Roker and Glendale

[chafox]

 As part of my research into the Cowan brothers, (William and James) who were headmasters,
I have visited the British Library to have a look at the book on the history of Grange School suggested in another forum (run by brother James with his mother and three sisters and two brothers helping him)  , and some interesting historical facts have emerged.

One of these is the fact that one of the brothers William Cowan's first wife Ann, died and was buried in Roker, which I believe was in Monkswearmouth, probably between  1841 and when James retired in 1846.
There is a 1844 death entry record on FreeBMD for March Qtr 1844 in  Glendale Reg dist. That is the only death record  I can find even close.

But how close is it? 

Could Roker have been in the Glendale RD in 1844?
Is there anywhere I can get information on-line to check these questions out?

Terry

[stanmapstone]

Glendale Registration District was in Northumberland, sub-districts Ford & Wooler.
Monkwearmouth (NOT Monkswearmouth) is in County Durham, some 56 miles from Ford. There was no burial ground in Roker, the burial ground would be St Peter's Church, Monkwearmouth, burials ceased in 1855.
 In 1827 James Cowan was the master of a school on Green Street, which attracted so many pupils that in 1830 he transferred the school to "The Grange" near where the Civic Centre is now. It became one of the most highly regarded boarding schools for boys in the north of England and southern Scotland.


Stan

[Ecneps]

Hi Terry

Here's the list of registration districts:
http://www.ukbmd.org.uk/genuki/reg/
click on Durham, then Sunderland which was the registration district covering Monkwearmouth

I expect you have the 1841 census details showing James 40, Elizabeth 70, Ann 45, Janet 35, and John 35 - all were born in Scotland  (full details if you need them)

There are these marriages, which may or may not be connected:

Stockton     St. Thomas
11 Nov 1820 William Cowan (bachelor), of the parish of Darlington married Ann Beckwith (spinster), of this parish

Sunderland Holy Trinity
8 Mar 1813 James Cawan [Cowan], of this parish married Mary Moore, of this parish

You can search the Bishops' Transcripts of parish registers free on familysearchlabs  http://www.rootschat.com/links/076g/

Barbara 

[Ecneps]

The only William Cowan I can find in 1841 census born Scotland living in Sunderland was a shoemaker with wife Mary 

Do you have all the Cowans in 1841 and 1851 censuses?

[stanmapstone]

There is no death registered  for an Ann Cowan in Sunderland, or County Durham, 1841-1846. Where did it say she was buried "in Roker"?

Stan

[stanmapstone]

There is a long article on the Grange School at http://www.sunderland-antiquarians.org/antiquarian-news-march-200/ which explains why James Cowan retired
Stan

[Ecneps]

What an interesting story that is Stan, tragic though, of course

Barbara 

[chafox]

 Hi all; thanks for all the replies.

The book I just looked at in the British Library was called:

Dr Cowan and the Grange School, Sunderland, with recollections by old scholars 1897
 by Charles Edward Stuart Collingwood.

He mentions the "Bathing Tragedy" there. Very sad. It must have been very distressing for everybody.

It is this book, which mentions the burial of William's wife Ann ( yes, whose maiden name was Beckwith. One of William's  sisters married another Beckwith.)
It gives Roker as where William was living when he retired ( some documents say was forced to leave on the back of a disciplinary) from his headmastership of Toxteth Park School, Liverpool. When he went to work for his brother at the Grange. And where Ann died. Not where she was buried necessarily. 
The Beckwiths came from Stockton, and, I believe ended up in the area of Flaxton in Yorkshire.

I have most of the Cowan  censuses(, and wills,) except the census for 1851, for both James and William - I can't find them in either Scotland or England. Or in 1861 for William, after his second marriage, where his new wife, Selina, my family connection,  is in Chiswick, with their first children.

Terry

[stanmapstone]

Although it would be theoretically possible to carry out a burial without registering the death, it is extremely unlikely, as there was a penalty for doing so. If she died in Monkwearmouth then her death should be registered in the Sunderland Registration District. In the 1858 Directory there was only one row of 21 buildings in Roker, called the Terrace, and  nine were lodging houses, so it could be that William Cowan had been staying in one of them.

From the 1836 Registration Act;
.... and every Person who shall bury or perform any Funeral or any religious Service for the Burial of any dead Body for which no Certificate shall have been duly made and delivered as aforesaid, either by the Registrar or Coroner, and who shall not within Seven Days give Notice thereof to the Registrar, shall forfeit and pay any Sum not exceeding Ten Pounds for every such Offence.

Stan