Hi,
I am struggling to find Peter Watson (born on the 9th January 1831, in Monkweamouth) on three of the census records taken in his lifetime. In 1841 and 1851, he was living at home with his parents, Thomas Watson and Mary Swailes. He got married on the 5th August 1855 to Margaret Davison (b. 1834). He had 5 children with her: James Davison Watson (b. 1857), Peter Watson (b. 1860), Mary Watson (b. 1865), Margaret Watson (b. 1869) and John Davison Watson (b. 1875).
In 1861, his wife is alone with the children and listed as being "Seaman's Wife", then 10 years later, when the next census was taken, she was said to be, what looks like, "Engineers wife". However, Peter is not present. He doesn't appear again until the 1891 census, he is living with his son and is working as a Steam Engine Fitter.
He died in January 1900 and was buried in Bishopwearmouth Cemetery.
My question: where was Peter during those missing years? Is it just luck that he didn't appear on the records for 30 years?
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
