Washington, Tyne and Wear

Washington Old Hall

Washington is a new town in Sunderland, in the north east of England. Historically it was part of County Durham. It joined a new county in 1974 with the creation of Tyne and Wear. Washington is an equal distance from the centres of Newcastle upon Tyne, Durham and Sunderland, and it has close ties to all three cities. It was named a new town in 1964. At the 2011 census, the town had a population of 67,085.[1]

Sometime before 1183, William de Hertburn acquired the manor of Washington Old Hall.[2] De Hertburn changed his name to de Washington. George Washington, first President of the United States is a direct descendant[disambiguation needed] of William de Hertburn.[2]

Gertrude Bell grew up in Washington.

References

  1. ↑ "Washington (Tyne and Wear)". Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "A history of the Old Hall". Sunderland City Council. Archived from the original on 3 November 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2015.