SUNDERLAND

SUNDERLAND

A Brief History

Sunderland's timeline goes all the way back to 1100, and was made a town in 1154. The population remained small through the middle ages. In 1348-49 like most towns in England suffered from The Black Death and around half the population died.

In the 14th century salt was being made from sea water in Panns Bank by Robert Bowes and John Smith, who owned their own coal pit at Offerton. Shipbuilding also began then, but still it remained a small town, being described in 1565 as 'a fishing town and landing place which has 30 householders and is governed by Robert Bowes and the Bishop of Durham and ships and boats are loaded and unloaded but there are neither ships nor boats (belonging to the town) and only 7 fish cobbles that belong to the town occupying 20 fishermen.

This town is in great decay of building and inhabitants'.