UK History 1

THESE ARE THE FAMILY MEMBERS WHO  REMAINED IN NORTHERN ENGLAND

They are the first generation descendants of JOHN i WILKINSON & JANE MACMILLAN excluding the 3 sons who emigrated to America.

v JOHN i & JANE WILKINSON

Ø  (2) JOHN ii WILKINSON (1826-1880) & ELIZABETH PEARS (1830-1869)

Their Children by date of Birth

§  Robert  Wilkinson (1854)

§  Jane Wilkinson (1855)

§  Job Wilkinson (1857)

§  Elizabeth Wilkinson (1858)

§  Mary Wilkinson (1859)

§  John Wilkinson iii (1861)

§  Margaret Wilkinson (1866)     (All children were born at Greendyke Allendale)                                           

 My direct lineage flows from JOHN ii & his daughter MARGARET shown under a separate Tab UK History 2 

JOHN WILKINSON ii, the second child of JOHN i & JANE WILKINSON was born at Dirtpot near the village of Allenheads in Northumberland about 1826. JOHN ii lived with his parents at Whiterigg in 1841 & through 1851 where he worked with his family in the Swinhope lead mines. The miner's strike of 1850 prompted JOHN's elder brother ROBERT to emigrate to America but JOHN ii stayed in the dale where he met ELIZABETH PEARS who lived at Greendyke a smallholding near Allendale Town. ELIZABETH was born at Lintzgarth, Rookhope, County Durham in 1829 to HENRY PEARS & MARY WILKINSON. I have not established if JOHN ii was related to his mother in law MARY even though they shared the same surname. JOHN ii married ELIZABETH in 1853 at St. Cuthberts Church in Allendale Town & they took up residence at Low Greendyke sharing the farm with ELIZABETH's family. Their children were all born at Greendyke over the next few years and are listed above. ELIZABETH's father HENRY had died in 1842 and her mother MARY died in 1858 with the farm ownership passing to ELIZABETH's older brothers in accordance with her father's will.

Greendyke is the subject of a detailed tale by local historian Brian Pears & can be read at the following website link http://www.bpears.org.uk/Ancestors/Will_Article/Greendikes.pdf

An extract mentioning JOHN ii & ELIZABETH reads:-

"When Mary died, her sons Henry, James and William were over 21 and would have taken their shares of the property immediately. Thomas would have received his share in 1858. Two of the daughters, Mary and ELIZABETH, were of age and both were married. They too would have received their comparatively meagre bequests straight away. The third daughter, Ann, was 19 years old and still at home . The 1861 Census shows the occupancy of Greendikes three years later , and it is what we would expect with Henry, the eldest son, as head of the household and his siblings, James, William, Ann and Thomas and “relations”Jane and Ann living there too. Henry then describes himself as a “Farmer of 50 acres and Lead Ore Miner”, the remainder of the original 65 acres (16 acres, according to the census!) was apparently being farmed by another occupant, Leonard Shield, with a third, JOHN ii WILKINSON, farming 30 acres - presumably the enclosed land allocated to Thomas Farbridge in 1800 .

JOHN ii WILKINSON was married to ELIZABETH, Henry’s sister, and might as stated above conceivably have been a relative of ELIZABETH's mother Mary ."

JOHN ii continued to work as a lead miner & farmer but with the decline in demand for lead he moved with his family to Coanwood Dykes near Haltwhistle & took up work as a coal miner. JOHN's brother CAIN lived nearby in Coanwood and also worked as a coal miner. In the census of 1871 JOHN ii is recorded as a widower with children ROBERT, JANE, JOB, ELIZABETH, MARY, JOHN iii,  & MARGARET, his wife having died there in 1869. In the late 1870's. JOHN ii and his children moved to Brownside in the hamlet of Leadgate near to Alston in Cumberland. Coincidently the youngest son of JOHN's brother CAIN was born at Brownside and baptized ADAM PHILIPSON WILKINSON in 1879. CAIN's family then emigrated to America but JOHN ii remained at Brownside, Alston and he died there in 1880 in the presence of his eldest son ROBERT.

v JOHN i & JANE WILKINSON

•  (3) ANN WILKINSON (1828-?) & ANTHONY CHARLTON (1825-<1871)

Their Children by date of Birth

§  Robert Charlton (1851) Allendale

§  Hannah Charlton (1853) Allendale

§  John Charlton (1855) Keswick

§  Mary A. Charlton (1857) Greencroft

§  Anthony R. Charlton (1859) Greencroft

§  Job Charlton (1861) Tanfield

§  Elizabeth Charlton (1863)

§  Anthony Charlton (1865)

§  Rosina Charlton  (1868)                                                  

ANN WILKINSON was the first daughter and third child of JOHN i & JANE WILKINSON born in Swinhope near the village of Allenheads in Northumberland about 1849. She is recorded at White Rigg, Allendale with her family on both 1841 & 1851 Census returns. In 1852 she married Anthony Charlton in St. Peter's church at Sparty Lea, Swinhope, Allendale. ANN and ANTHONY are next recorded on the 1861 census living in the village of Tanfield, West Stanley in County Durham where her husband's occupation is that of a coal miner. With the family are six of their children who having been born in different locations indicates the family frequently moving around. In 1871 ANN is listed as Head of the household and living at Ox Hill, Kyo, County Durham with an additional three children. ANTHONY is not shown on the 1871 census & I have not yet traced ANN after that time.

v JOHN i & JANE WILKINSON

Ø  (4) MATTHEW WILKINSON (1829-1881) & ELIZABETH HODGESON (1822-1906)

Their Children by date of Birth

§  John Wilkinson (1851-1931) m Sara Bushby

§  Mary Jane Wilkinson (1854- 1935) m 1Thomas Bell  2Thomas Rudd

§  Hannah Wilkinson (1856-?) m John Hodgeson

§  Elizabeth Wilkinson (1857-?) m Robert Parker

MATTHEW WILKINSON was the fourth child born to JOHN i & JANE WILKINSON in Dirtpot near the village of Allenheads in Northumberland about 1829. He was baptised in St. Peters church, Sparty Lea in 1830 and is then recorded in 1841 living nearby with his family at Whiterigg , a house overlooking the Swinhope Burn. Whiterigg is still standing and occupied to this day albeit not by the Wilkinson family. Like the rest of his family MATTHEW worked locally as a lead miner. MATTHEW married ELIZABETH HODGSON (1822) in Allendale in 1851 and they were recorded living there at Pry House on the 1851 Census. Between 1851 and 1861 MATTHEW's parents and some of his siblings moved from Whiterigg the short distance to Low Hayrake, a farmhouse overlooking Swinhope Burn. MATTHEW and ELIZABETH also relocated close to Hayrake in Swinhope Mill and they are listed there in 1861 with their family, JOHN (1851), MARY JANE (1854), HANNAH (1856) and ELIZABETH (1857).

During the 1860's/70's MATTHEW's sibling were moving away from their parents at Hayrake. His brother's ROBERT, HUGH and CAIN emigrated to America and others moved to new coal mining areas as the Lead Mining industry was in decline.

MATTHEW and his family moved to Cumberland & they settled at Whitewell Farm on the east side of Alston adjacent to the road from Nenthead. The Family are recorded there on the 1871 Census where MATTHEW farmed or worked in the local mines. The children grew up in Alston and were all married there :- MARY JANE to THOMAS BELL in 1873, ELIZABETH to ROBERT PARKER in 1874, HANNAH to JOHN HODGSON in 1876 and JOHN to SARA BUSHBY in 1879.

MATTHEW saw all of his children married before he died in Alston in 1881 at the age of 52. He was survived by his wife ELIZABETH who continued to live in Alston at nearby Blagill Hill Top. She is recorded at Blagill in 1881 with her son John, his wife Sarah (Bushby) and grandchildren Margaret & Matthew. In 1891 and 1901 she is recorded with her grandson Matthew and she died in 1906 at the age of 84.

v JOHN i & JANE WILKINSON

Ø  (5) ADAM WILKINSON (1831-1865) & ANN ARMSTRONG (1838-?)

§  ?                                                

ADAM WILKINSON was the fifth child of JOHN i & JANE WILKINSON born in Swinhope near the village of Allenheads in Northumberland about 1831. He is recorded in 1841 & 1851 with his family at Whiterigg and at Hayrake in 1861. He married ANN ARMSTRONG in 1862 but relatively little information appears after that time. He may have died in 1865 where a death record exists for his name in Durham.

v JOHN i & JANE WILKINSON

Ø  (6) WILLIAM WILKINSON (1834-1901) & ANN ELLIOT (1838-?)

Their Children by date of Birth

 §  John Wilkinson (1859)

§  Frances Wilkinson (1863)

§  Jane Ann Wilkinson (1865)

§  Henry Wilkinson (1871) m 1892  Elizabeth Hailes

WILLIAM WILKINSON was the fifth son and seventh child of JOHN i & JANE WILKINSON born in Swinhope near the village of Allenheads in Northumberland about 1834. His early life history is vague except that he is recorded living with his family at Whiterigg in 1841 & 1851 aged six and then sixteen. WILLIAM met ANN ELLIOT who was born in 1838 at Garrigill near Alston in Cumberland and they married in 1858. WILLIAM left Hayrake & travelled extensively around Northumberland & County Durham to find work a coal miner. Their first child was John, born 1859 in Northumberland then Frances, born in 1863 at Anfield Plain in County Durham. Their third child was Jane Ann, born 1865 and then Henry who was born in 1871 at Blenkinsop. The family are recorded on the 1871 census living at Wood Head, Blenkinsopp, Northumberland where WILLIAM worked in the local colliery as a hewer. In 1881 WILLIAM was living at Angerton Bankfoot Blenkinsopp with his wife Ann and children Frances and Henry.

In 1891 WILLIAM, his wife ANN and son Henry were recorded at 17 Post Office Row, East Hedleyhope in County Durham together with a grandson named Elliot who was 5 years old. Elliot's birthplace is stated as Brandon County Durham but his parentage is not revealed. 

In 1892 WILLIAM's son Henry married Elizabeth Hailes and it is probable that they emigrated to America as their daughter Ethel Clair Wilkinson is recorded as being born in Pittsburgh in the state of Pennsylvania in 1893. It is not clear if WILLIAM travelled abroad with Henry but they must have returned prior to the birth of Henry's other children who were born in England. Hilda was born in 1897, Elliott (ii) in 1900 and Mildred in 1901.

On the 1901 census Henry and his family were living at 14 Wear Street, Chopwell in County Durham and WILLIAM aged 66 is also recorded at the same address as a retired miner and now a widower. In 1911 Ethel Clair Wilkinson was occupied as housekeeper and living in at 3 Wear Street Chopwell.

v JOHN i & JANE WILKINSON

Ø  (8) JOB WILKINSON (1838-1857)

JOB WILKINSON was the eighth child of JOHN & JANE WILKINSON born in Swinhope near the village of Allenheads in Northumberland about 1838. He is recorded in 1841 & 1851 with his family at Whiterigg. He may have died in 1857 where a death record exists for his name in Allendale.

v JOHN i & JANE WILKINSON

Ø  (9) PAUL WILKINSON (1841-1884) & MARY ANN LEE (1848-1920)

Their Children by date of Birth

§  Leah Jane Wilkinson (1878-1906)

§  Mary Ann Wilkinson (1879)

§  John Thomas Wilkinson (1883)

PAUL WILKINSON was the eighth son and ninth child of JOHN i & JANE WILKINSON born in Swinhope near the village of Allenheads in Northumberland about 1849. His early life history is vague except that he is recorded living with his family at Whiterigg in 1851 aged nine and for the rest of his life at "Hayrake", Swinhope,Allendale . PAUL married MARY ANN LEE in Allendale 1877 and she moved into Hayrake with Paul's father and mother. Mary Ann Lee was the daughter of Thomas Lee and Leah Elizabeth Pattinson of Black Cleugh Allendale and was born there in 1848. PAUL and MARY ANN had three children, Leah Jane (1879), Mary Ann (1879/80) and John Thomas (1883). All of PAUL's siblings gradually moved away from Hayrake as the lead mining industry declined. PAUL's parents JOHN i & JANE WILKINSON died at Hayrake in 1877/78 and PAUL took over as head of the household. In 1881 he is recorded at Hayrake with his wife MARY ANN, his nephew Cain (son of sister Jane) and his youngest daughter Mary Ann and his occupation is given as Iron Stone Miner. His eldest daughter Leah Jane was at her grandmother's house at West End Allendale on the 1881 census record. PAUL died at the young age of 43 in 1884 and his wife MARY ANN became head of the house at Hayrake and is listed there in 1891 with her son John T. Her other children Leah J. and Mary A. are recorded nearby and also seems to be there  through 1901 while MARY ANN WILKINSON died in Allendale in 1920 aged 71.

v JOHN i & JANE WILKINSON

Ø  (11) MARY WILKINSON (1846-)

MARY WILKINSON was the eleventh child of JOHN i & JANE WILKINSON born in Swinhope near the village of Allenheads in Northumberland about 1838. She is recorded in 1851 & with her family at Whiterigg and in 1861 at Hayrake.  

v JOHN i & JANE WILKINSON 

           Ø  (12) JANE WILKINSON (1849-1915) & JOHN WILSON MILBURN (1852-1919)

Their Children by date of Birth

      §  Cain Wilkinson (1867-1924)  m. 1 Mary Brown (1867-1890) m. 2 Martha Ann Ransome (1863-<1911)

      §  Jane Milburn

      §  Ann Milburn

      §  Alice Milburn

      §  Dora Milburn

      §  Ada Milburn                                                      

JANE WILKINSON was the third daughter and twelfth child of JOHN i & JANE WILKINSON born in Swinhope near the village of Allenheads in Northumberland about 1849. Her eldest sister ANN was named after her maternal grandmother and her other sister MARY after her paternal grandmother. She was named after her own mother and was baptised at St. Peters church, Sparty Lea. Not much is known of her early life except that she is recorded living with her family in Allendale at Whiterigg in 1851 aged one year and living at Hayrake in 1861 aged eleven. Her sister MARY who was three years older was still with JANE in 1861 but by the time of the 1871 Census JANE was at Hayrake with only her parents, brother PAUL and her son Cain Wilkinson. Cain who was named after Jane's closest brother, was born in 1866 with Robert Beck, a blacksmith from Gateshead named as the father. Beck and Jane never married but she was wedded in 1873 to JOHN WILSON MILBURN, a neighbour of her family at Hayrake. JANE & JOHN WILSON MILBURN moved soon afterwards to Wagon Way Row Marley Hill in County Durham.

JANE's parents passed away at Hayrake Allendale in 1877/78 and were interred in St. Peters churchyard, Sparty Lea, Allendale.

In 1881 Cain is recorded at Hayrake with JANE's brother PAUL and his family and he was then fourteen years of age. At the same time the 1881 census shows that JANE Milburn (Wilkinson) was living at Wagon Way Row, Marley Hill in County Durham with her husband and three children Jane, Ann and Alice. In 1887 Cain married Mary Brown, a daughter of Tom Brown & Thomasine Spoor of Marley Hill and in 1889 they had a daughter named Thomasine after her grandmother. Cain's wife Mary died early in 1890 and he was remarried later that year to Martha Ann Ransome who was born in Hempnall, Norfolk in 1863. In 1891 Cain & Martha Ann were living at Colliery Row, Marley Hill where Cain was a coal miner. 

JANE & JOHN MILBURN had six children and all were girls with three of them still at Marley Hill in 1891. By 1901 JANE & JOHN and the three youngest daughters had moved to School Houses, Byermoor while Cain and his second wife Martha were at 54 Arthur Street in Hebburn. Cain's daughter Thomasine from his first marriage was living with her grandparents, Tom & Thomasine Brown at Waggon Way Row in Marley Hill.

Cain worked as a hewer at Hebburn Colliery on South Tynside and was involved in a serious incident on Monday 21st December 1908. A fall of stone took place trapping five miners at the Colliery at a distance of a mile from the shaft bottom and blocked the roadway for a distance between 10-20 yards long. A jowling message transmitted said that the men were unhurt and clear of the fall, and the air in the space was good. Work was carried out throughout the night and into the morning. Communication was established through a small hole by means of a tin vessel made for the purpose, refreshments were passed in, and in return came the reassuring report that all five men were well and in good spirits. The five men : Andrew Watson, Henry Whittle, Cain Wilkinson, George Moore and James Burns, were rescued after 52 hours.

http://www.dmm.org.uk/news19/9081223.htm

By 1911 JOHN MILBURN was still working as a miner at Marley Hill Colliery & living with his wife Jane thet had daughters, Dora & Ada at home and Thomasine Wilkinson married Thomas Foster in the same year at Marley Hill. Cain was recorded in 1911 still at 54 Arthur Street, Hebburn but now as a boarder and a widower.

JANE Milburn (Wilkinson) died at Byermoor in 1915 aged 66 at was buried St. James church in Burnopfield County Durham. JOHN Milburn died in 1919 and was probably buried at St. Cuthbert's churchyard Marley Hill.

JOHN Wilson Milburn with JANE Milburn (Wilkinson) their daughter Alice and granddaughters Dora & Gertrude

JANE Milburn (Wilkinson). about 1912/13

The Times 23rd December 1908

Five Miners Entombed

In consequence of a fall of stone in the "A" pit at Hebburn, near Newcastle-on-Tyne, owned by the Wallsend and Hebburn Coal Company, five miners were confined in the mine from Monday night until yesterday evening. Their names are Andrew Watson, Henry Whittle, Cain Wilkinson, George Moore, andJames Burns.

The men were working 155 fathoms from the surface in the Bensham seam, and had been in the mine since 9 o'clock on Monday morning. The fall occurred at night, and was very extensive ; but the voices of the men could be heard, though indistinctly, and by "jowling" signals they intimated to the party which had gathered at the outside edge of the fall that they were unhurt and clear of the fall, and that the air in the space in which they were confined was good. This news was circulated at the pithead at once, and served to allay the rising feelings of alarm. There was no dearth of helpers in the work of rescue, practically every man employed in the mine having offered his services. The work was carried on unceasingly throughout the night, and at an early hour yesterday morning direct communication with the men was effected. By means of a hole bored through the fall refreshments were passed to them, and they intimated that they were in good spirits. The fall was 20 yards long, and the work of clearing it was laborious. At 3 o'clock the hands of the men were shaken by their comrades in the rescue party. The release of the men, however, was not effected, and unexpected difficulties were encountered. It was stated late last night that there was little hope of extricating the men before this morning. In the meantime they are said to be quite safe and comparatively comfortable.

Cain Wilkinson died at Hebburn in the district of South Tyneside in 1924 preceded by his second wife Martha Ann who must have died prior to 1911.