'The Never To be Forgotten, 3rd August' - North Sands Massacre, Sunderland, 1825

'The Never To be Forgotten, 3^rd August' - North Sands Massacre, Sunderland, 1825

David Scott

Nearly 200 years ago, on 3rd August 1825, at least five people were shot dead by soldiers at North Sands, Sunderland. 

The massacre occurred during a strike by the Seamen's Loyal Standard Association (S.L.S.A.), an embryonic trade union.  The context was lowering wages, attempts by local shipowners to smash the association through the Ship Owners Protecting Society [S.O.P.S.], and a controversial legal case between the S.L.S.A and John Davidson, a local shipowner and magistrate, who’d failed to pay workers for fitting out his ship.  Specifically, the 1825 strike was about offloading ballast at sea from unladen boats returning to the port.  The S.L.S.A argued this was both dangerous, as the ships could capsize, and unfair because crews were not paid additional wages for this work.

During the strike, members of the S.L.S.A. prevented ships from leaving port.  On the day before the massacre, 2nd August 1825, attempts to negotiate a settlement collapsed.  The S.L.S.A. had proposed the strike would end if the shipowners promised to provide work opportunities for union men and pay for offloading ballast at land or sea. S.O.P.S. rejected this proposal, so striking seamen returned to the river on their small coble boats to prevent larger ships from sailing.

On the 3rd August, the ship owners decided it was time to break the strike.  Several shipowners, non-unionised labour and special constables attempted to get several ships out to sea.  Initially frustrated, they turned to John Davidson, a Bishop Wearmouth magistrate.  Davidson was antagonistic to the S.L.S.A. following the outcome of the above-mentioned legal case, where he had lost £200 (approx. £24,000 equivalent today) in legal fees.  At Sunderland harbour, Davidson boarded a steam packet. At least eight soldiers from the 3rd Light Dragoons, under command of Lieutenant Phillips, also sailed down the river in the Thomas and Dorothy before joining Davidson on the steam packet.

Striking seamen on the river retreated to the stony beach at North Sands. More than 100 people, including women and children, had gathered there by that time.  As the steam packet ventured closer to the riverbank, some women in the crowd started throwing stones.  Davidson consulted with Lieutenant Phillips, and the soldiers opened fire. According to a S.L.S.A letter dated 8th August 1825; soldiers fired into the crowd as if it were targeting practice.  Three died within an hour on the beach, and at least two others died within the next two days.  Six were seriously wounded, and the exact number of deaths may never be known.  Local people demanded an inquest verdict of murder for the dead, named as William Ayrd, Richard Wallace, John Dove[r], Ralph Hunter Creighton, and James Quigley, of whom the latter two, Creighton and Quigley, were bystanders. But the inquests returned verdicts of ‘justifiable homicide’ for the first three deaths and ‘accidental death’ for Creighton.   

The funeral procession comprised 1,200 people.  Mourners sang, wore black crape and solemnly placed a British flag on the coffins.  Criminal court cases followed in October 1825, and eight strikers were imprisoned.  Further seamen strikes occurred in 1826 and 1831, but neither had such a bloody ending.

To mark the 200th anniversary of the North Sands massacre, on Sunday, 3rd August 2025, a remembrance procession will take place at 2.15pm from St Peter's Church, Sunderland. A commemorative wreath in remembrance of the dead will be placed at the location of the North Sands massacre (now St Peter’s Campus, University of Sunderland). There will be readings, singing, and the naming of the dead.  All are welcome.  Please bring your Union banners.  The commemorations are being organised by Dave Allan, Sunderland TUC President, Mark Metcalf, a local campaigner and Dr David Scott, The Open University.