Help needed with my Stephenson's of Sunderland, 1790s.

[DavidJP]

Hi all,

I have recently discovered the name of an ancestor's father, but cannot get any further. I cannot find a single solitary record for him & am in need of a second pair of eyes and/or some assistance please!

My 4x great grandfather John Stephenson, states on censuses (1851 & 61) that he was born in Hendon, Sunderland. Age at death and from censuses gives a birth range of 1793-1796.

John married twice, firstly to Ann Wilson in 1816 at Earsdon, Northumberland. Ann died in 1857. John remarried in 1858 in Tynemouth to Jane Lamb, a widow. John died in Blyth, Northumberland in 1867, aged 72.

The second marriage gives John's father (my 5x gr grandfather) as Peter Stephenson, a Tailor by trade.

I have been unable to find a baptism for a John to a Peter Stephenson, nor have I been able to find any children baptised to a Peter Stephenson at all! No burial has been found for a Peter Stephenson either. The only marriage that shows up for a Peter Stephenson is on  25th Aug 1767 to a Mary Mills at St Michael & All Angels, Bishopwearmouth. This marriage however is 26 to 29 years before John's birth & cannot therefore be right.

I have also tried looking in early trade directories to see if I could pin Peter down anywhere, but found absolutely nothing! In trying to think outside the box slightly (or maybe it was clutching at straws! ), I also checked apprenticeship records and marriage licence records, again turning up nothing. Newspapers have yielded nothing also. I have also checked non conformist records, but as yet haven't found any for the Sunderland area.

I am beginning to wonder if this Peter Stephenson, ever existed. It seems very strange to say the least, that not a single record can be found for him at all!

Any and all assistance, will as always be very much appreciated.

Many thanks in advance.

Kind regards

David

[ColC]

Hi David, I have looked at your post a couple of times to no avail, in Durham as you know, there is only the one marriage for a Peter Stephenson but no John baptism, however I have found out, as you probably have too, that in Northumberland there are a number of Peter Stephenson marriages and some baptisms of John father Peter. It be poses the question did John get his place of birth wrong, did the family move there after he was born elsewhere?

I came across the following records on GENUKI, someone has posted the Parish Registers for the period 1719-1988 for Holy Trinity, Sunderland, you can scroll through the various years.

Also the following records for churches in the ancient parish of Sunderland are also available at Durham County Record Office, County Hall, Durham, DH1 5UL, these include Hendon but much later.
·   Hendon, St. Ignatius 1889-1968
·   Hendon, St. Paul 1852-1969
·   Middle Hendon 1876-1967

Are you aware of https://www.durhamrecordsonline.com

You can search Durham & Northumberland for free, records cost £1:50.

Regards Colin

[ColC]

I think this family might be worth a look, most records on freereg, some on family search, some must be missing.

Peter STEPHENSON to Isabel HENDERSON   11 Jun 1786 Northumberland Embleton : Holy Trinity

John Stephenson Baptism 19 Jul 1795 Embleton, Northumberland

Plus: Elizabeth 1888, James 1790, Peter 1792, Isabel 1803, father a Tailor, Joseph Apr 1807, noted as 5th son (born 1806), Mary Nov 1807 noted as 5th Daughter.

I guess son above.

Peter STEPHENSON to Frances DICKINSON   07 Sep 1812 Northumberland Embleton : Holy Trinity

Colin

[JenB]

I think this family might be worth a look, most records on freereg, some on family search, some must be missing.

Peter STEPHENSON to Isabel HENDERSON   11 Jun 1786 Northumberland Embleton : Holy Trinity

John Stephenson Baptism 19 Jul 1795 Embleton, Northumberland

Plus: Elizabeth 1888, James 1790, Peter 1792, Isabel 1803, father a Tailor, Joseph Apr 1807, noted as 5th son (born 1806), Mary Nov 1807 noted as 5th Daughter.

I guess son above.

Peter STEPHENSON to Frances DICKINSON   07 Sep 1812 Northumberland Embleton : Holy Trinity

Colin

Following up on ColC's discoveries:

Interestingly, looking at the BT's it seems possible that John wasn't baptised at Embleton after all.
His baptism was added at the very end of the 1795 baptisms with the following note:

John son of Peter & Isabel Stephenson, baptised when with the North'd Militia by the Chaplain.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DZ5S-ZQZ?i=79&cc=1309819&cat=1808548

According to this Wikipedia entry
By June 1789 the regiment was 1300 strong and based in Hornsea. Also that year, the Northumberland Supplemental Militia was raised and designated as the 2nd battalion, serving at Sunderland and South Shields before being disbanded in November 1799.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Militia_and_Volunteers_of_Northumberland

John's supposed birthplace of Hendon was in Sunderland. And I think the Barracks were in that area.

[JenB]

If this is the correct person, the most likely place for a baptism would be St John Sunderland which was close to the barracks and the area where the soldiers were billetted.
http://www.sunderland-antiquarians.org/assets/Uploads/OPGM/WAP/PlacesofWorshipinOldSunderland.pdf
Sadly it seems that there are no BT's and the only baptism records which survive date from 1875.

[JenB]

I'm probably on the wrong track here, but just in case - a couple of newspaper articles in the Newcastle Courant in 1795 report that the Northumberland Militia were at Hendon Camp.

[ColC]

Far from it Jenb I think you are spot on. I note that Peters son Peter was also a Tailor, so the family connection seems possible. It would be good to find the missing son and missing three daughters baptisms. John seems to have spent his life in Northumberland.
Maybe David will respond.

Colin

[DavidJP]

Hi ColC & JenB,

Many thanks indeed for your replies, very much appreciated. Apologies for my tardy response.

ColC, Many thanks re the details of the Peter Stephenson & Isabel Henderson family, very much appreciated indeed! You are also correct in that John Stephenson (my 4x gt grandfather) did indeed spend his life in Northumberland, specifically the South Blyth area. Lastly, I was indeed ware of the Durham Records online website, on of many that I had tried, never hurts to be reminded though!;D

JenB, Many thanks indeed for the BT's info on familysearch, the Northumberland Militia info on wikipedia, the Sunderland St John's/Antiquarian info and the 1795 Newspaper info, very much appreciated.

To say that I am speechless, would be an understatement! I had pretty much given up hope of ever  pushing my Stephenson's any further back. Your findings look to be pretty much spot on, as regards the limited info that I had to start with. I am now off to assimilate the info & see what more can be found! Just goes to show that you should never give up!

I wonder whether any Northumberland Militia records exist and if so where they would be?

My thanks to you both once again.

Kind regards

David

[JenB]

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/c/F128986