Jewish Burial Ground

A tiny Jews Burial Ground is shown on John Bell's plan of 1801. Still shown as a burial ground on modern Ordnance Survey maps. The burial ground is thought to have been founded in the mid 1700s. The Jewish community in Sunderland at that time lived in the area of Norfolk Street and Frederick Street and the synagogue was in Villiers Street. There are reported to be c400 people buried at Ayres Quay. When the synagogue and burial ground went out of use (the date is not known), a new synagogue was built on Ryhope Road (still in use) and part of Bishopwearmouth Cemetery became a Jewish burial ground.