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Archiver > DUR-NBL > 2000-05 > 0957604714


From: Geoff Nicholson <>
Subject: Re: SNOWBALL - need guidance please
Date: Sat, 6 May 2000 10:18:34 +0100


In message <005d01bfb706$6eaecee0$>, Barry & Sue Neilson
<> writes
>**How do I go about tracing William Snowball, in all the census records I
>have he is born in Alnwick circa 1825/26/27.
>
>On his daughters marriage cert. he is listed as a tailor(1875)
>
>In the census he is listed as a Staithman (1861), Labourer (1871), Coal
>Trimmer (1881) and Railway Labourer(1891). (if it is the same William!!)
>
>And living in Frances Street - Dawdon (Seaham Harbour) (1861)
> 2 Frances Street - Dawdon (Seaham Harbour) (1871)
> 3 Frances Street - Dawdon (Seaham Harbour) (1881)
> 12 Viceroy Street - Dawdon (Seaham Harbour) (1891) with
>another family
>
>
>**I am wondering how to go about following up the following information that
>I received last week as an email:-
>
>-"In 1866, my great grandfather x 2 took over a tailor business from "the
>late Michael
>Snowball" of Hallgate, Hexham. My great grandfathers children were
>attending a school in Alnwick".
>
>How far is Hallgate from Alnwick?
>
>His wife Frances comes from Seaham Harbour in each of the census and was
>born about 1835/36/37, but I have no more information on her.
>** How do I follow up on her??
>
>
>
Barry & Sue:

I would try to settle the apparent contradiction between the
quite different occupations of a tailor and a coal trimmer. Apart from
these documents, what is the family tradition, if any, about this? Did
the family really live at Dawdon? If so then he was the coal trimmer
and perhaps you have the wrong marriage certificate. The occupation
"tailor" might mean "the proprietor of a tailoring business" or it might
mean "shop assistant in a menswear shop". if the former (but not if the
latter) then he would be in Trades Directories. It might be a good idea
to try to follow up the tailor in this way. You could play "devil's
advocate" and seek the tailor in the same censuses as you have found the
coal trimmer in. If you find him then you are definitely dealing with
two different men. There are indexes to the 1851 censuses of Hexham and
Alnwick.

Hallgate is a street in Hexham, which is some 40 to 50 miles
from Alnwick and in a quite different part of the county (Tynedale as
opposed to north Northumberland.

It might be worthwhile seeking the Will, if any, of the Hexham
tailor, as well as any account of his funeral in local newspapers, once
you have found his date of death from eg the GRO indexes.

Best wishes,

Geoff Nicholson


Geoff Nicholson, 57 Manor Park, Concord, WASHINGTON, Tyne & Wear NE37 2BU
* The PROFESSIONAL GENEALOGIST for Northumberland and Co Durham.
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