I have just found that a great-uncle by marriage, Patrick O'Neill, was found in the Wear drowned near Hardcastle's Slip in 1913. According to the death cert. the coroner found no explanation as to the reasons for him being in the river. Family hearsay has it that he was inebriated and took a dive off a ferryboat, but this doesn't seem to be substantiated. I've searched for Hardcastle's Slip on the Net, and the only reference I can find is to a shipping disaster in May 1830, where 65-75 ships were grounded due to a severe outrush of water, and this imples that the Slip was near the Sunderland harbour entrance. Does anyone know where it was, and if there was a ferry nearby? Adrian, Hants

What memories you stirred up. As children we would swim across to save the ha'penny it cost for the ferry. Trish ----- Original Message ----- From: <ADRABBOTT@aol.com> To: <ENG-DUR-SUNDERLAND-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, August 13, 2004 2:55 PM Subject: [SUNDERLAND] Hardcastle's Slip > I have just found that a great-uncle by marriage, Patrick O'Neill, was found > in the Wear drowned near Hardcastle's Slip in 1913. According to the death > cert. the coroner found no explanation as to the reasons for him being in the > river. > > Family hearsay has it that he was inebriated and took a dive off a > ferryboat, but this doesn't seem to be substantiated. > > I've searched for Hardcastle's Slip on the Net, and the only reference I can > find is to a shipping disaster in May 1830, where 65-75 ships were grounded > due to a severe outrush of water, and this imples that the Slip was near the > Sunderland harbour entrance. > > Does anyone know where it was, and if there was a ferry nearby? > > Adrian, Hants > > > ==== ENG-DUR-SUNDERLAND Mailing List ==== > This list is only as good as you make it. Please Participate and help keep it interesting! > >