BACK IN HISTORY AT SUNDERLAND POINT…

Temperance Hotel at high tide c1895. A John Walker Photograph: Courtesy Lancaster City Museums

Today we start an occasional series which takes us back in time - using family historian Elizabeth Hampson’s wonderful books on Sunderland Point and Overton as our guide. This week - a tragedy, an obituary, an auction for two houses on Second Terrace, and a promotion! But first… a tragic tale that has a lesson for us even today.

THE TIDE BRINGS TRAGEDY

THIS week, 147 years ago, William Seddon left Sunderland Point from his house on First Terrace - the old Temperance hotel which is now No 11 - and crossed the causeway to visit his brother in law at MIddleton Brows.

He never reached his destination - because lying in wait, as for so many Pointers over the last 200 or so years, was… an incoming tide… and the Globe Hotel.

As he reached the end of the causeway, the 51-year-old carpenter was - like so many before and since - tempted for a swift pint at the iconic Globe. 

The Globe Hotel c1900 A John Walker photograph: Courtesy Lancaster City Museums

That night was to be William’s last. Three hours - and a few pints - later, he walked back over the causeway only to fall from the road into a gully - no fluorescent road markers in 1877 - and despite his cries being heard by someone on the Point who went to investigate, the cruel sea took him - and we know the tide was up when he lost his footing.  He may even have been walking through flowing water along the road in his haste to get back to the Point.

William’s body was fished out a couple of days later.  Fate enjoys its ironies, so his inquest was held at the Globe - and that gives us the eyewitness accounts of the last few hours of his life. These - taken from the Lancaster Guardian for October 20, 1877 and reproduced in Elizabeth Hampson’s series - reveal that William was a little “fresh” - an archaic local term for tipsy - after a few drinks. 

His wife Agnes told the inquest:  “About 6 o’clock he left the house, telling me he was going to see his brother in law, Richard Iveson, of Middleton Brows. I told him it would be very dark before he could return home, but he said he would take the lantern to light him home.” 

We will never know if William told his wife a fib in order to spend the evening in the pub - but she was obviously concerned at him getting back late in the dark with a rising tide.

The men with him in the pub that night also recalled that fateful night. 

Joseph Winder (perhaps Woodman), another Sunderland resident, said: “I saw Seddon in this house – the Globe Inn – it would be about 9. Thomas Gornall, William Cleminson and William and James Shuttleworth were with him and myself. I stayed until nearly 10. As we rose to go, I saw he was a little “fresh”. He was unable to walk steadily. I went with him to the other side of the wooden bridge. He carried his lantern with him. When I parted with him, he would be a quarter of a mile from home. The tide was in at the time. I never heard or saw any more of him.” 

Thomas Gornall, who lived at Sunderland working on one of the farms, said: “I noticed Seddon was rather“fresh” by his talk. He walked right enough as far as I could see, but I was some yards before

him. I saw Winder leave Seddon. Winder joined us and I saw Seddon go in the direction of his own home. I did not see or hear anything more of him. The Landlord was in the room nearly all the time we were sitting there but went out a little before we did, to look after a horse. Only Seddon of the number was the worse for drink.” 

Then it was the turn of the landlord, Anthony Hoyle, who said: “I knew him as he was in the habit of calling here occasionally. He came here about half past seven. He was quite sober when he came, and appeared to ail nothing. They left about 10 minutes to 10. I had one glass of ale the whole time. Seddon had three glasses of beer during the evening. I went out a few minutes before 10 and did not notice that he was a little fresh but he always walked a little unsteady, because he was lame.”

Poor William was never seen alive again - but he was overheard. After falling in to the water, not far from the beach at Sunderland, he cried for help - and his cries were picked up by someone on the Point who went out to investigate - but decided that all was OK.

Ann Hodgson (from Point Farm - now number 14) revealed: “I knew him well and knew his voice. I went upstairs about half past 10 and I heard his voice calling “Tom”, the name of his son. On looking out I saw the light of the lantern some little distance off, and on the shore. I went downstairs and out of the house on to the front, and I heard him call “Tom” twice again. I could not guess the distance, and thinking he was alright and did not require any assistance I went into the house again and went to bed.”

After his disappearance, the unsavoury task of locating the body began. Thomas Spencer, a pilot at Sunderland, said: “I knew him, and on Friday morning I heard he was missing from home. I went out towards Overton to search for him. I found his body lying in a pool of water about four feet in depth, 300 or so yards from his own home. The lantern was in the same pool; there were no marks of violence on the body.”

Tom Spencer on the left: Collection Wilton Atkinson

The jury sitting in the Globe that day decided Seddon had accidently drowned - leaving us all a stark lesson from history of the perils of the tides at Sunderland Point. And to this very day, the pub is a firm favourite with Pointers - more than a century after the tragic end of William Seddon.

Exterior of the Globe today: Collection Jay Goulding

A regular sing around takes place at the Globe - still very popular with Pointers: Collection Jay Goulding

POLLUTION PETITION IN 1940

In October, 1940, fishermen and farmers from the Point, Glasson Dock and Overton joined together to sign a petition to the Lune Board of Conservators, complaining about oil left on the shore when the tide recedes. The concerns - reported by the Morecambe Guardian on October 12 - were that cattle and fish would be badly affected by the residues as they were washed in and out by the tide. 

SUNDERLAND HOUSES UP FOR GRABS!

You’re too late to grab this bargain - two houses on Second Terrace - probably 18 and 19 - were sold at auction in 1812 as Britain was embroiled in the war against Bonaparte. The advert in the Lancaster Gazette for the auction on October 17 at 6pm stresses that Sunderland is a “very delightful bathing place”. 

Houses 18 and 19 in the 1950s: Collection Rosemary Thacker

CONGRATULATIONS!

J.W. Gardner has been given the job of sea wall foreman, the Morecambe Guardian announced on October 27, 1928. Not a bad job in our opinion - and £5 a week salary! 

J. W. Gardner (second left) together with Arnold Townley, Hubert Townley and Jim’s brother, Tom Gardner: Courtesy Lancashire Archives.

REST IN PEACE, WILTON

A respected Sunderland man, Wilton Gardner, died this very day, October 20, in 1953, aged 71.

Here are some reflections written in 1995 by one of his relatives, Richard Wilton Atkinson, from a fascinating chapter on the Gardner family in Elizabeth’s first book.

“Wilton, although born in Morecambe, had all his schooling at St Helen’s C of E School, Overton. On leaving school he became an errand boy at five shillings a week for the Lancaster Firm of A. H. Mansergh Ltd floorcovering specialists. The two families were near neighbours and friends at Sunderland Pointand their names were to be associated for many years to come. In 1906 he married Margaret Bowker, daughter of a Sunderland Point Farmer and had two sons Wilton Jnr and James William. Wilton Jnr was ordained a Congregationalist Minister in 1933 but later in life joined his brother Jim in the family business of Mansergh, of which their father had become Managing Director. Uncle Wilton saw Army Service in India during World War One. He was an extremely modest and generous man who did an enormous amount of good by stealth. He lived most of his married life in Lancaster but had a brief spell during retirement at The Anchorage at Sunderland Point.”

Wilton Gardner with his wife Margaret, she also lived at Point Farm for a time, and son Wilton in 1917. Collection Gardner family

Many many thanks to Elizabeth Hampson for kindly allowing us to reproduce extracts from her wonderful books. Beth has very generously donated the contribution on sales of her books to the Mission Heritage Centre Trust which has been established to restore the Mission Church for use by residents and the public.

Copies cost £7 each or all three for £20, and the series of four for £25. P&P £1.50. Orders from the immediate local area can be delivered free. They may be obtained in person by calling at number 7 or number 14 on the Point, or by contacting Lynne Levey at  lynne.levey@icloud.comor Alan Smith at alandsmith7@hotmail.co.uk

For electronic copies, please contact Elizabeth directly at beth.hampson@hotmail.co.uk