This is a collection of material brought together by, or relating to, local nineteenth century collectors John and Thomas Bell. There are four boxes relating to the local book trade, seven more relating to the Port of Tyne, and forty packets of cuttings, correspondence and other miscellaneous items which are useful for local history.

The Bell-White Collection comprises printed and manuscript items which had been assembled by keen collectors John (1783-1864) and Thomas (1785-1860) Bell in the Nineteenth Century, some of which material had subsequently been purchased by fellow collector, Robert White (1802-1874). The collection focuses on local history and is a particularly good resource for local political history as it includes election addresses, squibs, broadsides and bills. Local poetry and songs are also represented.There is also a large collection of genealogical material relating to local families which contain documents relating to business concerns, deaths, events, honours, household matters, legal affairs, property, sales, social lives and occupations, as well as containing family pedigrees, illustrations and correspondence.

This collection of illustrations by local artist Thomas Hair (c.1810-1875) depicts the mining industry and the coal trade in the North East in the nineteenth century. The illustrations are based on Hair's watercolours on the same topic. The illustrations in the collection highlight numerous aspects of the region's mining heritage, including collieries, machinery, and river trade scenes. Many of the illustrations also show the everyday workings of the industry and those involved in it.

19th Century printed ephemera, much of which originates from North East England.

These papers were originally accumulated by the office of William Dickson, overseer of the Alnwick Corn Exchange from its opening in 1862 until 1880. Dickson, a solicitor in Alnwick and local benefactor, in fact raised the money for the building of the Alnwick Corn Exchange, and then oversaw the building of the Exchange, before then taking responsibility for its running for the next twenty years. These papers are particularly fascinating as the Exchange was used not only as a market but also as a venue for entertainment, and both the accounts and correspondence files contain much information about the acts which were booked druing this period.

The archive contains, in roughly chronological order, correspondence and legal agreements relating to the purchase of the site and the subsequent building programme; correspondence about similar markets in Berwick and Kelso, a Broadside announcing the opening and detailing the functions of the new Exchange, accounts for the period 1862 - 1880, correspondence for the period 1862 - 1880; details of the Exchange's sale in 1880.

The Local Illustrations date from the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries and depict a variety of local scenes and structures, such as schools, hospitals, residences, castles and churches. There are views of Newcastle, Durham, Northumberland, Sunderland; portraits; depictions of local life (keelmen playing cards) and a plan of the Grainger Market, Newcastle.

The Burman-Alnwick Collection was brought together by Dr. C.C. Burman and presented to Alnwick U.D.C. by his son, Joseph Burman, to later be deposited in the Library on long-term loan.It consists of books, pamphlets, broadsides and other material printed in Alnwick 1700-1917 and is chiefly a local history collection, containing such items as An address to 'the four and twenty' of the borough of Alnwick: on certain improvements in the plan of education, pursued in the borough school [1839], The Alnwick Mercury, Northumberland Advertiser, and entertaining miscellany (1854-1859), The Journal of the Northumberland Agricultural Society (1850) and the Alnwick Mechanics' Institute's Annual Report [18--]. It is also something of a literary collection, containing Alnwick printings of well-known tales such as The babes in the wood [18--] and The ballad of Chevy Chase (1800) as well as children's literature and educational tools like The child's battledore [c.1830], works by James Beattie and Thomas Percy and various chapbooks and ballads. Published sermons and letters also appear.

This is a small collection of material relating to the James Joicey (d. 1863) mining company, and its successor bodies, which operated several collieries in the West Durham coalfield including pits at Beamish and Tanfield. The material covers the period 1843-1929 and includes an invoice book, letter book, memoranda and copies of leases and plans, including a volume of copies of leases and plans of coal mines and cottages near or at Beamish.

The personal archive of Thomas Hodgkin (b.1831 - d.1913), barrister and later a partner in the banking house 'Hodgkin, Barnett, Pease and Spence', Newcastle upon Tyne. Hodgkin also devoted much time to historical studies, specialising particularly in the history of the early middle ages, and published a number of historical texts during his lifetime. Much of the Hodgkin family papers are held in the Welcome Library in London. The archive held within Newcastle University Special Collections is the personal archive of Thomas Hodgkin and comprises of notes and draft editions relating to his historical research; travel journals, photographs and slides; diaries; a small number of letters; and other published and unpublished material relating to his historical research.