Surnames: Hoseason, Hedley, Nesfield, Major

[cjthorpe]

Hello,
I'm fairly new to Rootsweb and thought I would post the surnames I am researching in Sunderland. I'm based in Australia so its been more difficult than I expected.

Hoseason - Henry George Rugg Hoseason. (b Dec. 1875 Sunderland, died 1961s Australia) Parents William Hoseason and Elizabeth Hardy. I've had some success chasing Hoseason relatives in Durham, but I'm keen to get in touch with people who worked for his company Speedings Ltd (tent makers) prior to 1922 (when this branch of the Hoseason family immigrated to Australia).  H.G.R Hoseason was a Quaker, but it appears I will need to visit the UK to access the records. He also served as a special constable during WW1. According to family rumour one of his jobs was getting people off the streets during bombing raids. Is there any way to look this up? Last address in Rowlandson Terrace, Sunderland.

There was also a George Taylor living in Sunderland who was a Quaker and friend of the Hoseasons.  Apparently their grand-daughter was called Mrs Crute (in the 1980s). Does anyone know her?   

Major - Annie Major (Henry Hoseason's wife) b. Sept 1877  Parents: William Major and Rachel Mordey. The Major family in Sunderland has been a bit of a dead end. I know she had a sister Martha who worked in the Salvation Army (and sent regular letters to Australia including a photo of their parents graves) and a younger brother who was blind from a child.

Nesfield - Doris Nesfield (b. 1891) and Stanley Hedley (b.1888) married in 1912 in Belvedere, Kent ... although both families lived in Sunderland at the time. Doris had an illegitimate child 'Stanley Hedley Nesfield' in 1908 who its believed was given to a cousin, Annie Lovatt (nee Meldrum) and her husband Henry Lovatt in Belvedere to raise.   

Hedley - Stanley Hedley's father John Watson Hedley appears to have married three times (makes for an interesting family tree) with children from each match.

Would love to hear from anyone also looking at these names.  Good luck for those with dead ends. Hoping I don't have to wait for the 1911 census for answers. 

Cheers CJ Thorpe
Canberra, Australia
 
   

[FrankE]

Quite a bit to look up there!

However, the 1901 census gives references to the following at 47 Tower Street West, Sunderland (actually only 2 or 3 hundred yards from Rowlandson Terrace!):-

William A Hoseason, age 30, canvas tent maker, b. Sunderland
Margaret J Hoseason, wife, age 27, b. Sunderland
Eva Hoseason, daur, age 2, b. Sunderland
Ada Hoseason, daur, age 1, b. Sunderland

Speedings, the tent makers, is a well-known business that manufactures (as well as tents!) sails, ...anything canvas or its more modern nylon-type "containers" - a few years ago I had a bespoke cover made by them for a telescopic radio mast on a Landrover. I have no other connection with the firm!

They moved a few years ago from Monkwearmouth, north of the Wear, to a newish business park at Leechmere, about 2 miles south. Oddly enough, on the same business park, there was (and may still be) an engineering consultancy/business, run by, ISTR, somebody called "George?" Hoseason...

[cjthorpe]

Hello FrankE,
Thanks for your reply. Sorry its taken so long to respond. My family history research has been on hold due to illness.

I'm sure the William A. Hoseason you found in the 1901 census is my gt-grandfathers eldest brother. I know my gt-grandfather Henry G. R. Hoseason actually ended up hiring several relatives at Speedings - including his younger brother Jack and his father William Hoseason (snr).

Somewhere in the piles of un-identified family photos I also have one tiny photo of a woman identified on the back as  'Aunty Ada' (I think it was taken in the UK in the 1950s) which is obviously his daughter.

A while back, I found Henry George R. Hoseason in the 1901 census in Durham Sunderland (but I must of forgotten to print off the street address as I can't find it ). He was 25, living with his wife  Annie Hoseason (nee Major) and an infant daughter Annie May (who was my gt-aunt May).   

I've been in touch with the widow of another Hoseason researcher who still lives in Sunderland, who was also corresponding with my gt-aunts and grandmother about 30 years ago.  Hopefully this will provide more information. 

There was definately at least one illegitimate child born to my gt-uncle in Sunderland - and also there appears to be some other 'oddities' in the tree which I would like to resolve. Sadly I might be forced to wait for the 1911 (or even a later census) to solve some of the mysteries.

I'm not sure who the George Hoseason - engineer is who you mentioned. But he's probably also a distant relation.

Thanks CJ Thorpe 

[Rachael Sullivan]

Dear CJ Thorpe

My name is Rachael Sullivan, and I was born and grew up in Belvedere, Kent.

My father, who is keen on family history, stumbled across your entry below:

Nesfield - Doris Nesfield (b. 1891) and Stanley Hedley (b.1888) married in 1912 in Belvedere, Kent ... although both families lived in Sunderland at the time. Doris had an illegitimate child 'Stanley Hedley Nesfield' in 1908 who its believed was given to a cousin, Annie Lovatt (nee Meldrum) and her husband Henry Lovatt in Belvedere to raise.   

My mother's maiden name was Lovatt, and she was Annie and Henry Lovatt's grand daughter.

We have quite extensive info on the family, and would love to hear from you.

Kind regards

Rachael