In a message dated 21/02/2004 01:24:50 GMT Standard Time, SusanClr@aol.com writes: > Both Thomas's were involved in iron and/or shipbuilding. I'm not from > Durham > myself, so if anyone can shed light on why the family may have moved from > Washington to Hylton, I'd be grateful, as I haven't been able to find out > much > about the type of jobs in the Washington area circa 1790s. > It would probably be a move along the riverside. There was shipbuilding at both places at that time. Being so far up-river the ships concerned would be only small ones, possibly keels, as keels did ply up-river from Sunderland as far as Cox Green, opposite the Washington riverside industries, and further, to South Biddick (near the modern Fatfield Bridge). There were also staithes at Washngton but not at Hylton. Other Washington industries at the time would be coal mining and related activities such as leading waggons on waggonways from various pits in Washngton and elsewhere down to the riverside staithes. Oxclose pit and the "F" pit would possibly be the main ones in Washington at the time but there were also several smaller ones, and some waggonways came for many miles before reaching the Wear at Washington. There was, of course, also the usual agricultural background. Washington Chemical Works were not founded by Hugh Lee Pattison until the 1840s. Geoff Nicholson 57 Manor Park, Concord, WASHINGTON, Tyne & Wear NE37 2BU NBL/DUR family history research in depth by THE local expert. Record searching service: you name the records, I search them!