Abstract
“Perhaps in no Port in the Kingdom have there been longer or more numerous contests of jurisdiction and interests than in the Tyne.” (James Guthrie-The River Tyne: Its History and Resources)
In this paper I discuss why the Tyne Improvement Commission (TIC) was created in 1850 and examine its development as a new institution from 1850, concentrating on the networks of the individuals who founded and ran the TIC. In the first half of the nineteenth century, the Newcastle Corporation and coal merchants exercised a virtual monopoly over river trade. The towns on the River were in frequent and acrimonious dispute over the use of the Tyne. The TIC was founded in 1850 to own and manage the River and to harmonise relationships. After assuming ownership and management of the River, the TIC facilitated major structural improvements. By the end of the nineteenth century, the TIC viewed the Tyne as an asset for all Tyneside and had become an exemplar as a governing institution.
My research examines the networks of members of the TIC to contextualise their actions in its creation and development. Through the lens of the TIC, its members and their networks, I interrogate the evidence of the influence of English law (including commercial, business, organisation, regulatory, local law and byelaws) on Tyneside’s economic development. My hypothesis is that the TIC and the actions of its members evidenced by their networks were the key facilitators of Tyneside’s economic development in the second half of the nineteenth century.
Without the creation and development of TIC, the actions of the individuals and the influence of their networks, Tyneside’s economy and trade would have developed in a wholly different way.
Existing scholarship has not examined the role of networks in the creation and development of historical institutions, and the dynamic tension between the individual, networks and the institution. My work contributes to scholarship in this area.
In this paper I discuss why the Tyne Improvement Commission (TIC) was created in 1850 and examine its development as a new institution from 1850, concentrating on the networks of the individuals who founded and ran the TIC. In the first half of the nineteenth century, the Newcastle Corporation and coal merchants exercised a virtual monopoly over river trade. The towns on the River were in frequent and acrimonious dispute over the use of the Tyne. The TIC was founded in 1850 to own and manage the River and to harmonise relationships. After assuming ownership and management of the River, the TIC facilitated major structural improvements. By the end of the nineteenth century, the TIC viewed the Tyne as an asset for all Tyneside and had become an exemplar as a governing institution.
My research examines the networks of members of the TIC to contextualise their actions in its creation and development. Through the lens of the TIC, its members and their networks, I interrogate the evidence of the influence of English law (including commercial, business, organisation, regulatory, local law and byelaws) on Tyneside’s economic development. My hypothesis is that the TIC and the actions of its members evidenced by their networks were the key facilitators of Tyneside’s economic development in the second half of the nineteenth century.
Without the creation and development of TIC, the actions of the individuals and the influence of their networks, Tyneside’s economy and trade would have developed in a wholly different way.
Existing scholarship has not examined the role of networks in the creation and development of historical institutions, and the dynamic tension between the individual, networks and the institution. My work contributes to scholarship in this area.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication status | Published - 7 May 2025 |
| Event | Centre for Nineteenth Century Studies PGR Conference: Insitutions in the Nineteenth Century and Beyond - Durham University, Durham Duration: 7 May 2025 → 7 May 2025 https://www.durham.ac.uk/research/institutes-and-centres/nineteenth-century-studies/about/events/cncs-pg-annual-conference-2025/ |
Conference
| Conference | Centre for Nineteenth Century Studies PGR Conference |
|---|---|
| City | Durham |
| Period | 7/05/25 → 7/05/25 |
| Internet address |