THE NORTH SANDS MASSACRE 200 YEARS ON

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: sep/oct 2025 :: RMTnews 22 200 years ago, on August 3, 1825, at least five unarmed people were shot dead by soldiers at North Sands, Sunderland while attempting to break up a seafarer’s strike. Three seafarers on the North Sands – Thomas Aird, Richard Wallace, and John Dover – were all shot dead. At least four bystanders, including a 22-year-old shipwright Ralph Creighton and Mary Wilson, a woman in her seventies, were also shot and died of their injuries. However, the inquest that followed led by a corrupt local judiciary returned a verdict of ‘justifiable homicide’. To mark the 200th anniversary of the massacre, the North Sands Bicentennial Committee organised a remembrance procession from St Peter’s Church and names of the dead were read out. RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said that the massacre was an early example of brutal suppression against trades unionism and those who work at sea. “Seafarers came together to protect their rights, their safety and their livelihoods and they were met with deadly force by the state. “Two hundred years on, we honour their memory, their sacrifice and take heart from their heroic example into our current and future battles as trade unionists on sea and land,” he said. Addressing the gathering, RMT national secretary Darren Procter also said that the struggle that took place 200 years ago were around the same issues today within the shipping sector. “We still have a lack of protection due to flags of convenience vessels and a lack of political will over many years to address the exploitation, poverty pay and health and safety protection within the sector. “Whilst we remember the dead we should never forget the actions of employers to break the strike and murder individuals without being held to account by the politicians and government of the day. “We believe there should be a permanent memorial for the people of Sunderland as a reminder of the tragic events that unfolded on the North shore,” he said. The massacre occurred during a strike by the Seamen’s Loyal Standard Association (SLSA), an embryonic trade union that was fighting cuts in wages.  Local shipowners attempted to smash the association through the Ship Owners Protecting Society THE NORTH SANDS MASSACRE 200 YEARS ON Marking the bicentenary of the killing of striking seafarers and supporters in Sunderland