| 1753 | 10 or 12 August, born at Cherryburn, Eltringham, Northumberland, eldest son of John Bewick (1715-85), farmer and tenant of land-sale colliery. Baptized Ovingham 19 August |
| 1760 | Brother John born at Cherryburn. Baptized 30 March |
| c1763-7 | Attends school of Revd Christopher Gregson at Ovingham Parsonage |
| 1767 | 1 October, apprenticed to Ralph Beilby (1743-1817), engraver in Newcastle upon Tyne |
| 1768 | Charles Hutton's Mensuration commences part publication: the first work for which Bewick engraves on wood |
| 1774 | Apprenticeship ends 1 October. Returns to Cherryburn for two years |
| 1776 | 4 January, receives premium from Society for the Encouragement of Arts for
engravings for fable illustrations
June to August walks to and round Scotland. 1 October travels to seek work in London. T. Saint's Select Fables with Bewick's engravings published |
| 1777 | 22 June, returns to Newcastle. Joins Ralph Beilby in Partnership. John Bewick becomes his apprentice |
| 1778 | 17 October, elected a member of Swarley's Club at the Black Boy Inn |
| 1779 | Publication of Fables by the late Mr Gay, and Tommy Trip's History of Beasts and Birds, T. Saint, Newcastle |
| 1781 | Takes over tenancy of Dr Hutton's house in Circus Lane at the Forth, Newcastle, in October |
| 1782 | 18 December, joins Brotherly Society at Whitfield's Golden Lion, Newcastle. John Bewick's indentures cancelled after five years; he removes to London |
| 1784 | Select Fables published by T. Saint incorporating designs from edition of 1776 and some by John Bewick |
| 1785 | Begins work on cutting blocks for A General History of Quadrupeds 15
November, on which day his father dies. Mother, Jane Wilson, dies 20 February |
| 1786 | 20 April, marries Isabella Elliot of Ovingham at St John's, Newcastle |
| 1787 | Eldest child Jane born 29 April. John Bewick commences business at Clerkenwell Green 15 October |
| 1788 | Son Robert Elliot Bewick born 26 April |
| 1789 | Engraving of the Chillingham Bull for Marmaduke Tunstall of Wycliffe completed. Consett's A Tour through Sweden, Swedish-Lapland, Finland and Denmark, published with Bewick's copper engravings |
| 1790 | Publication of A General History of
Quadrupeds 27 April. Considers dissolving partnership with Beilby. Daughter Isabella born 14 January |
| 1791 | 16 July, visits Wycliffe Museum for two
months to commence drawings for A History
of British Birds. Second edition Quadrupeds published |
| 1792 | Third edition Quadrupeds published |
| 1793 | Daughter Elizabeth born 7 March |
| 1795 | Poems of Goldsmith and Parnell printed and
published by William Bulmer with engravings
by Thomas and John Bewick. Brother John dies aged 35, 5 December. Moves to new engraving shop in south-east corner of St Nicholas's Church Yard |
| 1796 | Somervile's Chase with engravings by Bewick
and brother John printed and published by
William Bulmer. Le Grand's Fabliaux published privately by Gregory Way and printed by Bulmer with engravings by Bewick, John Bewick, and Charlton Nesbit |
| 1797 | First volume of British Birds, Land Birds,
published. Partnership with Ralph Beilby dissolved. Beilby continues in watch-glass and clock manufactory |
| 1799 | Second edition Land Birds published |
| 1800 | Fourth edition Quadrupeds published |
| 1804 | Publication of first edition of the Water Birds.
Son Robert apprenticed for seven years, 26 May |
| 1805 | Third edition Land Birds and second edition of Water Birds published |
| 1807 | Fifth edition Quadrupeds published |
| 1809 | Fourth edition of Land Birds and third edition
Water Birds published. His schoolmaster the Revd Christopher Gregson dies aged 71 |
| 1811 | Son Robert out of apprenticeship 26 May.
Sixth edition of Quadrupeds published |
| 1812 | Seriously ill in April. Son Robert into partnership I January. Moves to 19 West Street, Gateshead, early September. Begins work on drawings for Fables of Aesop |
| 1814 | Fifth edition Land Birds published |
| 1815 | 10 March, writes short autobiographical memoir for John Chambers |
| 1816 | Sixth edition Land Birds and fourth edition Water Birds published |
| 1817 | Ralph Beilby dies 4 January, aged 74 |
| 1818 | Fables of Aesop published. Elected member Society of Dilettanti of Edinburgh, 4 May |
| 1820 | Seventh edition Quadrupeds published.
Charnley's edition of the Select Fables published |
| 1821 | Seventh edition Land Birds and fifth edition Water Birds published |
| 1822 | Begins writing Memoir, November |
| 1823 | Visits Edinburgh and executes first and only
lithographic drawing: 'The Cadger's Trot'.
Second edition Fables of Aesop published |
| 1824 | Eighth edition Quadrupeds published |
| 1826 | Wife Isabella dies I February. Marble bust by E. H. Bailey completed for Literary & Philosophical Society of Newcastle. Eighth edition Land Birds and sixth edition Water Birds published |
| 1827 | Visited by Audubon. Completes 221 pages of Memoir |
| 1828 | Visits London for second time. Dies 8 November. |
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