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

[Mart 'n' Al]

Malcolm, your story is as equally fascinating as mine, and I consider myself really fortunate for you to have found my comments. I think cousins are more than likely, and it is that that gives me my worries. 

I wonder what you would make of the other half of the mystery, George Leggett's relationship with Jane Adamson. She seems to have been born in Tudhoe in or around 1860, but there seem to be so many unclear moments in her life before the early 1890s. I could provide the information that I already know comma but I would rather tell you nothing in the hope that your findings will match mine.

Time for bed but she is as much a mystery as George. Thank you so much, genuinely, for your interest.

She seems an interesting lady, and I really hope that what I have found out about her is true, and that your research matches mine. Thank you again.

Martin

[Malcolm33]

Martin, I did notice the name Jane Adamson and meant to dig into that.   Anyway I'll have a search today, hopefully helped by my friend in NSW who also loves a good hunt.

Cheers Malcolm

[Malcolm33]

 Hi Martin,    Durham Records online have just emailed me to let me know that someone else who has the same ISP provider as myself in Australia has also looked at the cemetery record for George Daniel Leggett.    I have emailed them and shall of course let you know if I get a response which may hopefully help fill in some of the missing parts.

All the best,   Malcolm

[Mart 'n' Al]

Malcolm, I do have a half cousin in Australia, grandson of one of George's sons, like I am. It might be him.

Martin

[Malcolm33]

Malcolm, I do have a half cousin in Australia, grandson of one of George's sons, like I am. It might be him.
Martin

    I haven't had a reply yet, though he or she is also with Bigpond (part of our Telstra).  Name begins with 'Ran..'.

    Sharon and I have found many records and are still working out what it all means.    Are you sure that Henry Thompson was 71 when he passed?    I can only see death registrations around South Shields and Gateshead for a much younger Henry Thompson, and the marriage was in 1889, with their son also Henry born about a year later.

    In your summary you have it that the 1901 census was marked with 'husband away'.   I think you must mean the family of Leggett's in Hartlepool rather than Mary Legget and daughter in Scarborough?   Still haven't got the 1901 census for Hartlepool.

     Cheers Malcolm

[Mart 'n' Al]

Malcolm, there is a good chance that Ran... is another half cousin in Australia. Two and a half years ago she contacted me and helped me discover many secrets of my family, including the fact that we shared a grandmother who had a rather exotic love life in the 1930s. 

I will look into the Henry Thompson age at death but I think I am correct.

The husband away entry did refer to George Leggett.

Bedtime here. Probably more tomorrow. Thank you for your work so far.

Martin

[Mart 'n' Al]

Malcolm,
Henry Thompson, 71, widower of 69 Bedford St., N. Shields and Jane Adamsom, 29, of 68 Morton St., S. Shields married on 13th March 1889. 

I have the probate entry for Henry's death on 27th Feb 1891, at 68 Morton St., S. Shields. 

Their son, Henry Adamson Thompson was born GRO Reference: 1890  M Quarter in SOUTH SHIELDS  Volume 10A  Page 697.

Martin

[Malcolm33]

   Then must be the Henry Thompson who died in Morpeth age 75 in first qtr of 1891.    That would mean that the age should either be 73 on death or 73 when he married in 1889.

    First Leggett/Adamson child birth:
Births Jun 1892
Leggett  Lavinia Adamson    S. Shields  10a 827

    So George and Jane were together very soon after the death of Henry.

    I see that the 'Husband Away' remark is on the 1911 census.

    I would imagine that the Thompson family next door - 66 Morton Street South Shields would be that of the son of Henry Thompson Snr.   Also interesting that in 1891 Jane took in a French Boarder.

[Malcolm33]

       I really should pay more attention to the thoughts and signs I’m given.    Last couple of days my mind has been going continuously to Harry Potter (HRY PTAH in Ancient Egypt - HR was turned into Horus by the Greeks and the suffix 'Y' means 'He Who is', something like adding 'y' to names in English).   Ptah was the name for God as a Creator and Potter.
       Looks now like they have been trying to get me to think ‘Potter’ in regard to this search.
       I think I am much mistaken in supposing that Anthony Adamson was the father of Jane Adamson.    You will recall that that Jane Adamson was only aged 6 in the 1871 census and birth was shown as Newfield and not Tudhoe.     The grand-daughter in the 1861 census has Jane as 1 year old and born Tudhoe.
        It was Ann, the daughter in the Adamson family who was the mother of Jane and not one of the boys.     Jane must have been her illegitimate daughter.
         Ann eventually married Edwin Potter and they lived in Middlesborough – the 1871 census  shows Jane still with her Adamson surname and born in Tudhoe aged 10 which agrees better with the 1861 census.   
         In 1881 looks like Jane was a servant with a family in Shildon.   Birthplace given as Spennymoor but that would be the district for Tudhoe, they're right next door.   Age is given as 18 which is about 2 years out.

        Only thing that is a bit disturbing is that later on in South Shields and Hartlepool she said she was born Durham City.