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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Durham => Topic started by: danielr on Sunday 22 June 25 08:41 BST (UK)

Title: Morton Buston
Post by: danielr on Sunday 22 June 25 08:41 BST (UK)
Hi all! Looking for information on my great-great grandfather Morton Buston. He was born 24th April 1891 in Durham and married Sarah Ann Briggs in Northumberland in 1914 where he resided until his death in 1974. There are conflicting details on his parentage and I cannot find anything records-wise aside from registrations, and the 1929 and 1939 censuses. My grandmother (Morton's granddaughter) does not know anything about his parentage or potential siblings - she says it's not something that was really discussed. Morton has one living child but the relatives in England who I am still in contact with live too far away to easily reach out to her. Any help appreciated - thank you!
Title: Re: Morton Buston
Post by: KGarrad on Sunday 22 June 25 08:45 BST (UK)
What are the parents names given on the birth certificate?

What father's name is given on the marriage certificate?
Title: Re: Morton Buston
Post by: cath151 on Sunday 22 June 25 09:02 BST (UK)
Hi
GRO gives mmn as Snaith, there is a marriage in 1860 Auckland ,
Same page John Buston and Mary Vasey Snaith but  would think too early to have a child in 1891.
Cathy
Title: Re: Morton Buston
Post by: Neale1961 on Sunday 22 June 25 09:09 BST (UK)
According to 1921 census and '39 Register
Buston was born in Whitworth Durham - 24 Apr. 1891
Title: Re: Morton Buston
Post by: cath151 on Sunday 22 June 25 09:14 BST (UK)
Well seems Mary Vasey Snaith/Buston died in 1883 so not her.
Cathy
Title: Re: Morton Buston
Post by: hanes teulu on Sunday 22 June 25 09:20 BST (UK)
Newbiggin links to '39 Register address
Shields Daily news, 29 Nov 1933
Title: Re: Morton Buston
Post by: Neale1961 on Sunday 22 June 25 09:24 BST (UK)
Living in Spennymoor, Whitworth - John Buston a tailor born abt  1837 and wife Mary Vasey Snaith
Looks like she died in 1883

Perhaps Morton is an illegitimate child of one of the older daughters?

Daughter Margaret age 21 single is at home with no occupation in 1891 census. She may have been pregnant.
Title: Re: Morton Buston
Post by: Neale1961 on Sunday 22 June 25 09:34 BST (UK)
Mary Buston, born 1861, married Michael Mackey in 1882
In the census they have a child with them named “Morton” with place and date of birth matching Morton Buston

1901
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XSH2-896?lang=en

1911
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XWMG-H6X?lang=en
Title: Re: Morton Buston
Post by: mulberry-rose on Sunday 22 June 25 09:47 BST (UK)
Births of Michael Mackey & Mary Buston’s children. The eldest two go by middle names.

MACKEY, ALBERT  ERNEST     BUSTON 
GRO Reference: 1883  M Quarter in AUCKLAND  Volume 10A  Page 171

MACKEY, JOHN  THOMAS     BUSTON 
GRO Reference: 1885  M Quarter in AUCKLAND  Volume 10A  Page 162
Title: Re: Morton Buston
Post by: danielr on Sunday 22 June 25 09:51 BST (UK)
Living in Spennymoor, Whitworth - John Buston a tailor born abt  1837 and wife Mary Vasey Snaith
Looks like she died in 1883

Perhaps Morton is an illegitimate child of one of the older daughters?

Daughter Margaret age 21 single is at home with no occupation in 1891 census. She may have been pregnant.

It was suggested that this could've been the case. Family member recalled hearing a story in passing about someone being raised by their aunt but couldn't remember if it was Morton or someone else.
Title: Re: Morton Buston
Post by: candleflame on Sunday 22 June 25 09:52 BST (UK)
As KG asked earlier DanielR , do you have the marriage certificate and the birth certificate or have you not purchased them yet? They will give further information and are essential to any accurate research.
Title: Re: Morton Buston
Post by: danielr on Sunday 22 June 25 09:56 BST (UK)
As KG asked earlier DanielR , do you have the marriage certificate and the birth certificate or have you not purchased them yet? They will give further information and are essential to any accurate research.

I am unable to purchase from GRO - it may be to do with the currency conversion. I'll look into setting up a Wise account.
In the meantime, I'll find out if anyone has kept any paper records.
Title: Re: Morton Buston
Post by: danielr on Sunday 22 June 25 10:17 BST (UK)
Just spoken with my grandmother. She does not have any paper records and does not know what has happened to them. However, she is planning to visit Morton's living child in September who will very likely remember as they know all about the family. She also mentioned that Morton and Sarah eloped, which wasn't revealed until 1970. But I may have to update this thread in September: just wanted to see if there were any leads which I may have missed. The censuses look to be a fantastic start. Thank you so much!
Title: Re: Morton Buston
Post by: Neale1961 on Sunday 22 June 25 10:18 BST (UK)
 I suspect that Morton may have been Margaret Buston’s child, born a few weeks after the 1891 census was taken. Then elder sister Mary took over his upbringing, perhaps  because John Buston grandfather died in late 1891.

You really need to see his birth registration to see the name of the mother. I have seen a few times mothers of illegitimate children use their own mother’s maiden name when registering the birth.
Title: Re: Morton Buston
Post by: candleflame on Wednesday 25 June 25 12:57 BST (UK)
I’m a bit surprised you can’t order from gro from New Zealand as there are many posts on rootschat where folk from all around the world seem to manage them, especially the ones  where they are available online. The main gripe is about the length of time for posted ones to arrive in NZ or Aus. Perhaps there is someone on here who has better knowledge than me about how to do it. Have you contacted gro to ask what you need to do?
Title: Re: Morton Buston
Post by: Spelk on Wednesday 25 June 25 13:38 BST (UK)
Currency conversion should not be an issue. All you need is a credit card such as Visa or Mastercard. Have you registered with the GRO. It is free and simple to do and secure but you cannot buy anthing without doing it. The Birth certificate is available as a digital image and so will be available right away.
Attached is copy of where I went through the process before backing out.
Marriage certificates are not available as digital images so will take time.
Title: Re: Morton Buston
Post by: softly softly on Wednesday 25 June 25 13:52 BST (UK)
SS
Title: Re: Morton Buston
Post by: Neale1961 on Wednesday 25 June 25 14:27 BST (UK)
Softly Softly, you are exceedingly generous.  :)

My instincts seem correct. Morton was Margaret’s child. She has registered the birth, and recorded her own father as Morton’s father (maybe he was) and she has used her mother’s maiden name.
The address is the same as in the 1891 census, where Margaret was living with her father and brother.

John Buston, the father, died later in the same year. Margaret eventually married in 1897 and went on to have a family with her husband Alfred Holmes.
Title: Re: Morton Buston
Post by: danielr on Friday 27 June 25 08:28 BST (UK)
Oh wow, you are absolutely incredible! Thank you so so much for the image Softly Softly.

Thank you for the extra information Neale! This all helps a lot with a bump in the road. Will definitely write into GRO and go down to my bank to see what's going on  ???

Again, thank you all so much! This has been a fantastic help and I am incredibly grateful!
Title: Re: Morton Buston
Post by: KGarrad on Friday 27 June 25 08:37 BST (UK)
To register with GRO, you need to do it online.
Go to https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/

Or go straight to the Registration page:
https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/register.asp?UserType=Individual
Title: Re: Morton Buston
Post by: Spelk on Friday 27 June 25 12:57 BST (UK)
Unless you have the name "Morton" in your family as a given name or a surname then if is highly likely that the father of your Morton BUSTON had the surname MORTON. Using FindMyPast I see that there were a few families with that surname near Spennymoor in 1891.
To be get evidence of which family had a man or lad who fathered Morton BUSTON you should consider getting a DNA test.
As you may know it was not uncommon for miners families to have a female servant. This occurred mostly where a family had several sons working down the mine but no daughters to help with all the washing, cleaning and cooking. So 9 months before MB was born his mother may have been working as a servant in some village a few miles from Spennymoor such as Coundon or Brandon.
Title: Re: Morton Buston
Post by: danielr on Saturday 28 June 25 10:56 BST (UK)
Unless you have the name "Morton" in your family as a given name or a surname then if is highly likely that the father of your Morton BUSTON had the surname MORTON. Using FindMyPast I see that there were a few families with that surname near Spennymoor in 1891.
To be get evidence of which family had a man or lad who fathered Morton BUSTON you should consider getting a DNA test.
As you may know it was not uncommon for miners families to have a female servant. This occurred mostly where a family had several sons working down the mine but no daughters to help with all the washing, cleaning and cooking. So 9 months before MB was born his mother may have been working as a servant in some village a few miles from Spennymoor such as Coundon or Brandon.

Great suggestion! Someone in the family got a test kit one Christmas - might be a reason to use it!
Title: Re: Morton Buston
Post by: fiddlerslass on Saturday 28 June 25 13:29 BST (UK)
There's an earlier Morton Buston

Births Jun 1877   
BUSTON    Morton Haddon        Auckland    10a   240     mother's maiden name Snaith

This child died aged 1

Deaths Sep 1878   
Buston    Morton Haddon    1    Auckland    10a   107


So perhaps Morton is a family name after all.
Title: Re: Morton Buston
Post by: Spelk on Sunday 29 June 25 10:13 BST (UK)
That was well spotted Fiddlerslass. So means finding out through DNA the father of Morton BUSTON could be trickier.
The chances of solving the matter will be better if a DNA record can be got from the child of his who is still living. Failing that then a grandchild.
I tried to find a MORTON in the ancestors of Morton BUSTON’s mother but failed. Come to that I could not find a VASEY either. Not helped by SNAITH being transcribed as SMITH of SNATH and BUSTON being BURTON sometimes.
Title: Re: Morton Buston
Post by: fiddlerslass on Sunday 29 June 25 14:07 BST (UK)
There are 2 John Bustons born around 1834, one at Witton le wear son of Thomas and the other is son of George and Ann Adamson who married 1827 . I think John son of George is the correct one. They are at Tudhoe in 1841. George was born Witton le Wear and his wife was born Whitworth according to the 1851 census. They seem to stay in the Tudhoe/Spennymoor area . John is away from home and an apprentice in 1851.

The ancestry hints system has muddled the 2 families!