Murderous Wearside True Crime

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Inside of every one of us is a murderer. One day, when the world gets too much to bear or the one we love just won’t take the hint and stop nagging – that’s when we snap; sometimes with disastrous consequences. 

These are the words of the late Mr. Norman Kirtlan, an  esteemed member of Sunderland Antiquarian Society. 

During the nineteenth century, Wearside had its fair share of murders and without exception the Mackem public devoured scary stories and every horror story with relish. 

These are extraordinary true crime stories about ordinary people in the lanes and alleys of Sunderland: People who snapped; people who were so addled by drink or hatred that the consequences of their actions were only felt when the noose was placed around their necks. 

We revisit those dark days in Murderous Wearside and take a closer look at the true crime cases that made the headlines in times gone by in historic Sunderland. 

We hope you enjoy your trip down Union Lane and Wellington Street and the gallows at Durham Gaol. Perhaps you might meet an ancestor or two along the way. 

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