Frances Read of Neasham

[kylejustin]

I'm really stuck on my Read family and Frances is the key to solving it.

Frances Read is in Neasham in the parish of Hurworth on tees, Durham in 1841 and 1851- annuitant. Born c.1780 Neasham in 1851. She died in 1859 unmarried, b.1773, buried at Hurworth.

She left a will mentioning my ancestor Mary Clementson nee Read (c.1797 Hornby yorks) as her niece.

I can't find a baptism for Mary, so i have no idea who her parents are or any siblings. I also can't find a baptism for Frances, which would allow me to put together her siblings. Durhamrecordsonline purports to have the Hurworth records, but you can only search by district, not parish....this district is Darlington, and there is only a baptism for Frances in 1780 in Stockton district.

Any ideas or help please?

[teasie]

For purposes of elimination, this is the one in the Stockton district, baptised at Sedgefield:

17 Mar 1780 Frances d/o Isaac Reed in Captain Maynard's Company in the Earl of Fauconberg's Regiment.

[cbcarolyn]

were there others mentioned in the will?

Found the census records, i notice that they have written Hornsby on most of them, that doesn't exist, wondering if Hornby is correct, or if something else like Hornsea. Just a thought.

[teasie]

There is a will probated 21 June 1814 of Mary REED widow, of Neesham in the county of Durham, in which she names (amongst others) her sister in law Frances Reed of Neasham, spinster.

I've only skimmed it, but I think you should be able to build up a good picture of the family from the other people named:

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6S4Y-P3

[teasie]

Following on from the above, I think that Mary's husband may have been Richard Reed who died in 1788 without leaving a will (his wife Mary was granted administration).

From reading Mary's will I thought that her brother was Thomas WARE, but the nearest marriage I can find is 7 Jun 1767 at Hurworth, Richard READ to Mary WARD.

Others may have better eyesight than me

[Janet in Yorkshire]

were there others mentioned in the will?

Found the census records, i notice that they have written Hornsby on most of them, that doesn't exist, wondering if Hornby is correct, or if something else like Hornsea. Just a thought.

There is a Hawnby in North Yorkshire

[kylejustin]

thanks teasie, i looked at the will. frances seems to be the dau of richard reed and frances appleby, m.1741 hurworth. they have children till 1754 at hurworth. but then appear to drop off the earth. wondering if they moved parish, but not having much luck finding anything. versus hurworth records are incomplete pre 1812? there are a few reed's in later burial records that can't be tied in yet. i have often wondered if there was a brother thomas, as he married mary moffatt in 1792 and have also been unable to trace them. thy could be my Mary's parents....no baptism found for her. and i've found an old thread about frances' will in 1859. she had a deceased niece elizabeth reed who had a dau mary siminson. never satifactorily traced them either. very frustrating family this one!

[cbcarolyn]

Following on from the above, I think that Mary's husband may have been Richard Reed who died in 1788 without leaving a will (his wife Mary was granted administration).

From reading Mary's will I thought that her brother was Thomas WARE, but the nearest marriage I can find is 7 Jun 1767 at Hurworth, Richard READ to Mary WARD.

Others may have better eyesight than me

looks like brother Thomas Ware - long way down the list!

[teasie]

thanks teasie, i looked at the will. frances seems to be the dau of richard reed and frances appleby, m.1741 hurworth. they have children till 1754 at hurworth. but then appear to drop off the earth.

Unlikely, if Frances was born c1780 per your opening post, or have I misunderstood something?

[teasie]

The will of Mary Reed probated 21 June 1814 (post #4) named the following:

Robert Reed of Walworth - Brother in law
John Reed of Neesham - Brother in law
Elizabeth Reed of Neasham, Spinster - Sister in Law (b1792 d1829)
Frances Reed of Neasham, Spinster - Sister in Law (b1790 d1859
Ann Ware the Younger of Dalton on Tees - Niece
Thomas Ware - Brother. Deceased before 1814 (and probably after 1811)

Robert Reed of Walworth is quite interesting, because there is a baptism at Heighington on 14 Jan 1798 – Frances d/o Robert & Elizabeth Reed, Walworth:

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61...19&cat=1809110

Even better is the baptism of their son Thomas in 1806, as it is a Barrington register:
22 Jun 1806 (born 23 Apr 1803) Thomas Reed 3rd son of Robert Reed, native of Neesham by his wife Elizabeth Luckton native of North Deaton, Yorkshire:

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61...19&cat=1809110

They baptised their 5th daughter, Jane, the same day (born 12 Apr 1806). Also a daughter, Elizabeth, on 29 Mar 1794, and (according to Durham Records online) a daughter Eleanor in 1790, but I can’t see that one in the BTs.

There is also a Robert Reed born c1800, Walworth in the 1841 & 1851 census at Long Newton with his wife Mary (Herring) & family, who I assume is another son of Robert & Elizbeth..


I live about 5 miles from Long Newton and my husband grew up about 5 miles from Walworth, so many of these place names are familiar to me

[kylejustin]

Richard reed + frances appleby had the following at hurworth from freereg:

1) eleanor b.1742

2) richard 1744-1788 m.1767 mary ware (c.1733-1814)

3) john b.1745

4) mary b.1748

5) william b.1751

6) robert b.1754

Then we have burials for elizabeth (c.1772-1829), no marital status. So could be the sister in law from the will, and frances (c.1773-1859). And thomas m.1792 to mary moffatt might be another sibling.

But there isn't any reed burials prior to 1787 BT's on familysearch, or any other baptisms. So wondering if the registers aren't complete online.

Frances was b.1780 in 1851 census, and 1773 at 1859 burial.

[teasie]

Then we have burials for elizabeth (c.1772-1829), no marital status. So could be the sister in law from the will, and frances (c.1773-1859). And thomas m.1792 to mary moffatt might be another sibling.

But there isn't any reed burials prior to 1787 BT's on familysearch, or any other baptisms. So wondering if the registers aren't complete online.

Elizabeth's burial (15 Jun 1829) says she was a spinster, aged 57.


Durham Records Online are usually very helpful if you contact them directly - perhaps begin by asking if they can check whether there were any missing years. They say they have the following for Hurworth:
Baptisms: 1559 - 1885
Marriages: 1559 - 1841
Burials: 1559 - 1885 (Aug)

NB "There are no baptisms recorded from Feb 1718 to Aug 1719, no marriages from Nov 1717 to Aug 1719., and only 2 burials (Aug 1719) between Sep 1717 and Feb 1720. Baptisms & burials for 1770-1812 are from a combination of the parish register and the Bishop's Transcript, which sometimes provided more detail, especially in 1798-1799. After 1812, all records are from the Bishop's Transcript except 1823."

[kylejustin]

i just want to go through the registers for hurworth lol. i just find it very odd there is no baptism for frances or elizabeth. i've looked 1780's-1800 in hornby and hawnby in north yorks, and no reed's or variants in the baptisms. starting to wonder if they left neasham for a while.

[kylejustin]

just found a birth for mary reed at long newton in 1820, dau of elizabeth, spinster. i wonder if elizabeth is robert and elizabeth's dau b.1794 at heighington. who is likely the other elizabeth reed buried 1829 hurworth. there is a marriage in 1845 at leake, yorks for a mary reed to william simeson. she lists her father as john reid. but it is the only marriage that comes close to the name siminson from frances' 1859 will.

[teasie]

there is a marriage in 1845 at leake, yorks for a mary reed to william simeson. she lists her father as john reid. but it is the only marriage that comes close to the name siminson from frances' 1859 will.

There are a couple of baptisms in Carlton Miniott, Yorkshire:
20 Jul 1851 Mary Jane d/o William & Mary Simpson Or Simeson, Carlton Miniott, Labourer
22 Jul 1853 Catharine d/o William & Mary Simpson Or Simeson, Carlton Miniott, Labourer

The "Simpson Or Simeson" is written in the baptism register.

Both births are registered in Thirsk RD

SIMESON, MARY JANE mmn REID GRO Reference: 1851 S Quarter in THIRSK Volume 24 Page 633
SIMPSON, CATHARINE mmn REED GRO Reference: 1853 S Quarter in THIRSK Volume 09D Page 307

The family is in the 1861 census as SIMPSON at Lion Hill, Kirby Wiske, Thirsk, with Mary's PoB given as Stockton on Tees, Durham.

Long Newton is now within the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees, and back when it was all farm land the two places would have almost overlapped.

[kylejustin]

Teasie you're brilliant.