John Todd & Ethel Constance Hay - Linhope Terrace, Chevington, Northumberland

[Craclyn]

If you check the 1911 census you will see find a John Todd born in North Shields living at Chevington Drift with parents and several siblings. This would perhaps suggest you should be looking for a birth registration in Tynemouth.

[Girl Guide]

I think this may be John's birth registration:-

TODD, JOHN       FAIRLESS 
GRO Reference: 1890  D Quarter in TYNEMOUTH  Volume 10B  Page 223

Parents marriage?

Marriages Jun 1890   (>99%)
Comer    Catherine        Tynemouth    10b   437    
>>Fairless    Catherine        Tynemouth    10b   437    
Goward    Charles Morton        Tynemouth    10b   437    
>>Todd    Robert        Tynemouth    10b   437

Looking at later census records I am wondering if Catherine died or was abandoned and Robert remarried.  The 1911 has Robert's wife as Anna.

[Millmoor]

I think you are correct, Girl Guide.

This may be the family in 1901 in Long Framlington.

Robert Todd 45 b Long Framlington
Catherine Todd 38 Wife b Gateshead
Children
John 10
George 8
William 5
Robert 3
Isabella 1

There are corresponding births with mother's name Fairless for John and George in Tynemouth RD and for William, Robert and Isabella in Morpeth RD.

Possible death for Catherine in Morpeth RD 1906 Age 40 (slightly at odds with census).

Possible second marriage Robert W Todd and Anna Bell Morpeth RD 1910 Oct - Dec.

William

[Millmoor]

There is an article in the Morpeth Herald 22, March, 1912 which (assuming the above is the correct family) I think you would find of great interest. It concerns a special court held at Morpeth re the will of Robert Todd and that John Todd did feloniously demand from Annie Todd,his stepmother, a cheque for £25 8s 9d.

The above is a very lengthy article, almost two full columns. In the end the charge was dismissed due to insufficient evidence.

The article does indicate that Robert Todd married Annie Dec 10th 1910 and that he died Friday March 5th 1912 , being buried at Chevington March 10th.To complicate matters there seems to have been a suggestion that Robert already had a wife  " Annie Todd ... produced her marriage certificate in which her late husband was described as a widower.At the time of the marriage she did not know he had a wife living".

If you have not used the newspaper archive before I believe you can register for free and receive 3 free articles.

William

[Millmoor]

Morpeth Herald 7th March 1913 has this;

In Memoriam

" In affectionate and loving memory of Robert, the beloved husband of Catherine Todd, who departed this life,March 8th 1912,and was interred at Chevington Cemetery,March 10th... 11, Hedgehope Terrace , East Chevington".

William

[LynnMU1973]

Oh wow, thank you so much, everyone, for the help and suggestions you have all come up. I was up at the cemetery on Wednesday last week taking photos (as you do  ) but couldn't find Robert, only John and Ethel Constance. I will revisit to see if I can find it.

I haven't used the newspaper archive yet but will definitely look into that one too.

Really appreciated. 
Lynn

[Millmoor]

I think you would find it of value to obtain the marriage cert. of John and Ethel Constance as it will contain further detail compared to the transcript quoted earlier (address at time of marriage, fathers occupations and witnesses) and help in linking with censuses etc.

If you are nearby it might be worth visiting the archives at Woodhorn. (I do not live in the area but had a great day there when I was on holiday in Warkworth a couple of years ago). The Chevington parish records are housed there.

William

[LynnMU1973]

Hi William

I ordered the certificate on Sunday so hopefully, it will arrive by the end of the week.  I'm very impatient when waiting for certificates ... I just wish they could be emailed instead of posted. 

I am up in North Tyneside and just down the road from Woodhorn so I think I will get a list together and go and spend a few hours researching what I can there.  I'm currently researching all of Ethel Constance's family as her younger brother George was my Great Grandfather on my gran's side.

Lynn

[Toddy123]

Just come across this. My grandparents !