Sunderland parish church is a spacious brick-building, erected in the earlier part of the last century. Iu April 1651 there were in the town 63 places of worship, of which 31 belonged to five sections of Methodists, 9 to the Established Church, 6 to Baptists, 5 to Presby terians, 4 to Independents, 2 to Jews, and 1 each to Quakers, Itomau Catholics, and Unitarians. The total number of sittings provided was 30,766. There were 49 Sunday schools, with 6559 scholars ; and 129 day schools, with 7546 scholars. The town possesses several alma houses ; an infirmary and dispensary ; an eye infirmary ; a lying-in hospital; and a variety of benevolent institutions. A savings bank is in Monk Wearmouth.
In the town are a custom-house, an excise-office, and an exchange : the exchange is a neat modern building, and comprises a merchants' walk, commercial-room, news-room, auction-mart, and justice-room. A new Lyceum Hall contains a large hall 90 feet by 48 feet, to accom modate 1800 persons ; and two smaller rooms for publio meetings, with offices, committee-rooms, &c. There are a theatre and an assembly. room. On the town-moor of Sunderland are extensive barracks. The market place is commodious, and there are water-works and gas-works ou a large scale. In Bishop Wearmouth is an athenteuni, containing a largo hall, with lecture theatre, museum, and library.
The preservation and improvement of the port and harbour of Sunderland have been effected by commissioners appointed under successive acts of parliament. Ships drawing 18 feet of water can now enter and depart from the harbour with safety. The building of the south pier was commenced in 1723, and the pier was extended from time to time. The north pier was commenced in 1786. In the early part of the present century both piers were in part rebuilt. The length of the south pier is 650 yards; of the north pier 590 yards. A lighthouse, 73 feet in height, erected near the end of the north pier in 1802, was in 1841 removed bodily to the eastern extremity of the new pier, a distance of nearly 150 yards. The light was exhibited nightly during the operation of removal. The gross weight moved was 333 tons.
The principal manufactures of Sunderland are of bottle and flint glass, anchors, chain-cables, and other iron goods for ships, and cordage. Ship-building is very extensively carried on. There are also numerous boat-builders, chain-cable manufacturers, sail-cloth manufacturers, anchor- and ship-smiths, rope-, sail-, mast-, block-, and pump-makers; besides ship-owners, brokers, and chandlers. The ropewalks, in some of which steam-machinery is employed, are on a very large scale. Brick-making, digging coal, and the quarrying of grindstones are carried on in the neighbourhood ; and there are copperas-works, brass-foundries, potteries, hat-manufactories, lime-works, timber-yards, flour-mills, tan-yards, and breweries. The commerce of the town is however more important than its manufactures. Coal is very extensively shipped at Sunderland. The number of vessels registered as belonging to the port on December 31st, 1854, was—Sailing-vessels under 50 tons 97, tonnage 2955; above 50 tons 803, tonnage 205,527 ; and 41 steam-vessels, tonnage 2338. During 1854 there entered and cleared at the port—in the coasting trade, sailing-vessels, inwards, 1523, tonnage 124,265 ; outwards, 11,439, tonnage 1,465,088 ; steam-vessels, inwards, 7, tonnage 526; outwards, 142, tonnage 53,338. In the colonial trade the returns are as follows :—Inwards, 132 vessels of 32,898 tons; outwards, 205 vessels of 45,642 tons. In tho foreign trado the numbers are :—Inwards, 615 British vessels of 105,876 tons, and 1063 foreign vessels of 103,114 tons; outwards, 935 British vessels of 190,539 tone, and 1378 foreign vessels of 139,300 tous.
The export of lime is another principal branch of trade; also the export of glass and grindstones. The imports are timber and iron from the Baltic ; butter, cheese, and flax from Holland ; and a variety of goods brought coastwise. A considerable fishery is carried on. Sunderland is much frequented for sea-bathing ; and the usual accom modations are provided for visitors. The market is held on Saturday : there is also a cattle-market, and there are two yearly fairs. A county court is held in the town.