Incomplete Narratives

John (1826-1898), a blacksmith, and Isabella (1831-1910) were enthusiastic members of the Primitive Methodist Church. They lived in Radcliff Terrace near Hauxley in Northumberland from about 1850 until the 1880s when they moved to Amble, Northumberland.'

The photos are on photographers cards with the name of the photographer C. Plews of Sunderland St, Houghton-Le-Spring.

Stanley Goodridge, born in Jamaica in 1928, known for his hostile and accurate bowling, played initially for Jamaica and in early 1954 moved to County Durham, England.

He played as a professional for Seaham Park in the Durham County Cricket League. He played two non-first-class matches for Durham in 1956. In one, he took five wickets against Yorkshire, all of Test cricketers.

He married in 1952 fellow Jamaican Connie Mark MBE BEM (1923–2007), medical secretary and later an activist for West Indians in London, with whom he had a son and daughter. They later divorced.

Cassa Pancho, or Trinidadian and English heritage, studied at Durham University. She wanted to write her dissertation on black ballet dancers but couldn’t find any. She resolved to found a company for black ballet dancers.

She started dancing when she was two and a half. and was met with racism in her training and career. She founded a successful dance company, Ballet Black, in 2001, a national portfolio organisation, winning many awards. She was awarded a MBE in 2013 for her services to classical ballet.

Born in 1934, Stanley Greaves is a Guyanese painter and writer, one of the Caribbean’s most distinguished artists with major exhibitions in the UK, Europe and the Caribbean.

Between 1963-1968 he studied painting at Newcastle University, majoring in sculpture, with a BA Honours Degree in Fine Arts.

Likely to be born in 1836, of a Caribbean background, originally named Arthur Williams, Martini Maccomo initially worked as a sailor in the London docks.

He was recruited by William Manders, the owner of ‘Manders Grand National Star Menagerie’ in 1857. He is likely to have been the first black Lion tamer in Britain.

He fought over 20 Lions and Tigers. On one occasion, performing in Sunderland, he was bitten by a Lion, named Wallace, who now resides in Sunderland Museum.

He travelled across Britain and died in Sunderland 1871 in the Palatine Hotel. He is buried in Bishopwearmouth Cemetry.