Brick wall for death certificates

[TheSeafarer]

Hello everyone, I'm hoping for a few ideas, or suggestions on cracking a brick wall I've hit - basically I'm looking for the deaths of two family members. They appear in a census, then vanish, so I'm looking at a 10 year timeframe, with common names (one of which appears to change), who move around a lot, and the most likely options I have tried have turned out to be wrong so far...

So; bit of background. The people are William Dawson, born 1822 in Newcastle, and his wife Mary Dean, born 1824 in Newcastle.

1843 Marriage Certificate – William Dawson (Grocer) of Newgate St and Mary Dean married. Fathers are Richard Dawson (stay maker) and James Dean (unclear occupation).
1848 Birth Cert Richard John Dawson born in Gainford, Durham to William Dawson (Police Officer) and Mary Dawson (Dean).
1850 Birth Cert - Thomas Heseltine Dawson born in Darlington, Durham to same.

1851 Census Gateshead: William Dawson (29, Newcastle-on-Tyne). Occupation: Police Officer, plus wife Mary Dawson (27, Newcastle) sons Richard John Dawson (2) born Gainford, Durham, and Thomas H Dawson (1) Darlington, Durham.

1852 Birth Cert - Louisa Dawson born in Gateshead
1854 Birth Cert – Eliza Dawson born in Bishops Auckland, William Dawson is now an Innkeeper.
1860 Birth Cert - William Dawson born in Birmingham, William Dawson is now a Journeyman Painter, and address Tennant St.

1861 Census - Tennant Street Birmingham: William Dawson 39 (Painter and Glazier) b. Newcastle, wife Mary Dawson 37, b. Newcastle, sons Richard William Dawson 12 b. Gainford, Thos H Dawson 11 b. Darlington, Durham, Louisa Dawson 8 b. Gateshead, Eliza. Dawson 5 b. Bishops Auckland, Wm Dawson 9 months b. Birmingham.

1870 Marriage Certificate – Richard John Dawson (Artist) of South Hill Road, Liverpool, and Sarah Jane Hewitt of South Hill Road married. Fathers are Charles Dawson (Painter) and Thomas Hewitt (Shipwright). Louisa Dawson is a Witness.

1871 Census - West Derby, Liverpool: Mary Dawson 48 (Head) b. Northumberland, Thomas H Dawson 21 b. Co Durham, William 10 b. Warwickshire. Mary Dawson is shown as head, but occupation is Wife, not widow?

1872 Marriage Cert - Louisa Dawson married to Henry Martin in West Derby. Father recorded as Charles William Dawson, a Painter. He is not shown as deceased, although Henry Martin’s father is. Thomas Dawson is present as a witness.
1872 Marriage Cert - Thomas Dawson is married in Liverpool, Father shown as Charles William Dawson, a Painter. Eliza is present as a witness.
1877 Marriage Cert - Elizabeth married to a ships steward where father is recorded as William Charles Dawson, deceased.

1881 Census - no sign of Mary Dawson.

So I have William Dawson, also known as Charles Dawson, William Charles Dawson and Charles William Dawson, who is alive in 1861 for the census and recorded as deceased in 1877, but probably dies before 1871 as Mary is shown as the Head in the census, and Mary herself, who disappears after 1871.

There are no clear deaths of either in Liverpool, and given they have moved from Newcastle, around Durham, to Birmingham and then Liverpool, there is no consistency in location to use as a guide.

Does any one have any suggestions or tips as to how to narrow the scope down, or suggest where I may have gone wrong or overlooked something?

[jim1]

Although it's going to be a bit of a trawl you can search for
a death using the GRO website: https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/
which now includes ages at death (as known to the informant).

[TheSeafarer]

Thanks Jim, I've used that, which narrows things down, but due to the timescales (10 years) there are an awful lot of people with those names. I've checked a few by ordering certificates, but then had to rule them out. There are still a lot, hence trying to see if there are other avenues to try!

So for Mary for example, between 1871 and 1882, there were 19 women of that name died with a similar DoB - I've kept wiggle room of 2 years to make sure I cast a wider net for age variation.

For William, its about 38 names, and he could also have gone by the name Charles...

[Andrew Tarr]

Husband may have just cleared off - it has happened on my wife's tree (also stemming from Tyneside)  but I have been able to find him elsewhere.  Yours may have gone anywhere from Liverpool: Ireland or America, for example, and the wife may not have learnt of his death until much later.  I believe it was acceptable to remarry after seven years absence ?

[TheSeafarer]

Thanks - funnily enough one of the children emigrates in 1880 which I thought might be triggered by Mary's death as she is missing from the 1881 Census, but I'd assumed due to their ages they were dead, not thought about re-marriage... will look into that!

[River Tyne Lass]

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

Don't know if this might help but there are quite a few Dawson's listed on the Genuki death notices site 1885-1906.  Just in case you think at a later point some may have returned to Newcastle or close areas?

Also for anyone possibly looking for same ancestors the Marriage Locator website indicates that the marriage between William Dawson and Mary Dean 1843 took place at St John, Newcastle upon Tyne.

[JenB]

1872 Marriage Cert - Louisa Dawson married to Henry Martin in West Derby. Father recorded as Charles William Dawson, a Painter. He is not shown as deceased, although Henry Martin’s father is. Thomas Dawson is present as a witness.

Liverpool Mail, 2nd November 1872

Martin - Dawson Oct 20, at West Derby Parish Church by the Rev. J. Stewart, M.A., Henry Martin, of Crown Street, to Louisa Dawson of 8, Iden Street, eldest daughter of C.W. Dawson of London

[JenB]

Looks like he did a runner? And he's lopped several years off his age.

1871 census

RG10/803/10/11

In the household of Mary Isaac, High Street Esher

Charles W Dawson, lodger, married, 42, House Painter, Newcastle on Tyne.
Matilda do, wife,  married, 30,  Lancashire, Liverpool,

[JenB]

I wonder if this might be his death?

William Charles Dawson, aged 46 (which would match approximately with his age given in 1871)
1st q 1877, St Saviour Southwark, 1d 70.

Which fits with this burial, (strangely) in Finchley 'for the Parish of St Mary Islington':

William Charles Dawson, aged 46, 55 Pollock Street, New Kent Road, Southwark, buried 3rd April 1877.