KEN. I'm just curious, but what adresses did they live at during the censuses? I may know the streets (if they are still there), or the farms.

Do you just want to know burial information? Also, as they moved around, are you sure where they are buried?

Without going back to read all your messages, you mention St Georges, and Cantley cemetery. There is (or was ) a St Georges Graveyard in Doncaster town centre. This was moved when a bypass was made quite a few years ago (don't know where they were moved to, yet). Also St Georges has been renamed Doncaster Minster (I think to give the town different status and to get more money from the government). The cemetery at Cantley is a different one.  Which graveyard/cemetery are they in?

Heather

Well I believe Henry is buried in the churchyard at Cantley Church, on Church Ln ... but if you jump back to his father ... a William died Doncaster 1820 and possible grandfather also William died Doncaster 1806 ... I would think they (all the William's) are in a Doncaster Cemetery..... but which one I do not know ... this earlier generation all show up as baptised St George Doncaster ... Henry's father would be the William Bapt St George's 18 Aug 1782 ... died June 29 1820 age 37.
Interesting what you say about the records for St George, Doncaster .. I believe history also records that there was a major Church fire (1853?) in which some records were damaged.
As to what this crazy genealogist is trying to do ... I am looking for anything that would aid my search further ... about my Stephensons at Doncaster 1780 - 1840's. So finding them in cemetery records in the time period would help .. possibly. As we are just talking of a common working family, I doubt if there was ever a stone put up.

Heather .. as far as the St George's records are concerned I would be interested in any record of Stephenson - Stevenson. But I have searched old records enough my self ...  to know that this may well be to big of a job ... exspecialy with records that are hard to read ... and not indexed. So possibly I am into, to big of a search here ... but I do THANKYOU ... very much for the looking that you did do for me. Again... it was interesting about how you found the old St George records almost impossible to read.

As far as any addresses I might have .... This old family of Stephensons were all coachmakers ... the furthest back William may have had his own Coachmaking shop ... he left a will, when he died in 1806 (which I have) and he left this same buisness to his son Wm .. and also mentions younger son John. Old records give me the streets of Factory Lane / High Fishergate / Nag's Head Yard: St Sepulchre Gate ... all Doncaster. I believe this is the old heart of Doncaster ... around the presentday railway lines.

Ken. What was the address of the coachmaking business? I know St Sepulchre Gate, but now there are two parts called St Sepulchre Gate East, and West. There is a pub called the Nag's Head, but I'm not sure where Factory Lane was, or is.

When the family lived in the surrounding villages, do you know the road/street names? I can't access the censuses on my computer as I have recently cancelled my subscription to ancestry.

Also, it was the microfiche of the St George's records that were unreadable (to me). The original books are in the archives next door to the fhs so I will check them later this week (provided they weren't destroyed in the fire).

Heather

Ken. Have just looked on google maps for Factory Lane and High Fishergate. I must have walked past them a few times when I used to work in town. Factory Lane isn't far from the railway station, and High Fishergate is near to the market and not far from the Fish Market! They say you learn something every day! You know more about the place than I do

Did the coachmaker make railway coaches? Your'e not related to Stephenson who made/designed The Rocket are you? Mind you, I don't know which part of the country he was from.

Heather

George Stephenson of "Rocket" Railway fame ... and his Son Robert (railway & bridge builder) were from the village of Wylam ... near Newcastle. Robert is buried in West Minister at London ... and I believe father George at Chesterfield just down fron Sheffield.
Am I related ... good question ... there was some feeling in my Stephenson family here in Ontario Canada ... that we were related ... one reative here in Ontario, even wrote up a family history ... conecting my Stephensons in with famous George ... BUT!!!!! I think she was wrong ... at least I have found no proveable proof for this claim.
Plus my Stephensons were making horse drawn coaches no doubt ... they would pre-date the Railway revolution ... but it is all very interesting.
P.S.     I sent you a P.M.

Ken. Just showing my ignorance again! I didn't realise that the dates were prior to the railways, oops!

Just checked the 1881 census   and found that the only address given for Henry was Branton. How inconsiderate they were! Never mind. The more I read, the more intrigued I become, even if it's not my own family!

Heather

I read the pm. Thanks.

I have Henry Stephenson's will from 1882 ... got through the mail ... way back in time (when I first stated into this all consuming Genealogy thing) sent to me: Jan 11 1985: West Yorkshire Archive Service. Registry of Deeds, Newstead Road, Wakefield.
A very beutifuly writen will ... all in long hand writing. Henry seems to have had 3 small parcels of land ... discribed in the will as "situate at the four lane ends in Branton ..... same now used as a Primitive Methodist Chapel" There is more discription of this property ... and who was living at the time in at least 2 other cottages or buildings ... he left the 3 small lots to each of 3 daughters ... Alice / Eleanor / Elizabeth. But in the one census he is said to be a farmer of 8 acres.
Also one of the census  reports, gave his address as 10 Doncaster Road ... but as that was back in the 1800's ... don't know if that compares with present day addresses.

Ken. Doncaster Road is still there in Branton. There is a farm in Branton close to the side of the M18 motorway which I think has an old mill. The other side of the flyover is Cantley - the farm would have been there before the M18 so maybe it's address is actually Cantley.

With regard to Henry's will, didn't he leave any land to his son Thomas who later died in the S Y Asylum? I wonder if he had problems with his health from birth.

Do you have any birth/marriage/death certificates?

Anyway, am going to the archives in about an hour so will let you know if I find anything. After looking on http://www.freebmd.org.uk you will see that there are many Stephenson deaths in Doncaster. If you can access this, check to see which ones may be 'yours' and let me know.

Heather  

Have just checked the 1881 census   and seen that Thomas was a farm labourer, and may have been about 72 when he died.

I think my Stephensons were mainly at Docaster 1780 - 1820 or so ... where as free BMD is all post 1837. But with that said ... Henry's will gives 3 daughter ... Alice / Elizth / Eleanor ... but when I find them at Hatfield in 1851 census .. there is a 4th one given .... Harriet ... in the BMD ... it gives a Harriet Stephenson died Jun 1891 ... or Harriet Stephenson died Doncaster Mar 1847 ... or Harriet Stephenson died Sept 1865 .... as she shows up at Branton Cantley paish ... working as a domestic in 1861 ... but not mentioned in fathers will in 1882 .... I would think the Sept 1865 ntry could well be her

KEN. I have been to the archives and found 4 burials. All were at St Georges Parish graveyard. In the 1960's the graveyard was dug up to make way for the road known as Church Way. The bodies were then all buried together at Cantley cemetery in one job lot!

I didn't see the actual burial records, but the transcripts that were used for the microfiches.  Here goes:-

22 Jan 1785  John, son of William Stephenson - blacksmith

16 Aug 1806  William? Stevenson - coachmaker - decline - 50yrs

31 Jan 1820  Robert Stevenson - coachmaker - 39yrs

5 Dec 1825  William Stephenson - painter - 18yrs

The burial for John in 1785 did not show his age. The one for William in 1806 does show the question mark next to his christian name, and 'decline' was the cause of death. Only the 1806 death shows the cause.

I didn't find the other burials as they may have been at Cantley. Their records are at Rosehill Cemetery/Crematorium so I will have to check with them direct.

I looked in the general surname index cards and found this reference, which may be your family;

STEVENSON John, coachsmith of Doncaster   wife and 3 children
Relief granted Dec 1829  PLD/2/2
Wife applies for additional relief to add to her husband's low-wage,
granted Jan 1830  PLD/2/2
Continued relief granted Jul 1830  PLD/2/2

Hope this is ok. I will let you know about the Cantley burials.

Heather

MARLENE. I have found details of 6 baptisms at Arksey! Let me know when you are ready.

Heather  

THANK-YOU very much ... you are telling me somethings I did not know ... that is the advantage someone in the actual area has ... over me ... a whole ocean away. I know that the St George Chuch had lost ground for the road way ... but did not know that gaves were moved. So thanks a lot ... for that info ... that tells me quite a lot.
And the info on John Stevenson (likely Stephenson) ... I think he was most likely a brother in my same bunch of Stephensons ... I aready know from hunting him up in census ... he was on Factory Ln  I believe the other John died 1785 ... was an earlier brother who died as a child ... so hence they used the name again for a later son that was born.
The Wm that died in 1806 ... had a will ... which I have
A search like this ... takes one back to the time period ... 1780 ... to early 1800's ... and starts one thinking ... what was Doncaster like in those early days. What was it like to be a blacksmith - coachmaker ... having possibly married 10 yrs before ... and maybe already lost 3 - 4 children ... with 2-3 having lived ... and maybe your wife dead from a sickness ... and very little money to keep going!!??

Ken. Have you ever sent for any death certificates from Doncaster?

Heather  

No ... the only actual cert. I have is for My William's .. that came to Canada ... son .. a Robert Stephenson ... bapt Cottingham Jan  1845. But I have not got down to busness and sent for any cert's fron Doncaster. My One William .. who married Alice Carter at Cantley in 1811 ... on Ancestry the whole Cantley Records are searchable there ... and it tells me who the witnesses were etc ... so there is quite a bit of info. there ... but again have not sent for official cert.