THE MOSAIC MAN OF SUNDERLAND | EDWIN SMYTH

Added: 2026-06-04

[00:00:05]Hello everyone. Just walking down Dunbar Street in Sunderland.

[00:00:10]Now this video is about a talented man.

[00:00:13]You can see by the title. I've called it uh the Sunderland mosaic man or it's going to be something along those lines, but it doesn't tell the full story about this man. He lived on Dunbar Street for most of his life.

[00:00:27]And uh his legacy lives on today across the city cemeteries and also in some other cemeteries around Sunderland and some war memorials and so on. That man was Edwin Smith.

[00:00:43]He also had his workshops on Westlands, which is just around the corner from here. I don't think it's it's not there anymore. I think it's been knocked down.

[00:00:52]But it was either coincidence that he lived over here and had his workshops here or it was just good planning because the very bottom of this street is Bishop Wearmouth Cemetery, which is obviously very handy if you're a monumental mason. But he was more than that. He was a letterist.

[00:01:13]He created lots of fine garden sculptures, went to flower shows.

[00:01:18]But uh I'll start his story properly when we go across to the cemetery and I'll show you lots of his fine work. I'm going to break this video up into smaller segments simply because [screaming] I don't want the video to just be me walking all over the place because there aren't there's there's lots of wards where there's lots of his work in. So I'm just going to go to the different sections then move to the next one.

[00:01:43]So he was born in 1885 and grew up in the Millfield area of the city. The family must have had some talent because his brother James became an art teacher and Edwin himself went to Sunderland Art College where he learned about sculpting and then when he left he became an apprentice stonemason but his specialty became all this monumental work in like graveyard and cemeteries.

[00:02:16]I am going to end the video at a certain headstone which gives a bit of background to the origin of the Smite Smite family and I will apologize guys if I say Smith instead of Smite. It's one of those things that's easy to do.

[00:02:32]So he set himself up in business and one of his adverts states how choosing like erecting a memorial is a matter of personal attention and care and it shouldn't be really done by just looking at a catalog or by through a canvas type of thing. So literally you would come and see him and he would come up with a memorial. Apologies for the noise we are right next to the busy Chester Road in Sunderland but the other bits are a little bit quieter.

[00:03:06]But look at this.

[00:03:08]In this one small section the slate memorial here. That's for Thomas Williamson 14th of January 1856 to the 8th of November 1917.

[00:03:21]And at the bottom not all of his work has a surname on but look at this the lettering which you could say it has a lot of class about it.

[00:03:29]That's cuz he was a letterist.

[00:03:32]But if you're ever at Durham Cathedral there's a memorial type of Washington family, you know, George Washington's ancestors. He did the lettering on that.

[00:03:40]He also did some of the lettering at the Whitburn War Memorial. So if you're ever passing that you'll see it there and I believe at Cleadon, I've never seen the Cleadon War Memorial he did some work there.

[00:03:51]But, uh And this one But, this one even has Must be like the grave plot 14 CC grave 18.

[00:04:01]Not all of them do that. So, this is Look at that.

[00:04:05]So, he designed this himself. Imagine the time taken to do this. He did didn't just do like s- not straightforward, is it? It's absolutely skilled piece of work.

[00:04:16]He did uh like bird bath memorials, sundial memorials. And he also did some these things like they were called like gardens of remembrance where they were like graves surrounded by bricks. Uh we probably should You'll probably see some shortly cuz I'm going up an area where he's got loads of them.

[00:04:34]is the one which has probably got the most of his work in this. Hundreds in here.

[00:04:39]But, also Me and Old Cemetery and Sunderland Cemetery. I've seen them his work in Whitburn, Seaham, Penshaw, West Herrington.

[00:04:50]Uh Southwick Cemetery.

[00:04:53]But, there's probably more. Obviously, the further away you get, there'll be less. Might be some in Chester Street, South Shields. Haven't been to every cemetery in the area. But, that's the first one.

[00:05:04]And this is another one of his well-known ones.

[00:05:13]So, he would have planned this and individually put this together.

[00:05:18]And it's lasted well. Look at this. To the memory of Ann Sophia Pruitt, for 13 years superintendent nurse of the Union Hospital. Born 9th of September, 1860.

[00:05:26]Died 9th of October, 1910. So, she was like the head work head nurse down at the Union workhouse hospital.

[00:05:35]And erected by officials and friends. I don't think that one has got Smythe written on it.

[00:05:42]But, uh absolutely stunning. I I going to take loads of photos from the visit which will be on my Facebook page Adventures into Sunderland history. So there's two there and then look at this.

[00:05:56]Sacred to the memory of George Shaw, master mariner, born 5th of December, 1840, died 18th of August, 1932. And another mosaic one.

[00:06:08]The detail on that absolutely stunning. But just to give you an example, somebody else must try to copy him.

[00:06:17]This is by the Borodale brothers.

[00:06:19]So as you can see, it's still a lovely memorial, but just the finishing just is nowhere near like him.

[00:06:29]I would have loved to have known what the cost of uh a memorial like this cuz obviously you had to design it. It wasn't just like buying a piece of stone and carving some letters on and so on. So this is just behind the garden center on Chester Road if you ever want to have a look for them.

[00:06:45]So let's go and have a look at another Sometimes it's easier to find them if you just like scan the horizon and you can see them in the distance cuz they stand out. Look at this one.

[00:06:54]How sturdy.

[00:06:56]And the quality of the lettering always stands out. Sacred to the memory of my loving wife Eliza Eliza Lax. She died 1938 70. And also mentioned William William Wilson Lax, husband of the both for 47 years, bandmaster of the Sunderland Constabulary Band.

[00:07:12]So the police have their own band. A lot of people complain because they didn't do much policing. Literally they did uh played the music for like uh well-to-do people's funerals and go to shows and practice.

[00:07:27]I'm going to show you one of the most beautiful ones in a moment.

[00:07:30]Now that's a great surname sort of Christian name.

[00:07:33]Remigius.

[00:07:34]Good luck name.

[00:07:36]But uh Edwin's there's a lot of slate memorials which I love because slate always lasts.

[00:07:42]To the memory of Philip Ellerington who died 11th of July 1917 in his 18th year.

[00:07:49]And William at the bottom who was drowned at Tessering Tesseling in Holland.

[00:07:58]See, they just look class. But the finest one is possibly this. This is for members of the Kennedy and Rochester family. Again, slate.

[00:08:10]I'll do a close-up of that.

[00:08:13]Look how many pieces of mosaic are in there. So, each one would have to be individually cut out and then placed on a pre-designed like He must have had a plan. He'd have to design that.

[00:08:31]But the colors as well.

[00:08:37]I think possibly this is my favorite work of Edwin.

[00:08:41]There should be a photo or drop one in to the video about now of Edwin.

[00:08:47]Uh the his grandson is alive to this day. I sometimes correspond with then to share us bits of information about him.

[00:08:55]So, hopefully Ian's watching this.

[00:08:59]And here's another great one. I've forgotten what this Latin word Semper Fidelis is. Dave, if you're watching, you told me once. I'm sure it was you who told us.

[00:09:07]So, that's for members of the Waddell family. William Waddell and Betsy his wife.

[00:09:14]Again.

[00:09:16]The immense detail in that and the patterns to go around. But just on the side I think this is actually how it was I don't know if it was actually supposed to be stood up or it was designed to be laid flat cuz it would be upside down if it was the other way or go back.

[00:09:32]Either way, it looks beautiful.

[00:09:34]And then on On side you've got these.

[00:09:37]Again, we'll never know the price unless somebody has in like their family heirlooms like a receipt from back in the day.

[00:09:47]So, you can imagine there's probably a few thousand people alive today who have grandparents, great-grandparents, great-great-grandparents who have memorials that were built and created by Edwin and his assistant. I don't know how many he he had. I've seen him advertise for like uh an apprentice. So, cuz there's no way he could have done all of this work on his own cuz obviously you have to erect them as well. And look at all the stone here.

[00:10:20]So, here's another beautiful slate one. This is from memory of Sarah Ann Davidson, wife of Jim Sorry, J. M. Davidson.

[00:10:29]And there's other members. Again, the quality and the class on that lettering.

[00:10:36]Look at that.

[00:10:37]And just to show you, somebody else has tried to copy him over here.

[00:10:40]Again, still a nice little memorial, but it's just scroll in the background. It's just not the same, is it?

[00:10:56]I don't believe it is cuz I don't know what that I think it might be Borrowdale one.

[00:11:00]I can't see the name on that that one.

[00:11:04]I was thinking it's like Edwin Smiler is like getting a card from Clinton's and the other people were like uh going to the card factory.

[00:11:13]So, they would have been expensive.

[00:11:18]I'm hoping this is one of Edwin's.

[00:11:21]This is what I meant about these like gardens of remembrance.

[00:11:25]There's loads of them at this top end of the cemeteries we're moving at like different time periods.

[00:11:33]Hopefully, I'll see another one further down.

[00:11:36]Right, let's go and find another ward with some of his work.

[00:11:46]It's only got a very tiny part of it which is uh of mosaic. I'm just double-checking that it is actually his cuz he didn't for some reason he didn't put Oh, yeah. Oh, there's a Smythe there.

[00:11:59]It's definitely one of his. I was worried I'd got the wrong one. I don't want to mess them mix them all up.

[00:12:08]There's not as many in this ward or there might just be not as many which are mosaic ones.

[00:12:13]Oh, there's a cluster of them here.

[00:12:21]Look at that.

[00:12:22]Literally, you imagine giving that just like a quick clean, that would look pretty much brand new.

[00:12:30]That's for the members of the Gibb family.

[00:12:36]1917 and 1919, so it's all probably over 100 year old that one if they put the headstone up a few months later.

[00:12:42]And then there's two here. This looks an expensive one.

[00:12:46]This is the Davison family and then there's the Greaves next to them.

[00:12:50]I'll just stand back. I'm not going to go in.

[00:12:52]But you should see the the gold mosaic sections on that grand one there.

[00:12:58]And then that's for the Greaves one and again, I'm just scanning the horizon.

[00:13:04]It's a rather warm day.

[00:13:10]And the next ward has got some special ones in it as well.

[00:13:18]Let's have a look at this one.

[00:13:23]This one belongs to the Robinson family.

[00:13:24]It belongs to the Affleck family.

[00:13:28]Got the RF symbol on there.

[00:13:30]Just going to have a look cuz I've got off that lettering does look a little bit like Edwin's.

[00:13:38]No, it's Borrodell Brothers.

[00:13:43]The Borrodell Brothers, their father came from my hometown, Barnard Castle.

[00:13:50]They were another one of the big and Mason families. The brothers took over and started their own business.

[00:13:58]But uh There's another one of Edwin's work.

[00:14:06]Right.

[00:14:10]I think the next one will be my last sort of normal ward, then I'll go off to the military section, the well, the main military section in this cemetery.

[00:14:19]I'm going to have to stand back here cuz uh Good job the sun's coming cuz it is rather warm.

[00:14:31]I know Edwin does have lots of fans, I know a few friends of mine who do love his work and go around taking photos of it. It's great to see them Broadbelt.

[00:14:47]It's hard to really be lost in here just from a unless you go around and have a look at every single headstone.

[00:14:52]Cuz you scan from a distance, I'm just trying to I'll have to show you this as we're walking through.

[00:15:04]I can see one over there I missed cuz I was facing that way.

[00:15:08]Look at that. In loving memory of Selwyn Athelstan.

[00:15:11]Athelstan, good Saxon name, isn't it?

[00:15:13]Oh, here we've got one.

[00:15:20]And remember, I'm just literally skimming the cemetery on this particular trip.

[00:15:26]Highlighting some of the stuff from like I know which from memory obviously I know which sections have got uh the most of his work in and from headstones I remember.

[00:15:39]That's possibly one of his.

[00:15:51]This is sometimes where you can hear the parakeets in this little section here.

[00:15:54]But today, you've just got the lawnmower.

[00:16:05]At least it means it's being maintained.

[00:16:08]So, when I was in here, I did that video a couple of weeks ago, you know, about the sudden and soldiers who never came home. And I featured a few of them.

[00:16:16]But uh Is there another one?

[00:16:23]I'm just going to go back here cuz I don't want to miss There's a really special one.

[00:16:29]Uh Just down this path.

[00:16:35]And I can see loads over there.

[00:16:40]You can imagine if uh people came to see loved ones and they get like their particular grave spot and walk past one of his, they're like, "I want one of them."

[00:16:52]I love that name, Clementina.

[00:16:56]There's another one of his star ones.

[00:16:58]There's a beautiful one over me and all, which I featured on previous videos with uh Chris Howson and a few others raised money and got it repaired.

[00:17:07]But that is beautiful and the lettering.

[00:17:14]So, a lot of these headstones, when they're Edwin Smales ones, I haven't researched the stories. I just like appreciated like uh the craftsmanship in the work.

[00:17:25]But obviously each one of these long gone people have their own story.

[00:17:31]There's another one.

[00:17:33]And I'm just going to go up here cuz there's a I think a few quite close together.

[00:17:38]And there's another special one. Keep saying special. Just got Keep seeing them in the distance.

[00:17:51]There's another one.

[00:18:01]And another.

[00:18:04]Sacred to the memory of my dear husband Arthur Harford. I actually know somebody with that surname. So if you were watching, that might be one of yours.

[00:18:14]wreath That one.

[00:18:20]Just all over the place in this section.

[00:18:26]That one. The Fogg family.

[00:18:32]But as well at this particular section of assembly, it's a bit unique cuz it's it's got like headstones which are facing west and some which are facing east. Like look, they're all they're all looking at me.

[00:18:46]But if I turn around, there's another one and that's the level of skill he had.

[00:18:55]Another slate one. That hasn't got any mosaics on it, but it's just cuz the craftsmanship.

[00:19:02]One.

[00:19:04]Two.

[00:19:06]Just from the eye line, I can see absolutely loads of them.

[00:19:11]Cuz I can't put all of them on.

[00:19:14]This is for members of the Bartle family.

[00:19:19]Another nice one.

[00:19:27]That's one of the star pieces of his work. To the memory of my dear husband, Frank Malmquist, who died 5th of March, 1970, aged 45 years. Thy will be done.

[00:19:39]Sounds uh Swedish, doesn't it? Malmquist.

[00:19:45]That one?

[00:19:46]Right, I'm going to go to the military section now.

[00:19:48]So, I'm at the large Commonwealth Grave Commission section.

[00:19:58]Graves of all these soldiers, RAF men, merchant navy men, sailors.

[00:20:04]Lots to remember today. There are hundreds more scattered around the whole cemetery individually and in two smaller sections, but we're here to look at the work of Edwin.

[00:20:13]So, look at this how sturdy this is.

[00:20:18]Slate to the memory of George Cunningham, who died November the 13th, 1918, aged 20 years.

[00:20:24]Also, William Barwick, Thomas Clark, Matthew Henderson, John Nesbitt, and John Scrother, all of whom gave their lives in the Great War, 1914 to 1919. So, this was erected by employees and workmen of South Hilton Engine Works in honor of the above comrades.

[00:20:42]So, I don't know if anyone is actually buried at this spot or whether this is like a symbolism where they've put this beautiful headstone.

[00:20:51]And uh Edwin, as we can see down here, has done a great job and there's his lettering as well. And there's another one just over here. Where's it gone? Oh, the other way.

[00:21:06]Just jump here.

[00:21:10]To the memory of Ronald dearly loved son of J.R. and M.G. Reed, private in Lincoln's Regiment, died for his country January the 26th, 1920, aged 22.

[00:21:20]Thy will be done. So, now after watching this video you should be able to spot lots of Edwin Smythe if you ever go on your wanders around this particular cemetery.

[00:21:31]Now, I am going to close the video on one last memorial which isn't actually done by Edwin Smythe but gives a little detail in his life. Before I do that, if I could ask you click on the like, give it a subscrip- subscribe to the channel, all helps and bits and pieces. So, as I said, I've mentioned in Sunderland History Facebook page all the photos I've taken today will just be put onto there so you can have a closer look cuz every time I stop there doing like a little section of this video I'll go back and I take some photos of them. So, let's go and see the last memorial which gives a little bit of information about the the Smythe family.

[00:22:09]And here is the last grave. So, "They shall hear his voice and shall come forth."

[00:22:15]And this is for Robert Smythe, the able and faithful parish schoolmaster of Polwarth, Berkshire from 1824 to 1873, died June the 29th, 1879, aged 81 years.

[00:22:27]So, Robert was the grandfather of Edwin.

[00:22:33]And he Look at that. What was that uh 1824 to 73, so it was 49 years he worked at that school in this little village in Berkshire.

[00:22:46]So, he retired to Sunderland with his wife Barbara Dixon.

[00:22:51]And the reason for that was because their son William Smythe, who who is Edwin's father, son of the above, died at Chirnside, Berwickshire, January 15th, 1917, aged 70 years. So, William, believe was a shipwright.

[00:23:10]He moved to Milfield in Sunderland, had a family including Edwin, and then must have died up in Chirnside.

[00:23:17]But, uh this Robert Smythe, that was, I believe, Edwin's brother.

[00:23:25]And for time, Edwin was living at Howarth Street down in Mid- Milfield. I have done a story about Robert Smythe called the schoolmaster, just about, uh his life coming all the way from that rural Berwickshire village to settle in like the hustle and bustle of Milfield.

[00:23:44]So, that's it for this particular video.

[00:23:46]Hope you enjoyed it. There's lots of Edwin's work, and even in this old section down here, there's a couple I've I've seen on my way down.

[00:23:53]So, thank you very much for watching, and I will see you next time. Take care, everyone. Bye.