South Shields Sanddancers Forum

This is an old photo of Harpers Buildings. My father was born at number 14 in 1915,
my grandparents lived there until my grandmother and her mother in law died in
1917, they both died about the same time so I'm assuming it was due to some sort
of illness going around at the time. My grandmother was in her early thirties at the
time and she had just given birth to my aunt, she was the last of her five children
to be born. My grandfather died some 10 months later, killed in action WWI. A great
aunt and her family then moved into the same house and three generations of the
family lived there until the street was finally demolished.

The Britannia is on the right of the photo and the Co-op on the left, you can see
one of the Co-op's funeral cars in the street, on the left.
These days there is a car park where the houses are, and just past where the car
is in the photo is "The Maltings" pub.

Mr Smith wrote:This is an old photo of Harpers Buildings. My father was born at number 14 in 1915,
my grandparents lived there until my grandmother and her mother in law died in
1917, they both died about the same time so I'm assuming it was due to some sort
of illness going around at the time.

It could have been the Spanish flu epidemic which killed millions throughout Europe.

brian c wrote:

Mr Smith wrote:This is an old photo of Harpers Buildings. My father was born at number 14 in 1915,
my grandparents lived there until my grandmother and her mother in law died in
1917, they both died about the same time so I'm assuming it was due to some sort
of illness going around at the time.

It could have been the Spanish flu epidemic which killed millions throughout Europe.

That was supposed to be from 1918 Brian, after they had died. I'll have to get their
death certificates to find out.

Mr Smith, is that the 'Britannia' near the Town Hall? It's a very interesting photo.

ralph wrote:Mr Smith, is that the 'Britannia' near the Town Hall? It's a very interesting photo.

That's the one ralph. I worked at the Co-op at the time that photo was taken, it
was just behind the person who took the photo.

What an excellent photograph.



I have been passed this area hundreds of times and had often wondered what was there before the car park
and the telephone exchange, now I know, thanks.
I seem to remember a small hump back bridge at the bottom of the street that crossed the St. Hilda
railway line and brought you out at St. Bede's school facing Derby Street Baths. The bridge was the only
structure remaining as a pedestrian right of way for many years, presumably after the dwellings were
demolished.

The little bridge was known as "Pulley Bank", I used to take my dads horse to get shoes on at the blacksmith just over the bridge from the baths. Alfred Watson was the name of the firm. That would be in the fifties

I have just been checking out the records of 1911 census and my Great Great Grandfather John William Sullivan lived At 14 Harpers buildings with a family of 7 in two rooms.
David Sullivan

canetoad152 wrote:I have just been checking out the records of 1911 census and my Great Great Grandfather John William Sullivan lived At 14 Harpers buildings with a family of 7 in two rooms.
David Sullivan

What were the names of the others living in the house, were they all Sullivans?

More details would be much appreciated.

Re 14 Harpers Buildings. I was born there in 1943 and lived there with my parents until 1949.
Prior to that my Aunt and Uncle and young cousin resided there. I had an aunt and cousin who lived at No. 12 and and aunt and Uncle at No. 5.
During lat 30s to late 60's