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Victims of the Victoria Hall Calamity
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Toward Road, Sunderland runs along the eastern edge of Mowbray Park, perhaps the most outstanding of the city's many impressive public amenities. However, this attractive urban setting hides a terrible secret, for here, at the junction of Toward Road and Laura Street, stood the Victoria Hall which was the scene of what was arguably the country's worst ever tragedy, a tragedy which moved the whole country in a way only matched by the outpouring of grief following the terrible events at Aberfan in 1966 and the recent death of Princess Diana. The tragedy occurred on Saturday, June 16th 1883, during a children's show when gifts were being distributed from the stage. The 1100 or so children in the gallery, determined not to miss the treats, dashed down the spiral staircase to the stalls, but at the foot of the staircase their way was barred by a door which could only open towards them. Tragically the rush of children was such that, before the door could be opened, the leading youngsters were already being pressed against the door by those behind them. The yells of delight soon turned to screams of terror as more and more children found themselves trapped. In the ensuing confusion no less than 183 young children were crushed to death. Truly a tragedy without equal.
Money poured into the town - this is not a modern phenomenon - and some of the donations were used to erect a monument to the dead children in Mowbray Park. This took the form of a life-size white marble statue depicting a grieving mother holding a dead child.
Victoria Hall remained in use for a further 58 years until the night of April 15th/16th 1941 when, at around 3:00 a.m. during a heavy air-raid on the town, a German parachute-mine scored a direct hit on the northern end of the building and completely demolished it. Few would have missed that sullen reminder of an earlier tragedy, but sadly several other nearby buildings were seriously damaged too, including the Winter Gardens and the Museum and Library in Mowbray Park and the Palatine Hotel at the northern end of Toward Road. Soon after WW2 the marble memorial to the dead children was moved to Bishopwearmouth Cemetery.
In 1994 Sunderland Council began a £13 million project which included a new Winter Gardens, the restoration of Mowbray Park to its Victorian glory, and the refurbishment of Sunderland Museum. As part of this project, the much vandalised marble memorial to the dead of 1883 disaster was removed from the cemetery, fully restored, and re-erected in a copper and brass protective enclosure near to its original location in Mowbray Park.
Select a letter below to go to entries beginning with that letter.
A B C D E F G H J K L M N O P R S T V W
A
| Victim's Surname and Forename | Age | Residence (Sunderland) |
|---|---|---|
| Adams, Margaret G. | 10 | 5, Parade |
| Algren, Charles John | 8 | 23, Parade |
| Allan, Michael | 5 | 13, North Bridge Street |
| Allan, Margaret Cook | 7 | 13, North Bridge Street |
| Anderson, George F. | 7 | 28, Brougham Street |
| Athey, Jane | 9 | 125, Wayman Street |
| Athey, Ruth | 11 | 125, Wayman Street |
B
| Victim's Surname and Forename | Age | Residence (Sunderland) |
|---|---|---|
| Bailey, Thomas | 8 | 39, East Street |
| Beale, James | 8 | 32, Ford Street |
| Bell, Isabella | 7 | 25, Norman Street |
| Bell, James | 6 | 3, Pemberton Street |
| Bell, William George | 8 | 4 Bridge Street |
| Blakey, Barbara | 10 | 7, Page Street |
| Bland, William | 10 | 66, Hedley Street |
| Booth, Robert W. | 9 | 1l, St Luke s Terrace |
| Briggs, Newrick | 4 | 19, Blandford Street |
| Briggs, William James | 9 | 19, Blandford Street |
| Brodie, John Wm. | 8 | 3, Buxton Street |
| Browell, Emily | 9 | 3, Gilsland Street |
| Brown, Margaret Ellen | 12 | 16, D'Arcy Street |
| Brown, Margaret | 4 | 13, Lisburne Terrace |
| Buglass, Dorothy B. | 3 | 21, Thornton Place |
| Butler, Thomas | 9 | 39, Thompson Street |
C
| Victim's Surname and Forename | Age | Residence (Sunderland) |
|---|---|---|
| Carr, Charles Henry | 8 | 13, Trinity Place |
| Chandler, Sarah Jane | 7 | 17, Wilson Street |
| Chandler, Thomas H. | 10 | 17, Wilson Street |
| Cogdon, Barker Ramsay | 8 | 21, Flag Lane |
| Conlin, Mary Jane | 10 | 44, Burleigh Street |
| Coulson, George H. | 8 | 22, Watson Lane |
| Coupland, Andrew | 10 | 40, Queen Street |
| Curry, John | 8 | 91, Back Whitburn Street |
| Curtin, Alfred David | 5 | 4, Clanney Street |
| Curtin, James Fred | 9 | 4, Clanney Street |
D
| Victim's Surname and Forename | Age | Residence (Sunderland) |
|---|---|---|
| Davison, John C. | 6 | 104, High Street |
| Davison, Martin H. | 8 | 73, Tweed Street |
| Davison, Rosanna | 6 | 1l, Thomas Street |
| Dixon, Charles | 7 | Willow Pond Terrace |
| Dixon, John Edward | 7 | 6, Howick Street |
| Dodds, Charles Foster | 6 | 73, Victor Street |
| Downey, Mary | 7 | 5, Back Sussex Street |
| Dring, Charles | 8 | 61, Roker Avenue |
| Dring, John Robert | 11 | 32, Dock Street East |
| Dumble, Elva | 7 | St Mark's Road |
| Duncan, Mary Ann | 11 | 13, William Street |
| Dunn, Thomas H. | 9 | 11, Colliery Row |
E
| Victim's Surname and Forename | Age | Residence (Sunderland) |
|---|---|---|
| Elliott, Elizabeth Watt | 8 | 19 Burleigh Street |
| Elliott, James Oliver | 10 | 19 Burleigh Street |
| Evans, Charles | 9 | 16, Thompson Street |
| Evans, John George | 11 | 16, Thompson Street |
F
| Victim's Surname and Forename | Age | Residence (Sunderland) |
|---|---|---|
| Fairgreave, James | 10 | 17, Brougham Street |
| Fairgreave, Peter | 7 | 17, Brougham Street |
| Falley, Kate | 9 | 7, Cornhill Road |
| Fenwick, Cuthbert M. | 6 | 43, High Street West |
| Fenwick, John | 7 | 46, Wear Street |
| Fleming, Thomas W. | 8 | 23, Vine Street |
| Fox, George | 6½ | 10, Gilsland Street N |
| Fox, Robert | 9½ | 10, Gilsland Street N |
| Fox, William | 4 | Chester Terrace North |
G
| Victim's Surname and Forename | Age | Residence (Sunderland) |
|---|---|---|
| Gibson, John G. | 11 | 16, Tower Street |
| Gillies, John R. | 5 | 27, Dame Dorothy Street |
| Graham, Fred. W. | 11 | 2, Bramwell Street |
| Graham, Thomas | 7 | 37, New Grey Street |
| Greener, John Thomas | 7 | 89, Eglinton Street |
| Grey, Robert Henry | 7 | 21, Hawthorn Street |
H
| Victim's Surname and Forename | Age | Residence (Sunderland) |
|---|---|---|
| Hall, Mary Ann | 8 | 15, Deptford Road |
| Hall, Thomas | 8 | 23, Alexandra Terrace |
| Halliman, Eliza | 8 | 12, Grey's Buildings |
| Harrison, Thomas | 9 | 11, Abbs Street |
| Hayhurst, James | 7 | 2, High Street West |
| Henderson, Cicely | 11½ | 3, Hopper Street |
| Henderson, James | 10 | 3, Hopper Street |
| Henderson, Joseph | 9 | 6, Nicholson Street |
| Henderson, Margaret Jane | 7 | 3, Hopper Street |
| Henderson, Richard | 7 | 6, Nicholson Street |
| Hilton, Robert P. | 6 | 41, Emma Street |
| Hines, Eveline | 6½ | 4, Booth Street |
| Hines, William Arthur | 8 | 4, Booth Street |
| Hogg, Robert Hall | 8 | 4, Harrison Street East |
| Howard, John | 7 | 3, Pemberton Street |
| Hughes, Thomas Edward | 5 | 1, Swinbank Street |
| Hughes, Thomas | 7 | 5, Clanney Street |
| Hutchinson, Laura V. | 6 | 72, Hendon Road |
J
| Victim's Surname and Forename | Age | Residence (Sunderland) |
|---|---|---|
| Jefferson, Thomas | 9 | 20, Gosforth Street |
| Jewitt, R. | 10 | Foyle Street |
| Johnson, William | 10 | 4, Pickard Street |
K
| Victim's Surname and Forename | Age | Residence (Sunderland) |
|---|---|---|
| Kelty, William | 10 | 17, Dock Street East |
| Kemp, William | 7 | 24, Henry Street East |
| Kirby, A. Edward | 10 | 19, D'Arcy Terrace |
| Kirton, Elizabeth | 9 | 1, Carr's Yard |
| Knox, George W. | 9 | Brougham Street |
L
| Victim's Surname and Forename | Age | Residence (Sunderland) |
|---|---|---|
| Lackenby, Johnson | 4½ | 50, Queen Street |
| Lane, Charles H. | 10 | 2, Clanney Street |
| Lane, James W. | 6 | 2, Clanney Street |
| Lawrence, Isabella | 7 | 1, Addison Street |
| Lawrence, John | 5 | 1, Addison Street |
| Liddle, Edward | 8 | 34, Burlington Road |
| Longstaff, William S. | 7 | Coatesworth Street |
M
| Victim's Surname and Forename | Age | Residence (Sunderland) |
|---|---|---|
| McCann, Kate | 8 | 31, Silver Street |
| McKeever, John William | 5 | Society Lane |
| Maconkie, Nellie | 10 | 6, Christopher Street |
| Maddison, Fred | 5 | 11, Kingsley Street |
| Maddison, Sarah | 5 | 11, Kingsley Street |
| Marley, John | 5 | 7, Tees Street |
| Meek, James | 8 | 40, Villiers Street |
| Milburn, Hannah I. | 9 | Alderson Street |
| Miles, Charles | 9 | 19, Catherine Street |
| Miller, Emily | 9 | 3, Gilsland Street |
| Miller, William | 8 | 34, Burlington Road |
| Mills, Alice P. | 10 | 10, Ann Street |
| Mills, Elizabeth A. | 12 | 10, Ann Street |
| Mills, Frederick | 8 | 10, Ann Street |
| Mills, Richard | 6 | 10, Ann Street |
| Morris, Emily | 7 | 17, Glebe Cleft Villas |
| Morrison, John | 7 | Richmond Street |
| Muse, Jane | 6 | 17, Biss Street |
N
| Victim's Surname and Forename | Age | Residence (Sunderland) |
|---|---|---|
| Newton, Catherine | 9½ | 13, Carter Street |
| Nipper, George Stokeld | 9 | 11, Howick Square |
| Noble, John Waller | 11 | 13, Winchester Terrace |
O
| Victim's Surname and Forename | Age | Residence (Sunderland) |
|---|---|---|
| Orrock, Margaret | 12 | 16, Covent Garden Street |
P
| Victim's Surname and Forename | Age | Residence (Sunderland) |
|---|---|---|
| Paget, Mary | 10 | Lisburn Terrace |
| Paley, Edward | 6 | 15, Garden Place |
| Patterson, Alfred | 7 | 6, Matlock Street |
| Paxton, Louis A. | 8 | 14, Dunning Street |
| Peace, Ann Marie | 7 | 22, West Stanley Street |
| Pearey, William | 9 | 4, Bright Street |
| Pescod, Mary Eleanor | 8 | 21, Burleigh Street |
| Pescod, William Henry | 10 | 21, Burleigh Street |
| Phillipson, Emmerson | 11 | 12, Dame Dorothy Street |
| Pringle, Ann M. | 9 | 48, Southwick Road |
| Pringle, Maggie | 7 | 48, Southwick Road |
| Prior, George | 12 | 11, Kingsley Street |
| Proudfoot, John T. | 8 | 11, Burleigh Street |
R
| Victim's Surname and Forename | Age | Residence (Sunderland) |
|---|---|---|
| Ramsey, Robert | 11 | 36, Covent Garden Street |
| Redmond, Annie | 14 | 14, Booth Street |
| Richmond, Catherine | 7 | 15, Grey's Buildings |
| Ritson, Thomas C. | 9 | 18, Mordey Street |
| Robertson, Annie Patteson | 10 | 61, High Street East |
| Robertson, Ethel | 7 | 61, High Street East |
| Robson, Eleanor | 6 | 14, Tyne Street |
| Roper Margaret | 8 | 12, East Cross Street |
| Rowell, Elizabeth | 7 | 48, Gladstone Street |
| Russell, Mary Helen | 6 | 29 Lawrence Street |
| Rutherford, William | 8 | 19, John Candlish Road |
S
| Victim's Surname and Forename | Age | Residence (Sunderland) |
|---|---|---|
| Scott, James H. | 10 | 23, Vine Street |
| Scrafton, Eugenie | 8 | 6, Handel Street |
| Shipley, Walter G. | 10 | Griffin's Buildings |
| Simey, Abraham | 8 | 55, Silver Street |
| Simpson, William | 7 | Sans Close |
| Sleightam, George | 8 | Hendon Street |
| Sleightam, William | 6 | Hendon Street |
| Smith, Carrie | 5 | 43, Northumberland Street |
| Snaith, Elizabeth | 8 | 57, Fowler Terrace |
| Snaith, George | 8 | 7, East Street |
| Solomon, Tiney | 9 | 43, Henry Street |
| Southern, Thomas | 8 | 10, Catherine Street |
| Spence, Joseph | 10 | 30, Howick Street |
| Swinney, John Thomas | 6 | George Street |
T
| Victim's Surname and Forename | Age | Residence (Sunderland) |
|---|---|---|
| Taylor, John James | 6 | Coatesworth Street |
| Thompson, Margaret Ann | 6 | Norman Street |
| Thompson, Margaret | 3 | 31, Palmer Street |
| Thompson, Mary Ann | 11 | 31, Palmer Street |
| Tomlinson, Annie M. | 4 | South Durham Street |
| Topin, Ada Ann | 11 | 47, Emma Street |
| Topin, Nora | 6 | 47, Emma Street |
| Toward, Thomas | 9 | Coatesworth Street |
| Turnbull, Margaret A. | 8 | Norman Street |
V
| Victim's Surname and Forename | Age | Residence (Sunderland) |
|---|---|---|
| Venus, John George Thomas | 7 | 89, Eglinton Street |
| Vowell, Grace Newton | 8 | 5½, Norfolk Street |
| Vowell, Lilly | 4 | 5½, Norfolk Street |
W
| Victim's Surname and Forename | Age | Residence (Sunderland) |
|---|---|---|
| Wanless, Elizabeth | 7 | 8, Dock Street |
| Ward, Florence Edith | 6 | 8, Back Charles Street |
| Watson, Amy C. L. | 13 | Wayman Street |
| Watson, Annie Emily C. | 10 | Wayman Street |
| Watson, R. C. | 12 | Wayman Street |
| Weighill, William R. | 8 | Vine Cottage |
| Wilkinson, Robert | 7 | 7, Addison Street |
| Willan, John Henry | 11 | 37, Zetland Street |
| Williamson, John Robert | 11 | 5, Johnson Street |
| Wise, John James | 10 | 56, Moor Street |
| Wright, Andrew | 7 | 5, Bright Street |
| Wright, Mary | 5 | Willow Pond Inn |
Researcher Alan Vickers has been looking at newspaper accounts of the burials of the victims and has noted some discrepencies between the names listed there and the official list of victims. His work is ongoing, but he has provided GENUKI with the results of his of work so far. This suggests that there may well be more victims than are listed above.
© Copyright GENUKI and Brian Pears 1997-2011