Trevor's tribute to the famous – and infamous – folk of Wearside
From Dave Stewart to Charlie Hurley – a Sunderland historian and author has paid tribute to 120 famous Wearside people.
Trevor Thorne has studied the lives of the famous and infamous with connections to Sunderland.
Andhehasputitallinanew book called Noteworthy SunderlandPeople,whichincludes actors, sports heroes, musicians, shipbuilders as well as ‘one or two less reputable individuals’.
Trevorsaid:“Itcoversthose who have made a contribution to either local or national life, having been born or lived in the city.”
The £9.99 book was a project during the pandemic and Trevor added: “It was written inlockdownwhenaccessinglibraries and history resources was not possible.
"It looks at the full range of subjects from the Venerable Bede through to John and Irene Hays, the travel agents. Also included are shipbuilders, actors, musicians, sportspeopleandalsooneortwoless reputable individuals.”
His inspiration came from a former editor of The Sunderland Times newspaper called William Brockie. Trevor said: “In 1894 he produced a book called Sunderland Notables about the lives of some of the best-knownlocalpersonalities of the time.”
Trevor’s tribute includes Dave Stewart, Charlie Hurley, Sir Henry Havelock and Nancy Revell. There are also some lesswell-knownnamessuchas the first Mayor Andrew White, the painter Stuart Henry Bell, andtheinternationalcontralto singer Muriel Foster.
The book also pays tribute to Ida Cook, who saved many Jews from Nazi persecution.
And then there is William Reid Clanny, who was born in Northern Ireland and, after qualifying as a doctor, went to sea as a naval surgeon.
During his time in the navy, he took part in the Battle of the Baltic (fought to prevent the Danish Navy from joining Napoleonic France) and after leaving the navy, aged 29, he came to Sunderland to practise medicine.
Clanny’s fame came after two pit disasters, one at Herrington where there were 24 deaths and another in Felling. Both were caused by explosions.
Trevor said: “Clanny set about inventing a lamp to safely give out light underground wherepreviouslybarecandles had been used. He produced a paper – On Means of ProducingaSteadyLightinCoalMines Without Danger of Explosion.
"His initial design incorporated a candle encased in glass with a trough underneath containing water and air over
which water was passed by means of a bellow. This first version was cumbersome and Clannyworkedatreducingthe weight of the lamp. Tests were held at Herrington pit which was particularly susceptible
to fire and explosion.
“The local coal owners were so delighted with the invention that they presented Clanny with gold coins and a silver salver at the Atheneum in Fawcett Street. George Stephenson
acknowledged a debt to his research (the railway engineer was also interested in the subject).
“A visit to Clanny by Humphry Davy, the inventor of the better-known Davy Lamp, probably influenced its ultimate design.”
The book is available at Sunderland Museum, Waterstones, Clay’s Nursery, Haswell’s Farmshop and Sunderland Antiquarian Society.