Downie family - Midlothian then Durham

[Forfarian]

Ann Downie was born on 1 March 1855 in Leith, mother's surname McEwan and her sister Catherine on 6 April 1857, mother's surname McHugh.

1855 birth certificates are a gold mine for family historians because they contain information that was not collected in any other year. Go to www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk, invest in a few credits, and use some of them to download a copy of Ann's birth certificate. It should tell you when and where John and Mary were born, and where and when they were married.

[River Tyne Lass]

I would also recommend you might look at Preston Cemetery, North Shields Find a Grave (not too far from Whitley Bay).  There some Downies there too - and you never know some of these might be of relevance. 

https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2148534/memorial-search?firstname=&middlename=&lastname=Downie&cemeteryName=Preston+Cemetery&birthyear=&birthyearfilter=&deathyear=&deathyearfilter=&memorialid=&mcid=&linkedToName=&datefilter=&orderby=&partialLastName=true

[TonyV]

Thanks Fofarian. It is the discrepancy in the mother's maiden names that is part of my problem and after they moved to England the maiden name McHugh was registered again as well as McKeon. My guess is that it was an accent issue - either Irish or Scottish.

I accept that getting the birth certificate might tell me more.

Tony

[River Tyne Lass]

https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/NBL/DeathNotices/deaths_DOUR

There are some Downies listed on this Evening Chronicle death notice website over a certain period of years.  Perhaps you might like to take a look in case anyone of relevance is listed.   

[TonyV]

Thank you again. The name Downie is quite common in the Newcastle/Gateshead area and I don't think that the North Shields ones are related (unless a long time back of course). However I looked in more detail at your pictures and at the index on Find a Grave for the Whitley Bay cemetery and found some of the Swaddle family in the same plot. The oldest daughter married Thomas Swaddle and the names in the plot are all related to the Downie's I'm interested in via that marriage.

I couldn't see a familiar name in the newspaper archive quickly but I'll look again tomorrow.

[Forfarian]

See https://www.whatsinaname.net/php/search.php?action=search2&search_name=hugh which confirms that the names Hugh and Ewan are used interchangeably, so there is no reason why McHugh and McEwan could not simply be variants of one another. McKeon is a soundalike of McEwan.

The birth certificates of Ann and Catherine should both tell you when and where the parents were married. If those details match, would that be enough to convince you?

[River Tyne Lass]

Hi Tony,

I went to North Shields local studies to look up the actual burial entries for you and your cousin today.  Perhaps this info might be of interest for your family history records.

Whitley Bay Cemetery burials:

Entry 5828
Mary Ann Downie
80 years
Died: 18th March 1947
Buried 21st March 1847
Death at & body removed from: 21 Marine Avenue, Whitley Bay
Section O Grave 05124 Unconsecrated
Ceremony by: B. Dillon

Entry 6130
Patrick Thomas Downie
84 years
Died: 8 October 1948
Buried: 11 October 1948
Death at: Infirmary, North Shields
Body removed from: 21 Marine Avenue, Whitley Bay
Section O Grave 05124 Unconsecrated
Ceremony by: B. Dillon

Entry 9168
Beatrice Cecilia Swaddle
Age 77
Died 9 September 1964
Buried 11 September 1964
Death at & removed from: 25 Marine Court East, Whitley Bay
Section 0 Grave 05123
Ceremony by: Fa Scarr (Note he was the priest at St Edward RC Church at Whitley Bay)

Entry 11123
Stanley Downie
78 years
Died: 4 October 1978
Buried: 7 October 1978
Retired
Death at & residence column:
Middlesex House, London W.1
5 Mackintosh House, Beaumont Street, London, Westminster
Section O Grave 05123 Unconsecrated
Ceremony by Father Burke

The North Shields local studies has some death notices from the Newcastle Evening Chronicle and Stanley's notice is available:

Evening Chronicle - Friday, October 6th 1978:

'DOWNIE (Late of Gateshead) died in London on Oct 4, aged 78 years.  Stanley, son of Thomas and Mary Ann Downie.  Requiem Mass at St Edward's R.C. Church on Saturday, Oct.  7 at 9 a.m.  Interment to follow at Whitley Bay Cemetery.'

The notice you will see only records his Fathers second name.  There may well be death notices in the Evening Chronicle too for Patrick and Mary Ann.  However, the years of their deaths will be held at Newcastle City library local studies and unfortunately this local studies is still closed due to Covid situation.

[River Tyne Lass]

I have now added the transcriptions to the memorials on  Find A Grave ..

'IN LOVING MEMORY OF
OUR DEAR MOTHER
MARY ANN DOWNIE OF GATESHEAD
DIED MARCH 18TH 1947 AGED 80 YEARS
ALSO OUR DEAR FATHER
PATRICK THOMAS DOWNIE
DIED OCT. 8TH 1948 AGED 84 YEARS
STANLEY DOWNIE
DIED OCT. 4TH 1978 AGED 78 YEARS

BEATRICE CECILIA SWADDLE
29.1.87 - 9 SEPT. 1964
BELOVED DAUGHTER OF MARY ANN & PATRICK THOMAS
DOWNIE
HENRY EDWARD (HARRY) SWADDLE
29.9.1924 - 31.8.2009
DEARLY LOVED HUSBAND, DAD AND GRANDPA
BELOVED SON OF BEATRICE
AND BROTHER OF STANLEY SWADDLE

PETER JAMES SWADDLE
16.6.1951 - 18 AUG. 1983
LOVED SON & BROTHER
STANLEY THOMAS SWADDLE
29.3.23 - 18.10.88
SON OF BEATRICE & FATHER OF PETER
A BELOVED HUSBAND
AND MUCH LOVED FATHER'

I have also been able to get along to the cemetery today and have got some more photos.  Tony, if you give your email by pm I will send copies to you as promised.

[MonicaL]

What a lot of info you have been able to add here, River Tyne Lass 

Tony, in respect of John's origins, can't easily see his 1841 census entry really. Is this him in 1851?

Ann Downie 59 nurse b. Ireland
Margt Relly 29 daughter
Patrick Relly 29 son in law b. Ireland
John Downie 16 son b. Edinburgh
www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/5903d72ee9379091b1f88c0a/john-downie-1851-midlothian-south-leith-1835-?locale=en

Other entries for Margaret above give her married surname as Reilly (and spelling variantions of this). I can't easily see her in the censuses after 1881 (nor her death reg so far).

I thought this might help in confirming her father and mother's names.

Monica