The first Licensing record for the Locomotive Inn dates back to 1850 with Emmanuel Hayton the licensee. Maria Pike held the licence in 1856.
On the 4th December 1947 it changed its name from “Locomotive Inn” to “The Locomotive”
It changed its name from The Locomotive to The Steamboat in the late 1970s.
Joe Mooney was the Landlord from about 1990 for over 30 years.
The pub extended into the old Post Office which had belonged to John Gaddes.
One of the many characters in the pub was Erasmus Bottle also known as Dave Walker a former BBC man who used to give humorous and interesting talks in the Steamboat.
Between 2008 and 2018 it won the Local CAMRA Pub of The Year 8 times! In 2020 Kath Brain became Licensee.
It is a Grade II listed building. The Steamboat is still a great pub now.
Sources:
British Newspaper Archives
Licensing Records
Terry Ford
Trade Directories
Photos:
Ron Lawson, Sunderland Antiquarian Society
South Tyneside Libraries
Terry Ford