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.
