Place:Washington, Durham, England

source: Family History Library Catalog

the text in this section is based on an article in Wikipedia

Washington has been since 1974 a town in the City of Sunderland local government district of Tyne and Wear, England. Before 1974 it was part of County Durham. Washington is located geographically at an equal distance from the centres of Newcastle, Durham and Sunderland, hence it has close ties to all three cities.

Washington was designated a new town in 1964; it expanded dramatically, by the creation of new villages and the absorption of areas of Chester le Street, to house overspill population from surrounding cities.

At the 2011 census, Washington had a population of 67,085, compared to 53,388 in 2001.

Washington was an ancient parish in the Chester Ward of County Durham. It was made a civil parish in the 19th century and became part of the Chester le Street Rural District when the rural district was formed in 1894. In 1922 the town was removed from the rural district and made an urban district, a status it held until 1974. In 1937 Washington absorbed the neighbouring parishes of Barmston, Usworth and Harraton. In 1974 the county of Tyne and Wear was formed and this part of County Durham was transferred to the new county. Since 1974 Washington has been part of the City of Sunderland metropolitan district.

Washington ancient parish included the townships of Barmston and Usworth.

William de Wessyngton was a forebear of George Washington, the first President of the United States, after whom the US capital and many other places in the United States are named. Though George Washington's great-grandfather John Washington left for Virginia from Hertfordshire, Washington Old Hall was the family home of George Washington's ancestors. The present structure incorporates small parts of the medieval home in which they lived.

Research Tips

• County Durham Archives. Durham County Record Office is located on the Lower Ground Floor of County Hall, the administrative headquarters of Durham County Council, in Durham City.
• Northumberland and Durham FHS covers both Northumberland and the northern part of County Durham. The Family History Society have a research centre in Percy House in central Newcastle upon Tyne (full address on website), open Monday to Friday from 10 am to 4 pm. Browse the website to see what else the society can provide.
• The Cleveland, North Yorkshire & South Durham Family History Society covers the southern part of County Durham as well as the Tees Valley and North Yorkshire on the south side of the River Tees. Their homepage includes a map to show the society's coverage. (Once again, full address and other details on the website)
• Further information from GENUKI
• Ordnance Survey map of Durham 1832 provided by A Vision of Britain through Time. This map includes the boundaries of the various Wards (or "hundreds") in existence at that time.
• Ordnance Survey map of Durham 1900 provided by A Vision of Britain through Time
• Ordnance Survey map of Durham 1944 provided by A Vision of Britain through Time
• English Jurisdictions 1851, a parish finding aid provided by FamilySearch, particularly helpful in large towns and cities.
• Unfortunately, the Victoria County History for Durham is limited in its coverage. It only includes the cathedral city of Durham, including an account of the cathedral itself. Also covers Stockton Ward in the south-east of the county (bordering North Yorkshire) including Hartlepool and Stockton on Tees.