Author Topic: John Atlantic Stephenson  (Read 113050 times)

Offline ALTZA53

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Re: John Atlantic Stephenson
« Reply #333 on: Friday 11 July 25 06:37 BST (UK) »
Hi Jon and also all others following this Board.

Firstly I must give my apologies for the delay in my followup to my last Post, being in response to Jon's.
Although Elizabeth Gordon and Dr William Brumwell didn't marry until 1810 and at which time they already had children together out of wedlock, Jon had previously surmised (correctly) that they couldn't marry until his previous wife (who he had been separated from for some considerable time) died. William acknowledged these children as being his natural children as detailed and provided for in his Will.

I am not sure that we can say that because of this precedent and the fact that we have todate been unable to find a marriage record circa 1829 for John Stephenson and Elizabeth Brumwell, that they never actually married. Likewise we can't rule it out either. All their children's Birth and Marriages have been under the name of Stephenson as have Census records, with the exception of Leonard and Alfred who used Gordon as their surname in later years. Was this not more likely to have been an occupational alias (stage name), associated with both being travelling musicians or was there some run in with the law where a change of name was desirable?

1881 Census Leonard was using Stephenson but spelt Stevenson. I had no trace of him after that. Now see from your Post above that he was going under name Samuel Gordon. Checked out England and Wales Death Index 1837-1915 for Death Details 1902 as per your information. Records for Jan/Feb/Mar 1902 ref 4b 222 show two entries, Page 10 Samuel Gordon age 62, Page 29 Leonard Stephenson age 62.

Looking at Norfolk, England, Church of England Deaths and Burials, 1813-1995 specifically St Nicholas, King΄s Lynn 1902 Page 8 Entry 63 it shows Leonard Stephenson (Alias Samuel Gordon) age 62 Abode Queens St buried Feb 13.

I will get a copy of his Death Cert to see the whole details.

Alfred and his wife Jane used the surname Gordon for the 1881 to 1911 Censuses.   
On his sister Indianna's 3rd Wedding 1 Nov 1902 (1st Scott, 2nd Lyall & 3rd Emery) her residence was given as 44 Percy St, being Alfred's address and he signed as a Witness under Alfred Gordon.

Alfred died 24 September 1915. Death Cert shows his full name as Alfred Septimus Gordon Stephenson age 72, address being 44 Percy St, Occupation Street Musician.

Based on all of the above I believe the use of the Gordon surname by Leonard and Alfred (and wife Jane) was an Alias for occupational purposes only.

Jon, I am unable to confirm or deny your suggestion that John Stephenson is the son of William Stephenson and Mary Layton from Romaldkirk as I have no knowledge off a link to the Eggelston Stephenson's.

You mention that you now have a DNA match with a descendant of my wife's Great Grandfather Henry Layton Stephenson 1832 -1907 on your maternal line but based on the information you sent me privately I have been unable to see where and with whom this match is.

Cheers
Ian




















Offline ALTZA53

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Re: John Atlantic Stephenson
« Reply #334 on: Saturday 12 July 25 01:31 BST (UK) »
Hi Jon, have entered as requested  John Stephenson's parents as being William Stephenson & Mary Layton ( Romaldkirk Yorkshire) on our family tree to see if comes up on ThruLines with Matches to confirm your theory as to relationship.

Might take a day or so to come through. Will post results if any.

If no results will remove their details to avoid corrupting our Tree.

You also mentioned the sighting of Alfred's wife Jane's death notice in the Shields Daily News. Can you advise her Death details.

Offline jon541

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Re: John Atlantic Stephenson
« Reply #335 on: Saturday 12 July 25 09:38 BST (UK) »
Hi Ian,

Here's the death notice:
Stephenson - At 44, Percy Street, Tynemouth, on the 13th inst., aged 70 years, Jane Stephenson (Gordon). Interment at Preston Cemetery on Wednesday at 2.30. [Shields Daily News - Tuesday 15 August 1916]

... and the burial referred to:

[Entry #] 615 - Jane Gordon Stephenson - Female - [Age] 70 yrs - Widow - [Where death occurred] 44 Percy St Tynemouth - [Date of burial] 16 Aug 1916 - [Ceremony performed by] P. Harrington Hart - Consecrated - [Grave#] 12108 - [From what township or parish] Tynemouth - [Registrar] Thos. Simpson [Burial register of Preston Cemetery, vol. 19 (22 Jan 1916 - 4 Dec 1918), folio 62]

Thanks for following up on the suggestion re Wm. Stephenson and Mary Layton.  I' m not sure what odds we have on it bearing fruit but worth a try...  Sorry I haven't got back to you yet on your email but I will do so shortly.

I fully agree with your comments regarding the use of both Stephenson and Gordon as surnames.  We'll never know for sure.  I think I based my suggestion on the fact that I have other ancestors who always went publically by their father's surname but who, because their parents were unmarried,  registered GRO events using their mother's surname.  But other Stephenson siblings didn't do this so maybe it was, as you suggest, more likely to be an attempt to stay under the radar.

I thought that I had already posted these two interesting obits but, based on your comments, perhaps I hadn't:

A harpist and singer, named Leonard Stephenson, but whose professional name was Samuel Gordon, and who was well known in many parts of the country, but particularly at Ipswich, as a frequenter of the river boats plying to and from Harwich, has died suddenly at Lynn. The Borough Coroner held an inquest on Tuesday evening, when Dr. Chadwick stated that he had made a post mortem examination and found that death was due to the rupture of an aneurism.  Chief Constable Payne stated that among Gordon's effects he found a card written to Gordon from Ipswich, and giving the address of his sister (Mrs. Lyall) at South Shields.  The police of that place, however, had failed to find her. The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence. [Diss Express - Friday 14 February 1902, p5 col6]

Travelling harpist's death at Lynn ... Mr. E. M. Belcoe, Borough Coroner, held an inquest at the Town Hall, Lynn, on Tuesday evening, when Dr. G. R. Chadwick stated that he had made a post-mortem examination, and found that death was due to the rupture of an aneurism. William Benstead, landlord of the Empress Public-house, Queen Street, said Gordon had lodged with him for five weeks. On Saturday night, he went to bed at 10.30, apparently in his usual health. At 12.40 on Monday, as he was not down, witness called him, and received no answer, so entered his room, and found him dead, with blood on the carpet and elsewhere... A pedlar's certificate granted at Wisbech in 1901, showed Gordon's age at that time to be 61. Witness had known him for nine and ten years as a musician who travelled all over the country... [Eastern Daily Press (Norwich) - Thursday 13 February 1901, p6 col5]


And here is the burial record:

Leonard Stephenson alias Samuel Gordon - Queen Str. - Feb: 13 - 62 years - Gerald L. Morrell [PR, King's Lynn St. Margaret, 13 Feb 1902]

That reference to "Mrs Lyall" in the obit is especially useful as it proves that his sister is Indiana Lyall.

I'll get back to you on the Henry Layton Stephenson link in my email.

Jon 
Preston in Newcastle (1770-1850) ; Brumwell - Weardale and Newcastle ; Wylie (Newcastle 1800-1870) ; Slaughter (Sussex and South Shields 1750-1850) ; Barkas (Newcastle 1750-1850) ; Redshaw (Medomsley and Newcastle 1750-1850) ; Simpson (Hamsterley 1720-1820) ; Anderson (Ryton 1750-1850) ; Chilton (Darlington 1750-1920) ; Pattison (West Tanfield, Bellerby, Northallerton) ; Sanderson (Hamsterley and Stanhope (1750-1850)

Offline ALTZA53

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Re: John Atlantic Stephenson
« Reply #336 on: Saturday 12 July 25 13:36 BST (UK) »
Hi Jon, thanks for the additional information. All very interesting. l have already ordered a copy of Leonard's Death record from GRO UK and was pleased to note that you now have the option to get the full certificate, a pdf version or a digital image. The later 2 are much cheaper, have no postage costs and are available relatively quickly.. Certainly a positive for family research.
Cheers Ian.


Offline Kiltaglassan

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Re: John Atlantic Stephenson
« Reply #337 on: Saturday 12 July 25 13:59 BST (UK) »

Quote
l have already ordered a copy of Leonard's Death record from GRO UK.....

Probably England/Wales you ordered it from.
https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/login.asp


Researching: Cuthbertson – Co. Derry, Scotland & Australia; Hunter – Co. Derry; Jackson – Co. Derry, Scotland & Canada; Scott – Co. Derry; Neilly – Co. Antrim & USA; McCurdy – Co. Antrim; Nixon – Co. Cavan, Co. Donegal, Canada & USA; Ryan & Noble – Co. Sligo

Offline ALTZA53

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Re: John Atlantic Stephenson
« Reply #338 on: Saturday 12 July 25 14:25 BST (UK) »
Exactly right.for England & Wales. Ordered a Pdf of the record as the digital image version request stated Error regrading Vol No even though was correct and worked for the Pdf.

Offline jon541

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Re: John Atlantic Stephenson
« Reply #339 on: Monday 14 July 25 00:08 BST (UK) »
Just realised that I had one of the newspaper dates one year out in my previous post - should have been Thursday 13 February 1902 not 1901 of course.
Preston in Newcastle (1770-1850) ; Brumwell - Weardale and Newcastle ; Wylie (Newcastle 1800-1870) ; Slaughter (Sussex and South Shields 1750-1850) ; Barkas (Newcastle 1750-1850) ; Redshaw (Medomsley and Newcastle 1750-1850) ; Simpson (Hamsterley 1720-1820) ; Anderson (Ryton 1750-1850) ; Chilton (Darlington 1750-1920) ; Pattison (West Tanfield, Bellerby, Northallerton) ; Sanderson (Hamsterley and Stanhope (1750-1850)