KILLINGWORTH, a village, a township, and a chapelry in Long Benton parish, Northumberland. The village stands about a mile from the Northeastern railway, and 4½ NE by N of Newcastle-upon-Tyne; contains the private residences of several Newcastle business men, farm houses, and a few of the Westmoor pitmen's cottages; and has a station on the railway, and a post office under Newcastle-on-Tyne. -The township contains also the large pit village of Westmoor, being what is known as Killingworth Colliery, and part of the village of Hazlerigg. Pop. in 1851, 1, 651; in 1861, 1, 781. Houses, 364. Westmoor colliery is managed in a highly scientific way, and possesses much interest for its fossils. George Stephenson, the celebrated engineer, came as a brakesman in 1804 to Killingworth old pit, now no longer worked; was appointed enginewright to the colliery in 1812; constructed here his first locomotive in 1813, and invented here his safety lamp, known as the " Geordy, '' in 1815. The cottage in which he lived, and the chief part of which was built by him, still stands on the road from Westmoor pit to Killingworth; and has, over the door, the sun dial which he constructed in 1816. Two of his earliest locomotives also may still be seen here.—The chapelry was constituted in 1865, and is more extensive than the township. Pop., 3, 187. The living is a p. curacy in the diocese of Durham. Value, £153. Patron, the Vicar of Long Benton.

(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))