Found this Info in some notes that I had.
John Stephenson (The direct line) and his sister Margaret were living with their "Cousin" ? Thomas at Easington 1n 1841.Thomas was to lose his wife Jane a year later and mary a widow Mary Armstrong nee Urwin in 1844.This marriage will prove significant later as Thomas died in 1857 and his "Cousin" John (The direct Line).who lost his wife Hannah in 1859,married his widow,and the two remaining families (From 3 different marriages) joined up together with the marriage of John (2nd Marriage)and Mary (3rd Marriage).You will find this amalgamation in 1861 all called Stephenson but not all direct siblings.
Regards
Janice
I have come to this post as my ancestor Sarah Stephenson's death in Seaham Harbour in 1873 was registered by a "Caroline Stephenson present at the death Seaham Harbour". I had assumed that this was her daughter Caroline Stephenson|Lawson, however I have just realised that the name on the death certificate is Stephenson, not Lawson.
So I looked at other Caroline Stephensons in the census and found that the Caroline Stephenson, daughter of Thomas Stephenson and Mary Unwin|Armstrong|Stephenson was in Seaham as a lodger in 1871. So could this be the Caroline who registered the death, even though she was only 17 at the time?
Sarah Stephenson and her husband James Stephenson were residents of Hawthorn Hive in Easington parish from 1828 to at least 1841, although he was born in Whitby, Yorkshire. The name Stephenson is fairly common so doesn't mean they were related but the families probably knew each other.
Thanks for the information here which was helpful to me in working out a possible theory.
