Interesting link but what to look for now?

[Whipby]

Hi Lewis - I've looked at the 1881 and you are right, the neighbour's surname (Henderson) is the same surname as my girl, Elizabeth Henderson.  However I think this is coincidence as I don't think there are any Redcar connections with my Hendersons, which is where this chap says he was born.  Of course I can't be 100% certain, and something might crop up which changes my mind.

I also checked the Garthwaites in previous censuses, and found that in 1861, George Garthwaite and his family are living just a few doors away from Elizabeth who is listed under her step father's name of Campbell, in Lower Feversham Street, Middlesbrough.

More digging required, but perhaps they were just family friends after all, and not related.  I just can't get that Garthwaite marriage witness out of my head and wonder if the two families are linked more formally in some way.

I'll keep on digging!

[barryd]

I only have 4 Garthwaites in my line.
Joseph Garthwaite married Mary Dawson 13 June 1802, Stanhope, County Durham.
3 Children, Phoebe, Thomas and Elizabeth. All baptized/born in Wolsingham, County Durham. Phoebe born 16 May 1803 and baptized 17 July 1803 is my 3rd Great
Grandmother.

[Ruskie]

This is a bit off track, but I think back in those days people were more inclined to take people into their homes even if they did not know them very well - this may have been the case here.

I recently read the Diaries of Sarah Hurst and something that really surprised me is how much 'visiting' they did. Her own family had acquanitances who stayed the night, and she used to regularly be invited to stay at the homes of friends of friends of acquaintances, or stayed overnight in a virtual stranger's house if, for example, the weather was too bad to travel home.

I know you have considered the possibility that your ancestor was visiting someone else in the household, so I just wanted to throw in that observation even though Sarah's wrote her diaries at an earlier date.

[Whipby]

Thanks Ruskie - following my more recent finds I'm thinking the two families were friends since they had been neighbours in previous censuses, so being a visitor in their house doesn't seem so strange any more.  I'm more inclined now to think that the Garthwaite witness in the marriage of 100 years earlier is just a co-incidence.  However, it's always on the back burner and if anything else crops up I'll maybe take another stab at proving a family link!  Thanks for your input, very much appreciated.