Joseph Cragg/Craige : Bongate

[sillgen]

Hi Susan
I may be teaching my grandmother to suck eggs here but if you have based your tree on a "possible" marriage without ever proving it then it may not be surprising that you have not been able to trace her!  £7 is a small amount to pay to avoid hours (or years in your case) of chasing the wrong line.  A child's birth certificate will give her maiden name and then you can be sure you are looking for the right person.  You might avoid paying if you write to the local register office and tell them you only want the certificate if the mother is called Craggs.   They may reply to say that it is not and then you can start looking at other options.  There is a Mary Ann Hunter of the right age in Westmorland in 1851 but from a fairly affluent family from the look of it.
There is also the possibility that Mary was a widow when she married William so again the maiden name is essential if you are to get further back.
Andrea

[ruthy1]

Hi Andrea,

Thanks for your reply to my Joseph Craggs / Cragg / Craig enquiry. The research so far is based on my own, and a researcher I contacted through Durham Records Online. I was looking into the parents of my ancester John Craggs, and his birth / marriage certificates all told me his father was Joseph, a pit man, and all the Census put John born in Stanhope.  I looked into his brothers too and their certificates said the same thing.  I initially went charging down the Joseph / Mary Musgrave route too which I discovered was wrong. I contacted Durham records office for a search that returned no Joseph “Craggs” born in Stanhope.

However through much research etc I am confident that the following is the correct info.  Birth of my ancester John Craggs into the family listed below:

 
Baptisms from St.John’s Chapel in Weardale St.John the Baptist

10th October 1813 Thomas Craig, son of Joseph (a miner) & Mary of High House
5th November 1815 Sally Craig, daughter of Joseph (a miner) & Mary of High House
22nd June 1817 Joseph Craig, son of Joseph (a miner) & Mary of High House
9th April 1820 John Craig, son of Joseph (a miner) & Mary of Pinfold House
12th January 1824 Mary Craggs, born 15th October 1823, daughter of Joseph (a miner) & Mary of Huntshield
10th December 1828 Jane Craig, born 29th November 1828, daughter of Joseph (a miner) & Mary of Daddry Shield
 
Burials from St.John’s Chapel in Weardale St.John the Baptist
7th November 1815 Sally Craig, infant of High House

Marriage from Stanhope St.Thomas the Apostle
10th June 1809 Joseph Craige and Mary Watson both of this Parish were married in this Church by Banns
in the presence of John Watson and Lowinger Hall

I then found this birth in the Durham Records online:

Baptisms, Weardale District - Record Number: 366796.0
Location: St. John's Chapel, Weardale
Church: St. John the Baptist
Religion: Anglican
3 Dec 1809 Nancy Craig, of High House, born 23-Nov 1809, 1st daughter of Joseph Craig (miner, native of Bongate, Appleby, Westmorland) by his wife Mary nee Watson (native of this parish)

With the dates, where they were married, where the children were born etc. this gave me the reason to link to Westmorland.  I realize there could still be holes put in this, but through all the research and a process of elimination/cross referencing I am confident this is the right family.  At some point my ancestors moved to East Hetton, then Hetton–le-Hole where they lived from 1840's all miners.  It was likely to be during the 1830’s


The 1841 census I found most of the family living in Kelloe in East Hetton :

CRAGS, Mary    F    50    1791        Durham     
CRAGS, Thomas    M    20    1821        Durham     
CRAGS, John    M    15    1826        Durham     
CRAGS, Mary    F    15    1826        Durham   
CRAGS, Jane    F    10    1831        Durham   
RG number:
HO107    Piece:
313    Book/Folio:
10/7    Page:
9

Ages all rounded to 5 years, but all in the right order.


Joseph Crags died in April 1840 aged 58, in Kelloe (age could be inaccurate as probably just registered from memory)

Mary Crags died in 1846 in Hetton le Hole were her sons lived.

So this puts Joseph Craige / Craig / Craggs at approx 1782 in Bongate.

I do apologize for the huge message, but I wanted to give as much background as possible to help.

Hope it all makes sense, and that I haven’t bored you to tears!!

Ruthy

[sillgen]

Hi Ruthy
Looks as if Kendal Record Office might be the next step.  I think the IGI coverage of St Michael's Bongate does not start until 1787 so you need to see the original register.  You could get the film to search at your nearest LDS centre too.  I wonder if there are any wills?
Andrea

[ruthy1]

Hi Andrea,  Thanks for the info.  I just presumed that there wouldn't be any wills.  The family were miners and would have lived pretty much in poverty.  If there were any where would I go to find them?

Ruthy

[ruthy1]

Hi,

If any kind chatters do happen to have a moment to have a quick scan for any Joseph Cragg / Craig / Craige births or baptisms at the Kendal records office  in the 1780's (all details are above) I would be most grateful.  I live near Evesham, and won't able to get to Kendal soon.

Many thanks

Alison

[Shadows]

Hi Andrea,

I contacted you a while back about Mary Ann Craggs & it has taken me a while to get round to it but i now have a birth cert for her eldest child & it turns out her name was Mary Ann Hunter, not Craggs as i had thought. I also have the marriage cert for Mary Ann Hunter & William Coulthard. Mary's father is Thomas Hunter, occupation -  gardener. You mentioned that the Hunter's were quite an affluente family according to the 1851 census. I cannot find them on the 1851. Could i trouble you to look again?

Many Thanks
Susan

[sillgen]

Hi Susan
  Can you give all the details from the marriage certificate - ages, occupations of all, witnesses etc as every bit helps build up the picture. 
I think your Mary Ann may be with her uncle Robert in Durham in 1851.  He is born in Hexham and so is Thomas Hunter, Master Gardener.
HO 107 2439 F123 p17 Bongate
Thomas Hunter 66 Master Gardener
Alice wife 66  both Born Hexham
Thomas son 30
William gson 14
John gson 7 all born Bongate

HO 107 2387 F454 p1  Lowfield Barnard Castle
Robert Hunter 41 Nurseryman born Hexham
Ann wife 39
Thomas son 21 Nurseryman
Mary dau 20
Mary Niece 11 all born Appleby
Robert Howe father in law 72 labourer born Brough
plus 4 servants all labourers

This does need further checking though - just a first guess!
Andrea

[sillgen]

Looking more likely that this is the right family....
1841 HO 107 1156 7/7 p 6  Bongate
Thomas Hunter 55 Gardener
Alice Hunter 54 both born Not in county
Ann 25
Thomas 22 gardener
William 5
Mary 1 all born in county
Relationships are not given in 1841 so Mary could be a child or more likely a grandchild if Alice is 54.   Wonder if she is Ann's daughter and put her Grandfather down as father on the certificate??  Robert could be an elder son of Thomas and Alice. 
There is a birth for Mary Ann Hunter Jan 1840 East Ward XXV 431 (though the numbers might be 451 but I think it is a 3) so it might be worth getting that.   

Andrea

[Shadows]

Hi Andrea,

How are you?

Im wondering if Mary Ann could be the daughter of Thomas, son of Thomas & Alice? Mary Ann claims on the census after marriage that her year of birth is 1845 which her marriage cert confirms.

This what is on her marriage cert:

Date: 14/11/1868, the Parish Church in the parish of Chester-Le-Street.

Names: Mary Ann Hunter, age 23.  Spinster
             William Coulthard, age 24  Batchelor/Miner

Residence at the time of marriage: Fatfield ( a suburb of Chester-Le-Street).

Father's names & occupation: 
Thomas Hunter/Gardener
William Coulthard/Miner

Witnesses: Richard Shipley
                   John ( not sure, looks like Burnip but it's quite difficult to make out)

I see from your names you have Allen in Northumberland...me too!!  I havnt researched them yet but this is who i have:

James Allen b.1789 Newburn, Northumberland.
Siblings: Elizabeth 1783, Isabella 1792
Father: Francis Allen b.1755 Ovingham, Northumberland.
Siblings for Francis: Robert 1749, Jane 1752, Alice 1758.

Francis's father also called Francis but no other details yet.

Regards Susan