In a message dated 22/04/2004 16:01:09 GMT Daylight Time, emmo@emmerson1772.freeserve.co.uk writes: If i remember right a tramcar was caught in the blast when a bomb or mine landed at the cross over between Tatham St and Commercial Road the same incident destroyed my old school Valley Road It was Sunday 11th. October 1942, two trams were damaged in Villette Road when at 9.15 pm. a 1000kg. bomb fell in the centre of Corporation Road about 50 yards south of Villette Road. Nine houses in Corporation Road and four shops in Villette Road were demolished. The west wing of Hendon Valley Road School was badly damaged as was St. Cecilia's Church. It was a Heinkel He111P that was shot down on Friday 5th September 1940 and fell in Suffolk Street. It was Daniel Spence his wife Florence and daughter Joan who were in bed when the plane crashed, but they managed to get out through the shattered shop front. John and Rachel Storemont and their daughter Jea n at 55 1/2 Suffolk Street were trapped in their blazing shelter. Rachel was killed and John and Jean seriously injured. Jean lost both hands, and it was three years before she returned to work as a telephonist fitted with artificial limbs. (Sunderland's Blitz by Kevin Brady ISBN 1-902527-55-0 £9.99) Regards Stan Mapstone

<<<Couldn't agree more Avril, I haven't forgotten the crowded trams -or buses- no regulations re number of passengers-just-'Move along there!-make more room!"We all breathed in each others germs!!. Betty.>>> The regulations introduced on 4th. February 1946 were 12 allowed to stand in the lower saloon and none upstairs. During WW2 there were no loading restrictions, and the limit was the number of people who could squeeze on the trams. The record is alleged to be 112 fare paying passengers on one car! Regards Stan Mapstone

<<<<<In a message dated 18/04/2004 13:49:09 GMT Daylight Time, ADRABBOTT@aol.com writes: It has been suggested that his employment as a tram conductor may have been given out of sympathy to a man invalided out of the forces.>>>> After the war started it was not long before it caused a drain on manpower, and so to relieve the strain women were taken on as conductors. The first ten started on 9th June, 1915, and eventually all 85 conductors were female. By 1917 no less than 152 men were in the forces and the whole of the cleaning staff had been replaced by men exempt from military service. When the war ended the men returned and by 1920 the female conductors had all retired. ('The Tramways of Sunderland') From the above it looks as though anyone invalided out of the forces would more likely have been employed on the cleaning staff. Regards Stan Mapstone

Thanks to the many people who replied to my queries about my uncle allegedly dying from the First World War flu epidemic - but in 1922. It has been suggested that his employment as a tram conductor may have been given out of sympathy to a man invalided out of the forces. While that may be so, from what little I remember of riding on Sunderlad trams in the 1940's when visiting my grandparents suggests that the last job you would want would be as a conductor if you were unfit, galloping up and down stairs, exposed to the weather at times, and in an atmosphere heavy with tobacco smoke. And didn't the conductor sometimes change the points, too? Adrian

Hi Ron I would be pleased to help I live near the library. Regards Anne Young Hartlepool researching SIMPSON, HUTCHINSON ----- Original Message ----- From: <HamRon4@aol.com> To: <ENG-DUR-SUNDERLAND-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, April 17, 2004 6:28 PM Subject: [SUNDERLAND] 1861 Census > Good evening, > Is there anyone who has access to the 1861 census for West Hartlepool, > please? I would appreciate a lookup and a list of the family of William Loudon. > His wife is Margaret nee Vallance. There should be a daughter called Margaret > Vallance Loudon. She was born at West Hartlepool in 1858. There may also be a > son called John. I have no other information regarding any more family > members. > TIA. > Ron Hamilton, > Cheshire. > > > ==== ENG-DUR-SUNDERLAND Mailing List ==== > To post to the list, messages should be sent to > ENG-DUR-SUNDERLAND-L@rootsweb.com > >

Hello, Anne, I really appreciate your offer of help. Many thanks. Regards, Ron.

----- Original Message ----- From: <AvrilSteward@aol.com> To: <ENG-DUR-SUNDERLAND-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, April 17, 2004 1:03 PM Subject: [SUNDERLAND] Sunderland Tramcars > According to the book "Sunderland Corporation Transport - A History of > Public Service" > in 1921 the trams were carrying 32,500,000 passengers a year, so lots of > opportunities to catch some kind of infection from a passenger. Certainly my great > grandfather who was acting Station Master at Sunderland Railway Station in > 1883 seemed to be unlucky. He died at 32 of confluent smallpox. > Avril Steward Couldn't agree more Avril, I haven't forgotten the crowded trams -or buses- no regulations re number of passengers-just-'Move along there!-make more room!"We all breathed in each others germs!!. Betty.

Good evening, Is there anyone who has access to the 1861 census for West Hartlepool, please? I would appreciate a lookup and a list of the family of William Loudon. His wife is Margaret nee Vallance. There should be a daughter called Margaret Vallance Loudon. She was born at West Hartlepool in 1858. There may also be a son called John. I have no other information regarding any more family members. TIA. Ron Hamilton, Cheshire.

According to the book "Sunderland Corporation Transport - A History of Public Service" in 1921 the trams were carrying 32,500,000 passengers a year, so lots of opportunities to catch some kind of infection from a passenger. Certainly my great grandfather who was acting Station Master at Sunderland Railway Station in 1883 seemed to be unlucky. He died at 32 of confluent smallpox. Avril Steward

Pneumococcal Meninigitis was and still is an infection one can die of. Memingitis is an inflamation of the membranes surrounding the brain. It is now possible to vaccinate against this bacterial infection. I can't see that it would be an infection you didn't confess to- there was 'no shame' to it. Maybe the circumstances under which he may have got the infection were the problem? Families certinly did'cover' things up if they were perceived as shady or as I used to hear " not proper!" One had to maintain the family-'Good Name'!-and these were NOT things for children's ears to hear!! Betty.

----- Original Message ----- From: <ADRABBOTT >>"Acute pneumococcal meningitis", Pneumococcal meningitis is often a secondary problem to an upper respiratory tract infection - which certainly could be the flu. People don't usually die of the "flu" itself, but rather complications brought on by the persons weakened state eg they develop pneumonia. So for example in your uncles case what probably happened is that he got the flu and then the pneumococcus bacteria attacked because of his weakened state and led to the development of pneumococcal meningitis. The onset of pneumococcal meningitis is VERY rapid. He probably had the flu and then developed the meningitis and died within hours or days of the meningitis symptoms showing. So chances are that family members never actually saw the meningitis symptoms, only that he had the flu. Pneumococcus is actually a very common bacteria. Its responsible for ear infections, certain types of pneumonia and all sorts of other infections. Its a very short step in someone who is already ill for an ear infection to go to meningitis. Also remember that during WW1 many soldiers ended up suffering weakened lungs from the gassings. So it is certainly plausible that a severe dose of influenza could have been the final trigger to a medical discharge. So yes he could have worked as a tram conductor after that. He probably would have had chronic lung problems though and many did. Here in Australia jobs on the tramways and other government places were often given to returned servicemen and women in preference to civilians. Accomodations were made for ill health because they were "heroes". And that of course is what modern day servicemen get upset about - but thats a whole other story. I hope that helps some.......... Karen from Sydney, Australia

As Encephalitis is a carrier disease, a perfectly healthy person who is infected but shows no symptoms may infect another person. As your uncle was an Electric Tramcar Conductor he was ideally placed to be exposed to any infection going. I can remember the trams in Sunderland, and at peak times they were packed full, with not much room between the seats, and the upstairs was always full of cigarette smoke. The conductors had to go to each passenger in turn to take their fare and issue tickets, so he was always in close proximity to them. Regards Stan Mapstone

<<<In a message dated 16/04/2004 23:36:51 GMT Daylight Time, ADRABBOTT@aol.com writes: during the notorious epidemic which appears to have been anywhere from 1916 to 1920>>>> The Spanish Influenza Pandemic was from 1917-1919. The British Influenza Epidemic of 1918-1919 occurred in three waves. The first wave of what was called 'Spanish flu' reached England in June 1918, but most deaths occurred in the autumn of 1918, during the second wave, when approximately 200,000 people died in England and Wales, fewer British people died in the third wave of early 1919. Different viral strains were probably responsible for each separate wave, explaining the variations in severity each time, although this is not certain. As Karen states Influenza causes death in the majority of cases in a 'typical' epidemic through virulent infection that leads to pneumonia. Perhaps 10% of the deaths in Britain in the autumn 1918 wave were due to a particularly severe pneumonia that would develop suddenly, killing its victims-of all ages-within 48 hours or less. His death in August 1922 seems to be nearly four years after the last wave, so it does not seem likely to have had anything to do with the 'Spanish flu' epidemic. You say that the cause of death was "Acute pneumococcal meningitis", there was an Encephalitis epidemic in Britain 1919-1931. Meningitis is a relatively rare infection that affects the delicate membranes -- called meninges -- that cover the brain and spinal cord. Encephalitis is a disease of the nervous system, and apparently because physicians in England had no clinical experience of the disease it was mistaken at first for botulism, which is a bacterial infection.… Regards Stan Mapstone

Watching a TV programme about the epidemic at the end of the 1914-1918 war reminded me of a puzzle concerning my uncle Ralph THUBRON, born in Southwick, Sunderland, on Oct 3 1900. My mother, who was a very upright and truthful sort of person normally, told me that Ralph, her brother, served in the War and was invalided out with influenza, from which he died, during the notorious epidemic which appears to have been anywhere from 1916 to 1920 according to which experts are pontificating at the time. Imagine my surprise, when I eventually found out his date of death and got the certificate, to find that he actually died in the Sunderland Royal Infirmary as late as August 8th 1922, of "Acute pneumococcal meningitis", and that he was an Electric Tramcar Conductor for Sunderland Corporation. My search at the PRO at Kew for any military service record was unsuccessful, but his papers must have been amongst those destroyed because I have a photo of him in uniform. I suppose his health could have been ruined by the epidemic which made him more likely to suffer the meningitis, but surely if he was that unhealthy he wouldn't have been a tram conductor? Does anybody know if meningitis was considered to be the sort of illness you didn't confess to at that time, or maybe the doctors decided that the average person wouldn't understand the term and told his parents it was 'flu? My mother was 17 at the time, quite old enough to understand what was going on, and I wouldn't have thought the family would or could have pretended Ralph was a casualty of the war that long afterwards. Adrian

Hi I am at present researching the following people in the Sunderland/South Shields area. Catherine GRAY married to Robert DOW in Sunderland 24 May 1740 Ann DOW marriage to Charles REBURN 13.04.1769 at St Hilda's South Shields Ann RAYBURN to Joshua HALL 4 03 1801 Whitburn which states Ann was of this parish and Joshua Hall native of Easington. One of the witnesses was David MCQUEEN If anyone is researching these names, please contact me. May I ask if anyone has the baptisms for South Shields between 1769 to 1788 would they please do a look up for me. I have found the baptism for Ann Rayburn parents Charles Reburn and Ann Dow in 1776, but there is a gap of 7 years and I would like to know if there are any other children to this couple before Ann. Ann Rayburn chr August 1776 to Charles and Ann Rayburn at South Shields. John Reburn chr August 1779 to Charles and Ann Reburn at South Shields Charles Reburn chr 25 March 1781 to Charles and Ann Reburn at South Shields Henry Reburn chr 21 September 1783 to Charles and Ann Reburn at South Shields Catherine Reburn chr Nov 1788 to Charles and Ann Reburn at South Shields Henry Reburn christend Nov 1788 to Charles and Ann Reburn at South Shields Thank you Regards kathryn _________________________________________________________________ Express yourself with cool new emoticons http://www.msn.co.uk/specials/myemo

Hi, I am trying to find the parents of GEORGE SHORT born abt 1814 in Bishopwearmouth. He married Martha Young in April 1836. Any help would be very much appreciated. regards Jan

Many thanks to Stan, Avril, Diane, Philip and Grant who have all given me most useful information, most of it involving different aspects of my quest. I now have a much clearer idea of where to go and what to do when I get to Sunderland. What kind and helpful people there are on this list. With grateful thanks and best wishes. Sue Veillard Guernsey

Hello Sue, Whilst Stan may have addressed the question about Sunderland Parish records, I may be able to offer something about Maling family graves. I have seen and noted only two that have the following names & death dates: Allan Hartley Maling 1879 William Allan Maling 1886 Infant child of Arthur & Maud Maling 1925 Florence Mary Maling 1887 ---------------------------------------------------- Edwin Allan Maling 1920 Maria Jane Maling 1932 Eleanor Maude Maling 1950 George Allan Maling VC 1929 These I noted, but are no interest to me yet as I can't make a connection, however if you wish further info, their location in the cemetery with a map, just let me know. Either I can e-mail you an attachment or post a copy. My own interest In Maling is through Thomas Maling b 1828 Sunderland = Mary Wilson in Oct 1851, who had children William, Margaret Ann, George & Mary, where Margaret Ann married ‘my’ Benjamin Lowes Bell April 1877 at Bishopwearmouth. They seem to have been a Monkwearmouth family but married at the other side of town! I know from past experiences the Sunderland cemeteries well, and also the availability of the microfilms of the registers at the Local Studies Centre at the Library in Fawcett Street. Best wishes Grant White Born Sunderland, now living London, England Always on the lookout for the major shipbuilding families of Wearside.

Stan wrote:> > The Local Studies Centre at Sunderland City Library have an excellent > collection of parish registers covering the Sunderland area. > http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/Public/Editable/Themes/Lifelong-Learning/local- hi > story.asp > Stan, as always you have come up trumps. Thank you for posting this link, it was certainly one that I wasn't aware of. Many Thanks Diane R Sunderland UK

Hello, I would appreciate a lookup in the 1891 Sunderland Census for: Isaac BRITTON born 1859 Wales (Abercarne, MON) Occupation: Coal Miner It is possible his wife is Elizabeth born Sunderland c 1853. Thanks Regards, John --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.656 / Virus Database: 421 - Release Date: 9/04/04