Census Lookup - John Bruce

[Printer]

Hi AMBLY,

Thanks again, look forward to whatever you can provide. Got through the "Big One" but expect another through this coming week (no, not that game either!)
Winter!! Cheers.

Printer.

[AMBLY]

MARRIAGE: Dec Qtr 1860, Tynemouth
John BRUCE and Elizabeth THOMPSON on same ref: 10b, 256
(Note: the other pair on same page are Moses MARTIN and Elizabeth DOWNIE - their marriage is also  on the IGI)

Their marriage is also on the IGI:
20 Oct 1860, Longbenton, Northumberland
John BRUCE, son of John BRUCE married Elizabeth THOMPSON, dau of Thomas THOMPSON

~~~~~~~~

This could be son Thomas:
MARRIAGE Jun Qtr 1891, Tynemouth:
Thomas BRUCE and Hannah HETHERINGTON on same ref: Vol 10b, pg 408

1901:  38 Havelock Place - Backworth, Eardson, Northumberland
RG13; Piece: 4810; Folio: 31; Page: 10.
Head: Thomas BRUCE 36, Coal Miner (Hewer) b Earsdon
Wife: Hannah BRUCE 31, b Castle Eden, DUR
Son: John W BRUCE 9, b Earsdon
Dau: Elizabeth BRUCE 4, b Earsdon
Boarder: Henry HETHERINGTON 40, unm, Coal Miner (Hewer) b Earsdon

~~~~~~~~

This could be daughter, Elizabeth:
MARRIAGE: Dec Qtr 1890 Tynemouth
Henry BURN and Elizabeth BRUCE on the same ref: 10b, 34
(and the other pair RICE/LEE on same page appear to be a couple in the 1891 Census)

1891: 40 Front Street - Village of Chirton, Percy, Tynemouth, Northumberland
RG12 -  Piece: 4224 / Folio 105 / Pg 29
Head: Henry BURN 24, Coal Miner, b North Shields
Wife: Elizabeth BURN 24, (place of birth not stated*)
*The enumerator made an error, initially giving her  the occupation and Lincolnshire place of birth of the man Heading the household at Nr 41, next door. Then this error has been crossed out, and re-written in the correct line - but the enumerator has omitted to then fill in the correct Place of birth for Elizabeth.

1901: 9 Low Allotment, Village of Allotment, Chirton, Percy St John, Tynemouth, Northumberland
RG13 - Piece: 4801 / Folio: 31 / pg10
Head: Henry BURN 34, Coal Miner Hewer, b Murton NBU
Wife: Elizabeth BURN 34, b Earsdon
Son: Henry BURN 9, b Chirton
Son: Thomas BURN 8, b Earsdon
Son: John BURN 4, b Chirton
Son: Robert BURN 3 mnths, b Chirton

~~~~~~~~

This could be daughter Ann:
MARRIAGE : Dec Qtr 1888, Tynemouth
Joseph LOWTHER and Ann BRUCE on same Ref: 10b, 403

1891: Village of Earsdon Square, Tynemouthm Northumberland
RG12 -  Piece: 4234 /  Folio 87 /  Pg 26
Head: Joseph LOWTHER 23, Stoker on Railway Engine, b Earsdon
Wife: Ann LOWTHER 22, b Earsdon
Son: Joseph LOWTHER 2, b Earsdon
Son: William LOWTHER 3mths, b Earsdon

1901: 18 Prudhoe St, Backworth, Earsdon, Tynemouth, Northumberland
RG13 -  Piece: 4810 /  Folio: 15 / pg 22
Head: Joseph LOWTHER 33, Railway Engine Driver, b Earsdon
Wife: Ann LOWTHER 32, b Backworth
Son: Joseph LOWTHER 12, b Backworth
Dau: Eveline LOWTHER 7, b Earsdon

~~~~~~~~

Looks like daughter Margaret Maud(e) died:
DEATH: Mar Qtr 1883 - Tynemouth: Margaret Maud BRUCE age 7yrs
~~~~~~~~

But I can't get a handle on son John....

Cheers
AMBLY

Ah, yes The Game! Oh the endless post mortem going on here 

Edit: have just discovered, Prudhoe St, where the LOWTHER;s are in 1901 - the next street enumerated is Hotspur - where both of "our" Ann's brother's John & William were in 1891 and 1901.

[Printer]

Hi AMBLY,

Thankyou. What a wealth of information you have provided me with. That will keep me going for some time.  I will now have to see if there might be a "family" connection to the Lowther line that you have listed. Much appreciated.

Post mortem indeed! The next three games will indeed prove very interesting. Regards.

Printer

[AMBLY]

Hi Printer 

I'm finding bucket loads about the BESFORDS....

MARRIAGE: Can't find?
Jane BRUCE or BREWIS
Anthony BESFORD or BEDFORD

The Surname is oft-recorded as BEDFORD, and from 1900 onwards, seems to take that form in most records I found.......

In short many of them ended up in the State of Indiana in the  US, including the parents, Anthony and Jane.

Anthony eventually made his way back to England and died there 1919.
Jane died in the US in 1909.

I'm trying to keep it all straight and comprhensible,  so will try and put all the information up in some sort of order :-)

Cheers
AMBLY

[AMBLY]

This is probably  Anthony in 1841 but can't locate him in 1851 or 1861....

1841: Sunderland Str Nr 1 - St John, Westgate, Newcastle on Tyne, Northumberland
Hundred of Castle (West)
HO107 / Piece 824 -  Book: 11 /  Folio: 14 /  Pg 20
Eleanor BOLAM 47 - Y
Mary BOLAM 5, Ind - Y (the "Ind" is probably meant to be written on Eleanor's line ?)
Catherine BOLAM 3, - Y
Martha BEDFORD 23, - Y
Anthony BEDFORD 2, - Y
DEATH:
The age is a bit out - but I think this is her:
Jane BEDFORD age 67 (b abt 1846), white female, died 30 Mar 1909, Shelburn, Indiana
Recorded by  County Health Office, Sullivan County , Indiana
Ref: Book H-19, page 42 Indiana Works Progress Admin.

DEATH : Anthony BEDFORD age 79 (born abt 1840) -  Dec Qtr 1919, Tynemouth, Northumberland

CENSUS 1871: Village of West Colliery, Cramlington, Tynemouth, Northumberland
RG10 /  Piece: 5134 /  Folio: 84 /  Pg 10
Head: Anthony BESFORD 31, Coal Miner, b.  ----sford*  NBL
Wife: Jane BESFORD 28, b Cramlington
Son: John BESFORD 7, b Cramlington
Son: William BESFORD 5, b America
Son: Matthew BESFORD 2, b Cramlington
(* I wonder if the place of birth is Barrasford - other BESFORDS are recorded born there in 1840's).

CENSUS 1881: 10 Duke Street -  Parish of Whitley, Tynemouth, Northumberland
RG11 /  Piece: 5088 /  Folio: 100 /  pg2
(Annonated Sheet thus: "Whitley No 6 goes to Earsdon")
Head: Anthony BESFORD 41, Coal Miner, b Alnwick
Wife: Jane BESFORD 38, b Cramlington
Son: John BESFORD 17, unm, Coal Miner, b Cramlington
Son: William BESFORD 15, Coal Miner, b America
Son: Matthew BESFORD 12, Scholar, b Cramlington
Dau: Martha BESFORD 8, Scholar, b Cramlington
Son: Joseph BESFORD 5, Scholar, b Shiremoor
Dau: Elizabeth BESFORD 3, b Percy Main, NBL

CENSUS 1891: Duke Street - Town of Shiremoor, Earsdon, Tynemouth, Northumberland
RG12 - Piece: 4234 /  Folio 98 /  Pg 13
Head: Anthony BESFORD 51, Coal Miner, b Alnwick
Wife: Jane BESFORD 49, b Cramlington
Son: John BESFORD 27, marr, Coal Miner, b Cramlington
Son: Matthew BESFORD 21, unm, Blacksmith, b Cramlington
Son: Joseph BESFORD 15, Blacksmith, b Earsdon
Dau: Martha BESFORD 18, b Cramlington
Dau: Elizabeth BESFORD 12, b Earsdon
Son: Thomas BESFORD 10, b Earsdon
Son: Robert BESFORD 7, b Earsdon
(Note: Son John is married, his wife is elsewhere - see reply below)

CENSUS 1901: 1 Percy Street - Shiremoor (Percy St John) Earsdon, Tynemouth, Northumberland
RG13 /  Piece: 4810 /  Folio: 81 /  Pg 13
Head: Anthony BEDFORD 61, Coal Miner Rolleyway [underground], b Alnwick
Wife: Jane BEDFORD 59, b Cramlington
Son: Matthew BEDFORD 30, unm, Barman, b Cramlington
Son: Joseph BEDFORD 25, unm, Barman, b Shiremoor
Dau: Elizabeth BEDFORD 23, um, b Shiremoor
Son: Thomas BEDFORD 21, unm, Coal Miner Rolleyway [underground], b Shiremoor
Son: Robert BEDFORD 19, unm, Colliery Labourer, b Shiremoor
In 1904: Anthony and Jane, and their daughter Elizabeth travelled to Indiana, in US to  join  their son/brother, John.

1904 - SS "Majestic" departed Liverpool 31 Aug 1904, arrived New York 8 Sep 1904
Manifest List F: Listed together:
Anthony BEDFORD, Miner, age 63 yrs & 5 mths
Wife: Jane BEDFORD age 62 yrs & 2 mths
Dau: Elizabeth BEDFORD unm, 26 yrs & 9 mths

Anthony & Jane are listed as Unable to Read/Write.
Elizabeth is listed as able to Read/Write
All 3 are listed as English, last residence: Shiremoor, Northumberland
They aree headed to Shelbourne, Indiana to join their son, Mr John BEDFORD
Anthony and (I think) Jane are listed as having been in the US  38 yrs prior, in Pittsburg between 1864 and 1868.

(Not surprised they were earlier in Pittsburg, as the mining Industry there attracted huge numbers of UK Miners. It also gives a probable place of birth for son William born abt 1866 America. Can't find Passenger list for Anthony, Jane and son John going to the US  bet 1860/1868 though).

As mentioned above, I think Jane died in 1909 in Indiana.
Elizabeth and Anthony both returned at some time to the UK.
In 1910, Anthony returned to the US - he arrived into  Quebec , out of Liverpool. En Route to Shelbourne Indiana.
He appears to be travelling with his Grandson, WIlliam ( son of William, the one born in America)

1910: Ship SS "Empress of Britain"
William BEDFORD 25, married, Machinist.
Eliza BEDFORD 25, married.
Their Nationality English, last address in England:  ......ington? Final US Destination: Shelbourne Ind.
(Their is a lot of scribble over and around their entry,as well as generally terrible handwriting - but William's entry is over- marked "US Citiszen" which may be due to the fact his father was US Natural born)

3 down of the list from William, is:
Anthony BEDFORD  age 70, Widow, Miner, last Residence: US, Shelbourne. Final Destination Shelbourne.
It further says he had initially left US .....(to visit?) daughter Elizabeth BEDFORD of Backworth. England.

Anthony was recorded in the US Census in 1910. And he was supposedly still there in 1916, when his son Thomas registered for WW1 in Canada in 1916. But he (Anthony) must have then returned to the UK where he apparently died 1919.

Cheers
AMBLY

Edit: Son John in 1891, is married.

[Printer]

Hi AMBLY,

My goodness, you are incredible. What wonderful information you have found. I am so surprised to know that this family had American connections. It was usually Australia that my Northumberland family lines had gone to, but this has opened up a whole new horizon for me. This Bruce line certainly has gone all over the world. It also never occurred to me that Besford could be Bedford! Thankyou so much for your patience and perseverance. Very, very much appreciated.

Regards.

Printer

[AMBLY]

CHILDRENx 8
John b abt 1864 Cramlington. Home in 1891, but married. With wife Barbara Lilly nee POTTS in 1901.
Went to US (Illinois) probably late1901 to 1902 (but before Sep 1903) after death of wife in late 1901, returned to UK and remarried  1904 before going back to US again same year (to Indiana). His wife followed him later in 1904 (travelling with John's brother's wife). John again returned to UK 1905/1906, so did wife Annie and the children. John returned to US 1908, and was there in 1910 Census. Annie and the children went back to US 1910 (after Census).

William b abt 1866 America (probably Pittsburg, Pennsylvania) Home until 1881, age 15
Married 1885 to Sarah DUFFEL. In UK 1891 and 1901, but then went to US 1903.  He returned to the UK in 1904, then again returned to US in Jul 1904, travelling with Matthew and Robert, His wife and son followed him in 1904 (travelling with John's wife).  He may also have been back in the UK some time around 1908 (see John's 1908 Travel). William settled in Indiana and in Census 1910. He was deceased before the 1920 Census.

Matthew b abt 1869 Cramlington. Home up to 1901, unmarried age 30 (should be 31/32).
He first went to the US in Jul 1904, following John, and travelling with brothers Robert and William.
He appears in 1910 Census, in household of brother Joseph.
He was in Indiana and unmarried as late as Census 1930

Martha b abt 1873 Cramlington. Home until 1891, age 15.
Not sure what became of her.
Possibly MARRIAGE : Sep Qtr 1896, Newcastle on Tyne : Robert William BOYD and Martha BESFORD
(definitely this couple who married - Census shows the other bride on the page married the Italian named Groom)
But can't find the BOYD's  in 1901 Census

Joseph b abt 1876 Earsdon/Shiremoor. Home up to 1901, unmarried age 25
He married Elizabeth and also went to Indiana.

Elizabeth b abt 1878 Percy Main/Earsdon/Shiremoor. Home up to 1901, unmarried age 23.
She visited Indiana in 1904, with her parents but appears to have returned to the UK - in 1910, she is listed as being in Backworth as Elizabeth BEDFORD (see her father Anthony's 1910 Travel record).

Thomas b abt 1881 Earsdon/Shiremoor, Home up tp 1901, unmarried age 21.
He and Robert followed John out to Illinois in Sep 1903.
He must have soon returned to the UK  then returned to US again 1904 to join brother Matthew in Indiana.
He is listed in the 1910 Census in Indiana.
He enlisted for WW1 in Canada in 1916, at which time he was unmarried, and his father was in Indiana.
He gave his DOB as 29 Jun 1887 SHiremoor - ie: he shaved off 6 yrs!
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/cef/index-e.html

Robert b 1882/1884 Earsdon/Shiremoor, Home up tp 1901, unmarried age 19. (maybe should be 17).
He and Thomas followed John to Illnois in Sep 1903. He eventually ended up in Indiana.


Adding to the above, as a summary.
Details will follow...

[AMBLY]

John BESFORD, son of Anthony and Jane

MARRIAGE1: 1890
John BESFORD and Barbara Lilly POTTS - Mar Qtr 1890, Tynemouth

CENSUS 1891: John is in his parents household. Wife Barbara Lilly is here:
6 Hotspur Place - Town of Backworth, Eardson, Tynemouth, Northumberland
RG12/ Piece: 4234 /  Folio 44 /  Pg 35
Head: John POTTS 59, Wid, Coal Miner, b Newcastle
Dau: Barbara L BESSFORD 27, marr, b Keaton Poneland, NBL

CENSUS: 1901: 2 Hotspur Place -  Hamlet of Shiremoor, Earsdon, Tynemouth, Northumberland
RG13 /  Piece: 4810 /  Folio: 95 /  pg 42
Head: John BESFORD 37,Licensed Victualler (worker) , b Cramlington
Wife: Lily BESFORD 37, b Coxlodge
Servant:  Nellie SLOANE 18, unm, Domestic Servant, b Stanley DUR
Servant: Minnie JARVIS? 20, unm, Domestic Servant, b Belfast IRE
(the name of the Pub may be the "Blue Bell Inn". This is written up above, before line with the household at Nr 1 Hotspur (who is a Newsagent).
[Note his brother William "BEDFORD (BESFORD) " is at 4 Hotspur Pl same Census  and while "our" John was a Coal Miner in 1891, and a Liquour seller (innkeeper?) here in 1901,  so were his 2 brothers Matthew and Joseph Miners in 1891 and Barmen in 1901)

DEATH 1901
Barbara Lily BESFORD died age 38, Dec Qtr 1901, Tynemouth

TRAVEL1:
Approx 1901/1902  - Probably departed US during this time, after wife died. Can't find Passenger list for this trip.
According to his TRAVEL2 (below) he was in Illinois 3 yrs and must have left there late 1903 /early 1904 to return to the UK.

MARRIAGE2:
Annie WALKER, (dau of John WALKER according to her Travelling records)  - married  John BESFORD - Jun Qtr 1904 Tynemouth

John must have left UK again soon after the marriage and returned to US in May/Jun 1904 (see TRAVEL2)
A son David was born in England 1903/1904 - but I think he was born before they married, and was registered as a WALKER?

TRAVEL2:
SS "Ivernia"  - Dep Liverpool 24 May 1904 - Arrived: Boston, Massachusetts 2 Jun 1904
John BESFORD 39, marr, Miner, Last Residence: Newcastle, (England)
Final Destination :Shelbourne Indiana.
Has a ticket to final destination, paid his own fare, has $23US
Has been to the US before, to Springfield Illinois for 3 yrs, last in US 1904.
Is going to friend, WIlliam Nicholson in Shelbourne Indiana
(2 men listed either side of hims are also Miners from Newcastle, going to Shelbourne

John must have again returned to the UK 1905/1906  possibly with wife Annie and children David and  newborn Jane.
He went back to US again 1908 (TRAVEL3:), Annie who had also been in England, returned 1910  to the US with the children.

TRAVEL3:
Ship " SS Ivernia " , Departed Liverpool 7 Apr 1908, Arrived Boston 16 Apr 1908
John BEDFORD 40, married, Coal Miner, English, married, Can Read and write
His last permanent residence, is written as Shiremoor (another official has later added USA, denotong  John's permanent address is USA and he had been visiting in England.
His family/friend contact in England is: brother, William BEDFORD of 21 Ann?  Shelby??, Shiremoor.
His final destination is Shelbourne, Indiana
Paid for his own ticket, was carrying $7
Had been in US before (in 1905 or 1906) in Shelbourne Indiana
He is going to join his father, Anthony BEDFORD of Shelbourne Indiana
He is 5' 6" tall, fair complexion, brown hair and grey eyes
The top of a finger on right hand is missing.
He was born in Cramlington, England

more to follow on John.....

[AMBLY]

William BESFORD, son of Anthony and Jane

All Census records in UK say born America abt 1866.
Census records in the US say born Pennsylvania.
His parents travel records in 1904, indicate they were in Pittsburg , Pennsylvania in 1866.

MARRIAGE: Sep Qtr 1885, Tynemouth: William BESFORD and Sarah DUFFELL

CENSUS 1891: Nr 27 New Square - Seghill, Northumberland
RG12; Piece: 4236; Folio 121; Page 16;
Head: William DUFFELL 67,wid, Coal Miner, b Percy Main
Son-In-Law: William BESFORD 24, COal Miner, b America
Dau: Sarah BESFORD 27, b Seghill
Grandson: William M? BESFORD 6, b Seghill

CENSUS 1901: 4 Hotspur Place -  Hamlet of Shiremoor, Earsdon, Tynemouth, Northumberland
RG13; Piece: 4810; Folio: 96; Page: 43
Head: William BEDFORD 35, Coal Miner Hewer, b America US
Wife: Sarah BEDFORD 35, b Seghill
Son: WIlliam BEDFORD 17, Coal Miner Screener (aboveground), b Seghill

more to follow on William.....