History of sunderland

1. The History of Sunderland

2. Sunderlands Shipbuilding past
The industry for which Sunderland was known above all others is of course shipbuilding and Sunderland has
long claimed to be the biggest shipbuilding town in the world.
The first record of shipbuilding in Sunderland was in 1346 when a certain Thomas Menville is recorded as
building a vessel here. It was constructed at Hendon near the coast but it is likely that ships were being
built in Sunderland before that time.
Despite this, an extraordinary 27% of merchant ships built in Britain during the Second World War were
built at Sunderland. Unfortunately, shipbuilding and other industrial activity in the town made it a regular
target for Nazi bombing raids and many lives were lost in Sunderland during the war years.
In 1978 there were 7,535 people working in Sunderland’s shipyards but this fell to 4,337 by 1984.
Sunderland’s last two shipyards merged into one but this shipyard eventually closed in 1989 bringing an
end to at least six and half centuries of shipbuilding in Sunderland.

3. Sunderlands Glass making past
Glass making was introduced to Wearside by Benedict Biscop at the Monkwearmouth monastery in the 7th
century AD when he employed glaziers from France. It was the first known record of glass making in Britain
and was the beginning of a long tradition of glass manufacture in Sunderland which is recognised by
Sunderland’s place as the home to the National Glass Centre.
Sunderland is of course a coastal city clustered around the Magnesian Limestone gorge of the River Wear so
sand and limestone, the essential ingredients for glass making were in plentiful supply as was coal for
heating the furnaces.
Glass bottles were being exported from Sunderland by 1685 and in the 1690s the Sunderland Company of
Glass Makers had established a works at Ayres Quay and at Bishopwearmouth Panns. A Glass House Quay
was mentioned in 1719 where a brick structure called a glass house must have stood for the making of
glass. By 1817 Sunderland was the home to seven bottle works and three glass works.

4. Sunderlands Coal Mining Past
As with many North East industrial towns, coal lay at the root of everything in Sunderland, allowing the
development of the port through the coal trade and providing the fuel necessary for the development of
many industries. Sunderland was shipping coal from medieval times and supplying coal to London by the
1500s.
A mine was operated at Monkwearmouth Colliery from the 1830s by the Pemberton family and other
Sunderland collieries followed at Ryhope (1857), Silksworth (1869) and Herrington (1874).

5. The Start of the Football Club
Sunderland AFC was established in october 1879 by a collection of teachers and has been a
member of the Football League since 1890. They have won the league six times and the FA Cup
two times. They have also been runners-up in the Football League Cup a final once. The club is also
known under a few nicknames, The Black Cats are one of them.
Sunderland AFC clinched their first Division One title in 1891-92 when they brushed aside all who
opposed them to finish five points at the top.Managed by Tom Watson, the Lads won all 13 home
league games and both home FA Cup ties during the season.