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England Tyne and Wear  Sunderland

Guide to Sunderland, Tyne and Wear ancestry, family history, and genealogy: parish registers, transcripts, census records, birth records, marriage records, and death records.



History
Sunderland is a coastal city at the mouth of the River Wear with adjoining beaches of Roker, Seaburn and Whitburn. The etymology of Sunderland is derived from "Sundered-land" with the river traveling through the city as opposed to sitting "upon" the river.

Historically in County Durham, there were three original settlements on the site of modern-day Sunderland. On the north side of the river, Monkwearmouth was settled in 674 when Benedict Biscop founded the Monkwearmouth–Jarrow Abbey. Opposite the monastery on the south bank, Bishopwearmouth was founded in 930. A small fishing village called Sunderland, located toward the mouth of the river (modern day East End) was granted a charter in 1179.

Over the centuries, Sunderland grew as a port, trading coal and salt. Ships began to be built on the river in the 14th century. By the 19th century, the port of Sunderland had grown to absorb Bishopwearmouth and Monkwearmouth. More recently, Sunderland has seen growth as a commercial center for the automotive industry, science & technology and the service sector.

The modern City of Sunderland (/ˈsʌndərlənd/) is a local government district of Tyne and Wear, in North East England, with the status of a city and metropolitan borough. It is named after its largest settlement, Sunderland, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Hetton-le-Hole, Houghton-le-Spring, Washington, and a range of suburban villages.

The district was formed in 1974, titled the Metropolitan Borough of Sunderland, as part of the provisions of the Local Government Act 1972 and is an amalgamation of four former local government districts of County Durham. It was granted city status in 1992, the 40th anniversary of the Queen Elizabeth II's accession. The city had a population of 275,300 at the time of the 2011 census, with the majority of the population (174,286) residing in Sunderland. The 'Sunderland Built-up Area' (including Whitburn in South Tyneside and Chester-le-Street, Ouston, South Hetton and Pelton in County Durham) is quoted alternatively as having a population of around 335,000.

Cemeteries (Civil)
Sunderland has 3 major civil cemeteries:

Bishopwearmouth Cemetery:

Address:


 * Chester Road
 * Sunderland SR4 7SU
 * Phone: +44 191 520 5555

Southwick Cemetery:

Address:


 * 25 Helmsley Ct
 * Sunderland SR5 5HH

Sunderland Cemetery:

Address:


 * 28 Kitchener Terrace
 * Sunderland SR2 9RR

Additionally there are 2 more cemeteries that are now no longer in use, but may have historic value:

Mere Knolls Cemetery:

Address:


 * 8LG, Torver Cres
 * Sunderland SR6

Houghton Cemetery:

Address:


 * 16 Dunholm Cl
 * Houghton le Spring DH5 8NX

Church Records
According to very strong traditional and mythological indicators, as well as materials presently at Glastonbury Abbey, Christianity came to Glastonbury at a very early date. The first wattle church was reputed to have been built in 67 AD.

The abbey itself was founded in the 7th century and enlarged in the 10th century. It is one of the oldest Christian locations in England.

Glastonbury St John the Baptist parish registers of christenings, marriages and burials are available online for the following years:

Parishes

 * Church of St. John the Baptist.


 * Church of St. Benedictine


 * Glastonbury Abbey. While this is now a ruin, it is a major historical site in the UK,with hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

Non Conformists
Glastonbury is not a large town. However it is known for its pagan and Celtish following and these are particularly active during the solstices and the summer months. The following non Conformist groups are active:


 * Catholic
 * First Christian Church
 * Grace Community Church

There are communities of non Christian religions including the following:


 * Buddhist
 * Muslim
 * Sikh

Civil Registration
Birth, marriages and deaths were kept by the government, from July 1837 to the present day. The civil registration article tells more about these records. There are several Internet sites with name lists or indexes.


 * UK BMD: Somerset


 * Forebears Glastonbury


 * Somerset Parish Records

Local Histories

 * Glastonbury History and Guide by Robert Dunning


 * Traditions of Glastonbury by Raymond Kapt


 * Local Histories; Glastonbury


 * History and Archaeology of Glastonbury Abbey

Maps and Gazetteers

 * England Jurisdictions 1851
 * Vision of Britain
 * Glastonbury street map
 * Genuki Glastonbury Gazetteer
 * Vision of Britain Glastonbury Gazetteer

Newspapers
Glastonbury itself does not have its own newspaper. Instead locals read the following:


 * Somerset Live

Occupations
Glastonbury has no indigenous industry. It survives primarily on tourism and as a local market town.

It is a center for religious tourism and pilgrimage. As with many towns of similar size, the center is not as thriving as it once was but Glastonbury supports a large number of alternative shops. As part of the redevelopment of the old industrial site, a project has been established by the Glastonbury Community Development Trust to provide support for local unemployed people applying for employment, starting in self-employment and accessing work-related training.

Societies

 * The Historical Society of Glastonbury


 * Somerset and Dorset Family History Society


 * Ancestry.com Somerset

Archives

 * Glastonbury Archive


 * Glastonbury Town Archives

Web Sites

 * Glastonbury Town Council


 * Mendip District Council