Marriage of John Thompson born Elsdon 1791

[rumneyt]

Thank you very much

Jenny

[c-side]

Hi Jenny

I don’t know where to start with this one!

I thought I’d look first at George Bell’s marriage index which is an alphabetical list of marriages in Northumberland from 1813 - 1837.  There was one marriage of John Thompson to Margaret Thompson in 1815 so I went to check the microfilm of the parish record.

Would you believe that there are no marriages at the archives for Elsdon 1813 - 1837?
So then I looked at the transcripts for Elsdon done many years ago by a Mr. Wallace (and the source of George Bell’s index in relation to Elsdon) and this is what he had to say in 1979

‘The Register of Marriages 1813 - 1837 appears to be lost and the BTs surviving at Durham end at 1830 and there are gaps during this period’

The only other source of information for marriages are banns and licences - Elsdon banns recommence in 1826 but no Thompsons appear in them.  Licences are available online through familysearch - searchable by image but I don’t see a Thompson there either.  At least not in 1815.

The thing is, George Bell’s work is usually reliable but no-one can figure out where he got this 1815 date from and, sadly, George died a few years ago so we can’t ask him.

It’s possible, of course, that your John and Margaret didn’t marry in Elsdon at all but if they did the only way forward, I think, is to contact Durham and ask if they have it in the Bishop’s Transcripts.

Christine

[c-side]

Now to give you the data I did find - though I’m not sure if it’s going to be helpful.

There is a burial of Margaret Thompson on 12th September 1839, age 46, abode Folly

The baptism of Margaret Thompson on 17th January 1839 gives parents as John and Margaret, John’s occupation Tailor and abode Folly

I found one other baptism for Catherine, listed as first daughter of John and Margaret Thompson, John’s occupation Taylor, abode Heatherweed.  Date of baptism 2nd November 1828, date of birth given as 4th June 1826.  I haven’t found any reference to Heatherweed but there is a Heatherwick so perhaps I misread or the vicar mis-wrote.

Do you have any names and dates for other children because I couldn’t spot them in the register?  I can have another look next week if you have more detail

Christine

[rumneyt]

Hi Christine,

Many thanks for the information, I like a mystery but this is taking some unravelling!!

The dates you ask for of the other children are:  1851 Census: Catherine (d) age 24, George (s) age 14, Margaret (d) age 12, Jane (granddaughter) age 3, James Thompson (father) age 90 born in Scotland and John Thompson as their Father, occupation Tailor and condition Widowed.  I wonder if Jane is Catherine's daughter?

The 1841 census I have (if the correct one) states:  John age 20 (1821), Robert & Catherine both age 15 (1826), William age 13 (1829), Isabella age 9 (1832), James age 8 (1833) George age 5 (1836) Margaret age 2 (1839).  There are neither parents listed. 

Today I found on Ancestry someone else researching John Thompson and a lot of their information confirms what you have found, with a couple of differences.

John Thompson born 1791, but in Scotland not Elsdon, his father James Thompson born Scotland  1761-1852, which makes him 90 in 1851.

Margaret Thompson  born 1798 in Landshot, Elsdon, died the Folly 12.09.1844 , which is the same day and month as your findings but 5 years later.

Marriage between John and Margaret 26.08.1815.

All the same children listed as the 1841 census above, with Catherine & Robert both born 04.06.1826 at Heatherwick.

Margaret born 17.01.1839 The Folly.

Hope you can understand this!!  Would you let me know how to contact Durham and ask it they have it in the Bishop's Trancripts.

Once again thanks very much for your time.

Jenny

PS  Do you think John may have been married twice?

[c-side]

All clear, thanks 

I'm going to print that bit off and take it with me next week - see what I can confirm (or otherwise).

The death date for Margaret on Ancestry is odd - I will check that out again - see whether there is another one 5 years later but it's a bit of a coincidence.  There was some problem with her age on the burial record I gave you - the no. 4 in 46 had been written heavily over something else but I couldn't make out what.  But if she was 46 then her birth year goes back to 1783. and she would have married age 32 in 1815 - perhaps she'd been married twice?

I wonder where the person on ancestry got the marriage date from - it's the same as the one I have and perhaps came from the same source - so irritating that it can't be properly verified.

Christine

[c-side]

Sorry!  Forgot about the Durham contact details

This is a weblink for Durham University Library - Special Collections

http://www.dur.ac.uk/library/asc/

Christine

[rumneyt]

Thanks again Christine, will try and locate the person on Ancestry to find out their source of the date of Margaret's death.

Jenny

[c-side]

I've found that source information on public trees is usually  scant but let me know if you find out.

I'll check it out anyway as I'm beginning to doubt my own research 

Christine

[rumneyt]

I've send the person a message but note it's quite a while since they logged into Ancestry, so not that hopeful, but have since noticed a couple of other dates which don't quite add up on their info, so I shouldn't doubt your research.

Jenny