Biography

1939 Register gives birth date as 17 Sep 1879.^[1] There is no matching birth registration in 1879. In 1878 in County Durham, there are Margaret Ann Gibbons born to Thomas Gibbons and Bridget Kelly, and to Peter Gibbons and Catherine Conoffy.

This seems most likely see explanation in 1901 census record. In 1881 this Gibbons family was living at Front Street, Newbottle, Houghton Le Spring, Durham ^[2]

• Peter Gibbons Head Married Male 27 1854 Coal miner Newbottle, Durham, England
• Catherine Gibbons Wife Married Female 26 1855 - Sunderland, Durham, England
• Thomas Gibbons Son Single Male 5 1876 Scholar Newbottle, Durham, England
• Peter Gibbons Son Single Male 4 1877 - Newbottle, Durham, England
• Margaret Gibbons Daughter Single Female 2 1879 - Newbottle, Durham, England

It seems likely that it's the family below for Margaret - enumerated here as Margery. Both she and her sister Kate (Catherine) gave place of birth as Newbottle on the 1901 census - see below. The family was living at 4, Races Terrace, Newbottle, Houghton Le Spring, Durham in 1891. ^[3]

• Peter Gibbons Head Married Male 37 1854 Coal miner Newbottle, Durham, England
• Catherine Gibbons Wife Married Female 36 1855 - Sunderland, Durham, England
• Thomas Gibbons Son Single Male 15 1876 Coal miner Newbottle, Durham, England
• Peter Gibbons Son Single Male 14 1877 Coal miner Newbottle, Durham, England
• Margery Gibbons Daughter Single Female 12 1879 Scholar Newbottle, Durham, England
• David Gibbons Son Single Male 9 1882 Scholar Newbottle, Durham, England
• Martin Gibbons Son Single Male 6 1885 Scholar Newbottle, Durham, England
• Catherine Gibbons Daughter Single Female 4 1887 - Newbottle, Durham, England
• John Gibbons Son Single Male 2 1889 - Newbottle, Durham, England
• Joseph Gibbons Son Single Male 0 1891 - Newbottle, Durham, England

Married James Burns in Durham in 1895.^[4]

In 1901 the Burns family was living at Seaham Harbour - 16 Frances Street along with several other families. ^[5]

• James Burns, Head, married, 25, coal miner (hewer), born in Haswell Moor, County Durham
• Margaret Ann Burns, wife, married, 22, born in Newbottle, County Durham
• Ann Burns, daughter, 4, born in Seaham Colliery, County Durham
• Jennie Burns, daughter, 3, born in Boldon Colliery, County Durham
• Norah Burns, daughter, 1 month, born in Seaham Harbour, County Durham
• Kate Gibbons, sister-in-law, 15, born in Newbottle, County Durham

Research Notes

On 19 Aug 1874, Peter Gibbons aged 21 son of Miles Gibbons married Catherine Conoffy aged 19 daughter of Michael Conoffy at Houghton le Spring. ^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ 1930 Register Image on Find My Past
2. ↑ 1881 Census: Census for England and Wales from The National Archives at Kew, Surrey citing RG11/4973 - Folio 21 - Page 35. Accessed 30 Jan 2025.
3. ↑ 1891 Census: Census for England and Wales from The National Archives at Kew, Surrey citing RG12/4114 - Folio 4 - Page 2. Accessed 30 Jan 2025.
4. ↑ England & Wales Marriages 1837-2005
5. ↑ 1901 Census: Census for England and Wales from The National Archives at Kew, Surrey citing RG13/4690 - Folio 163 - Page 3 & 4. Accessed 30 Jan 2025.
6. ↑ Marriage of Parents: "England Marriages, 1538–1973", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NNKM-X36 : 12 March 2020), Peter Gibbons, 1874.