Victorian and Edwardian Jarrow was a boom town but it also had a dark
side. The 19th century brought heavy industry to the town, transforming
it from a small market town to a shipbuilding and coalmining powerhouse.
People flocked to the town from outside, seeking work and new
opportunities in life, but many were to find that life in Victorian and
Edwardian Jarrow could be hard and sometimes cruelly cut short, and that
punishment was equally harsh. These stories were chronicled at the time
in the Jarrow Express newspaper and in this book author Natasha Windham
delves into the archive to discover tales of murder, manslaughter,
brawls and theft in the town.The stories include the attempted murder of
a police sergeant by an ex-officer who drowned in the River Tyne while
fleeing the scene, with the would-be murderer treated to a hero's
funeral, a murderous sprint across town one night by an armed gunman
which left two dead and seven wounded and a love triangle which ended in
death outside the gates of Palmer's shipyard.This collection of
true-life crime stories gives a vivid insight into Victorian and
Edwardian Jarrow. Dark Crimes of Jarrow will fascinate anyone who wants
to know more about the history of this town in the North East this
period, as well as those interested in the history of crime.
