my grans birtley sweet shop

[onebignefamily]

I'm on a mission impossible  but before this thread self destructs

I would really appreciate some help

my grandparents were George Bowbeer born Birtley 1895 apprentice blacksmith/wheelright
and Margaret Hunter Aisbitt born Springwell 9th July 1898

i think my gran Margaret Hunter Aisbitt has a Robson family connection with eighton banks......i'm but doing my head in researching this from New Zealand with amore than a few missing links where does the "hunter" enter the equation?

anyway i know my grandparents had a sweet shop in Birtley Lane opposite the Grove aka old Birtley medical centre
( that you pretty much wanted to leave before they gave you the diagnosis )........a bit much like the most recent one where you wanted to throw yoruself in the new olympic sized swing pool at the bottom of Harris Bank

I never got to get free sweets or meet my grandad

Guess you've figured out i'm the one who escaped the asylum

[billslad]

Hi

Margaret H. Aisbitt, aged 2, was living with her parents Thomas and Elizabeth B. Aisbitt on the 1901 Census

The marriage of Thomas Aisbitt and Elizabeth Bolam Hunter was registered in December quarter of 1892 at Gateshead

John

[danuslave]

Hi & welcome to RootsChat

Think you might still have one foot in the asylum door   

You haven't said exactly what it is you are trying to find out.  We're good, but not that good!

Linda

[onebignefamily]

Hi

Margaret H. Aisbitt, aged 2, was living with her parents Thomas and Elizabeth B. Aisbitt on the 1901 Census

The marriage of Thomas Aisbitt and Elizabeth Bolam Hunter was registered in December quarter of 1892 at Gateshead

John

thanks a lot for that it was exactly what i needed

[Northsands]

Hi onebignefamily

More info for you re Thomas Aisbitt & Elizabeth Bolam Hunter, parents of your gran

My own great-grandfather, George Aisbitt, was the elder brother of your great-grandfather Thomas Aisbitt

From my own Aisbitt research, Thomas Aisbitt was born 1870 at Eighton Banks, Gateshead, Co.Durham, and christened on 21 August 1870 in St Thomas’ church, Eighton Banks. At the 1871 census living with his parents, two sisters and two brothers at Hunt Hill, Eighton Banks.

At the 1881 census, Thomas was still living at home in Eighton Banks with his father, three sisters and two brothers. His mother had just died in March 1881, and elder sister Susannah was now acting as Housekeeper to the family. By the 1891 census, the 20 year old Thomas remained living with his father, three sisters and a brother in Galloping Green, Eighton Banks, and was now by occupation a Quarryman, like his elder brother Robert.

In the last quarter of 1892, in the Chester-le-Street registration district, Thomas Aisbitt married Elizabeth Bolam Hunter, six years his senior, and born locally in the Eighton Banks/Wrekenton area. In service since her early teens, Elizabeth was in 1891 General Servant Domestic to Ralph Chairman, a local Ship Owner, and his family, living in Bewick Road, Gateshead [half a mile or so south of the town centre].

Initially Thomas & Elizabeth lived in Eighton Banks (quite possibly remaining in Thomas’ family home), and it was here their first two children, Mary and Jane, were born. Around 1895, the family moved to Springwell, a couple of miles to the east, the village where Thomas’ brother George and his family lived, and two further children were born here, Matthew Aisbitt and Margaret Hunter Aisbitt.

At the 1901 census, therefore, Thomas & Elizabeth Aisbitt and their four children were living at Woodbine Cottages, Springwell, with Thomas working as an employed Freestone Quarryman.

In September 1903, Thomas Aisbitt died at the early age of 33. He was at this time resident in the County Asylum at Sedgefield, County Durham, about 20 miles away to the south. Thomas was buried on 16 September 1903 at St Thomas’ church, Eighton Banks, Co.Durham. Also during the same decade (the date has not been traced), Thomas & Elizabeth’s first-born child Mary died.

By the 1911 census, the widowed Elizabeth is still living at 2 Woodbine Cottages, Springwell, with her three remaining children, now aged between 12 and 16. The boy, Matthew, is a ‘Driver In’ [of ponies at a colliery, presumably] by occupation.

Probably all three children later married, but only the marriage of Margaret has been confirmed, which was to George Bowbeer, of nearby Birtley, Co.Durham, four years her senior and sometime apprentice blacksmith, son of a London-born colliery mason. This was registered at Chester-le-Street in 1918, and they went on to have three children, Jennie, Thomas A and Fred, born between 1918 and 1927.

Meanwhile, Thomas’ widow Elizabeth Bolam Aisbitt nee Hunter died in April 1926, still living at 2 Woodbine Cottages, Springwell, at a recorded age of 61. She was buried on 28 April 1926 at St Thomas’ church, Eighton Banks.

If you want it, I also have some info re Thomas Aisbitt's parents and the two Aisbitt generations prior to them.

[onebignefamily]

Hi Northsands,

My sincere thanks for that and yes i would love any further information about Thomas Aisbitt and his ancestors

Thanks a lot

[Northsands]

Hi onebignefamily,

OK, here are my notes on parents of your Thomas Aisbitt.

Matthew [3] Aisbitt
 [Father of Thomas Aisbitt]

Born 26 September 1831, probably in Wrekenton, Co.Durham [around 4 miles south of Gateshead town centre], the son of Richard and Susannah Aisbitt, and christened at St Mary’s church, Gateshead on 4 July 1832. [Also christened at the same time was his cousin, Matthew [6] Aisbitt, son of his father’s twin brother Thomas]. At the 1841 census, Matthew was living with his father Richard and step-mother Agnes (his mother having died) at Merrington, near Ferryhill, Co.Durham [about 20 miles south of Gateshead].

At the 1851 census, the 19 year old Matthew was working as a Coal Miner, living at Sheriff Hill, Gateshead [two miles south of Gateshead town centre] with an uncle and aunt, James & Sarah Aisbitt, and their 25-year old son, Matthew [4] ; James was a brother of Matthew [3]’s father Richard. This arrangement suggests that Matthew’s father and step-mother had probably also died by now. [It is also possible that this could have been his cousin Matthew [6], rather than Matthew [3]; in which case, Matthew [3] is untraced at this census].

By the late 1850’s Matthew was working as a Collier at Lumley, Co.Durham [2 miles southeast of Chester-le-Street, and about eight miles from Sheriff Hill]. On 17 February 1859, at the parish church of St Mary & St Cuthbert, Chester-le-Street, the 27 year old Matthew married a 21 year old publican’s daughter Jane Cairns, born in Cowpen, near Blyth, Northumberland, but who also was living in Lumley at the time of her marriage.

At the 1861 census, Matthew and Jane Aisbitt, with Susannah, their first child, were living at Sheriff Hill; Matthew’s occupation was now given as Coal Miner And Publican. Perhaps the publican involvement came about through Jane’s family background. The household also contained a living-in servant girl, 15 year old Priscilla Hall.

By the 1871 census, the family were living at Hunt Hill, Eighton Banks [just south of Wrekenton], now with five children, including nine-year old George and the infant Thomas Aisbitt. Matthew is now recorded just as a Coal Miner once again. A further two children arrived in the 1870’s, to make a total of seven.

Jane Aisbitt died on 10 March 1881, and was buried the next day at St Thomas church, Eighton Banks. The recorded age of 46 would appear incorrect, as by our reckoning she was just 43.

At the 1881 census a few weeks later, widower Matthew Aisbitt was still living at Eighton Banks; six of the seven children are recorded there too, ranging in age from 22 down to just 3 (where the 7th child, 14-year old Isabella was at the time has not been traced). Eldest daughter Susannah, is now acting as House Keeper to the family. Matthew is still a Coal Miner, and also has now been appointed Sexton at nearby St Thomas’ church.

By the 1891 census, Matthew was living in the delightfully-named Galloping Green, Eighton Banks, with five now reasonably grown-up children still at home. Meanwhile the eldest two children, Susannah and George had left home and married during the previous decade. Also in the household on the night of the census was Matthew’s 6-year old grand-daughter Margaret Carr (Susannah’s daughter), probably just visiting. As Susannah [who now lived across the river at Burradon Colliery, north of Newcastle] had at this time two other children under the age of 18 months to look after, she was probably glad to pack Margaret off to Eighton Banks to be spoiled by her Grandad and numerous uncles and aunts!

At the 1901 census, the now 69 year old Matthew Aisbitt was living in Coach Road, Eighton Banks, looked after by daughter Margaret Agnes (23). Now presumably retired from colliery work, his occupation is given just as Sexton. It is likely that other unmarried daughter, Elizabeth, was also still part of the household, although on census night she was visiting her married sister Isabella in Blyth. Of the other five of Matthew’s children, four were now married, and one had died in 1898.

Matthew Aisbitt died on 25 June 1906 aged 74, and was buried two days later in nearby St Thomas church, Eighton Banks, the church where he had been Sexton for more than twenty-five years. I expect there was a good turnout for the funeral...

[Northsands]

and here are my notes on the two further Aisbitt generations before Matthew, father of Thomas...

Hope these all help, any further info or corrections you may unearth gratefully received.


Matthew [1] Aisbitt
 [Great Grandfather of Thomas Aisbitt]

Probably born in the 1760’s. Married Elizabeth Reay at St Mary’s church, Gateshead, Co.Durham, on 19 February 1786 [recorded then as Matthew Nesbitt]. We know of five children they had between 1791 and 1798, including boy twins Thomas and Richard, the latter being our direct ancestor; there may be other untraced children (likely prior to 1891). All of these known children were christened in Gateshead. We don’t know Matthew’s occupation.

Both Matthew [1] and Elizabeth probably died before 1841, as there is no sign of them in the census of that year, or subsequently.



Richard Aisbitt
 [Grandfather of Thomas Aisbitt]

Born on 21 May 1798, son of Matthew [1] Aisbitt and Elizabeth Reay, and christened at St Mary’s church, Gateshead on 2 September 1798, along with his twin brother, another Thomas.

Richard married 29-year old, Washington, Co.Durham-born, Susannah Crake at St Mary’s church Gateshead on 29 May 1831, ahead of the birth of their son Matthew [3] Aisbitt [qv] some four months later. He is their only child we have traced.

Susannah Aisbitt nee Crake must have died at some point in the following six years, since on 28 May 1837 Richard made a second marriage, at St Mary’s church Gateshead, to Agnes Pescod (b.1792-96). At the 1841 census, Richard is a Coal Miner, and he and Agnes, together with nine year old Matthew, were living at Merrington, near Ferryhill, Co.Durham [about 20 miles south of Gateshead].

The deaths of both Richard and Agnes Aisbitt would seem to have occurred in the 1840’s, and suggest they had moved back to the Gateshead area. It may be that Agnes was the Agnes Aisbett [note alternative spelling] whose death was recorded at Newcastle-on-Tyne in the second quarter of 1847. Richard was probably the Richard Aisbett of Sheriff Hill, who was buried at St John’s church, Gateshead Fell, on 19 December 1849, at a stated age of 52.

[cameldriver]

Hi onebignefamily

I was born in Birtley and am interested in the Bowbeers.

At the time your are talking about (1895) there was probably only one Bowbeer family around Birtley - its a rare name throughout the UK. I don't have an exact dob for the George B. in my family, but your date is certainly in the right area, and I also know his wife was Margaret (no surname.

If you'd like to send me a private msg, I'd be happy to exchange emails and info about our family links - I have George's Bowbeer ancestors going back several generations, plus some of his offspring.

Cheers,
Cameldriver