The main regret of one of the city’s greatest rat catchers

This week we look at the work of Sunderland rat catcher Thomas Newton and his one man battle against these verminous rodents, which have long been blamed for spreading lethal diseases across the globe.

A native of Sunderland, Newton had once been a seaman and had developed a passionate interest in rats.

He recounted that while at sea, he caught all the rats he could on the voyage, feeding them well before selling them for three pence each on his return for use in “rat pits,” repulsive events which were once common. Rat baiting was not initially prohibited and became a major opportunity for gambling. Perhaps 100 rats would be released into pits. Bets were wagered on how quickly dogs could kill all the rats. In 1925, Sunderland Health Committee, which also administered the Port Sanitary Authority, appointed Newton as official rat catcher. His success in destroying rats led to him being reappointed in 1926 and continuing to serve until his retirement in 1933. In his first year, he was responsible for killing almost 2,000 rats caught in traps (1,044 on board ships in the Port of Sunderland and 884 elsewhere in the borough). While these figures could be verified through a body count, hundreds more must have been killed as a result of nearly 4,000 baits laid during the year. Usually, the bait comprised of white bread and fish laced with poison. Priority was always given to visiting ships - 293 in 1925 - where he was likely to encounter the