Samuel Duncan

[aidansrest]

Hi

This links directly to my 'John Donkin - Who were his parents?' post, but, after purchasing his marriage certificate to Mary Ann Fitzharris, I have confirmation that his father was Samuel Donkin (or Duncan), an iron roller.
John did not indicate, when in married (1914), that his father was deceased (although it is quite possible that he was), and the two witnesses, C Gray and J Breslanch (very hard to decipher), don't appear to be relatives.
The address for both bride and groom was given as 77 Church Street North, Monkwearmouth.

John's parents were Samuel Duncan (Donkin) and Margaret Cassidy who married in Sunderland on the 3rd March 1888 (possibly a Roman Catholic venue as John married in St Benet's, Sunderland).
John's birth registration cannot be traced, but he was listed as being a year old on the 1891 census.

The family were living in 138 Queens Road, Sunderland in 1891, Samuel was listed as being a coal miner, aged 25 years (born c1866), and gave his place of birth as Oldham, Lancashire.

By 1901, Samuel was back in Lancashire, and lodging in Stalybridge, where he was employed as a ‘puddler’ in the ironworks, which would fit with the occupation John gave him in 1914; he confirmed that he was married and gave his birth place as Oldham, Lancashire.

But then the trail goes cold...I believe that John was staying with his maternal grandparents, John and Bridget Cassidy in 1901, listed as 'John Cassidy', aged 10 years.
And, by 1911, he was staying with his maternal aunt, Annie Prior, who was one of his mother's younger sisters, listed as John Donkin.
This seems to indicate that either his parents have died (or at least his mother), or may have remarried/parted, but can't find any trace of either.

Can anyone find Samuel before his marriage? Or what happened to him and Margaret?

Many Thanks

Sue

[rosie17]

Have you checked this death for Margaret Duncan
1895 Sunderland
Age 23 birth year about 1872

Rosie

[aidansrest]

I think she was the wife of a William Alexander Duncan (unfortunately)

Sue

[Milliepede]

Have you checked for a John Cassidy birth?

[aidansrest]

I have - with various spellings too - nothing! 

Sue

[hanes teulu]

Have been checking out this "near fit" (pity about the birthplace)

https://www.scottishindexes.com/prisontranscript.aspx?prisonid=271911926

in order to rule out. Nowt as yet.

[Milliepede]

There's one in Cockermouth Sep 1888 - what date was Margaret married to Samuel?

[aidansrest]

Margaret married Samuel on the 3rd March 1888 (Sunderland)

Sue

[mulberry-rose]

There’s a marriage which can be ruled out;
Samuel Donkin m. Ellen Burdon in 1896 Sunderland
- This Samuel appeared at Southwick in 1901 b. 1870