Shields, SOUTH, a seaport, municipal and parliamentary borough, and market-town of Durham, situated on the south bank of the Tyne at the mouth of that river, 9 miles ENE. of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. On the Lawe, an eminence overlooking the river, the Romans had an important military station, approached from the south by the Ryknield Way. In Saxon times it was called Caer Urfa, and is said to have been the birthplace of King Oswin. Salt-pans were established here in 1489, and glass-works in 1619. The oldest part of the town extends for about two miles along the river-bank, the streets being narrow and dingy. Ocean Road—a fine broad thoroughfare nearly a mile long—stretches from the market-place to the pier. Several of the modern streets are wide and well-built. South Shields is becoming popular as a watering-place. The coast southward is very fine, the cliffs—magnesian limestone of the Permian system—being hollowed into picturesque caves. The principal public buildings are the town-hall, in the centre of the market-place (1768); the public library, news-room, and museum (1859); the marine school (opened 1869); the theatre-royal (1866); and the Ingham Infirmary (1873). South Shields is in the parish of Jarrow (q.v.). There are twelve churches in the borough (ten belonging to the Established Church and two to the Roman Catholic Church) and twenty-six chapels. At the east side of the town are the North and South Marine Parks, 45 acres in extent, divided by the pier parade. A portion of the site of the Roman station, containing the remains of the Forum, treasury, western gateway, &c., has been enclosed by the corporation and laid out as a recreation ground. The south pier—a gigantic breakwater 5218 feet in length, protecting the harbour from the south-east gales, was begun in 1854, and not quite completed at the end of 1891. Nearly 30,000 tons of shipping are registered at the port of South Shields. The harbour is lined with ship and boat yards, iron, glass, alkali, and rope works, paint and varnish manufactories, &c. Within the borough are the Tyne Docks, the property of the North-Eastern Railway, from which 5,695,829 tons of coal and coke were shipped in 1890. The docks were opened in 1859, and cover an area of 50 acres. There is a large colliery in the town—the St Hilda—which was opened in 1810. In an explosion here in 1839 fifty-nine persons were killed. The first lifeboat was built at South Shields, and was used for the first time on January 30, 1790. A memorial to the inventors Wouldhave and Greathead has been erected on the pier parade. Near it is preserved the old 'Tyne' lifeboat which saved no less than 1024 lives. A life-brigade was established here in 1866. A steam-ferry for passengers and carriages plies day and night between North and
South Shields. South Shields was incorporated in 1850. Since 1832 it has returned one member to parliament. Pop. (1851) 28,974; (1881) 56,875; (1891) 78,391.