This heavy bronze plaque was for many years on the house which was the birthplace of Sir Cuthbert Sharp at 113 High Street Hartlepool.
After a period of at least 12 years during which time a number of local people campaigned that the historic Georgian house should be saved, it was demolished by the old Hartlepool council around 1959.
It seems one of the engineers working on the demolition gave the plaque to Hartlepool Council for safekeeping and it was placed somewhere in the Borough Buildings. What happened next is a bit more unclear.
In 1967 Hartlepool and West Hartlepool amalgamated and an effort was made to recover all artefacts and documents from both towns and the then Borough Engineer brought the plaque to Hartlepool Museum in 1972. It is catalogued and in safe keeping although for a number of years it was on display at Hartlepool Maritime Museum when it was in the Carnegie Building. It is hoped that in the near future it can be once again displayed.
Donor : Hartlepool Museum Service
Creator : F.Wilson
Location
Sir Cuthbert Sharp was born in 1781 in Hartlepool to parents Cuthbert and Susannah. He was baptised in St Hilda's Church. Cuthbert married Elizabeth Croudace at Edinburgh on 8th October 1811. He died aged 68 at Newcastle in 1849.
He is known in particular for his History of Hartlepool published in 1816 and still in print today.
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