Bishopwearmouth, human bones

In 1902, when some "ancient dwellings" at the south-east corner of the Bishopwearmouth rectory were demolished and the new fire station constructed, workmen found the skeleton of a man, thought to have been the owner of a coin hoard found during the same operations. It is thought that this find may relate to the unprovenanced story of an elderly man who was supposed to be very wealthy and kept his money in a strong oak box. One day he was missing and his residence was found to have been broken into and plundered. Possibly the old man had hidden his money underground before he was slain and buried by his murderers.