18 Warren Street, Sunderland, Public House "The Royal Tent"

[Tessla]

Hi,
Does anyone have any information about a pub called "The Royal Tent" which used to be situated at 18 Warren Street, Sunderland.  It later became, I understand, a shop. Any pictures of it would be fantastic.
Thanks!

[stanmapstone]

HI Tessla
Welcome to RootsChat
A Royal Tent is mentioned in "Sunderland Public Houses" by Alan Brett, 2003. It was on High Street West. The pub was one of a row of buildings in front of Bishopwearmouth Church. Because of its location the pub was also known as "Hole-in-the-Wall". It closed in 1928, and was demolished to allow the top of High Street to be widened.
The 1858 Directory has the Royal Tent at 18 Warren Street, but it is not mentioned in any of the three books on Sunderland Pubs.
You are very unlikely to get a photograph.
Stan

[stanmapstone]

The Royal Tent in High Street, Bishopwearmouth, is in the 1827 Directory, but the one in Warren Street is not. They are both listed in the 1851 Directory.

Stan

[Tessla]

Hi Stan,
Thank you so much for your information.  My cousin's mother had the shop at 18 Warren Street, and the fact that the premises had been The Royal Tent, were on the deeds of the shop.  The shop was later purchased under a CPO.
Thanks again,
Viv

[Nicholas Simpson]

Hello Tessla,

I found this forum and your post while doing some research and I have good news for you, I have a photograph of Warren Street as you requested here which I've attached to the post below. This photo was provided to me by a local historian Jack Curtis and him and I are both volunteers for a local Maritime Heritage group.

I am hoping you might actually be able to help me since you say a family member's mother of yours owned the shop which is Wardle's? We at the Heritage recently rediscovered a selection of WW1 medals in our collection and we have a Shipping Federation medal with the name "C.Young" inscribed on the side with the date "C.Young Dec 7 1916" and the medal was for "services in the great war".
We started trying to find info about the medal but one of my colleagues discovered on the same date, a Sunderland built ship; SS Avristan, was torpedoed and sunk in the Ushant. Our quest has now evolved into seeing if C.Young was aboard the Avristan when it sank and if his award was in connection to that event.

I discovered on The Maritime Museum's databases that a C.Young of 18 Warren Street, Sunderland was an 18 year old cook's assistant on the Tyne-built ship "War-Combe" registered in 1915. Frustratingly, we can't find records for 1916 (log sheet attached below, row 9). Getting back to Jack, when he gave me the photo of Warren Street, he said he did not know of a Royal Tent pub in the street but he did know of the King's head hotel at 15 Warren Street. The photo he provided was taken at the end of WWII (the roof tiles of the buildings are blown off) and three doors to the right in the photo is the shop at 18 he says, which fits perfectly with your description of the address and your account.

Jack also said he knew of the Young family who lived upstairs at the time (it was common for generations of families to live together) and was friends with the young boy who lived there; Albert Young. Unfortunately Jack does not remember the Dad's name who I am hoping is C.Young and he has since lost contact with Albert.
If you could be so kind to help me in my research, could you ask your cousin if they knew of any members of the Young family who lived above the shop at the time and if they might know the full name of the man with the initials of C.Young? If we can get his full name and if he has any surviving family it would be great in my research as your account above, Jack Curtis' account, the registered address on the War-Combe's record mean I am confident we have the correct address and family, from there it's a case of linking the medal to this C.Young and the Sunderland-built ship, Avristan.

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer,

Nick.

[stanmapstone]

From the Newcastle Daily Chronicle - Saturday 08 August 1863

Stan

[Skoosh]

Strange name for a pub? wonder if this local "tale of a tent" on the night raid at the Battle of Stanhope Park could be the origin!

http://military.wikia.com/wiki/Battle_of_Stanhope_Park

Skoosh.

[Rosinish]

Hi Nick,

Sorry I can't help with your query but I would suggest you open a separate thread meanwhile for C Young, with all the info. you have on him, on the 'Armed Forces' board as they are excellent researchers.

Annie

[stanmapstone]

You can see "The Royal Tent" Warren Street on the 1860 map at http://www.durham-images.org/public/ms/m11/m11sb5.html, and "The Royal Tent" High Street at http://www.durham-images.org/public/ms/m21/m21sa5.html

Stan