KEN. I rang Rosehill, Cantley to ask about the other deaths. The dates we are looking for are before Cantley was used, so they advised me to check the Hyde Park records (which I believe is the oldest cemetery in Donny). Guess where they are kept? Yes, at the archives where I have been today!!!Not to worry though, I am going again next week.

Can you tell me the family's address on the 1851 census? Also do the sums work for the age of Harriet on that census and her age at death?

Heather

Back in 1993 ... I had a record searcher do some looking for me. At that time ... she said she was at the 'Doncaster record office' ... not sure which place this was ... but this lady found ...... under Bonds & Allegations 1811 " Allegation: 19 Jan 1811 On which day appeared personally William Stephenson of Doncaster in the diocese of York, Coachmaker & made oath that he is 27 years old & upwards & a Bachelor & intendeth to marry Alice Carter of Bramton (Branton?) in the parish of Cantley in the diocese of York aged 22 years & upwards & Spinster in the parish church of Cantley in which said parish the said William Stephenson further made oath that she the said Alice Carter hath had her usual abode for the space of four weeks last past. Signed Willm Stevenson, Sworn before Thomas Wetherhead, Surrogate.
Bond: ' Know all men by these present that we William Stephenson of Doncaster in the county of York, Coachmaker & John Taylor of the said parish Joiner are bound by the sum of $200 19 Jan 1811. William Stephenson & Alice Cater are now licenced to marry. Signed Willm Stevenson & John Taylor Sworn by Thomas Wetherhead.' (Record seems to spell Stephenson both ways ... PH & V)
.... I put $, as I do not have the UK lb sign on my key board here in Canada

As to finding address's for my Stephensons in the 1851 census. When I go back to what I think that history is .... I'm back to a William Stephenson, Coachmaker (St Sepulchre, Doncaster) who had sons Robert ... Willim ... John. But of these 4 ... only John, would be alive at the time of the 1851 census. William Sr died at Doncaster in 1806 ... and both (sons) Robert and William died at Doncaster in 1820.
From a search I had done in 1993 ... I was told that records do show ..... ' William Stephenson of St Sepulchre, Doncaster paid a Water Rate in 1797 ... and Mr Stephenson of St Sepulchre: Water Rate 1789' .... I would think this is likely the same William Sr that died at 50 in 1806. His will from 1806 gives his coachmaking business to son William ... along with giving ... "support of my son and daughter John and Harriott" executors of same will were William Morley of Doncaster Timbermerchant and John Scott of Doncaster painter.

Ken. Yes, I saw the reference to payment of water rates at the Archives yesterday. I only saw them in the indexes and didn't have time to look at the actual record itself.

It's all very interesting, isn't it?

Heather

Another very interesting family event ... that I wish I knew more about ..... ' My Stephensons left Hull Eng late Sept 1854 ... landed at N.Y on Nov 12 ... and made their way to the Hamilton area in Ontario Canada ... at this time, they had 5 kids ... another 3 (I believe) were born Hamilton and they all came to Strathroy Ontario in about 1862 ... the father (William) was now killied working for the Great Western Railway in 1866.
In 1886 one of their sons born in Ontario ... an Edward Stephenson died at 30 yrs old at Strathroy Ont ... with his death notice saying he had taken a trip back to Eng ... some time before death .. and had his passage booked to go again ... and possibly marry a girl, that he most have met on that first trip.
A search of the old Strath. newspapers ... found mention of an Edward Stevenson going back to the old country in July of 1882.
Edward would have had family on his Mothers side (Scott) in and around Hull in E Yorks ... plus his Uncle Henry Stephenson & cousins at Branton in Cantley Parish .. near Donny.

Ken.How difficult it must have been for William's widow and children to carry on their lives in a foreign country, without any other family around! Did they stay in the area after his death?  And poor Edward's fiance in England waiting for him to return for their wedding. How did he die? How very sad.  

It seems strange how you refer to 'Donny'. I thought only us locals knew it as that!

Heather

  Well because I have the actual boat record at N.Y ... I know that the ship was called the 'Ross' a load of coal and 27 passengers ... my Mary Stephenson (Stevenson) and five children (her husband William must have come over earlier) and 3 Scott relatives plus a Wm Withernwick and Elizabeth Withernwick (I believe Mary Stephenson and the Elizth, were sisters) ... all this is to say, they were not all alone .. they brought relatives with them. I also know it took 7 weeks to come ... a long time on that old atlantic for all of October.
I have the Death notice for Edward in 1886 ... it is entitled 'Sad Death'... he died of pneumonia ... and had worked as a miller in a Strathroy grain mill ... he was single and lived with his Mother (Mary) and younger sister and brother-inlaw (Herb and Maggie Scott.... they were 1st cousins that married). And yes they all stayed in the area ... as Mary (the mother) was my ggg grandmother ... and I live in the area ... some 120 years+ later.
I have been on different family history internet sites in UK ... and see that Doncaster is called Donny by locals ... so I have done same   LOL

Ken. Iv'e not forgotten you and keep checking your messages.Your family history is very interesting and thorough! You have certainly done some research.

I am going to look for the other burials in the register for Hyde Park later this week, when I return to the Archives.

Heather  

Well .. the funny thing about my Stephenson's ... is - they seem to be a family of labours (coachmakers) that were in the town of Doncaster 1780 to just the very early 1800s ... except for the posibility of the John who was a coachsmith ... any Stephenson - Stevenson found right at Doncaster in the later census that you can search ... I believe, is not my Stephensons ... but of coarse Henry was a farmer at Branton (the only one that does not seem to have been in the coachmaking and related trades) And even the William that married Susannah Laurence in 1779 ... I am not sure where he was from ... he may well have moved to Doncaster for enployment.

Back in 1985 .. I had the Doncaster phone book ... showing Stephenson ... photo-copied - and wrote at random .. too different Stephensons. But I found basicaly the same story ... any present day ( yes I know that was 25 years ago) Stephenson's at Doncaster only took their history back to possibly late 1800's at Doncaster ... with their relation moving there for employment. OH WELL ... I will keep trying!

Here is a short (hopfully SHORT  ) rundown of my search.
25 or so moons ago ... I gathered up what I could find here in Ontario ... I knew my Stephenson history pretty good, back to my gg grandfather .. an Alfred John Stephenson, a farmer near Strathroy here in Ontario, Canada .. who had come from England as a child. So ... talking to older relatives , plus teaming up with another self-made genealogist in the family... searching microfilm .. newspaper reports ... census on micro film etc ... etc. I found that my Alfreds parents were a William and Mary Stephenson ... with a stone for them in Strathroy cemetery ... but alas no dates on the old stone ... so off to search the cemetery records ... knowing the grave lot # etc ... gave me ' Mary Stephenson buried Apr 1897.
Further searching, told me that Strathroy newspapers were on Micro film back to 1870 ... upon which I found that my small town of Strathroy had two papers up untill the 1920's ... so off to search 1897.  Each paper had quite a large death report for my Mary (even though you would say ... she was just a commoner ... or no great importance ... except to me!!)
One paper stated ... "Mrs Stephenson was born at Cottingham Yorkshire England 78 years and 8 months ago and was one of a family of sixteen. She married Wm Stephenson at Doncaster in 1837"   while other paper gave ...." Deceased was born at Cottingham, Yorkshire England, Aug 31 1819, dau of Wm Scott. In 1837 she married Wm Stephenson of Doncaster Yorkshire England." (the difference ... that small words, like OF or AT, can make .. ) They came to Hamilton in 1854, and after eight years removed to Strathroy"
  My searching here in Ontario ... also found an earlier attempt at family history ... stating that my Wm had left a brother in Eng.   Quote "Henry Stephenson died Dec 22 1882 .. buried at Cantley Church, Branton England." ( no mention of where this was in Eng?)
  Now I jumped the pond ( by means of my mail box) ... and went looking for a marriage of Wm and Mary ... Doncaster or Hull area in 1837 ... but nothing!!!!
Then at Cottingham in Feb 1838 ... found  "William Stevenson, age 23, bachelor, Wheelwright, residence at time of marriage Sutton near Hull (father William Stevenson, Coachmaker & Mary Scott .. 21"... etc. A search of the Cottingham Parish records also found children Wm Edwin / Elizabeth / Robert S / Mary Ellen / Alfred J..... all baptised to them ... and as I already knew all those names ... I knew I had them.
Next a search of the census ... found them at Cottingham in 1841 and at Stoneferry, Sutton (just E of Cottingham) in 1851 .... "William Stephenson age: 35 ... Wheelwright .. born: Doncaster Yorks. Now a jump to Doncaster ... found  " Henry 1st son of William and Alice Stevenson bapt May 22 1813 /   William son of Wm and Alice Stephenson bapt Sept 1814 .... Now a look for Henry in the census ... found " Cantley Parish 1861 ... "William Carter .. head .. Unmarried .. age 62 Farmer / Henry Stephenson ..nephew age 48 born: Doncaster. Now to try and find the parents ... found me ... " Cantley Parish Jan 21 1811 William Stevenson married Alice Carter" other info, tells me this Wm was from Doncaster and Alice of Cantley. ** plus Bonds and Allegations 1811 ... same marriage, states William Stephenson .. Coachmaker made oath he was 27 years old & upwards.
  Maybe ... someone can tell me ... does my gen. search hold water ... in other words I'm I on the right track ...  I have spelled Stephenson .. or Stevenson ... as I found it in the records

Ken. I can't answer that last one for you. I sometimes wonder if I am on the right track with my own research as my family names are quite common. I just try to make sure that each generation follows onto the next without leaving any gaps. I personally like to have actual copies of certificates, as confirmation. Many of my ancestors were from Wigan, and also Ireland. I would like to see baptism, marriage and death records in parish registers and although Wigan isn't a million miles away, it is far enough! I have been there on a few occasions but I spend most of my time finding out where the information is. Then it's another trip back to check it. It seems to take up a full day which includes only about 1 1/2 hours researching, with the rest of the time being spent on driving and getting lost etc!

I don't mind checking the local information for you as it's not far for me, and it's very rewarding finding and looking at the old registers. I do get side-tracked though as I find other families' history also interesting - maybe I should wear blinkers!

I also have some newspaper reports for my ancestors which are interesting.

You have spent more time than me as I have only been doing genealogy for about 18 months, so maybe you are the expert!

Keep checking!

Heather

Yes ... Wigan .. I also have a Nicholls family of Bridlington ... some of them moved to Wigan Lancs .. and to Ontario Canada. In my line an Edward Nicholls married an Ann Scott at Hamilton Ont ... then moved to Strathroy. Edwards brother Thomas followed ... and moved from Wigan to Strathroy.

I don't want to disagree with some-one in the area   'but' I think you will find that the cemetery at St George's (moved or not) is older that Hyde Park ... I am seeing 1856 or so ... for the stating date for Hyde Park ... where as St George ... original Church and cemetery ... are the oldest at Doncaster ... the church burned mid 1800's(1853?) ... but I am thinking that the cemetery might have gone back to the 1500's??

Ken. I checked the St Georges Graveyard records but couldn't find everyone. I couldn't check for the ones that may be at Cantley as those records are kept at Rosehill Cemetery/Crematorium (at Cantley). On then checking with Rosehill, they said that Cantley wasn't old enough so suggested I look at the Hyde Park records, which are. Hyde Park records are kept at the Archives, so I have to go back there.

Is this ok? St Georges may probably be the oldest graveyard, but I couldn't find George for 1807,  Alice for 1819 or William for 1820. They are the ones I will look for at Hyde Park. I think!

Heather