Thomas Sanderson
Born in Sunderland on 8th January 1808. he became a very well known
character in Sunderland. From his home Metal Hall an iron hut on wheels
he sold all sorts of musical instruments but his
main occupation was mending umbrellas. Evicted by the corporation
from his home which was near where the museum is today, he decided to
leave town for a while. When he returned he became corporation bell
man and Sunderland's town crier until his death in 1892.
Mr Reay
known to everyone as the Hot Potato Man, as he sold hot
potatoes from his barrow sprinkled with salt and eaten straight
out of the bag from outside the Theatre Royal in Bedford Street.
He was loved by children and adults alike after 65 years 6 days
a week every week no matter what the weather, selling his tatties.
So it was a sad day on 25th September 1953 when he collapsed and
died at the age of 74. His son Tommy took over the business.
Mrs Rackstraw
was the best known midwife of the early 1900's. Born in 1868 she delivered
7,000 babies until her death in 1942. Her own daughter Henrietta was murdered
at her home in Henry Street east, in 1925 by her boyfriend who committed
suicide after he murdered her.
The Crab Woman
sat in Crowtree Road in the town centre selling fresh boiled crabs from a pram.
Children could be seen walking along the street picking the crab meat out of
the crab legs with a hairpin. It was the fathers who usually grabbed the nippers,
the mothers took home the back and pocket of the crab to make sandwiches for the tea.
