Stories of Marsden

Classics runs through the stories, streets and stones of South Shields. This is Classics experienced by everyone in all classes. It is Classics that does not come from education or self-betterment, through exclusive channels. It is Classics on the ground; Classics ‘from below’. In this chapter, we trace popular awareness of the Roman past as it emerges from the stories and schemes of (mostly) working-class people associated with Marsden Bay from the late eighteenth to the late nineteenth century. We explore how tales about the Roman occupation were part of the experience of these people and played a part in shaping their lives, from their political inclinations to their attempts at enrichment. The characters we introduce, from anarchic Jack ‘the Blaster’ Bates to Newcastle radical Thomas Spence to Mazzini-supporter Sydney Hawkes, make Marsden a focal point for reflections on power and class dynamics.