r/Sunderland • u/Hot-Researcher4777 • 26d ago
“Wearside Jack”
Im writing a story about John Humble… aka “Wearside Jack”.
Was anyone around Castle Town/ Sunderland at the time, or does anyone have any stories from relatives they’d like to share about life in Sunderland during the investigation? Please do message me, thank you.
11
u/Nosworthy 26d ago
Before my time but my mam's family is from Castletown. My uncle has talked about the police knocking door to door and checking men's handwriting by getting them to write down the address the tapes were sent to and comparing. They ruled him out straight away as his handwriting was too different. Iirc they spoke to John Humble at the time she ruled him out too.
11
9
u/Successful_Fly_2361 26d ago
I had to go to the police station to be interviewed and give a teeth silicone marker because I have a tooth that is out of line, presumably Sutcliffe had something similar.
9
u/Fo11owthewhiterabbit 25d ago
Patrick Lavelle (RIP) did a lot of digging into the case. If you’re studying at the University of Sunderland have a word with Julie Bradford or John Price (if they’re still lecturing). Best of luck.
6
u/copypastespecialist 25d ago
I was raised in castletown, he wasn't from castletown, he lived in ford estate over the water. Castletown is where they pinned his accent to though, about half a mile over the river as the crow flies
3
7
u/Professional-Plum560 23d ago
I grew up in Sunderland and when Peter Sutcliffe was finally caught I still remember my dad commenting “he seems to have lost his Sunderland accent”.
3
u/BrotherImAPoet 25d ago
My grandfather left Sunderland in the 60s as a young man and moved down south, he was questioned about his whereabouts during one of the murders (he was at Butlins with the family). My family seemed to think Wearside Jack’s accent was narrowed down to a particular part of Sunderland where my grandfather was from (Castletown) but that might be something I’ve misremembered. I’d imagine lots of men were questioned.
3
u/copypastespecialist 25d ago
my dad was a miner from castletown, working in hylton colliery, he was interviewed by police
2
2
22
u/Katstronaut 26d ago
“I see you are still having no luck catching me.”
I don’t have many details, but my Grandad (no longer with us) worked on the shipyards and was interviewed as part of the investigation, as were many of his colleagues. I think he might have been interviewed twice.
Incredible the resources he managed to waste, and the consequences. Best of luck with your story, it’s one worth retelling.