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Notes for Alfred being the son of James Stonehouse and James being the son of John Stonehouse of Stranton, Durham

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Notes for Alfred being the son of James Stonehouse and James being the son of John Stonehouse of Stranton, Durham written by Alan Kane and received courtesy of Florence Cleary on 3 Mar 2023.

In 1773 John Stonehouse, Yeoman of Stranton near Hartlepool, Durham married Cicely Smith of Welbury, Yorkshire. When John Stonehouse farmer of Foggy Furrs in the Parish of Stranton wrote his will in November 1828 he mentioned four children: James Stonehouse; Cicely Nesom (wife of William Nesom of Sunderland); William Stonehouse and John Stonehouse. Although the Will does not mention the residence nor occupation of his sons, records were found that showed that sons William and John were also farmers. Although the Will left inheritances to his other children, James received nothing other than a sum of £100 was put in trust for the education of James’ children and to be distributed at the rate of £5/annum.

From Canada, the 1864 marriage certificate for Alfred Stonehouse records place of birth as Sunderland [England] and parents as James Stonehouse and Elizabeth Heavyside. An 1827 Bishopwearmouth [Sunderland] baptism transcript for Alfred Stonehouse shows his parents as James and Eliza. In 1818 James Stonehouse, widower of Bishopwearmouth, Mercer and Draper, married Eliza Heavyside of Bishopton, Durham. Oral history in Canada says James and his family emigrated from England around 1833 to Goderich, Clinton, Bayfield area of Ontario, Canada where in 1861 census Alfred was unmarried and farming with his brothers James (married to Elizabeth), John (unmarried) and Henry (unmarried).

While the evidence connecting Alfred to James Stonehouse, Mercer and Draper of Bishopwearmouth, Sunderland is reasonably direct, the evidence for connecting James Stonehouse, Mercer and Draper of Bishopwearmouth to John Stonehouse, farmer of Foggy Furrs, Stranton is more circuitous.

First, only two possible baptism records can be found at Durham Records Online and other sites that match with the Canada information that James was born around 1780 in Durham:

1778 James Stonehouse West Hall Stranton Father - John
1782 James Stonehouse Middle Herrington Houghton-le-Spring Father - James Mother – Rebecca

In the 1851 census James Stonehouse, Sexton born in Middle Herrington, is living with his daughter Mary in West Herrington, Houghton-le-Spring, Durham and the only other James Stonehouse in Durham in 1841 was a Tailor living with his wife Ann in Boldon, South Shields.

Another factor supporting James being from Stranton is that he was literate as were his brothers and father. Marriage bonds and licences were common for the farming gentry and merchant class. Both of James’ marriages in 1806 and 1818 were by way of Licence where he signed his name “Ja. Stonehouse”. His oldest brother William described himself as Gent on his 1799 Marriage Bond and in 1811 his other brother John (Farmer) signed his name as opposed to leaving his ‘mark’ on his marriage licence. The family seem to have carried their social status to Canada as when James’ eldest son James died in 1896 his rank was “Gentleman”.

On 23 February 1828 James Stonehouse of Bishopwearmouth in the county of Durham, mercer, draper, milliner, dealer and chapman was declared bankrupt by the Commission of Bankrupt. Solicitors for the Commission were Messrs Raisbeck, Wilson and Faber of Stockton. On the 29 November 1828 John Stonehouse of Foggy Furrs in the parish of Stranton, Farmer wrote his last Will and Testament. One of the two trustees to administer his estate was Leonard Raisbeck of Stockton, Gentleman. In 1820 Mr Raisbeck of Stockton sold by auction sold Bell Farm near Yarm that was in the occupation of William Stonehouse (James’ brother?).

When John Stonehouse of Foggy Furrs of Stranton died on 17 December 1828 he would have been aware if his son James was subject to bankruptcy proceedings and understood that bequeathing any money or assets to James would see them go directly to James’ assignees/creditors. Therefore, the fact that John left his son James out of his Will supports the contention that James Stonehouse, mercer and draper of Bishopwearmouth is the same James born 1778 in Stranton to John Stonehouse.

Additional circumstantial evidence includes the bankruptcy notice for the sale of James’ properties that included “two excellent copyhold dwelling houses situated in Villiers Street in Bishopwearmouth”. When Cicely Nesom’s infant son James died in 1821, the address on the burial record was Villiers Street. Cicely’s husband William Nesom was born into a farming family at Whitton (1.7 miles from Bishopton) and after they married in Grindon in 1810 they did not move north to Sunderland until 1816 where he joined Henry Watson in a butchery partnership. They remained in Sunderland until after 1833 but by 1840 were farming again in Bishopton. James also had connections to places not far from Stranton (located just south of Hartlepool and 12 miles from Bishopton) with second wife Elizabeth Heavyside being from Bishopton and the father of his first wife Margaret Turner recorded on his marriage licence as Charles Turner, Farmer of Norton (half-way between Bishopton and Stranton).

The Assignees for James’ bankruptcy called a meeting on the 9 May 1831 at the Castle and Anchor in Stockton “to make a second and final dividend of the estate and effects of the said Bankrupt”.

Timeline
Year Person Event Location Comments
1778 James Stonehouse Baptism Stranton Durham Records Online
1806 James Stonehouse Marriage Bishopwearmouth James of Sunderland, Batchelor, Mercer (see Licence) bride Margaret Turner of Sunderland aged 16 years father Charles Turner of Norton
1815 Margaret Stonehouse Death Villiers St James’ wife
1818 James Stonehouse Marriage Bishopton James of Bishopwearmouth, Widower, Mercator Draper (see Licence) bride Eliza Heavyside of Bishopton ; James’ sister Cicely married William Nesom of Whitton 1.7 miles from Bishopton
1821 James Nesom Death Villiers St sister Cicely’s son died in same street as James’ wife in 1815
1827 Alfred Stonehouse Baptism Bishopwearmouth mother Eliza.
1827 James Stonehouse Business Directory 2 High St Linen & Woollen Draper listing in White’s Directory
1828 Eliza Stonehouse Business Directory 2 High St Milliner & Dressmaker listing in Pigot’s Directory
1828 James Stonehouse Bankruptcy Bishopwearmouth declared on 23 February 1828
1828 James Stonehouse Auction Notice Bishopwearmouth Mercers and drapers stock, millinery goods, household furniture and shop fixtures
1828 James Stonehouse Auction Notice Bishopwearmouth
Lot 1 – Dwelling-house & shop situated in the principal street Bishopwearmouth
Lot 2 – Freehold dwelling-house in Horn Lane
Lot 3 – Two copyhold dwelling-houses in Villiers Street
Lot 4 – Copyhold parcel used as garden in Tatham Street with a summer house
Lot 5 – A Pew in the parish church adjoining the pulpit.
1828 John Stonehouse Death Stranton left son James out of Will - £100 in trust for education of James’ children at £5/annum
1831 James Stonehouse Assignee Notice Stockton meeting to make final dividend of the estate and effects of the said Bankrupt
1833 James Stonehouse Emigration Canada oral history
1864 Alfred Stonehouse Marriage Goderich, Ontario birthplace Sunderland and parents James Stonehouse and Elizabeth Heavyside. [1]




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