Dark Crimes of Jarrow

Victorian and Edwardian Jarrow was a boom town but it also had a dark side. The nineteenth century brought heavy industry to the town, transforming it from a small market town to a shipbuilding and coal-mining 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 in the Jarrow Express, 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 that ended in death outside the gates of Palmers 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 during this period, as well as those interested in the history of crime.