Good day, I hope I can obtain a bit of help on these two ancestors of mine. I cannot find any information on their births or baptisms or indeed origins, apart from what I state below.
They both state on Middlesex records that they were born in Berwick-upon-Tweed, but I simply cannot find birth or baptism records for them on Familysearch, Ancestry, or Findmypast.
I was wondering if there are records in existence that are not available on those three abovementioned websites and if I should go to the Library of LDS here in Johannesburg in South Africa to look at the microfilms.
There are many people on Ancestry who have linked these two men (erroneously I think) to a Peter Dewar and Jane Craig Dewar, who married (I think they must be the same couple) 18 MAY 1799 Coldingham, Berwick, Scotland who have several children baptised at Chapel Street or Shaws Lane or Relief Chap Berwick upon Tweed England. Everyone seems to see the Robert, and assumes he is Robert Dewar b. 1801.
Here are the children of Peter and Jane.
John b. 1800 bapt 1800
Jane b. 1803, bapt 1803
Robert no dob, bapt 1804
Alice b 1808, bapt 1808
Peter b. 1811, bapt 1811
Eliza b. 1815, bapt 1815
It is also noticeable that my Robert Dewar b.1801 has children named, John James, Robert, James William, Bathsheba Isabella (after her mother Nash) George Elliott (after his g.father Nash), Richard, and Elizabeth Esther. Most noticeable that there are no children named Peter or Jane, and indeed there is absolutely no Peter in the records of these two Dewar men.
This is what I know.
JAMES DEWAR, a Mate.
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He married 9 July 1826, St Matthews, Bethnal Green, of that parish.
On the Dreadnought Hospital records on 11 Dec 1836, is 43 years old (thus born in 1794) and states born Berwick-upon-Tweed. A Mate. 5 yrs Royal Navy, 24 years Merchant Navy. (Goodness me... did he start at sea age 14???)
I cannot find him on 1841 census. I think he must have been away at sea.
He dies on 26 November 1848 in St George East, Middlesex.
Wesleyan, Non-conformist burial register
I do not think he had any children.
ROBERT DEWAR, a mariner.
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Estimate birth year to be 1801.
Married 22 Aug 1831, St Leonard, Shoreditch, England of that parish.
1841 census. I cannot find him although I can find his wife and children. I think he must have been away at sea.
1851 census aged 50, says b. Scotland, Berwick-upon-Tweed.
1861 census aged 60, says under where born Berwick.
1971 census aged 72, says Berwick on Tweed, Scotland.
Dies 1880, states age 79.
If James served 5 + 24 years at sea and is 43 when this is stated it means he was 14 when he joined the Navy. Would that mean he came down from Scotland with his parents? There is a 7 year age gap between him and his brother Robert (assumed brother, because these two men married sisters), so there could be other siblings between them. Believe me I have hunted all over the websites to find another Dewar residing in England born in Berwick upon Tweed on a Census, BMor D and have had no luck. Although it doesn't rule out that his parents left Scotland just after their births and had other children born in England of course.
Half the problem is that I don't know if there is actually anywhere else to look. The year 1800 does not seem very far back to be honest, so perhaps there are records I just have not accessed. Possibly because Non-conformist records are not online? I simply can't make out which parishes or congregations are on Familysearch and even if there are some missing.
Could some kind soul who knows these Northumberland records give me some assistance please? Or perhaps someone can "see" something I cannot.
Many thanks
Caroline
(my mother was Daphne Dewar)
