How are Robert Dobson and Jane Ann Blackburn cousins?

[Jang]

I've been going round in circles and need some help!

When Robert Dobson died on 23 Nov 1833 in Whitby Yorkshire, he left 50 pounds to his cousin, Jane Ann Blackburn.

Robert was born 20 Dec 1859 in Warrington Lancashire, the son of Robert Dobson born 11 Sept 1821 Mickleby and Elizabeth Jackson bapt 16 May 1817 Warrington Lancashire.

I have a Jane Ann Blackburn nee Coulson, born 15 March 1851 Southwark Middlesex, the daughter of George Coulson and Elizabeth Tweddle. She married William Blackburn in 1873 in Stockton Durham and died in 1937, buried St Michael and All Angels, Thornhill, Wakefield, Yorkshire. (This seems odd as she lived in Stockton Durham all her life and her only child lived in Middlesbrough.)

For these two to be cousins, they'd have to have grandparents in common - is that right?

The connection could be through Jane Ann's grandmother, Elizabeth Tweddle who was bapt 1820 in Yealand Lancashire, the daughter of Richard Tweddle and Ann Parker. But I can't find a connection to Robert's grandparents, Isaac Dobson and Margaret Stonehouse.

Maybe his cousin was a different Jane Ann Blackburn - but I can't find her either.

Jan

[avm228]

Robert can’t have died in 1833 - that must be a typo?

[Jang]

Oops, thanks, should be 1933 :-)

[wivenhoe]

When did Robert DOBSON write the Will?

[avm228]

Have you looked at Robert’s maternal grandparents?

If Jane Ann is a cousin she may not be a first cousin.  However, in order for them to know each other well enough for her to benefit from his will, one would expect the relationship not to be too distant.

Is no further detail given of Jane Ann (e.g. a place of residence)?

[Jang]

I don't know the date of Robert Dobson's will - where would I find it? The information about his bequests came from a newspaper article in the "Daily Gazeteer" 20 Jan 1934. Other cousins mentioned were Harry, Gordon, Owen and Thomas Jackson and Donald Owen.

I think that Robert's maternal grandparents were Thomas and Anne Jackson. Their daughter, Elizabeth Jackson, was bapt 1818 in Warrington. I also wondered if the cousin relationship was more distant than first cousins. A good point about Jane Ann's place of residence - by 1933 she was a widower, 4 years later she died and was buried a fair way from her normal place of abode:

Parish of Thornhill, County of York, Diocese of Wakefield
Jane Blackburn, abode Stockton, 18 December 1937, 87 years

[avm228]

You can order the will and grant of probate online:

www.gov.uk/search-will-probate

I see that Robert lived at Ugthorpe House, Ugthorpe - nice property (I just googled it!).

[Jang]

Thanks for the link.  His estate was valued at nearly 26 000 pounds!

[Jang]

Just found a death for another Jane Blackburn 10/1937 Wakefield age 87. My Jane Ann Blackburn died 4/1937 Cleveland age 86, so two different people.
The first one in the probate indexes:
Blackburn Jane of Flockton Grange Flockton near Wakefield, widow, died 15 December 1937 Probate London 21 April to Eleanor Blackburn spinster Effects 2136 pounds 7s.
So the burial has been mistranscribed - Stockton instead of Flockton!