Crowley's Ironworks

John Crowley (son of Sir Ambrose Crowley) acquired some land at Dunston on 13th May 1755 from Richard and John Tidmarsh. This appears to be a single piece of land with buildings labelled "Great Square" and "Little Square" by the Ordnance Survey first edition. Call books later refer to "Atkinson's Square", formerly called "Big Square". The land had previously been the site of cottages and a chapel, a garden and a quay and slipway.It is not known what Crowley built on the site - houses? Workshops? This then passed to Theodosia Crowley (later Theodosia Boone) and Elizabeth Crowley (later Countess of Ashburnham), and then to Elizabeth's eldest son and heir George Earl of Ashburnham. The premises then passed, in 1814, to Richard Dann of Old Broad Street, London, and held in trust for Mary Millington of Greenwich, Kent, Charles Vardon of Upper Eaton Street, Middlesex, Purney Sillitoe of Upper Thames Street, London and Mary Millington of Greenwich (spinster). In 1838 it passed to Richard Dann of York Chambers, St James Street, Crowley Millington of Thames Street (steel manufacturer) and Thomas Isaac Millington (also steel manufacturer). The latter appointed Thomas Friend Bennett of Crowley Ironworks to take control of the premises, surrendering part of it to Thomas Adamson of Newcastle. Part of the land was granted to the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway in 1838.