Jane Ann Stewart - Hexham

[aidansrest]

Hi

Wondering if anyone would like to have a stab at guessing who Jane's parents where, or maybe even find her baptism?

Jane Ann Stewart - I'm pretty certain that her birth was registered with the Hexham RD during the March quarter of 1877.

In 1891 I think she appears as a 'laundress' within the 'Convent of the Good Shepherd' in Longbenton - Jane Stewart born 1876 - Hexham
By 1901, she was in Sunderland and living with William Brown as Jane Brown, born 1878 - Hexham.
She and William did not marry until 1909 (I have sent for their marriage certificate to try and establish Jane's father's name).
The 1911 census finds them still in Sunderland and Jane give her year of birth as 1879 - Hexham.

They named their children; William Henry, George Alexander, Jacob, Jane Ann, Walter, Alexander and Rosanna, and Gordon.
Most of these names related to William's family (he came from Cupar in Fife), but George, Jacob and Rosanna are exceptions. I wondered whether they may have meant something to Jane?

Sue

[SelDen]

Hi Sue

Have you got one of the children's birth certificates to confirm Jane's maiden name? With such a common name as Brown, and if there is some flexibility around when and where this couple married, it might be a bit tricky to confirm you have the right marriage without first confirming Jane's maiden name. Or perhaps you have some other information giving Jane's name as Stewart?

As you probably realise, a name like Rosanna may possibly suggest an Irish connection at some point in time, and there were very busy RC churches in Hexham, which might be somewhere to look for the family.

If Jane was indeed a laundress within the Convent of the Good Shepherd aged about 15 in 1891, you might like to look into the reasons why she was there - had she been taken in as an orphan? It also suggests an RC background.

[aidansrest]

Hi

Yes, I can confirm that Jane Ann's maiden name was Stewart. I am researching the family for a friend whose grandfather was George Alexander Brown, Jane's son. He was born in Sunderland on the 5th April 1903, mother was Jane Ann Stewart.
His younger siblings, Walter, twins, Alexander and Rosanna and Gordon, all have their mother's maiden name confirmed via FreeBMD.

I do find it slightly strange that Jane and William Brown did not marry until 1909, even though they claim in 1911 that they have been married for 11 years - fingers crossed that I have bought the right certificate!
I have an ominous feeling that Jane may lie about her father's identity or leave the entry blank - we shall wait and see!

Sue

[SelDen]

Hi Sue

Great that you have confirmation of Jane's surname.

Apologies if you have this info, but this link lists most of the congregations in Hexham:
http://www.genuki.bpears.org.uk/NBL/Hexham/ChurchRecords.html

If you don't live locally, you could order films of at least some of these records through your nearest LDS family history centre.

Hopefully Jane does give her father's name in the marriage certificate and then Rootschat may be able to help further. I suppose it is possible either Jane or William had been married previously and this explains the delay.

Good luck.

[JenB]

Apologies if you have this info, but this link lists most of the congregations in Hexham:
http://www.genuki.bpears.org.uk/NBL/Hexham/ChurchRecords.html

If you don't live locally, you could order films of at least some of these records through your nearest LDS family history centre.

I checked the St Mary's Hexham (Roman Catholic) transcriptions today - no Jane Anne Stewart I'm afraid.

[c-side]

And I checked Hexham C of E. 

The nearest I could find was Jane Stewart illegitimate daughter of Rachel, abode Hexham, baptised 20th January 1878

Christine

[aidansrest]

Hi All,

Thanks so much for all your information.
I have now received William and Jane Ann's marriage certificate. They married on the 8th October 1909 in St Patricks RC Church in Sunderland.
Jane gave her age as 30 years, and her father as John Stewart (deceased) a general labourer.

I think she maybe lying as I still cannot find any trace of her in 1881.
Can anybody else locate her?

Thanks

Sue

[SelDen]

In short, nope, can't see her in 1881 but hopefully someone else will find her.

I have tried the following, and if you haven't already you may wish to try some of these approaches as you will have more knowledge of family names etc:
- Jane + dob + Hexham birthplace  search, England & Scotland
- Stewart + keyword Hexham search
- Jane Wall* + dob + keyword Hexham search
and a couple of other variants I can't recall now but which were also unsuccessful.

I also cannot see what became of Rachel Stewart & her daughter Jane (see post from c-side) - I can't see an obvious marriage or death(s). It would be good to track these two down, to see if they could be yours, or at least to eliminate them. Have you ordered the 1877 birth certificate?

There is an entry in the 1871 census that niggles me:
Hexham RG10/5146 folio 15
35 Giles Gate
Grace Moore, Head, Lodging House Keeper etc
...
William Walker? Wallice? [not clear], Lodger, Unmarried, 34, Hawker, Scotland Hawick
Rosannah Stewart Lodger Unm 33 [occupation dittoed from above] Scotland Dumbarton

If either or both of your Jane Ann's parents belonged to a family on the move then it may be a challenge to find them.

It may (or may not!) help to build up a picture of any Stewarts with an association with Hexham, remembering nearby RC & other churches, including in Newcastle.

Looking at the 1891 census entry for the Convent of the Good Shepherd, the ages of the young women do not suggest that it was an orphanage, despite my earlier comment.  Most of the women are easily old enough to be sent out to support themselves. It does look like a Magdalene laundry set up (apologies to locals who may be sighing saying "of course it was"), suggesting that Jane may have been left to fend for herself at some point - and that she had a hard life which hopefully became easier once she met William Brown.

[SelDen]

It appears the Convent of the Good Shepherd was only opened a couple of years before the 1891 census, and so the young Jane Ann Stewart listed there may have been amongst the earliest 'penitents' housed there:

Extract from The Tablet, December 1888

"THE GOOD SHEPHERD.—The Convent of the Good Shepherd lately established at Benton Grange, near Newcastle, was formally opened for the reception of penitents on Friday. Thus another institution doing a great work has been added to those already opened by the late bishops. Benton Grange has always been in Catholic hands from preReformation times. From the old Catholic family of the Brandlings, it passed into the hands of the late Mr. Mat. Liddell, of Prudhoe Hall, Northumberland, and from him it passed into the hands of Mr. George Foreman, who sold it to the Sisters of the Good Shepherd."
http://archive.thetablet.co.uk/article/15th-december-1888/35/news-from-the-dioceses

According to this website, the laundry in which the young women were likely to have been employed was just across the road:
http://www.fototime.com/memberalbum/58E08A8BADBC42C8A4E097D0D715519A/578EE12CC4E84BA7BF2E0BC16FF509C2


http://www.childrenwebmag.com/articles/child-care-history/the-reality-of-closure
The Closure of Benton Grange, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
Benton Grange was also managed by the Hexham and Newcastle Diocesan Rescue Society but was owned by a Roman Catholic Order of nuns.
Benton Grange had originally been opened in 1889 by the nuns. It was a large solid structure with all its living and educational facilities in the one building. It had also a small secure unit for three girls. Located in an urban area, the town centre of Newcastle was 15 minutes distance on public transport. Originally it offered places for 44 girls but this was reduced to 40 in 1978, 34 in 1983 and 22 in 1984. The reductions were an attempt to retain the CHE with a smaller number of girls and staff but, ultimately, the low number was not viable.