When you can't quite prove two people are one and the same...

[Malcolm33]

The father of witness Sarah Ann Brewis was Thomas Thompson born Dunstanburgh near Embleton Northumberland around 1810.    So possible that Henry was Sarah's Uncle.

[Malcolm33]

Robert Dunn is in 1891 census age 26 born South Shields with wife Grace Dixon born Dunston (possibly same Dunstan as Thomas Thompson - only wrong county given), age 25.   They married in Chorlton Manchester where their son Robert was born.    Grace could be another relative of Henry Thompson.

[Malcolm33]

Robert Dunn is in 1891 census age 26 born South Shields with wife Grace Dixon born Dunston (possibly same Dunstan as Thomas Thompson - only wrong county given), age 25.   They married in Chorlton Manchester where their son Robert was born.    Grace could be another relative of Henry Thompson.

    There is another point which could be a strong pointer to the whereabouts of Jane Adamson/Thompson/Leggett from 1881 to 1889.     We know she was in South Shields early 1889 to marry Henry Thompson.    But her mother Jane Adamson went to Jarrow for the birth of her son William in 1866, and there again Robert Adamson married Jane in Newcastle although both were born and bred in Durham City.

[Mart 'n' Al]

 Malcolm, I have read your recent additions to this thread and I thank you greatly for your continued interest. However I am still 50/50 ambivalent about whether Jane Adamson who grew up with the Potter family in Middlesbrough is the same as the one who lived with George Leggett in the 1890s and early 20th century.

I accept that there is a discrepancy between her birthplace on the early census forms, as Tudhoe, and the later ones showing Durham City comma but there is not really anything else to show that these are different people. As the 1800s progressed into the 20th century and Durham expanded, it might be natural to say that she was born in Durham City, although I accept that Tudhoe is still a few miles away from the actual city centre. I am not convinced that there is enough information to prove that Jane from Tudhoe is different from Jane from Durham.

But I am still 50-50 . And I thank you again for your comments plus those from anybody else who may have something to add. My cousin in Australia points out that I could equally describe my place of birth as Dartford Kent, but as times have changed Dartford is now on the edge of Greater London.

Martin

[Malcolm33]

    Hi Martin,  I see your points but I just don't feel at all happy with accepting a different birth place when the person in question stresses another place more than once.     We all tend to name a nearby city when we know that others wouldn't have ever heard of the town we were born in, but a census is different.  The Census taker is from the very same county and often knows where each village lies.    They might write down just 'Durham' as we see with Jane in 1891,  but not Durham Durham as she has in 1901 and definitely not Durham (city) as we see in 1911.

      Unfortunately it is a long process when one has to investigate all other possibilities.    We can toss out the Robert H J Adamson family now as that Jane died in 1909, but it took time to establish that.

      Didn't Jane name her father on her marriage certificate to Henry Thompson?    Did she tell them she was a 'Spinster'?    If she did that may not be true.     If born in 1860 she would have been 29 in 1889 so plenty of time for an intervening marriage.

      I've come across these situations so many times and one jumps back into my mind - Eliza Ann Montgomery whom my widowed gt.grandfather married in 1885.    When she migrated to America she said she was Elizabeth Millsop, ignoring both maiden name and last married name - even though still married to my gt.grandfather James Draffan.

      It isn't just the birthplace she gave that makes me uneasy with the Tudhoe Jane.   Why can't we find her in 1881?    I have searched over and over and nothing anywhere near.   The reason the Robert Adamson Jane eluded us was because she became Jane Swalwell, so I can't help feeling that Adamson was Jane's married name.

      I have some thoughts as to how to crack this, but am called to focus on something else this morning.

      All the best,  Malcolm

[Mart 'n' Al]

The 1920 electoral registers for Hartlepool show the following:

14 Milton Road, Hartlepool - LEGGETT, Jane, Ernest Victor & George Daniel

Schools Cottage - LEGGETT, George Daniel

Jomot, I somehow missed your comment. That George Daniel Leggett is almost definitely his son, born 1895.

Martin

[Mart 'n' Al]

Malcolm, in your Saturday 09 June 18 22:51 BST (UK) Post, you mentioned George Boynton Leggett. I didn't notice that, but he died in childhood. He can be disregarded.

You also mentioned the Jane born in Newfield. That is about as far out of Durham City as Tudhoe is, so again I can't see how the Jane with George Leggett could be born there and describe herself later as born in Durham City.

Throughout the 1890s and into the 20th century Jane seems to use whichever surname she fancied at the time. Even in 1900 when her 6th child, my grandfather, was born she used the name Thompson.

On the marriage certificate for Jane's marriage to Henry Thompson she lists her father has Edward Adamson, engineer, and herself as spinster.  I do accept that for a young woman to be still single, spinster, at 29 in those days, is a little bit unusual, but perhaps she was just choosy!

Martin

[Jomot]

The 1920 electoral registers for Hartlepool show the following:

14 Milton Road, Hartlepool - LEGGETT, Jane, Ernest Victor & George Daniel

Schools Cottage - LEGGETT, George Daniel

Jomot, I somehow missed your comment. That George Daniel Leggett is almost definitely his son, born 1895.

Hi Martin,

There are two separate George Daniel Leggett's mentioned - one at Milton Road with Jane (I assumed this was the son) and the other at Schools Cottage.   The death notice had his address as School House, Lister Street, which may be the same property.

[Mart 'n' Al]

Jomot, yes, for whatever reason, they were not living together at that time.  I wish I knew why.  I don't think it suggests marital (if they WERE EVER actually married) harmony.

Martin