Chat
|
Daily Search
|
My GenForum
|
Community Standards
|
Terms of Service
|
|
|
My great, great, great grandfather, John Robson of South Shields, County Durham, England was a Master Mariner and a Ship owner. He was born around 1783, possibly in Tynemouth, County Northumberland. The precise location of his place of birth is not known. In the 1841 census, he was 58 years of age. The 1841 census said he was born in Durham. He was not enumerated with his family in the 1851 census. On his death certificate, John was recorded as age 69 at the time of his death. According to what appears to be his apprenticeship indenture, his father was William Robson, Mariner of North Shields. William died prior to 1797. John's mother was Elizabeth Robson. She died in 1826 and her will was dated 17 March, 1819. (In John's own will, he described himself as the "last and only surviving executor of my late mother, Elizabeth Robson.)
John had at least one sister, Ann Robson. Ann was born around 1775. There is conflicting information as to whether or not Ann Robson was born in County Durham. The 1841 census says she was not born in County Durham but the 1851 census says she was born in South Shields. She married George Potts on 16 August, 1808 in St. Hilda's Church in South Shields. George Potts was a Notary Public, Borough Magistrate, Alderman and in 1852, he was the second mayor of South Shields. Ann Potts died sometime between 1851 and 1861. John may have had brothers named William and David. They were both mentioned in the christening records for the New Presbyterian Chapel of South Shields, as were all of John's children. However, neither William nor David were mentioned at all in Elizabeth's will.
John was apprenticed to Henry Shadforth, Master Mariner of Newcastle-upon-Tyne on 7 March, 1797. On 13 January, 1804, John completed his apprenticeship indenture to Mr. Shadforth and, presumably, became a Master Mariner then or shortly thereafter.
John Robson, Master Mariner of St. Hilda, South Shields, married Elizabeth Vazey of St. Nicholas, Newcastle on 6 May, 1811. John and Elizabeth had at least 11 children together, 4 who apparently died in infancy. All of the children were christened in the New Presbyterian Chapel, formerly called the Low Meetinghouse in South Shields. Mr. Charles Toshach was the minister, (if I correctly understand Hodgeson's History of South Shields, this church is now known as St. John's Presbyterian Church.) John's and Elizabeth's first child was John (2), who was born on 14 July, 1812 and baptized on 19 July, 1812. William (2) was born on 26 December, 1813 and baptized on 16 January, 1814. Peter (2) was born on 5 July, 1815 and baptized on 9 July, 1815. Elizabeth (2) was born on 28 June, 1816, baptized on 16 July, 1816 and married George Stirling Shotton on 23 December, 1846. Ann (2) was born on 24 January, 1818, baptized on 22 February, 1818 and .married Stephen Heron on 5 March, 1842. Apparently, Stephen Heron died and Ann remarried to Thomas Jackson. Ellen (2) was born on 14 December, 1819, baptized on 13 January, 1820, married Cuthbert Bullock on 19 September, 1840, and died on 24 November, 1869. Harriet (2) was born on 3 November, 1821, baptized on 19 November, 1821, married John Vasey on 1 May, 1856, and died on 28 December, 1860. Quinta (2) was born on 20 November, 1823, baptized on 11 December, 1823 and married Richard Davidson on 10 April, 1850. George Dalgliesh (2), my great, great grandfather, was born on 2 December, 1825, baptized on 28 December, 1825, married Margaret Wilson Smallman on 4 March, 1851, and died on 21 November, 1868. Alfred Thomas (2) was born on 27 January, 1828 and baptized on 20 February, 1828. Laura (2) was born on 23 February, 1829 and was baptized on 10 September, 1829. Neither of their spouses are known. John's first wife, Elizabeth, died in 1830, most likely during a cholera outbreak, and was buried on 19 April 1830 in St. Hilda’s cemetery.
On 1 April, 1833, John remarried, to Helen Black at Walls-End Parish Church, County Northumberland. They had four children together. Mary Frances was born on 5 July, 1833 and was baptized on 4 August, 1833. Amelia was born on 21 September, 1836 and baptized on 25 October, 1836 but she must have died in infancy because John and Helen used the name again for a later daughter who was born on 15 May, 1841 and baptized on 16 June, 1841. Charles Wentworth was born on 9 April, 1838 and baptized on 3 August, 1838. All of the children of John, his first wife, Elizabeth and his second wife, Helen were apparently born and baptized in South Shields, County Durham
Ten of John's 15 children are mentioned in his will. The ones which were not mentioned were John, William, Peter, Alfred, and the first daughter named Amelia. All of these children may have died in infancy or, at least, prior to their father's death. In his will, John's daughters, Harriet and Laura were described as spinsters. They were both older than 21 but were not yet married.
John mastered and owned shares in the brig, Lively from 1808 to 1810. He shared ownership of this vessel with William Fairburn (butcher) and his mother, Elizabeth Robson (widow), all of South Shields. The Lively measured 81.1 ft by 22.6 ft and displaced 173 tons. It was built in Hull, England in 1787.
He owned shares in the snow, Industry from 1810 to 1826 and mastered it from 1810 to 1816. A snow is a two-masted ship which was employed mainly in the coal hauling trade. His partners in ownership of the Industry were, again, his mother, Elizabeth Robson (widow), Richard Bulmer (gentleman) and his wife, Margaret Bulmer, all of South Shields. The Industry was built at Howdenpans in 1810 by Samuel Hurry, displaced 243 tons, had 1 1/2 decks and 2 masts. Both the Lively and the Industry were employed in the coal trade. The Industry sank in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Sweden on November 7, 1825. At the time of her loss, John Robson owned 8/64s and Margaret Robson owned 56/64s of the vessel. It is not clear why Margaret was listed as "Bulmer" in 1810 and as "Robson" in 1825.
No ships have yet been discovered which John mastered from 1816 to 1820. On 3 August 1820, John became master of the Supply at Hull, England. He continued to master the Supply until 30 January, 1831. The Supply was also a snow. It displaced 226 tons and was built at Scarborough in 1792. Apparently neither John nor his mother, Elizabeth, owned an interest in the Supply. The Supply was also employed in the coal trade and was still active in the 1860s.
John held 32/64 shares in the schooner, Swift from 1832 to 1835. John Huntress, Master Mariner, owned the other 32/64 shares and mastered the vessel. The Swift displaced 86 tons. She was lost at Boulogne in October 1835.
John seemed to have an ongoing connection to Hull, England. His first ship was built there and he assumed command of the Supply there in 1820. It is possible that this connection to Hull can explain John's missing years of 1816 to 1820. There was a man named Robson, (his first name is not available,) that mastered the Good Agreement out of Hull from, at least, 1818 to 1819. On March 15, 1818, the Good Agreement sailed from Newcastle to London with a load of coal. In London, she took on ballast and sailed to Memel, Lithuania where she unloaded the ballast and took on timber. On April 13, 1818, she returned to Hull where the timber was unloaded. In October, 1818, she made the same run to St. Petersburg, Russia and to Memel again in March, 1819. There is no proof that this was John Robson but it could have been.
Even though John spent most of his adult life as a Master Mariner and shipowner, he was described in the 1841 census as an innkeeper on the Military Road in South Shields. He would have been 58 years old in 1841. That is probably too old to actively master ships.
John Robson also owned the 243 acre West Hartburn farm in Middleton St. George, County Durham. He owned this land as early as 1832 when he was listed in the poll book for that year as eligible to vote. There is some evidence that he owned this farm in conjunction with his sister, Ann Potts. Both John Robson and George Potts were listed as the owners of the West Hartburn farm on a list of land owners in Middleton-St.-George dated 1 March, 1839. In his will, John provided for a trust in the amount of 1200 pounds to be established for his sister. A sum of 2800 pounds had been set aside in trust by their mother in her will in 1826. It is not clear why John did not set aside the full 2800 pounds in his will.
The two executors of John's will were Jonathan Reavely and Terrot Glover. The were both ship owners in South Shields.
John died of asthma at West Hartburn cottage on 23 March, 1852 and is buried, apparently alone, in the Middleton-St-George parish churchyard.
George Dalgleish Robson (2) and his wife, Margaret, my great, great grandparents, had at least eight children. Emma Isabella (3) was born 12 October, 1851. She never married. John Smallman (3) was born 14 March, 1853 and married Isabella Purvis on 25 October, 1876. He was a Solicitor. Margaret (3) was born 28 July, 1855. She married Henry Edwin Gamble Wilson in Newcastle-upon-Tyne on 1 July, 1876. Henry was an Architect Surveyor, and Civil Engineer. Martha Annie (3) was born on 22 September, 1857. She never married either. Briton Smallman Robson (3) was born 24 October, 1859 and married Elizabeth Walker Campion. Briton was a Physician. George Potts Robson (3), my great grandfather, was born 30 October, 1861. He was also a Solicitor. He married Alice Stainsby, daughter of Joseph Stainsby, Chief Constable of the Sunderland Police Department, in Christ Church parish church in Bishopwearmouth on 1 September, 1885. It appears that George Potts Robson and John Smallman Robson had a legal practice together. Alfred (3) was born on 12 November, 1863 and died 4 June, 1944 in Stockton-on-tees. He never married. William Henry (3) was born on 15 February, 1865, married a woman named Prosser and died on 17 January, 1941 in Bournemouth. George Dalgliesh Robson (2) was a Notary Public and Secretary of a few marine insurance clubs. He died on 21 November, 1868 of typhoid fever. Margaret remarried to George Besley Wilson in Long Benton, Northumberland on 27 June, 1871.
George Potts Robson (3) and his wife, Alice, my great grandparents, had three children. Vera Emily (4) was born 3 June, 1886 and died on 26 July, 1886. Brian Dalgliesh (4) was born 1 May, 1888. He married Charlotte Muriel Bagshaw Anderson on 24 July, 1912. Leslie Stainsby (4), my grandfather, was born on 1 August, 1892 in East Boldon. George Potts Robson died in East Boldon on 28 November, 1901 of pulmonary tuberculosis. Alice Stainsby Robson died on 24 February, 1907 of a cerebral embolism. Leslie was about 15 years old when his mother died. She had specified in her will that both Brian and he be allowed to live in a home together until they turned age 21. However, her brother, Charles Edward Stainsby, arranged to apprentice Brian to a banker in England and placed Leslie in a boarding school in Nova Scotia, Canada. Leslie returned to England once or twice as a young adult, but chose to live in America. He traveled across Canada a few times as a young man. While in Vancouver, British Columbia, he met his first wife, Prudence Ann Swadden. They were married on 10 August, 1912 in Vancouver. On 11 December, 1913 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, their daughter, Alice Patricia (5) was born. At that time, he was a farmer at Oatlands House, St. Georges Villas in East Boldon, County Durham. Leslie and Prudence were divorced in Halifax, Nova Scotia on 20 April, 1915. He was granted custody of his daughter, but Prudence took the child and returned to Vancouver. He met my grandmother, Jessie Blanche Caldwell in Kings County, Nova Scotia. They were married at Baxters Harbour, Nova Scotia on 19 September, 1916. My father, Brian Patterson Robson (5), was born at Baxters Harbour on 1 October, 1921. When Dad was around three or four years old, Leslie and Jessie moved to Brookline, Massachusetts where he became the caretaker of Dr. Sturgis' estate. My uncle, Paul Britton Robson (5) was born in Brookline on 24 November, 1926. Leslie Stainsby Robson died in Norwood, Massachusetts on 12 December, 1965. Jessie Blanch Caldwell Robson died there on 26 March, 1968 of lung cancer.
Notify Administrator about this message?
Followups:
|
| http://genforum.genealogy.com/robson/messages/1131.html | ||
 |
Link to GenForum Add Forum |
|