Churches and Chapels

Church of England

The ancient parish of Washington from Anglo-Saxon times consisted of the manors of Great and Little Usworth, Washington, Barmston and North Biddick, centred on Holy Trinity Church in Washington Village. In 1833 the satellite parish of Holy Trinity Usworth was created to include Great and Little Usworth and the physically detach North Biddick. Both churches have an attached graveyard- click the links below for records..

The History Society has recorded the names of those buried in the cemetery of Holy Trinity, Washington that is available on a sub page of this section

Holy Trinity Churchyard in Washington, Tyne and Wear - Find a Grave Cemetery  386 records

Holy Trinity Churchyard in Usworth, Tyne and Wear - Find a Grave Cemetery 1904 records

 

In 1904 the parish opened a mission chapel, St Michael's and All Angels in Usworth Colliery, now Sulgrave.

 

In 1876 the parish of St George was formed out of the parish of Chester Le Street for the Fatfield, Chatershaugh, Rickleton, Harraton and Picktree settlements. It too has a graveyard.

St Georges Church Washington parish of Fatfield Home Page (stgeorgesfatfield.co.uk)  The parish website of St Georges Fatfield, showing their services and  activities the community. It includes links to an excellent database of burials in the graveyard of the church Interactive Churchyard Map - ST GEORGE'S CHURCH (stgeorgeshistoryandfuture.co.uk)

 

In 1971 the parish of Oxclose was created, made up of that part of Washington parish west of the A182 Washington Highway, and that part of Fatfield parish between Oxclose Burn and the A195 Highway, centred on the new Hope Church in Oxclose. It was to serve the new residential Villages of Blackfell, Oxclose, Ayton and Lambton.

 

Methodism

Methodists broke away from the Church of England in the late 18th century, and expanded rapidly in the newly industrial regions and coalfields. The first chapel in the Washington area in 1780, visited by John Wesley himself, was at Chatershaugh on the River Wear. A further 16 were established over the next 130 years in Usworth, Washington, Usworth Colliery, Biddick, Washington Staiths, and Washington Station. Many were within yards of each other as congregations split further, or expanded into linked chapels. Many closed after World War 2, and seven surviving chapels were consolidated into two substantial churches, The Glebe Church in 1978 and St Andrews in Concord in 1978.

Roman Catholicism

Like Methodism Roman Catholicism came with industrialisation, especially as many migrants were Irish. The See of Hexham and Newcastle established St Joseph's school in 1862 in Washington Village, which also held masses in its hall. In 1878 the Church of Our Blessed Lady Immaculate was built, and included a graveyard.

With the coming of the new town the additional churches of St Bedes (Usworth)and St John Boste (Oxclose) opened in 1965 and 1980 respectively. In 2014 the three church amalgamated with Our Lady of Peace Penshaw to form the Parish of Pope John XXIII

Our Blessed Lady Immaculate RC Churchyard in Washington, Tyne and Wear - Find a Grave Cemetery  54 records