Sarah Jane Harrison

[softly softly]

Just want to note this with everything so far 1881 Hetton

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01txa/

Isabella Harrison and family
The Sarah Jane here is 19 and there are also 2 g.children, William A. Harrison age 4 and Elizabeth Ann age 1, births are Easington Lane.

Good find,

1871 ref for Sarah Jane

Piece   4984
Folio   72
Page number   34

SS

[softly softly]

Think you might be right about William being married previously.

There's a William Ouston b c1861 in Houghton le Spring living in Chester le Street in 1881 with wife Ruth

Ruth is on her own with three girls in 1891 - the youngest is 6, which fits with him going off with Sarah and them having a 5 year old on 1891

Possible marriage

Marriages Dec 1878   

GRAY    Ruth        Easington    10a   487    
HONSTON    William        Easington    10a   487    
HOUSTON    William        Easington    10a   487   

as per 1881 census

OUSTON, ELIZABETH       mmn GRAY 
GRO Reference: 1881  M Quarter in CHESTER LE STREET  Volume 10A  Page 504

SS

[ojbumblebee1993]

Thank you - that's enlightening (and simultaneously terrible).

[willsy]

Few more SS , more census returns for the Harrisons, looking at Isabella born Whitley

1871

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01txb/

1861 Isabella , daughter

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01txc/

[ojbumblebee1993]

If William Houston was married before is it possible then that he did not marry Sarah? Or did he divorce Ruth? And is it likely rather than dying in 1894 as I previously had assumed he actually did another runner with someone else?

[jonwarrn]

There is a brief report in the Durham County Advertiser, 8 September 1893, I think from the Durham City Police Court (but I don't know if it is the right man)
Free ocr text, with guesses for missing words
He Couldn’t Pay.— William Houston was brought up to show cause why he should not pay £25 arrears on an order made against him for the maintenance of his wife and children.—Defendant said he could not pay 10s a week; he was paying 2s 6d a week to'his children. He was getting little money, and could pay nothing down. He had sent his wife 5s in two months—The bench ordered defendant to gaol for two months.

Also, there are some admission records, St Michael's Church Of England School, Houghton le Spring, in 1900 for
Mary Ellen Houston, born 1889
Polly Houston, born 1890
Ada Houston, born 1892

[jonwarrn]

Re the 1894 death, an announcement
Durham County Advertiser, 29 June 1894
At Trimdon Colliery, 27th inst., W. Houston, miner, aged 34 years.

There may be a burial for him indexed on Durham Records Online.

[softly softly]

Morning jonwarrn, good finds, well done again.

Possible birth of William & sister

HOUSTON, WILLIAM  JAMES     mmn KIRTLEY 
GRO Reference: 1859  M Quarter in HOUGHTON LE SPRING  Volume 10A  Page 326

HOUSTON, MARY  JANE     mmn KIRTLEY 
GRO Reference: 1857  M Quarter in HOUGHTON LE SPRING  Volume 10A  Page 304

Parents

Marriages Dec 1853 

Houston    William                 Durham    10a   329    
Kirtley    Mary Jane        Durham    10a   329    

1861 census ref----------with grandparents
Piece   3752
Folio   49

1871 census ref ----------- with grandparents and probable father who is a widower
Piece   3752
Folio   49
Page number   14
Page number   14

Believe William's father William is with his brother Thomas in 1861 census ref
Piece   3712
Folio   3
Page  number   6

SS

[Mabel Bagshawe]

If William Houston was married before is it possible then that he did not marry Sarah? Or did he divorce Ruth? And is it likely rather than dying in 1894 as I previously had assumed he actually did another runner with someone else?

I don;t think he divorced Ruth - it was fairly unusual in those days. Both Sarah and Ruth describe themselves as married in 1891 and widowed in 1901