RootsChat.Com

Hi Gary,

Thanks for that...............yes, I found a death for a John Parkin in 1849 in Gateshead on FreeBMD and as I couldn't find him anywhere in the 1851 census (together with John Parkin being deceased by the time his son married), I thought he was perhaps the most likely candidate.

I was working on the assumption (correct or otherwise) that Mariner and Waterman could be interchangable.

Have you any idea where people from the asylum were buried at that time? Would they have been unmarked graves do you think?

If John died in the asylum, is his death certificate likely to provide any useful info with regards to his relatives/family or would it just be asylum details? 

Hi Jeffery

There is a photograph & a brief history of the asylum at this link http://www.rootschat.com/links/05z3/
I am guessing as regard the burial place for the inmate's but St Johns would be the logical place.
I would imagine not many inmates received a burial with a headstone. As for the death certificate I would think a member of staff would have been the person to report the death.

Added: A waterman was apparently a ferryman.

Gary

I understand from my father, who was born in 1914, he remembers these houses, (on the south side of the road) and Rosewood Gardens, being built circa 1920. As I said before, on the 1895 Ordnace map, the only 4 cottages on Church Road on the north side of the road. I remember these cottages from when I went to Sheriff Hill Primary School 1941 - 1945.

The asylum, after closing down, was used to house really poor people, and I remeber visiting relatives there, circa 1942. It was commonly called the'Sylum Square.'

Rob Hall,   Katy, TEXAS

Hi, I wonder if you or anyone can help!  I'm researching the Waters family from Gateshead Fell in the late 1780's and into about 1840 in particular Joseph born about 1783 and his family - Alexander, William, Joseph, Mark, Mary, Jane, James, Margaret and Thomas all born between 1813 - 1835 with the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th and 7th children born in High Felling and baptized in High Felling Weslyan Methodist Chapel.  I feel sure that Joseph had brothers/sisters and one of them may have had a daughter Sarah Waters born about 1826 in High Felling. Any information about this family would be appreciated. Regards, Jess