Situated in County Durham in the North East of England, Willington is a small town seven miles southwest of Durham City and four miles north of Bishop Auckland, (borders Sunnybrow & Oakenshaw).
The name Will:- probably signifies the town of the sons of Will. The town of Wifel or Vifill or his sons. The various spellings are:- Wyllyngton, Willingtone and from 1603 Willington.
In 1384, John Robert Neville seized of the manor of Willynton from William Bowes. 1585 Lady Adeline Neville of Willington Hall, which was her home, was recently occupied by some of the Wills family.
The town was for a long time in the Parish of Brancepeth, until 1858, after St.Stephens was built. Much of its history is wrapped up in the Parish of Brancepeth.
Up until around the 1800's Willington resembled many English farm villages in the North East. It was a collection of cottages and farmsteads.
Less than one third of all people living in Willington by 1881 were actually born in the village. The high percentage of residents born in County Durham illustrates that migration was centred locally, which was common throughout the county.
Willington Population Statistics
1801 - 169 / 1811 - 185 / 1821 - 221 / 1831 - 216 / 1841 - 258 / 1851 - 965 / 1861 - 2,393 / 1871 - 4,392 / 1881 - 5,006 / 1891 - 5,107 / 1901 - 5,220 / 1911 - 5,962
