Weardale

[Andi20]

Thanks Adamand, I can trace them back to the 1830's to Thirsk which is where Ann originally cam from.  She was the daughter of a publican too and I think Bewley came to work there and they married and then moved to Stanhope at the same time as her sister.

What I have been unable to do is trace the family down the generations, particularly the other descendents of Margaret Amelia.  I know where they all were at the turn of the century and a little later but then I become stuck.  I have even put an appeal into the Weardale Gazette in the hope that someone may recognise themselves as a descendent of any of the family but no luck so far.  Of course, there is a good chance that they all moved away so I may be looking in the wrong place.

Many thanks for your help


Andrea

[Roobarb]

5 Sep 1789 Ralph Forster = Mary Rutter
marriage in stanhope.. not sure if this is your ralph.probably not, i think its too early.

Could be, although it would have been 23 years later when they had Jonathan!

[Bethulia]

HI there

I have Weardale ancestors.  My ggg grandfather was Albany Forster, later known as Obadiah Forster, born in St Johns Chapel in 1828.  His parents were John Forster and Mary Sproat or Sprout.  Like many people in that part of the world, they were lead miners.  At some point in the 1830s they moved to Kenton near Newcastle (now a suburb of Newcastle) and appear on the 1841 census as coal miners.

I haven't been able to get any further back with certainty.  There are various John Forsters who could be my ancestor, but I don't know which one. 

If you have any more info, I would be grateful. 

Thanks

[pollyflinders]

Hello Marie,
I am trying to trace two families in Weardale. The descendants of Thomas Armstrong b1841 married to Mary Ann Heatherington b 1842 Burnfoot, St Johns Chapel and the descendants of Ralph Philipson b1839 Stanhope and his wife Elizabeth Hodgson b 1841 Stanhope.  They are my grandfathers grandparents. His mother was Jane Philipson b 1870 and his father was one of Thomas Armstrong's sons (but we don't know which one as he is not named on the birth certificate) My grandfather, Fred b1896, was raised by his paternal grandparents(and took the name Armstrong) and his sister (b 1895 Elizabeth Grace Philipson) was raised by their shared maternal grandparents at East Blackdene. I have created a huge family tree for both families going back to 1770  but I can not find out what happened to those ancestors named above. They worked in St Johns Chapel - Thomas's Drapers store is now the Co-op. I would love to find out what happened to Jane and to my great aunt Grace but keep coming up against a brick wall. Any help would be appreciated.
regards
Yvonne.

[tomatillo]

Hello,

I have ancestors in Weardale too. Mainly Stanhope and St John's Chapel though they moved to Durham in the 1830s. The certain names in my tree are Hodgson and Thompson and (more tentatively) Featherstone, Vipond/Vipont and Craggell.

[2zpool]

Roobarb,

Just in case Ralph Forster and Mary Rutter are yours:

Baptism St John's Chapel

Betty Foster, born 14 Mr 1801, baptised 12 Apr 1801, 2nd daur of Ralph Foster, of Huntshieldford, miner, native of this parish by his wife Mary Rutter, native of this parish

Thomas Forster, born 26 May 1802, baptised 27 Nov 1802 5th son of Ralph Forster, of Huntshieldford, miner, native of this parish by his wife Mary Rutter, Native of this parish

There are quite a few others.  I don't have baptisms for St. John's Chapel after 1812.  If Mary married when she was 18 she would only be 43 in 1812.  My great grandmother was 50 when she had her last one!!!!

Janis

[tomatillo]

The bishop's transcripts on familysearch have St John's chapel up until 1840. If you look under Durham/Stanhope there are 3 series. One for Stanhope itself with some St John's mixed in and two for St John's. Of course they are not indexed or searchable but they might be useful for any post 1812 information.

[Lmerle]

Hi, I also have ancestors from Weardale: John Mason (1786 -after 1851) who married Phillis Watson. They had among others Ralph Mason, b. in 1821 in Weardale, d. 1866 in Hetton le Hole, Durham.

Linda Merle

[Roobarb]

Roobarb,

Just in case Ralph Forster and Mary Rutter are yours:

Baptism St John's Chapel

Betty Foster, born 14 Mr 1801, baptised 12 Apr 1801, 2nd daur of Ralph Foster, of Huntshieldford, miner, native of this parish by his wife Mary Rutter, native of this parish

Thomas Forster, born 26 May 1802, baptised 27 Nov 1802 5th son of Ralph Forster, of Huntshieldford, miner, native of this parish by his wife Mary Rutter, Native of this parish

There are quite a few others.  I don't have baptisms for St. John's Chapel after 1812.  If Mary married when she was 18 she would only be 43 in 1812.  My great grandmother was 50 when she had her last one!!!!

Janis

Apologies Janis, for some reason I've missed your reply on this. Thank you for the information, it may well be what I'm looking for as I did pin the family down to Huntshieldford. I can get back to this branch now!
Thank you!