Notes on Sunderland.

Stuart Miller & Billy Bell, ‘ Sunderland in old Photographs.’

900 years ago. Angles and Saxons permanent settlements–the monastery of St. Peter’s at Wearmouth in the Golden Age of Northumbria, a centre of faith, learning and culture.( 8th century?)

Vikings and Scots reduced it to splendid remains.

In 1565 Bishop of Durham, in great decay of building and inhabitants. True history of town starts in late 16thcentury (1570s+). Production of salt from brine- development coal export trade

+other industries; lime, alum, copperas  and glass.

Adjacent village of  Bishopwearmouth, most important trade Coal Export.  Keelmen, casters, trimmers and ballast men.

1717 River Wear Commissioners, creating dock facilities. Bishopwearmouth, Monkwearmouth and Sunderland grew rapidly in C18. Bishop became more fashionable in C19. Wide streets, good houses. Middle class flow into Hendon and Grangetown, fine terraced housing.

end of C19 S. highest infant mortality rate in country , dreadful squalor. early C20 soup kitchens and dole queues. Building of extensive council estates.

Post 1945, long, painful adjust . Also more building of council houses, e.g. Pennywell. A very large estate without schools; a good frequent bus  service, a Cof E church, shops nearby. A doctor’s surgery at Grindon, also a library there.