CLARK family, 1830-1880, Bridge End, Startforth, Barnard Castle, Durham/N Riding

[ChicoChico]

Hi - I am researching my Great-Great-Grandparents, Thomas and Mary Ann CLARK, of Bridge End, Startforth, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham & North Riding (Yorkshire). I have been able to find some information about them and their children, however there are still some gaps.

I believe part of the challenge to finding more information is that since I am not from the UK, I am not familiar with the correct civil / religious jurisdictions for this specific location (Bridge End, Startforth), so I may not be looking in the right place. Most of the time, the information I find is under Durham, but other times it is under North Riding (Yorkshire).

Any help in understanding the civil / religious jurisdiction for Bridge End, Startforth and especially how that jurisdiction changed over time would be appreciated. Thanks.

Chico -

[karenlee]

Hi Chico

Welcome to Rootschat. 

If you could please give us some idea of what kind of resources you have already searched.. ie Census, Parish Registers ( baptisms marriages etc ) or Wills, then we will not be looking in places you have already searched to provide you with details you already have.

Cheers
Karenlee

[ChicoChico]

Hi Karenlee – Thanks for the welcome!

So far I have been able to find the household, in the 1861 and 1871 census (using FreeCen~DOT~Org~DOT~UK). However, I have not been able to find the household or any members in other census years.

I have been able to find several children, all of whom were baptized at St Mary's, Barnard Castle, Durham, England (using FamilySearch~DOT~org). I have found the youngest child (William) in Holy Trinity, Startforth, North Riding (Yorkshire), Parish Register (using FreeReg~DOT~Org~DOT~UK), but the eldest child (John), I have only seen in the census entries. One daughter (Mary Jane) is in neither census, I assume she was born and died between the two censuses.

I have also seen a transcript of the marriage certificate for Thomas and Mary Ann, and have found an index entry for the certificate at the Durham County Council website (nd~DOT~Durham~DOT~Gov~DOT~UK).

I have not been able to find a death entry for any of the family members.

Note: I have added a genealogical summary of the family I have compiled including citations and sources. Suggestions for other sources to look in would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Chico -

Genealogical Summary:
Thomas CLARK [1], [2], [3a], [3b], [4a-g], [5] (Jnr.) [3a], Wheelwright [1], [2] (Wright) [3a] of Startforth (1854 [3a], 1861 [1], 1871 [2]) – b: abt. 1830 [1], [2], [3a] at Startforth, Yorkshire [1], [2], son of Thomas Clark [3a], Wright [3a].

On 25 Apr 1854 [3a], at Register Office (an assumption; Register Office at Barnard Castle, since register is identified as “Register No. BCRO2, Entry No. 191, District: Durham Western (1854)” [3b]), Teesdale District, Counties of Durham & York [3a], married Mary Ann [1], [3a], [4a-g], [5] (Mary A) [2], [3b], nee SIMONETTA [3a], [3b] (variations; Todd [4a], Simonidy Todd [4b], Simonette [4c, 4d, 4f, 4g] & Simonett [4e], an assumption; Todd may be her mother’s maiden name) daughter of John Simonetta (deceased) [3a], Flower-maker [3a], wife of Thomas Clark [1], [2] – b: between 1832 [2], [3a] and 1836 [1] at Richmond, Yorkshire [1], [2], of Barnard Castle (1854 [3a]) and Startforth (1861 [1], 1871 [2])

Children of Thomas Clark and Mary Ann Simonetta(e) (Todd):

i) John [1], [2], Wheelwright [2] – b: between 1855 [1] and 1856 [2] at Startforth, Yorkshire [1], [2]
ii) Thomas [1], [2] (Thos.) [4a], Mechanic [2] – b: 24 May 1856 [4a] at Startforth, Yorkshire [1], [2], and bap: 08 Jun 1856 [4a] at St Mary's, Barnard-Castle, Durham, England [4a]
iii) Joseph [1], [4b] Hutchinson [2], [4b] – b: 09 Nov 1857 [4b] at Startforth, Yorkshire [1], [2], and bap: 06 Dec 1857 [4b] at St Mary's, Barnard-Castle, Durham, England [4b]
iv) Robert [1], [2], [4c] – b: 11 Nov 1859 [4c] at Startforth, Yorkshire [1], [2], and bap: 27 Nov 1859 [4c] at St Mary's, Barnard-Castle, Durham, England [4c]
v) Frederic [4d] “Fred” [2] – b: 18 Jul 1861 [4d] at Startforth, Yorkshire [2], and bap: 08 Sep 1861 [4d] at St Mary's, Barnard-Castle, Durham, England [4d]
vi) Mary Jane [4e] – b: 30 Mar 1863 [4e], and bap: 24 May 1863 at St Mary's, Barnard-Castle, Durham, England [4e], d: before 1871 (an assumption; since she does not appear in Clark Household 1871 census when she would be ~ 8 years of age)
vii) Eliza [2] Clark(e) [4f] – b: 08 Apr 1865 [4f] at Startforth, Yorkshire [2], and bap: 21 May 1865 [4f] at St Mary's, Barnard-Castle, Durham, England [4f]
viii) Henry [2] Clark(e) [4g] – b: 27 May 1867 [4g] at Startforth, Yorkshire [2], and bap: 18 Aug 1867 [4g] at St Mary's, Barnard-Castle, Durham, England [4g]
ix) Septimus [5] William [2], [5] – b: abt. Dec. 1869 [2], at Startforth, Yorkshire [2], and bap: 30 Jan 1870 [5], at Holy Trinity, Startforth, North Riding (Yorkshire) [5]

Sources:
[1] – Clark Household, Startforth, Barnard Castle – Co. Durham, 1861 Census, transcription, FreeCen~DOT~Org~DOT~UK
[2] – Clark Household, Startforth, Teesdale – Co. Durham , 1871 census, transcription, FreeCen~DOT~Org~DOT~UK
[3a] – Marriage Certificate, Register Office, Teesdale District, Counties of Durham & York, Entry no. 191,  Transcript by extended family
[3b] – Register No. BCRO2, Entry No. 191, District: Durham Western (1854), Search Results From Marriages 1851-1860 (Thomas Clark) Durham County Council, Database Inquiry, nd~DOT~Durham~DOT~Gov~DOT~UK
[4a-g] – "England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," index, FamilySearch~DOT~org
[5] – Holy Trinity, Startforth, North Riding (Yorkshire), Parish Register, Transcription, FreeReg~DOT~Org~DOT~UK

For the URL replace ~DOT~ with a “.”

[barryd]

South of the Tees - it must be Yorkshire but Startforth was transferred to County Durham on 1 April 1974. However the boys born in Starforth after 1 April 1974 could still aspire to play cricket for Yorkshire as they were considered as having been born in the "Historic County of Yorkshire". That rule has since been abandoned.

[stanmapstone]

Any help in understanding the civil / religious jurisdiction for Bridge End, Startforth and especially how that jurisdiction changed over time would be appreciated. Thanks.

Chico -

The Yorkshire parishes of Barningham, Brignall, Rokeby, Romaldkirk, and Startforth, were included in County Durham, for administrative purposes, in the 1974 boundary changes, which is why Durham Record Office have original registers, microfilm copies and indexes for them.

You can see a map of Teesdale District at http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/boundary_map_page.jsp?u_id=10057000&c_id= the district is part of the modern (post 1974) Administrative county of Durham, which includes part of the old North Riding of Yorkshire.

This site may also help http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/place_page.jsp?p_id=14281&st=startforth


Stan

[mim]

Hi,

I can see Thomas Clark and family in Startforth on the 1881/1891/1901 census on Ancestry.

His wife died before 1891.

mim

[ChicoChico]

Stan – Thanks very much for the explanation and links. I particularly like the historical descriptions of Startforth I found on that site, as that is the era of my ancestors that I am researching.

With the explanation you provided (as well as some additional online research), I think I am starting to get it (e.g., why Yorkshire records are in Durham). I am still not clear if the “Local Government Act 1888” creating “administrative counties” had a material impact or not. This apparently applies to the North Riding of Yorkshire – turning it from a county sub-division to its own entity, and is the same period that my ancestors lived in. Any insights on that topic would be welcome.

Mim – Thanks very much for the lead. Regrettably, I am not subscribed to that service provider, so it will have to wait till the next time I can get to a local FHL to see the census entries. However, because of your lead, I was re-motivated to try searching online using a different free access provider – or at least their teaser service (one name at a time and no advanced search capabilities, and with a last name like Clark, there were tons of results returned). Fortunately, I was able to identify probable hits based on birth location (Startforth).

Based on what I have found so far, I was wondering if you could confirm or correct some of my assumptions;

I found all family members in 1881 expected - except for Henry Clark (b: 27 May 1867). In 1881, he would be ~14 years old. I do not know if his absence is because he is deceased or apprenticing elsewhere (note: it appears the other Clark sons all learned their trade from the father and did not apprentice). Did you see him in your search results?

I found the oldest two sons (John Clarke, age 26, occupation: Joiner, & Thomas Clarke, age 24, occupation Engine Fitter E & M) with the last name with a final “e”. I am guessing they no longer live in the Startforth household, since the other family members do not have a final “e” on Clark (as well as the fact of their ages and they have occupations listed). Did you see either of them in the census, and if so what was the residence listed? Thanks in advance for this extra help!

Chico -

[Geordie Mag]

Going into  the 1881 census on Familysearch, I found Harry (not Henry) Clark, scholar, aged 13 still living with his family at Bridgend.
 
On a more general point - the 1974 boundary changes were in a way a recognition of what happened in practice already  in the census i.e. treating Teesdale as a unit, despite the technicality of the county boundary following the river. Startforth and Barnie (Barnard Castle) are in effect one settlement that happens to have a river running through it. (Sounds of angry shouting from the "Yorkshire" side of the Tees! I'm from the Durham side, as you might guess.)
It now also seems quite likely that the parishes on the south side of the Tees will be shifted to Durham Diocese, following the reorganization of the Yorkshire dioceses, so that will take the process a stage further.
On a more personal note - my great grandfather was working on one of the Startforth farms in the early 1860s, so might well have known the Clarks.

[stanmapstone]

Under the Local Government Act, 1888, the county of Durham, except the county boroughs of Gateshead, West Hartlepool, South Shields and Sunderland, was for the purposes of the Act, an administrative county, governed by a County Council, consisting of 26 aldermen and 78 councillors.
You can see the act at  http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/51-52/41/enacted
There were 21 Noth Riding of Yorkshire Parishes, and 23 County Durham parishes, in the Teesdale Poor Law Union, formed in 1837. http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Teesdale/
The Poor Law Unions formed the Registration Districts, which were also the basis of the enumeration districts for the censuses http://www.ukbmd.org.uk/genuki/reg/districts/teesdale.html

The UK is said to have more administrative boundary changes per year than the rest of the European Union put together. Note that the LGA 1972 did not do anything to the historic Counties of Britain. It only abolished the administrative counties and county boroughs.
You could look at Notes for Historians and Genealogists http://www.gazetteer.co.uk/section4.html

You can see a map of the present parish of Startforth and Rokeby with Brignall at http://www.achurchnearyou.com/parish.php?p=300057/
Also see http://www.riponleeds.anglican.org/directory_parish_info.php?id=142

Stan