Timeline of Sunderland
Appearance
| History of England |
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The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Sunderland in Tyne and Wear, England
7th century
[edit]- 674 CE
- Building of St. Peter's Church.[1]
11th century
[edit]- 1069
- Edgar Ætheling sailed for Scotland from Wearmouth.[1]
12th century
[edit]- 1183
- Bishop Hugh du Puiset's charter creates the first Borough of Sunderland
14th century
[edit]- 1346
- Thomas Menvill paid Bishop Hatfield an annual rent of 2s to build ships at Hendon, Sunderland (according to a 1697 copy of a document dated 1346)[2]
17th century
[edit]1630s
[edit]- 1634
- Bishop Morton's Charter created Sunderland's first Mayor and Corporation.[1]

1640s
[edit]- Local shipbuilders included Frances Readhead and Roger Thornton at Bishopwearmouth Panns[3]
1660s
[edit]- 1669
- Letters patent permitted the erection of a pier and lighthouse.[1]
1670s
[edit]1690s
[edit]- 1698
- Formation of Sunderland Company of Glassmakers
18th century
[edit]1710s
[edit]- 1719
- Sunderland Parish's Holy Trinity Church opened
1790s
[edit]- 1793
- John and Philip Laing from Fife established a shipyard at Monkwearmouth Shore[5][6]
- 1795
- Birth of Sir Henry Havelock at Ford Hall in Bishopwearmouth.[7] [1]
- 1796
- Wearmouth Bridge opened.[1]
19th century
[edit]1800s
[edit]- 1807
- Luke Crown started a shipyard at Monkwearmouth Shore[8]
1810s
[edit]- 1816
- Robert Surtees stated that 'In shipbuilding the Port of Sunderland stands at present the highest in the United Kingdom'[9]
- 1818
- Philip Laing opened a shipyard at Deptford yard in Sunderland[10]
1820s
[edit]- 1822
- Opening of the railway line from Hetton to Sunderland coal staithes, one of the earliest uses of locomotive power. The engineer was George Stephenson.[11]
- 1826
- 15 June: Birth of Harry Watts, a Sunderland diver who rescued over 40 people from drowning – and assisted in the rescue of another 120 people.
- Sinking of Wearmouth Colliery
- Peter Austin (SP Austin & Sons) opened a shipyard at Monkwearmouth Shore[12][8]
1830s
[edit]- 1831
- October: the first UK outbreak of cholera occurred in Sunderland – 200 people died.[13]
- 1832
- Sunderland became a parliamentary borough under the Reform Act, returning two members of Parliament.[1]
- 1835
- St Mary's Church, Sunderland completed.
- 1835/6
- Establishment of the modern Borough Council, with the first modern Mayor
- 1837
- George Bartram and John Lister started a shipbuilding yard at South Hylton[14][8]
- 1838
- William Pickersgill with Messrs Miller, Rawson and Watson began shipbuilding at the North Dock[14]
1840s
[edit]- 1840
- 1843
- James Laing, son of Philip Laing, took over the company as James Laing & Sons[10]
- 1845
- 1846
- SP Austin and Sons moved their ship yard across the river to a site near Wearmouth Bridge[12]
- Robert Thompson and his three sons began shipbuilding at North Sands and built their first ship in 11 weeks[16]
- 1848
- George Thomas Clark established an engineering works in Sunderland[17]
1850s
[edit]- 1850
- Opening of the South Docks by George Hudson MP
- George Short established a shipbuilding yard[18]
- 1852
- 27 February:Loftus of 77 tons, the first iron ship built on the Wear, was launched, constructed by George Thomas Clark and John Barkes[19]
- 1853
- Amity, iron ship of 479 tons, was built by Laings[19]
- 1854
- Robert Thompson (junior) opened his own shipyard[19]
- 1856
- Birth of Sir William Mills, (1856 – 1932) inventor of the WW1 Mills bomb
- 1857
- 1858
- The tongue of 'Big Ben' was forged at Hopper's foundry, Houghton
- Wearmouth Bridge widened under the direction of Robert Stephenson.[20] [1]
1860s
[edit]- 1860
- Robert Thompson died and his son Joseph Lowes Thompson took over the shipbuilding company[16]
- 1869
- Short Brothers of Sunderland moved their shipyard to Pallion[18]
1870s
[edit]- 1871
- Bartrams moved from South Hylton to South Dock[19] and were known as Bartram & Haswell after the owners, RA Bartram (son of George Bartram) and George Haswell[21]
- 1873
- Foundation of the Sunderland Echo
- 1875
- A record of 64 days was set for the run to Australia by the Wear built sailing vessel The Torrens. Launched in 1875, the novelist Joseph Conrad served on her for a time as mate
- Joseph Lowes Thompson died and his three sons took over the shipbuilding company, J. L. Thompson and Sons[16]
- 1879
- Sunderland A.F.C. was founded by Thomas Allen as Sunderland and District Teachers Association Football Club
- Sunderland station opened
1880s
[edit]- 1880
- 1882
- William Doxford died[15]
- 1888
- Sunderland granted County Borough status
- 1889
- George Haswell retired from shipbuilders Bartram & Haswell and RA Bartram was joined by his two sons to form Bartram & Sons[21]
1890s
[edit]- 1890
- Sunderland Town Hall opened.
- 1891
- Population: 131,686.[1]
- William Doxford & Sons shipbuilding company formed by William Doxford's sons, William Theodore, Alfred, Robert and Charles[15]
- 1892
- 1893
- 1895
- 1897
- James Laing was knighted[10]
- 1898
- James Laing changed the company name to Sir James Laing & Sons[10]
20th century
[edit]1900s
[edit]- 1900
- Sunderland Corporation Tramways started.
- 1901
- Population: 146,077.[1]
- 1902
- 1903
- 28 May: Pontoon opened at SP Austin & Sons yard enabling the docking of ships of up to 400ft in length. The pontoon was built by Swan Hunter at Wallsend[12]
- Roker Pier – the harbour's northern breakwater is opened at 2,790 feet long.
- 1904
- William Doxford & Sons doubled their capacity to build ships with the opening of the East Yard with three new berths[15]
- Doxfords recorded the highest production of any shipyard in the world[15]
- 1907
- Doxfords again recorded the highest production of any shipyard in the world[15]
- Sir James Laing died[10]
- 1909
- The then heaviest bridge in Britain was opened. The Queen Alexandra Bridge carried road and rail traffic, the railway deck remained in use for barely 12 years
1910s
[edit]- 1913
- Sunderland AFC win the Football League Championship
- 1917
- 15 June: King George V and Queen Mary visited Sunderland touring all the main shipyards[23]
1920s
[edit]- 1923
- Police Boxes, model for the TARDIS pioneered by Chief Constable Frederick Crawley
1930s
[edit]- 1936
- 1937
- Sunderland A.F.C. win the FA Cup
1940s
[edit]- 1940
- 26 July: SS Balzac a Norwegian steamer, hit a mine after leaving port in Sunderland and sank, with 6 fatalities[24]
- 1941
- August: The Government decided to use Sunderland Corporation Quay for handling cargoes of war materials[24]
- 1943
- The Government decided to use a berth at South Docks for handing government cargoes[24]
- 1946
- 30 April: Princess Elizabeth visited Sunderland to open the Sunderland Eye Infirmary and to launch the British Princess at James Laing & Sons[25]
1950s
[edit]- 1954
- SP Austin & Sons merged with William Pickersgill & Sons Ltd to form Austin & Pickersgill[12] and redeveloped the Southwick yard[26]
- Sunderland Corporation Tramways closed
1960s
[edit]- 1964
- Washington designated as a New Town
- Short Brothers of Sunderland shipyard was closed with the loss of 300 jobs[18]
- 1967
- Ryhope, Silksworth, Tunstall, East & Middle Herrington, South Hylton, part of Offerton, Castletown and Whitburn South Bents added to the County Borough of Sunderland
- Bartram & Sons shipbuilders was taken over by Austin & Pickersgill[21]
- 1969
- Sunderland Technical & Art Colleges merged to form Sunderland Polytechnic (now the University of Sunderland)
1970s
[edit]- 1970
- Opening of new Basil Spence-designed Sunderland Civic Centre by the Princess Margaret
- 1971
- Sunderland Town Hall demolished
- The demolition of the East Yard of Doxfords was started[27]
- 1973
- 1 October: Demolition of Doxford's East Yard was completed[27]
- Sunderland A.F.C. win the FA Cup for the second time
- 1974
- Washington, Hetton-le-Hole and Houghton-le-Spring become part of the new Borough of Sunderland
- 1976
- 1978
- First Wearside Jack hoax letter sent to West Yorkshire Police
- The former Bartram & Sons shipyard was closed[21]
1980s
[edit]- 1984
- Nissan chose Sunderland for their new European manufacturing base
- 1986
- Abolition of Tyne and Wear County Council increases Sunderland Council's powers and duties
- 1988
- Announcement of closure of the shipyards on Wearside
1990s
[edit]- 1992
- The City of Sunderland was created a by the Queen on 23 March
- 1993
- The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh visit Sunderland to unveil the city's new coat of arms
- 1997
- Stadium of Light opens
21st century
[edit]2000s
[edit]- 2001
- The entire council housing stock of 39,000 homes is transferred to private landlord Gentoo after a referendum of tenants found 95% support in favour of the move
- 2008
- Sunderland Aquatic Centre opens, the only Olympic-sized pool between Glasgow and Leeds, on a site adjacent to the Stadium of Light
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Britannica 1910.
- ↑ Dodds 2011, p. 42.
- ↑ Dodds 2011, p. 80.
- ↑ Dodds 2011, p. 81.
- ↑ Dodds 2011, p. 96.
- ↑ Dodds 2011, p. 95.
- ↑ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 13 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 79.
- 1 2 3 Dodds 2011, p. 125.
- 1 2 Dodds 2011, p. 124.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Clark 2002, p. 62.
- ↑ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 25 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 888.
- 1 2 3 4 Clark 2002, p. 52.
- ↑ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 6 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 262–267.
see page 264: ...and spread onwards to England, appearing in Sunderland in October 1831...
- 1 2 3 4 Clark 2002, p. 53.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Clark 2002, p. 44.
- 1 2 3 Clark 2002, p. 58.
- ↑ Dodds 2011, p. 1166.
- 1 2 3 Clark 2002, p. 69.
- 1 2 3 4 Dodds 2011, p. 166.
- ↑ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 25 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 889.
- 1 2 3 4 Clark 2002, p. 66.
- 1 2 Dodds 2011, p. 167.
- ↑ Clark 2002, p. 37.
- 1 2 3 Dodds 2011, p. 221.
- ↑ Clark 2002, p. 38.
- ↑ Clark 2002, p. 57.
- 1 2 Clark 2002, p. 48.
- ↑ Clark 2002, p. 50.
- ↑ Clark 2002, p. 51.
Sources
[edit]- Clark, Andrew (2002). The People's History - Sunderland Shipyards. Seaham: The People's History Ltd. ISBN 1 902527 00 3.
- Dodds, Glen Lyndon (2011). A History of Sunderland (Third Edition). Sunderland: Albion Press. ISBN 978 0 9525122 2 6.
Further reading
[edit]- Published in the 19th century
- John Britton; Edward Wedlake Brayley (1810), "Durham: Sunderland", Beauties of England and Wales, vol. 5, London: Vernor & Hood, hdl:2027/mdp.39015063565694
- James Dugdale (1819), "Durham: Wearmouth and Sunderland", New British Traveller, vol. 2, London: J. Robins and Co.
- James Burnett (1830). History of the Town and Port of Sunderland.
- J.M. Summers (1858). History and Antiquities of Sunderland. Sunderland: Joseph Tate.
- Strangers' Guide to Sunderland. 1869. OCLC 504195939.
- William Clark Russell (1883). "Sunderland". North-East Ports and Bristol Channel. Newcastle-upon-Tyne: A. Reid. hdl:2027/uc1.$b667579.
- Penny Guide to Sunderland and Roker. Sunderland. 1889. OCLC 266926121.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Taylor Potts (1892), Sunderland: A History of the Town, Port, Trade and Commerce, B. Williams
- Published in the 20th century
- Antiquities of Sunderland and its Vicinity, vol. 2: 1901, Sunderland: Sunderland Antiquarian Society, 1903, OL 7161371M
- Robert Donald, ed. (1908). "Sunderland". Municipal Year Book of the United Kingdom for 1908. London: Edward Lloyd. hdl:2027/nyp.33433081995593.
- . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 26 (11th ed.). 1910. pp. 100–101.