Holy Trinity in the East End has many stories but one of the oldest and most famous happened on Thursday 23rd February 1848. An 18 year old Sunderland seaman called Cairns was out at sea on his brig the Myrtle when he said the ghost of his recently deceased sister appeared to him. She had told him that she would return again in a few days when she would tell him things of importance which he could tell no one except her husband. While the Myrtle was docked at Sunderland she told her brother to keep vigil at her grave on Thursday 23rd.
Of course people found out and hundreds of curious people gathered at Holy Trinity for the manifestation, when midnight struck on the church clock all went quiet. When the sound of the last bell peel faded there suddenly rose from far off a melodious sound which lasting for some minutes was accompanied by a searing bright light that bathed all there in it's glow.
When the dark and silence returned to the church yard the people started to walk away, some saying they had expected more and some saying it had been a cunning hoax. The bright lights had been fireworks and the music a distant accordionist. On the whole most people there were convinced that what they had seen was a visitation from the other side including some clerics, but what we will never know are the secrets that Cairns took to his grave if any.
