Author Topic: James Kennedy, Shoreswood 1852  (Read 712 times)

Offline Phodgetts

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James Kennedy, Shoreswood 1852
« on: Tuesday 28 November 17 23:20 GMT (UK) »
Hello everybody, I am currently doing research on my 4 x great grandfather James Kennedy.

He was born at Shoreswood (according to the census) in the Norham district in 1801.

The 1841 census has him age 40 living with his wife Isabella and their sons Thomas, James, William and Adam at Shoreswood.

The 1851 James age 50, a widower living with his four sons as above, along with two of his neices at Shoreswood.

Some time after the census probably in 1851 he remarried, a lady named Christian (I don't know her previous surname)

On the 1861 Christian was a widow, so I back tracked and found a death that might have been James's, so I sent off for the certificate and sure enough it is him. He was killed in a farm accident at Shoreswood 3 March 1852 by a thrashing machine. There must have been an Inquest because the death certificate is signed by Thomas Adams Russell, the Coroner at Alnwick. James was the Farm Steward at Shoreswood, but there is no mention of any family members on the death certificate.

I wondered if anybody could tell me if there was a newspaper item about the incident and the outcome of the Inquest.

Also, where might I find the Inquest report? He died at Shoreswood, not all that far from Berwick, however the Coroner at Alnwick was involved, so I wonder if the Inquest info will be at Morpeth, Woodhorn or Berwick.

I'd be interested to know exactly what happened to the poor man.

His second wife Christian kept the youngest son of James (Adam) with her, along with one of the nieces mentioned in the 1851 census (Jane Fairbairn). They stayed in the vicinity of Ancroft, showing up on later censuses at (1861) Ancroft Greens (1871) Grievestead Farm (1881) Fenton Hill and finally (1891) Ancroft.

Looking forward to any answers and info that might come to light.

Philip
Northumberland; Johnson, Johnston, Dodds, Rutherford, Gray, Kennedy, Wilson, Sanderson, Davidson and other Border Marauders as they are discovered on this journey.
Berkshire; Knight, Bristor, Sharpe, Sharp, Ashley.
Suffolk / Essex; Perce, Pearce, Pearse, Pierce, Hayes.
Midlands; Hodgetts, Parker, Easthope.

Offline Kay99

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Re: James Kennedy, Shoreswood 1852
« Reply #1 on: Wednesday 29 November 17 07:57 GMT (UK) »
The  accident is mentioned in the Kelso Chronicle March 12, 1852  Can send you a copy if you pm me your email

The article mentions that he had married for the second time only a  few weeks before and he worked for Mr Dodds