Another 10 years of records from Penshaw All Saints (15 years for marriages):
- 1,232 baptisms 1798-1807
- 430 marriages 1797-1812, giving us a continuous run of Penshaw marriages from 1762 to mid-1837. Includes marriage witnesses.
- 591 burials 1798-1807
These were transcribed from the Bishop’s Transcript, with about 7% of them checked against the film of the original parish register.
This clerk started reporting the nativity (birthplace) of both parents in baptisms in Nov 1797. In early 1798, he switched back to reporting the current abode of the parents and the nativity of only the mother (and he was inconsistent about including that), and continued this practice for 1798 and most of 1799. For example:
- 8 Apr 1798 Ann Oats, of Wood Side House, born 28 Jan, 3rd daughter of Thomas Oats (keelman) by his wife Isabella Dobson
- 1 Apr 1798 Robert Allen, of Coxgreen, born 4 Mar, 5th son of John Allen (mason) by his wife Jane Turnbull (native of Chester-le-Street)
Starting in Dec 1799, he recorded the nativity of both parents and continued this practice through the end of this data set, as he was supposed to. For example:
- 16 Jul 1801 Jane Milburn, born 26 May, 6th daughter of James Milburn (banksman, native of this chapelry) by his wife Ann Robson (native of Chester)
Burials are similarly detailed, but recording of the father’s nativity (for the death of a child) was inconsistent until 1802:
- 10 Nov 1802 John Robinson, of Offerton Haugh, age: 12, died 8 Nov, son of Robert Robinson (tailor, native of Monkwearmouth) by his wife Jane White, native of Staindrop
One wonderful thing was that in this burial set, a deceased married woman was usually listed by her maiden name, and, for a deceased married man, the wife’s maiden name was listed. For example:
- 16 May 1802 Mary Appleby, of New Lambton, age: 30, died 14 May, native of Church Kelloe, wife of James Christy (pitman, native of Rodberry, Northumberland)
- 24 Jul 1802 Thomas Beckwith, of Penshaw Staiths, age: 77, died 22 Jul, wright, native of Houghton-le-Spring, husband of the late Eleanor Bolton (native of North Shields, Northumberland)
We have cross-indexed these women so that a search for Mary Christy or Mary Appleby would turn up the first burial above. To find Eleanor Bolton in the 2nd burial, you would need to put a check in the box labeled “Search for this person mentioned ONLY as a Witness, Godparent, Grandparent, Other Relative, Employer, etc.”
A tidbit I forgot to include in the last Penshaw update notice: At the end of 1777, a page listed the following people and their occupations:
- Robert Bailey (parish clerk & schoolmaster)
- Matthew Stoll (schoolmaster)
- midwives Isabel Barrowfoot, Mary Pearson, Mary Markham
