John Atlantic Stephenson

[Buffers]

Maggie, I browsed around for Stone Street, Westgate. I don't know how certain or significant the "Westgate Northumberland " reference you made is but I can't find any link between Westgate Northumberland and Stone Street. I did come up with a site called isee.gateshead.gov.uk They've got hundreds of photos and I found one of a Stone Street in an area called Windy Ridge, Gateshead. Windy Ridge is exactly where I found the Stone Street I mentioned in my last posting - close to Heworth. The photo was taken in 1937 but the houses are definitely 19th century so that's probably how they would have looked in your ggg grandfather's day - if this is the right area. The real spooky thing is what it says on the site about the photo:-

Title:  Phil Stephenson, Stone Street, Windy Nook c1937

Photographer:  Unknown
Date:  C1937
Reference Number:  GL007013

Item Description:  Phil Stephenson known locally as Bow Legged Phil sitting outside his home, 2 Stone Street with his sister Margaret Simpson and Mrs McAdam.

How about that. Any connections you can see? The photo is attached.

[Valda]

Hi

The three birth certificates (one of which you already have) will pin point further the movement of the family in England before and after the 1841 census, Albert's confirming the 1841 census

Births Mar 1838  Stephenson  Leonard Quintus    Sunderland  24 201
Births Dec 1840   Stephenson  Albert Peak    Scarbro  24 475
Births Dec 1843 STEPHENSON  Alfred Septimus     Gateshead  24 15[35]

If John was still alive at the time of Alfred's birth, then since the birth was registered in Gateshead and the family were still in Gateshead in 1851 the first place to look for his death would be in Gateshead.

There are 4 possible death registrations

Deaths Dec 1844  
STEPHENSON  John    Gateshead  24 95    
STEPHENSON  John     Gateshead  24 97    
Deaths Jun 1845 STEPHENSON  John     Gateshead  24 100    
Deaths Dec 1846 Stephenson  John     Gateshead  24 138

It is possible to see the civil registration subdistricts of Gateshead these deaths were registered in

http://online.gateshead.gov.uk/bmd/

John STEPHENSON Died: Q4 1844 Register: 3 HEW Entry:257
John STEPHENSON Died: Q4 1844 Register: 3 HEW Entry:273
John STEPHENSON Died: Q2 1845 Register: 3 WIN Entry:115
John STEPHENSON Died: Q4 1846 Register: 4 HEW Entry:130

I think HEW is Heworth sub district and WIN is Winlaton

This search engine doesn't find Alfred's birth.

The 1851 census puts the family in the ecclesiastical district of St Marys.

The 1845 death appears to be a John Stephenson aged 2 burial in Gateshead
In 1846 there is a burial of a John Stephenson in Heworth aged 1

http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html?datestamp=1204024901500#start

There are no records on this source for the 1844 deaths. Neither of the 1844 deaths may of course be correct. It is just that I can't eliminate them.


Two further baptisms for the family - baptised with Leonard whose baptism was already given.

Harriet Elizabeth Mariana Stephenson born 4th October 1833
Christening:  21 SEP 1838   Bishopwearmouth, Durham
Father:  John Stephenson  
Mother:  Elizabeth Stephenson  

Katharine Mary Layton Stephenson  born 21st July 1835
Birth:  Christening:  21 SEP 1838   Bishopwearmouth, Durham
Father:  John Stephenson  
Mother:  Elizabeth Stephenson    

LEONARD QUINTIES STEPHENSON
Christening:  21 SEP 1838
Birth:  16 MAR 1838   Bishopwearmouth, Durham
Father:  JOHN STEPHENSON  
Mother:  ELIZ.  

The baptisms can be found on Family Search

http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=igi/search_IGI.asp&clear_form=true

and also on Family Search Record Search where addtional information is given

http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html?datestamp=1204024901500#start

such as Henry Layton Stephensons baptism date 1st April 1833 Singhee Bengal


Where is Story's Buildings? It might be where they were living in 1838 but it is given on one of the baptisms in the index as John's birthplace - information which would be extremely rarely given on children's baptisms so it is unlikely to be correctly indexed


A further baptism which will be of interest because of the middle name

John Bromswell STEPHENSON
Baptism Date: 01 April 1833
Location: Ghazeepore
Parents: John; Elizabeth
Notes: Born at sea

http://indiafamily.bl.uk/UI/Home.aspx



From the Family Search Record website but from a totally different Presidency - Madras not Bengal so may be not connected. Presumably the diary would state whether they were in that area

16th January 1831
William Samuel Stephenson
John and Elizabeth
St Thomas Mount Madras

27th September 1834 born 20th July 1834
Mary Elizabeth Stephenson
John and Elizabeth
St Thomas Mount Madras



Regards

Valda

[Valda]

Hi

Peak Alum works

http://www.exnet.com/1995/12/18/science/science.html
http://heronrecreations.co.uk/pdf/panels/alum.pdf


Not sure what the connection is

The country house gambled on a bug race
The Rev. Francis Willis was a heavy gambler and it is said that in the 1840's he lost Peak House (now the Raven Hall Hotel), and its extensive grounds to a gentleman called Hammond in a single bet on two woodlice running across a saucer.


Regards

Valda

[Buffers]

Hi Valda,

Thanks for all the births and deaths possibilities. When you say "Not sure what the connection is" What are you referring to?

[Valda]

Hi

The Rev Francis Willis to the Peak Alum works.


Regards

Valda

[Buffers]

Well,  a synopsis of the the information I have gathered is as follows:-

Sir Bryan Cooke, a Baronet from Doncaster, originally founded the Peak Alum Works in the early 17th century. It was a company that mined locally-found alum (aluminium sulphate) and processed it to sell on to fabric makers as a vital ingredient in the dyeing process. Around 150 years later, in 1763, William Childs of London, a Captain in the King's Regiment of Light Dragoons, leased the company from Cooke. He then built the new family home, Peak House, close by, on the site of a farm, which in turn was built on the site of an ancient Roman fort. On Captain Child’s death in 1829, the house passed to his daughter Ann Willis. She also continued as lessee of the alum works. In turn, her son, the Rev. Dr. Richard Willis took over. He was a notorious gambler and lost a good deal of money at Doncaster Races. In 1834, the Willis family sold the alum works to Robert Campion.

By 1841, demand for alum was rapidly diminishing due to competition from a better replacement product. Some time in that year the works became inoperative. Campion went bankrupt and the works were sold in 1842 to a succession of owners. It eventually closed around 1860. During the period of the alum works’ downfall, a Mr. William Hammond of London foreclosed on the Rev. Willis’ mortgage and took over the house. Hammond quickly became a prominent local benefactor. He built the village church and windmill, and during the later part of his life he became a director of the company that built the Scarborough to Whitby railway line. He made substantial extensions and improvements to Peak House.

Hammond also eventually acquired the alum works, and it became a farm. It was then named “The Peak Estate Company” in order to sell the land. There were many attempts to do this and in 1897 the name was changed to “The Ravenscar Estate Company”, which went bankrupt in 1908. The receivers then took over the selling off of the land in plots. The National Trust bought the residue along with the alum works itself.

Peak House had been bought by Hudson Hotels n 1898 and turned it into a hotel. It has remained as such ever since and is now called the Raven Hall Hotel.

A feature of the hotel are the hanging terraced gardens and battlements, built in the 1830’s at great expense by the Reverend Dr. Willis.



There does seem to be a discrepancy in the name though. You have "Rev Francis Willis" and I have "Rev. Dr, Richard Willis".

[maggie360]

Hello Valda and Buffers,
Thank you for all the information, I am beginning to build a real picture of the family of John and Elizabeth and their 7 children.
 I am a little confused by Juliana/Indiana/Harriet Elizabeth Mariana but I think she was known as Indiana and in the 1841 census she is called Indiana (but have only just found it as listed as Stephanson) also Catherine Mary named one of her girls this.
 I have found records of Henry Layton in the census 1861 living in Durham Married to Isabella with 2 children a Stoker and Railway engineer. Out of interest John Atlantic had a son Philip born 1891 but cannot think he would be the one in the picture?!
No research done yet into Leonard or Alfred. Do you know how many children Alfred Peak had in all?
So we know when Elizabeth was born but not John. I would like to know the journey before he accepted a job in India and embarked with his pregnant wife to unknown shores.
Also they had fun with the second names of the children ie Atlantic for obvious reasons, Quintus and Septimus as they were the 5th and 7th children, India because she was born there? Ideas now for the Layton in Catherine Mary and Henry....! Regards  Maggie

[maggie360]

Just a thought but I wondered if I could trace more information about John Stephenson by the people who put up the bonds and sureties for the trip to India.
 They were James William Taylor, King Street, Portman Square ( Merchant) and William Potter , Northampton Place, Old Kent Road ( Bookseller) I have started to trawl the internet but as yet no luck....
 He had some knowledge of London as in the journal he mention swallows flying under the Serpentine so could have lived there at some stage?
With regard to the baptism you mentioned Valda of John Bromswell Stephenson in India , this has to be John Atlantic I guess but the middle name bears out Elizabeth's middle name on Albert Peak's birth certificate doesn't it?! Perhaps Bromswell is right after all...

[brian.1948]

I also believe that J.A.S is an ancestor of mine. Further down the line, my grandfather was John Smith Stephenson and his father had the same name. GGG owned properties in Low Fell, Gateshead; i`m told he was a baker and there is evidence to support that. The `smith` was not continued after my gandfather so I don`t know where it came from. GGG was married to a Martha and had two sons; Martha died fairly young and one of the sons, Andrew died from his wounds in 1918. He is buried in St.Johns churchyard in Gateshead. I have not been able to trace any further back than GGG; any help in tracing back to John Atlantic Stephenson would be appreciated.

Brian