Frances Ranson is my maternal grandmother, and all I knew about her was that she was born in the Seaham area.
I searched for any Ransons born around the same time as Frances, 1854, in Durham with the Registrar of Births, and found several Ranson family members, but no big clues to help narrow it down to Frances' close family.
Liz says that there was a firm of funeral directors in Seaham called Ranson Rowell.
Here again is the photo of Frances Ranson (by this time she's a Fitzpatrick), and her two sisters.
Just had another look on a different database & found a reference to our young Frances in the census of 1861 & 1871. (More & more data keeps being uploaded, so it's always worth leaving it a while if you come up with a dead-end, as I did with Frances.)
The 1861 National Census.
The family are found living in number 13 California Row, Seaton Colliery, (the parish of Seaham) Easington, Co. Durham. The handwriting is particularly spidery & difficult to read, but here goes...
The Head of the Household is William Ranson (43, so born ~1818) who was born in Rainton, Durham. He was a Coal Miner.
His wife was Bridgit Ranson, (32, born ~1829 in Colliery Row, Durham). Her occupation is amusingly listed as Coal Miner's Wife, a full-time post, no doubt.
Their children are
- William, 11, born ~1850 in the St.Giles area of Durham
- John, 10, born ~1851 in the St.Giles area of Durham
- Frances, 7, born ~1854 in the St.Giles area of Durham
- George, 5, born ~1856 in Seaton Colliery, Durham
- Jane Ann, 3, born ~1858 in Seaton Colliery, Durham
- Elizabeth Margaret, 1, born ~1860 in Seaton Colliery, Durham
Do note that Bridgit's granddaughter (Frances Fitzpatrick's first daughter) was named Bridget, presumably for her.
You will see that Frances is the oldest girl, and that she does indeed have 2 sisters. The family presumably moved to Seaton Colliery from Durham, St Giles around 1855.
***LATEST**
Sunderland BMD records are now available online here.
I have also found records of their marriage (in IGI) on 23rd December, 1848 at 'Sunderland Parish Church, Durham'. William's birth year is given as 1818, while for his spouse Bridgit Patterson, the birth year is given as 1823.
(IGI also lists her death date as 4/5/1888 in New Seaham; burial 8/5/1888 at Christ Church New Seaham.
There is also the record of the Christening of a Bridget Paterson on 10th October 1824 (right year) with the parents named as John & Frances Patterson. The church is in Houghton-le-Spring. There are many records of Patterson marriages, but only one sticks out as a match for Frances Pearson & John Pattison, in Dec 1796, Gateshead - agreed, it is a little early!). (Now known to be the wrong one).
I searched then in the 1851 Census for Durham, and lo & behold, found the family in the St Giles parish of Durham. There we see William (32), young Bridget (28), toddler William, (2) and baby John (3 months old).
May find more yet, eg What his work was, which address?
Further still you want??
Bachelor William, born 1818
Well, in the 1841 Census there are a few entries for a William Ranson. It's not at all a rare name, actually, so I need to take care. There are two main possibilities:-
One William Ranson is listed as a Blacksmith in the Stockton area living/visiting with another young family of Ransons - perhaps a cousin or brother. He's described as aged 25 - ages in the 1841 census were often rounded up a lot & folk were pretty vague about when they were born, especially as they aged.
Another man is listed at his parent's house in Kelloe/ Cassop Moor, Durham. The Head of the Household is his mother Jane Ranson, (Pitman widow) aged 50 and so born around 1791, in Durham .
Jane's children at home that night were John (28), William (25), Thomas (20), Robert (15) and Elizabeth (10). Very familiar names! All the boys were miners.
In 1851 widow Jane Ranson is found living in Carrville (Grange Row, St. Giles), with two adult children (Robert a miner, Elizabeth a Dressmaker, both born West Rainton). The Carrville link here makes me think that this is the right family.
Later, in 1861, a widow Jane Ranson (70) is found living with her married daughter Elizabeth (aged 28, married to a Farmer in West Rainton). Jane was listed as born in Clayton Haugh, Durham.
** Also, just to confuse us! - a slightly different Jane Ranson (50, widow, living in Cassop in 1841) with several of her Miner sons, including a William Ranson (20).
Cousin Hilary's notes warn me that I need to look again here. As I said, a very common name! It was looking likely, but I couldn't be sure... and now I find that William's mother is Elisabeth, not Jane. Her records show that William's parents are called William Ranson (a pitman) and Elisabeth (maiden name Wilson). He was born in the year 1817.
Spinster Bridget
As for Bridget...now that we know her maiden name was Patterson, we can look her up in the 1841 census, as well.
There are several matches, but generally of the wrong age, or already married/with children. Only one looks right - Bridget Patterson (15) in Colliery Row, Houghton Le Spring, Durham - living with her mother Frances (there's that name again! - this time with an 'e', but definitely listed as female.) and brother Thomas. They were all born in Co. Durham. Frances (aged 45, so born ~1796) is listed as a Widow (?? it's rather unclear), while Thomas (20) is a Coal Miner.
Frances Senior was not found in the 1851 census. A record exists of the death of a Frances Patterson, 1853, Houghton Le Spring. Thomas Patterson would've been ~30 in the 1851 census - only one found who was born & lived in Brafferton (Darlington), an AG LAB (Agricultural Labourer) with a wife Jane & 2 small children.
In the 1861 census return, there is a Thomas Patterson who was living in Pittington (near Houghton), a coal miner aged 36 with a wife Mary & 6 bairns.
Further still you want??
Well, no.
The 1841 census was the first one to be kept for posterity. Parish records are the only way further back there. Fortunately, we can take advantage of the clues given to us by cousin Hilary to get us through that.
Hilary's notes confirm for us that the parents of Bridget Ranson (nee Patterson) were John Patterson and his wife Frances (nee Briggs). They had 6 children.
I deduce that Frances was born ~1796, and died in 1853.
You may like to look further - here are links to some sites about the area of Seaton Colliery: Durham Miners' Museum, and Durham Records Online.
Also a local history page (lovely quote on the first page!) on Seaham.
More later on the 1871 Census and how the family has changed in many important ways.
{Now I need someone with a Wurlitzer to do the dramatic cliffhanger music!!!}
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