Hi All,
I'm a friend of Deb's and we have both been working on both our trees and I promised I would post an update and a request for thoughts on our findings from our peers in this forum
Our sincere thanks for all the help and assistance you guys have provided.
Ok here goes . . . . .
When Dorothy Brown (nee Johnson) married Elliot March she gave her status as "Widow". Our understanding is that she would have had to prove to the officials that she was a widow before the marriage could go ahead - but for the life of us, we can find no marriage for Dorothy & William and no death certificate for William
and when Maria married, her father is not listed as deceased
Dorothy's second husband was a sailor and as they lived near the docks at Jarrow it begs the question - if William Brown had died at sea, where would his death been registered? Yup, grasping at straws here
All that said here is our thoughts . . .
1859-1861In 1859 Dorothy Brown a widow married Elliot March, then the 1861 census lists Dorothy and her two children as Maria March aged 2 and William P March is 8 in Bishopwearmouth.
1871In 1871 Maria & William Brown and a younger child Thomas March (possible half brother?) are with their Aunt & Uncle Alice & Thomas Turner, Thos Turner is head of the house in Back Hopper Street and also listed is the mother in law - Isabella Johnson. As Dorothy Brown, now Elliot's maiden name was Johnson I'm assuming that Isabella is Gran to Maria , William, and Thomas.
I cannot find Dorothy in 1871 - so far.
1881If we keep following the Turner's, in 1881 Alice Turner is still in Back Hopper St and she still has her nephew Thomas March living with her, she also has a younger child - Hannah March born in 1871 with her. Perhaps the reason all the family were with Alice & Thos Turner in 1871 is because Dorothy was having or has just had the new baby?
Keeping with Alice & Thomas Turner to see where it takes us too . . . . . . in 1861 they are living in Bishopwearmoth with Alice's parents - William Johnson c1778 born Rothley and Isabella c 1786 born Rothley.
In 1851 Alice & Thos are on their own with no children listed.
In 1851 Wm & Isabella Johnson are living with another daughter, Martha (she married John Ramsey) , and her family in North Quay, Sunderland.
In 1841 William Johnson & Isabella Johnson are living in Temple Town, Jarrow with their children
George, Robert, Martha and Dorathy - Dorothy is aged 8; when she married Elliot March her birth year was 1833 - so it matches perfectly.
Keeping with the Rothley, Northumberland link I found the birth for Alice at Hartburn Church, she was born on 29 Jan 1807 and baptised on the 22nd Feb 1807 - the entry reads Alice, 2nd daughter of William Johnson of Rothley Shiel, Pitman, by his wife Isable Robson daughter of Matthew Robson, Mason.
Going back further I found Wm & Isable's marriage on the 18 April 1805 again in Hartburn Church.
If anyone is interested the full tree is Public at Ancestry.co.uk and this branch is called OurESSEXrootsnbranches.
If you are still reading this, you deserve a medal
Any and all thoughts gratefully received.
