Ruth SPENSLEY

[evesl]

Can anyone help trace Ruth Spensley (chr. 05.12.1862) Sunderland and married James Yeoman (b. 1860) in Sunderland.  Can't find any trace on census after her marriage.  James was a sailor.  Did she go off travelling with him I wonder.  I know they had children but haven't any details.  Any help really appreciated.  Thanks

[SooCatt]

1891 BishopWearmouth  RG12/4132 f59 p25

Sorry can't read street name

James Yeoman Head Marr 30 mariner Sunderland
Ruth Yeoman wife marr 28  Sunderland
Eleanor daur 6months Sunderland

[Helen K]

Hi

There is this possibility for 1901:

RG13/4716  Folio 47  Page 18  Sch 120
10 New Durham Road, Sunderland

George YEOMAN Head M 65 Master Mariner (Retired) Yorkshire York
Alice YEOMAN Wife M 61 Durham City
Ruth YEOMAN Daur M 38 Durham City
Alice YEOMAN GrandDaur 8 Durham City
George YEOMAN GrandSon 5 Durham City

Clearly if Ruth is married these are not her parents.  You will know from the Marriage Certificate if this could be James' father.  Alice appears to be George's second wife, so may not be James' mother.

If Ruth is their daughter I haven't found her with them on any previous Census.

Regards

Helen K   

[cath151]

Hi,
If James mother and father were possibly George and Alice(1881 census?) could this be Ruth

1901 census Rg13/4716  26/47/18
10 New Durham road,Sunderland.

George Yeoman head mar  65 Master mariner retired     Yorks.,York
Alice         "         wife  mar 61 Durham city
Ruth         "         daur. mar  36   "          "
Alice         "          grandaur.   8   "          "
George     "          grandson   5   "          "

No sign of Eleanor.Perhaps they meant daughter in law and as she is married perhaps husband away at sea.

Regards
 Cathy

[evesl]

Many thanks SooCatt, Helen K and cath151 - a great help !

[Michael Dixon]

evesl,

Let me trow in a couple of snippets that might clear up a few things or even confuse matters.

Yorkshireman George Yeoman married Ellen/Elleanor Ward in 1857 (reg Easington District). They have a son James born 1860.

Yorkshireman John Spensley married Alice Batson in 1860
(reg Sunderland). They have a dtr Ruth circa 1863.

In 1875 George Yeoman married Alice Spensley
(reg Sunderland)

On Census 1881 George/Alice, and family including 21 yr old James. live at 35 Maple St, Sunderland.

So too do a "head-less" family of young Spensleys, including Ruth,aged 18.

I will assume that Alice Yeoman is Ruth's mother, Alice Spensley nee Batson.

In 1889 in Sunderland James Yeoman and Ruth Spensley marry. On Census 1891 they are in West Moor St, (4132-59-25) very close to George/Alice (4132-55-17)

On Census 1901 at 10 New Durham Rd ( 4716-47-16)
Ruth is in the houseld of George ( her father-in-law) and Alice (her mother). With mariner James Yeoman, away at sea as Cathy conjectured.

Interesting to note thast the "English Naming Pattern" had it that when a manmarried asecond wife, the firstdtr born of the new unionshould be given the first name of the deceased wife !

Michael Dixon

[evesl]

Dixymick - thank you so much.  I didn't realise Alice Spensley (nee Batson) had married twice and that stepson James and stepdaughter Ruth were the two married in 1889.  Your info seems to be spot on, except for one minor assumption you made - Ruth was not named for her deceased stepmother, but for her Grandmother (Ruth Robson b. 1804 Yorks).  Ruth Robson must have been a special lady as several subsequent family members had Robson included in their names; for example William Robson Spensley was my maternal Grandfather, and one of his nephews was called Robson Spensley.  Thanks again you are a star !

[Michael Dixon]

evesl,

The typing of my last para was awful, worsened by the fact that keyboard is sticking cos I tipped a cup of tea into it

But I did not assume that Ruth was named after her deceased stepmother. ( I had noticed the earlier Ruth on the Spensley line)

What I meant was that Ellenor Yeoman born circa 1878, dtr of George and Alice, was named after George's previous wife, Eleanor/Ellen Ward ( as was the convention)

Ruth Yeoman, nee Spensley, born circa 1863, did not have a stepmother ??.... her mother was Alice Batson/Spensley/Yeoman... was alive as late as Census 1901..........do you agree ??

Michael Dixon

Do you have all the censuses for the Yeomans and Spensleys ?

[evesl]

Hi Dixymick
Yes I do agree.  The confusion arose because I had not researched the Yeoman line, only the Spensleys.  Ruth's mother was definitely Alice Batson/Spensley/Yeoman.  But do I understand you correctly - did Ruth marry her stepbrother ?  I don't have the relevant census copies yet.  How much info do you have on this Spensley line ?  I have got back to William Spensley (b.1763 West Witton Yorks) married to Mary Croft (b. 1767 West Witton Yorks) who had a son George Spensley (b. 1797) married to Ruth Robson (b. 1804).  I am completely stuck in that I cannot find any parent listed for William Spensley and therefore cannot get any further back.  If the family moved to West Witton from elsewhere in yorkshire I will be struggling, as there are hundreds of Spensleys Spenslays Spenserleys etc etc in Yorkshire!  regards eve sl