Elusive Mary Ellen born 10 September in Gateshead.

[emmadog]

Hi Ticketty Boo, I did as you suggested and e mailed Gateshead Register Office but did not get a reply so for the moment I’m at stalemate. At least  now I know she was a real person but it would be nice to know where she was born.

Thanks to everyone for their help. It means so much when your heads in such a muddle to get different views from ithers.
Thanks
Barbara.

[Tickettyboo]

Hi Barbara

I really do sympathise, I too had a long standing problem with a birth reg that did not seem to exist, but the child was baptised (with the correct surname  or at least a variation that sounded the same)
Again it was a family who had come to the North East from Ireland. They had a whole squad of children and I had got them all bar one. (there's always one!)
After a very long time I found him. the surname was McGarrigall (or any variation you can think of plus a few you wouldn't)
He'd been registered as McGallagher! 
Close, but it took me a while to win the coconut:-)

Given the current number of covid infections there are perhaps the Registrars are short staffed at the moment, its shame as my experience of Gateshead Registrars is that they are willing to help, but perhaps are unable to at the moment as they have other, more immediate, duties to carry out.

I'm assuming that this is the baptism record you have at St Joseph's, Rc , Gateshead
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NJFB-8D7

Gives a birth date of 10 Sept 1901

As there is no father named (and the priest would have asked - repeatedly and vociferously!) then we can safely assume she was illegitimate. Given that the LDS would have indexed info for both parents, if that was in the record that's another indication that she was illegitimate rather than an error in the transcription.

I looked again at births registered in 1901, Gateshead on Free BMD , specifying a first name of Mary and a surname as M*, limited it to Gateshead and Sep 1901 to Dec 1901 (Q4 would be pushing it to have the birth registered within the limit of six weeks, but it sometimes happened)

I downloaded those results and looked at each in turn (no matter how close or far away from a version of Mallachin the surname was, and no matter what, if anything, was shown as a middle name)

The only entry that comes up as not having a MMN recorded is the
Q3 1901 Mary Ellen MONAGHAN

which is the one you asked the Registrars about.

As the registrars aren't able to help you at the moment, I am afriad that your only option is to take a punt at getting the pdf from the GRO. Not cheap at £7 a pop, but I can't think of any other way.

If you go that route and the mother is Margaret, and hopefully it has an address that looks likely to be a match, then I'd say that on balance its the right record.

Boo

[emmadog]

Thanks again Ticketty Boo for all your help. I was wondering if there is a way you can find census records for the workhouse. I.e. her brother  (my grandad) was born 1899 in gateshead workhouse and I suspect she may also have been born there. I have had a look but am not sure if there is a way to find 1901 census fir the family. As Margarets family came from Edinburgh i had wondered if they were there but nothing there.
Oh well I suppose its just a waiting game.
Thanks so much
Barbara.

[Tickettyboo]

The 1901 census was taken on 31 March 1901, so you are unlikely to find Mary Ellen on that as she wasn't born till September.
According to http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Gateshead/ very few records survive for Gateshead Workhouse
I've checked Tyne and Wear Archives user guides for Poor law records https://twarchives.org.uk/collection/user-guides-and-information

and they don't seem to have anything listed that would refer to this time frame for admissions/discharges /births.

If Mary Ellen had been born in the workhouse I'd assume that her birth would be registered, the workhouse staff would have been aware of the need to do so and would ensure it was done?

So, you said you have the family on the 1911 census, but didn't say where or with what surname. If you can tell me that then I'll try the 1901 census again, with Margaret's approx birth year.
IF she was in Gateshead in March then given her birth year I'd have a better chance of trying to find a Margaret , born Scotland.

 Boo

[Tickettyboo]

I've looked at Gateshead Union Workhouse, which was at High Teams , on the 1901 census
The reference is
Piece 4760
Folio 199

Though I searched for a Margaret, no surname or year of birth specified and came up with 3 results,  DOWNEY, DAWSON and FOSTER, all said to be born in Co. Durham, nothing resembling MALLACHIN

Boo

[emmadog]

Wow, you have been busy. 1911 census the family are in Blyth. There is Margaret b. 26 May 1869 in Edinburgh, her husband Thomas Coyne (they married in 1906 south Shields), their son Thomas b 1909 Blyth, Charles Johnson B 1899 Gateshead, Mary Ellen Johnson B 1901 b Gateshead. Margaret married a Charles Johnson in June 1/4 1904 and he died Sept 1/4 1904. That is where the name Johnson came from but who knows if he was their father or not. I have found records for all of Margaret’s family in Scotland but there seems to be a cloud over 1899-1911.
Barbara

[Tickettyboo]

So this looks to be the family in 1911
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XWM2-SFQ
and the ages of Margaret, Charles and Mary Ellen are all a bit 'out', and Mary Ellen's birthplace 'does' say Gateshead but as her step father completed the form, 'perhaps' his information was not that reliable?

I'm not  finding Margaret and her son Charles in 1901 either, sorry.

Margaret's first husband, Charles Johnson , death reg Q3 1904, Gateshead , age 30

Newcastle Evening Chronicle 9th September 1904 page 2 col 1
Deaths
JOHNSON - Gateshead, 15 Hillgate, on 7th inst., aged 34 years.
Charles, the dearly beloved husband of Margaret Johnson.
Interment on Sunday. All friends kindly invited.

(age at death in notice is different to death reg & burial record, maybe a misprint?)

Burial register, Gateshead East Cemetery, buried 11 Sept 1904
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSJ7-H9KP-H?
and Grave register for that grave showing his brother Joseph, Mam Mary and Dad William were also interred in that grave
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHV-L3VC-89MS-W?

His Dad ran a boarding house at 15 Hillgate, according to both 1901 and 1891 census returns
1901 Census Piece 4756, Folio 34, page 60
1891 Census Piece 4180, Folio 104, page 48

I was hoping that Margaret may have been one of his lodgers in 1901 but sadly not.

Boo

[Tickettyboo]

In reply 3  mckha489 gave you a marriage of Mary Ellen Johnson to Henry Beddow in 1924
and a Death Notice 17 Dec 1931 from Blyth news.
I'm a big fan of In Memoriam notices to help confirm a death is for the person I was looking for. This family kept them up for a long time and each time there were more clues to confirm it was the Mary Ellen you were looking for - its like they were leaving a trail of breadcrumbs a little at a time :-)

I looked a year after her death  and there were two In Memoriam Notices
Blyth News 15 Dec 1932 page 1 col 6
BEDDOW - In memory of my dear wife, Mary Ellen who died Dec 16th 1931
I heard her singing long, long ago,
I still remember her song;
I hear her singing when lights are low,
Tho' she's been silent so long.
Ever remembered by her loving husband
Henry Beddow

BEDDOW - In loving memory if our dear daughter, Mary Ellen, who died December 16th 1931.
Never forgotten by her loving mother, father, brothers, sister in law and nieces Pat and Margaret; also dear friends.
Secret thoughts, a silent tear
Keeps her memory ever dear,

There was another In Memoriam the following year
Blyth News 18 Dec 1933, page 1 col 4
BEDDOW - In loving memory of our dear daughter Mary Ellen, died December 16th 1931. Sadly missed by her dear mother, father, brothers, sister in law Lily, nieces Patsy and Margaret

That one was repeated  almost word for word, the following year on 17 Dec 1934, page 2 col 1

In 1935 it appeared again, this time just from mother, father and brothers


Blyth News 17 Dec 1936 page 2 col 1 (BINGO! this gives names for the brothers)

Beddow In loving memory of Mary Ellen Beddow died Dec 16th 1931 Ever remembered by her loving father and mother, brothers Charles and Tommy, sister in law Lily, nieces Patsy and Margaret

Blyth News 16 Dec 1937 page 2 col 1 (Lottery jackpot win!)

BEDDOW In loving memory of Mary Ellen (nee Johnson), died Dec 16th 1932 (ok so the paper misprinted the year of death) Ever remembered by her mother, father, brothers and sister in law Lily.

Blyth News 15 Dec 1938 page 2 col 1
The notice from 1936 is repeated word for word, which confirms that all the people mentioned were still alive
(I was hoping it would go that bit further and give me the address where she was born!)

and no more after 1938.

Blyth News 11 Sept 1939 p2 col 1
Deaths
COYNE - Blyth 24 Willow Avenue 10th inst., aged 69 years, Thomas dearly beloved husband of Margaret Coyne. Interment Cowpen Cemetery Wednesday leaving residence 2.45 pm R.I.P.

Blyth News 09 Sep 1940 p 2 col 1
COYNE - In loving memory of my dear father Thomas, died September 10 1939. Deep in our hearts a memory is kept of one we loved and will never forget, Ever remembered by his loving son and daughter-in-law Tommy and Belle.

So Thomas died just before the 1939 Register was compiled

Blyth News  09 May 1940 p2 c 1
Deaths
COYNE - Blyth 24 Willow Avenue May 7th, Margaret dearly loved wife of the late Thomas Coyne. Interment Cowpen Cemetery Friday leaving residence at 2.30 pm Friends please accept this intimation. R.I.P

Blyth News 08 May 1941 page 2 col 1
COYNE In loving memory of my dear mother, Margaret, died May 7 1940. Ever remembered by her loving son Tommy, daughter-in-law Belle.

and Margaret should appear on the 1939 register at the address in the notice as they were there before the register was compiled and she was still there when she died.

Boo

[emmadog]

Wow, wow, wow you have been so busy and I’m so very grateful to you.
You are right about the newspaper items  as they definitely confirm she was my great aunt. The two young girls mentioned in a couple were Pat (Patsy) and Margaret who was my mother. Lily was my nanna Elizabeth who was always known as Lily.
I have now done what you suggested and ordered pdf from register office for the ?? Birth cert.
I have still not heard from the person on Anc site about June Beddoe who I still suspect as being Mary Ellens daughter but no proof. June was born in the June before Mary Ellen died in December but again there was no birth reg until 1934 (mother Parr who was Henry’s second wife). However on family tree (Anc) and her death she is stated to have been born in 1931.
What a puzzling family I have. Luckily my dad’s side have been mostly straight forward.
Thanks,  Barbara.
Ps will let you know when I receive PDF.
Pps forgot to say Margaret was still at that address on 1939 living on her own.