Sunderland
SUNDERLAND - THE SUNDERED LAND
Although the greater part of Sunderland lies to the south of the Wear some of the oldest and most historic parts of the modern town are on the northern bank of this river. Undoubtedly the most historic part of Sunderland is that area on the north bank by the coast called Monkwearmouth. Sunderland was originally part of Monkwearmouth and in fact the name Sunderland derives from `Sundered Land', that is land that was sundered or separated, from the monastic estates of Monkwearmouth in Anglo-Saxon times.
For centuries Sunderland was only a part of Wearmouth and although the name Sunderland was commonly used for the whole area, it was not until 1719 that Sunderland itself achieved the status of a separate parish. In 1897 roles were finally reversed and Monkwearmouth officially became part of the town of Sunderland. In 1992 Sunderland was officially designated a city and Monkwearmouth continues to be an integral part of that city. Indeed Monkwearmouth is not only home to the ancient church of St Peter but it is also the location of the Sunderland Stadium of Light home of Sunderland Football Club.
MONKWEARMOUTH- BISCOP AND ST BEDE
Monkwearmouth is where Sunderland's history really begins. In 674 A.D the land on the northern bank of the river overlooking the coast at Wearmouth was granted by Ecgfrith, King of Northumbria to a noble called Benedict Biscop who used the land to as the site of a monastery. All that remains of the monastery today is the Anglo-Saxon church of St Peter which is one of the most historic churches in England. Biscop had great ambitions for his monastery at Wearmouth and brought in masons and glaziers from France and even employed an Archchanter, from St Peter's cathedral in Rome.
The ancient church of St Peter at Monkwearmouth photographed by David Simpson
The Venerable Bede (675-735) who tells us that he was born in the vicinity of Sunderland, began his monastic life at Monkwearmouth before moving on to Biscop's other later monastery at Jarrow on Tyne. The ancient churches of St Pauls, Jarrow and St Peters Monkwearmouth, were described by Bede as "one monastery in two places", both still stand today in what are strikingly similar, riverside settings. Monkwearmouth and Jarrow, were two of the most important centres of Northumbrian culture and learning, in that period of history which today we call the `Dark Ages'.
Sir Timothy Eden in his History of Durham (1948) beautifully explains the former importance of these two venerable places:
"It was not long before, round these two last communities all the light and learning of England was to revolve, and not only England, but of the whole of Europe, during one of the darkest periods in the history of man."
Sadly the Anglo-Saxon life of St Peters Monkwearmouth was brought to an end in the ninth century by Viking raids when it was sacked by the Danish pirates Hubba and Hingmar. Fortunately the Monkwearmouth and Jarrow churches were re-established in Norman times when they became monastic cells of the great cathedral of Durham.
THE CIVIL WAR- SUNDERLAND VERSUS NEWCASTLE
Sunderland, the largest town on the eastern coast of England, grew primarily as a result of its development as a coal exporting harbour at the mouth of the River Wear. The growth of the town took place despite centuries of fierce resistance from the wealthy and powerful town of Newcastle upon Tyne, which possessed a Royal Charter, restricting the shipment of coal from nearby ports like Sunderland. During the Civil War the rivalry between the ports of Sunderland and Newcastle was intensified, when Newcastle became a staunchly Royalist City.
Sunderland, partly influenced by its large contingent of Scottish traders supported the Parliamentarians under Oliver Cromwell. In 1642 Sunderland received a garrison of Parliamentarians from Cromwell composed mainly of Scots or `Blew Caps' as they were nicknamed. Sunderland therefore became a centre for Parliamentarian offensives against Royalist strongholds of North Eastern England like Durham City and Newcastle upon Tyne.The most significant of the Parliamentarian attacks upon a North Eastern town was the siege of Newcastle in 1644, where for a time the walled Tyneside town held out against parliamentarian forces comprised mainly of Scots.
Sunderland's stance in the Civil War aroused much bitterness from the Newcastle Royalists. The role of Sunderland and Newcastle in the Civil War was of extreme importance, as Newcastle was the major supplier of coal to London. If Sunderland had followed Newcastle and supported the Royalist cause, the essential supply of coal to Cromwell's London would have been virtually cut off and perhaps the outcome of the Civil War may even have been different. In fairness to Sunderland, it was perhaps not surprising that its sympathies lay with the Parliamentarians rather than the Royalists, as after all it was a Royal Charter that restricted Sunderland's trade and gave Newcastle a somewhat unfair advantage in any competition between the two ports. One result of the Civil War, was that Sunderland and its coal trade began to rapidly expand while Newcastle, though remaining the major coal port of Britain, had permanently lost its monopolistic hold on the export of local coal.
A SHIPBUILDING TRADITION
Sunderland was long an important coal port, but the industry for which the town was until recently better known was shipbuilding. Since 1346 when a certain Thomas Menville was recorded as building vessels here, Sunderland has had a shipbuilding industry and indeed it is claimed that shipbuilding had taken place in even earlier times In 1885 a primitive 2000 year old dug out canoe, was found in the River Wear at Sunderland near Hylton, in the north west of the town. This is claimed to be the first example of Sunderland boat building workmanship.
Whatever the origins of shipbuilding on Wearside, by 1814 Sunderland had 24 shipyards, a figure which had risen to 65 in 1840. By the mid twentieth century, when the town produced more than a quarter of the nation's total tonnage of merchant and naval ships for World War Two Sunderland was widely regarded as the largest shipbuilding town in the world. Sadly, despite strong opposition from workers and community leaders, Sunderland's last shipyards were closed down in 1988.
THE CAULD LAD OF HYLTON
Today the two sides of the River Wear at Sunderland are linked by the steel arched Wearmouth Bridge of 1929 and the Queen Alexandra Bridge of 1909, though until the eighteenth century Sunderland was only linked to Hylton and Monkwearmouth on the north side of the Wear by means of a ferry. Hylton Castle, one of Sunderland's most historic buildings stood guard over an important ferry crossing of the Wear. It was built by one William De Hylton around 1400 and is most famous for its ghost called the `Cauld Lad o' Hylton'. This ghost is said to be the spirit, of a stable boy who was slain by a baron of Hylton in the sixteenth century. The unfortunate young man had been caught napping by the temperamental lord, who in a fit of rage brutally struck the boy with a pitch fork killing him instantly.
The ghost who may or may not carry his head under his arm, was occasionally seen and often heard by the domestic servants of Hylton Castle. Like all good poltergeists the Cauld Lad's favourite passtime was throwing dishes, plates and pewter, but this only happened if the Hylton kitchen had been left in a tidy state. Curiously if the servants left the kitchen untidy, the Cauld Lad would tidy it up. Naturally the servants took advantage and always left the kitchen untidy. The castle building was not the only place to be haunted by this mischievous ghost, for on occasions the Cauld Lad is known to have impersonated the boatman on the Hylton ferry, where after accepting fares he would leave his passengers stranded in the centre of the river.
The pranks of the `Cauld Lad' were finally ended by presenting him with a green cloak and hood which were laid before the kitchen fire. The Hylton servants sat up watching until midnight when the ghost appeared took the garments and then suddenly disappeared with the last words:
Here's a cloak and here's a hood,
The Cauld Lad o' Hylton will do no more good
Though Hylton was occupied until the early twentieth century, all that remains of the Castle today, is largely a ruined shell hidden in the north western suburbs of Sunderland. One of the notable features of the castle are the stone carved coats of arms of various local families, which can be seen on its walls. They include the shields of the Hyltons, Lumleys, Percys, Greys Eures and of the Washingtons who lived nearby. The Washington coat of arms consists of two bars and three stars and is believed to have been adapted by George Washington for the `stars and stripes' flag of the United States
BERNARD GILPIN THE APOSTLE OF HOUGHTON LE SPRING
Houghton le Spring, is a former mining town in the borough of Sunderland, four miles to the east of Lumley and Chester le Street. Like Chester le Street, the name Houghton le Spring contains the Norman-French element `le', which also occurs in the name of nearby Hetton le Hole. The history of Houghton le Spring is centred around the attractive Norman church of St Michael and All Angels, within which we find the tomb of Bernard Gilpin (1517-1583), who was known as `the Apostle of the North'. Gilpin, a member of an important Westmorland family, was the great nephew of Cuthbert Tunstall, Bishop of Durham (1530-1559) and in 1552 this bishop appointed Bernard as vicar to the historic parish of Norton on Tees.
Later Gilpin was appointed Archdeacon of Durham and in 1557 he became the rector at Houghton le Spring, then one of the largest parishes in England. Despite his important status, Gilpin was a generous man who always had the interests of his parishioners at heart. On all Sundays between Michaelmass and Easter he declared his rectory an `open house' and gave free dinners to all who visited, whether they were rich or poor.
Most residents of Houghton today commemorate Bernard Gilpin's generosity in the roasting of the Ox at the annual `Houghton Feast', a fair which he is said to have inaugurated. The tradition is that an Ox was once donated by Gilpin, to be roasted and distributed amongst the members of his parish. Houghton Fair is now a more modern fairground attraction, which takes place on the first Friday of each October. Gilpin was a scholarly man, and was keen to see that the humble and poor received a good education. He even sent some of his brightest young parishioners to university at his own expense.
With the financial help of a Londoner named John Heath (who owned land at Kepier near Durham), Gilpin founded the Kepier Grammar School at Houghton le Spring in 1557 and this considerably helped to improve the educational standards of the district. Among the famous students to attend Kepier school in later centuries was Robert Surtees (1779-1834), the great Durham historian.
Bernard Gilpin's good works extended beyond his parish and he is perhaps best known for his journeys into the rough border country of Northumberland , where he evangelized among the Northumbrian people in the same way as St Aidan and St Cuthbert many centuries before. Spreading the word of God was not an easy task for Gilpin in the North East of England, during a period of time when the local people were often ignorant and violent in nature. Indeed a sixteenth century Bishop of Carlisle observed of Durham and Northumberland; `
There is more theft, more extortion here by English
thieves than by all the Scots in Scotland'.
Described as `tall and lean in person, with a hawk like nose and of charming and tactful manners' Bernard Gilpin was perhaps an ideal match for such a race of people and his efforts were met with some success. Even the roughest of Border folk, looked upon Gilpin with awe and respect. Bernard's long and adventurous life came to a tragic and rather unexpected end on the 4th of March 1583, when he was unfortunately knocked down by an oxen in the market place at Durham. He was aged sixty six. If it had not been for the fact that Gilpin lived in an age of religious controversy (with which he refused to be involved), this `Apostle of the North' could well have been venerated as one of Northumbria's most famous saints.
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