the map shows that among the worst affected areas in Newcastle were Byker (which today includes an area that used to be called St Lawrence) and the East (End) City.

History of Tensions between Town and Students

'Town and Gown' is an old term for a problem that today we think about in relation to studentification. Studentification happens when more students move into residential areas near universities, causing changes in the social, cultural and economic aspects of life there.

The perceived divide between locals and students is seen as aggravating a range of social problems, particularly around community cohesion. Areas in many university cities and towns have experienced studentification, such as popular student areas in Jesmond for Newcastle University, Marchmont and Morningside for Edinburgh University, and Greystones for Sheffield University. As is clear from Newcastle University's Courier newspapers, the strain between town and gown is not a new problem in Newcastle.

How well do you know Newcastle?

The Angel of the Norther is a messenger, but it is also a symbol of rebirth and renewal for the North East. This exhibition is also about renewal - it asks Newcastle University students to think again about their 'home' in term time.

Since 2012, Ipsos Mori's annual Perils of Perception survey has shown that people's awareness of the world around them is often out of step with the facts. This section draws upon the results of the National Census 2021, and other sources, to challenge Newcastle Univeristy students living in and around Jesmond, to test their assumptions about where they live.

Facts about Town and Gown

Compared with other areas, Jesmond has lots of larger houses

Areas coloured in dark blue have greater numbers of four-bedroom houses, including HMOs (houses in multiple occupation).

Newcastle and North East have growing and ageing populations

Rate of Newcastle's population growth to 2046: +15%

Increase in the North East's population, 2018-2028: 54,000

Current capacity of St James' Park: 52,000

Increase in the North East's pensioners, 2018 - 2028: 76,000

Jesmond is much younger than most of the North East and UK

Median age is calculated from the age of residents on Census Day, 21 March 2021 in England and Wales.

Newcastle has a larger LGB+ community than the UK on average

The census question on sexual orientation was a voluntary question asked of those aged 16 years and over. Just 90% of the population idetified as straight or heterosexual. Around 3% identified with an LGB+ orientation. the remaining 7% did not answer.

Jesmond's residents are less religious than the UK on average

For the first time in a census of England and Wales (2021), less than half of the population described themselves as "Christian". "No Religion" was the second most common response at 37%.

Jesmond is less diverse than the UK on average, and less globalized than the city centre

4 in 10 Newcastle city centre residents were born overseas, while 1 in 10 North Jesmond residents were born overseas.

Healthy life expectancy varies a lot along the yellow line

Healthy life expectancy is defined as "..a measure of the average number of years a person would expect to live in good health based on contemporary mortality rates and prevalence of self-reported good health."

Jesmond residents can expect to live in good health for 17 more years, on average, than residents of Byker, who live just over 2 miles away.

Tynesiders with well-paid jobs tend to live in the same areas

Those areas coloured dark blue have greater numbers of residents working in professional occupations, than other areas.

Check the employment status for the area you live in outside of term time, by searching for your postcode here.

Danny Dorling: Newcastle Graduate and Visual Data Pioneer

Danny Dorling is a Professor of Geography at the University of Oxford. A social geographer, he has been exploring social statistics since his PhD thesis,Visulization of Spatial Social Structure, was published here in Newcastle in 1991.

In his work, Dorling introduced a new way of exploring social data through cartograms. These are maps that distort geographical size and layout to show differences in social structure. His reasons for doing this relate to time scales. For example, he asks why we use constant geological shapes in statistical displays that focus on short-term changes in social structures.

Click here for more maps inspried by Danny Dorling's research.