Genealogy Chat

If a birthplace is shown on the 1881 census as Howdon, Durham is there a 'registration district' that I should be searching? Any help welcomed with open arms. Anne

None of the BMD reg district have a Howdon or Howden in them for the county of Durham? Any other info from the census? Cant find a district of Howdon in Durham on 1881 census either? Dont forget county boundaries changed so although it said Durham on the 1881 census as birth place. if the birth took place in 1861 it might have been in a different county then? Think it must be mistranscribed or enumerator got it wrong as I did a search in 1881 for any William,Mary,John,james of any age born Howdon in Dutrham and there wasnt one? Suzanne

Yes Suzanne that is exactly my problem. Nobody ever born, married or died in Howdon. I have the original census and it surely looks like Howdon - and in western Durham (modern) there is a Howdon-le-Wear. Again - nobody B,M or D. I know for a fact that I was born in North Shields BUT I find myself in Tynemouth registration district. Which is why I was hoping that this Howdon (isn't it right on the TYNE?) would be under somewhere else. This is annoying because it is possibly a ?great great aunt? that no-one in the family remembers ever hearing of. Anne.

This is the only Howden I can find? Yorkshire East Riding: Howden Created 1st July 1837. Sub-districts : Bubwith; Holme; Howden; Newport; Wallingfen. GRO volumes : XXIII (1837-51); 9d (1852-1930). Asselby, Aughton, Balkholme, Barmby on the Marsh, Bellasize, Belby, Bishopsoil, Blacktoft, Brackenholme with Woodall, Breighton cum Gunby, Brind, Brindleys, Broomfleet, Bubwith, Cheapsides, Cotness, Drewton with Everthorpe, Eastrington, Ellerton Priory, Flaxfleet, Foggathorpe, Gilberdike, Gribthorpe, Harlthorpe, Heminghbrough, Holme upon Spalding Moor, Hotham, Howden, Kilpin, Knedington, Laxton, Laytham, Loftsome, Menthorpe with Bowthorpe, Metham, Newport Wallingfen, Newsholme, New Village, North Cave, Portingten and Cavil, Saltmarshe, Scalby, Skelton, Spaldington, Thorpe, Wallingfen, Willitoft, Wressell, Yorkfleet. Nothing in Durham/Sunderland/South Shields/West Riding of Yorkshire/South Yorkshire. If you want to play around with it, go to the following site and just enter in a common name like John Smith and one year and choose a district and you can se all the areas each district covers: FreeBMD.rootsweb.)com (ignore bracket in address) Suzane

HHhmm. I just used google earth and found a Howdon Road inbetween Wallsend and North Shields. So this is probably why the name was ringing bells in my memories (from 50 odd years ago). All of the other children were born in Durham all in different towns (pitmen - following the jobs) so the enumerator could have put a 'do' out of habit/boredom. So, now I guess I'll switch to Northumberland. This is such a brain stretching hobby!!! I just love it. Anne

Suzanne, will also follow your recomendation - east riding was also coal mines, right? Anne

Hi Anne, your knowledge is probably better than mine on that, me being a London/Essex girl!! I think most of Yorkshire was mining though. Szanne

Anne these are all the districts in Durham beginning with H in 1881..... Hamsterley Harraton Hart Hart & Thorpe Bulmer Hartlepool Harton Haswell Haughton Le Skerne Hawthorn Headlam Healeyfield Hedleyhope Hedworth Monkton & Jarrow Heighington Helmington Row Hett Hetton Le Hole Heworth High Coniscliffe Hilton Holmside Houghton Le Side Houghton le Spring Hunstonworth Hunwick & Helmington Hurworth Hutton Henry Hylton Georgina.

Howden is closer to me than Durham............quite some distance between! As far as I know, there is no history of coal mining in Howden. I think the nearest coal mine would have been at Selby. But coal mining was not a particularly common thing in the East Riding

Hi Anne Could you please give the details for the family from the 1881 Census? Every bit of information helps! Have you found her on other census records? There is definitely a Howdon in Tynemouth Registration District, about mid-way between Chirton and Wallsend. It is not listed though in the list of places in Tynemouth RD. There is also Howden Le Wear as you say but it is not listed either in the Durham County list of registration districts. It looks to be about the same distance between (just south of) Crook and Willington. However, Crook comes under Auckland RD and Willington under Durham RD. Have you found any possible matches for name and year on Ancestry BMD (Beta)? You could see if one of them fits born in either Durham or Auckland RD's or (possibly) Tynemouth? This site gives a list of the Counties and their various registration districts: http://www.fhsc.org.uk/genuki/reg/index.htm Kind regards and God bless you, Lynne x

There is a place called Horden, my aunt lived there its near hartlepool........not sure if its spelt Horden/Hordon Rosi

Just checked on my Nan & Grandads Marriage cert... Horden is in the registration district of Easington County Durham......My grandad was a miner. Rosi

There's no one recorded on Ancestry England 1881 census born in Howdon (spelled that way). As there records are an exact copy of the LDS version that means there's no one on that either. In Wales there are these two people: Jane Pringle abt 1849 Howdon Pass, Northumberland, England Lodger Coedfrank Glamorgan Robert H. Strong abt 1841 Howdon, Northumberland, England Head Penarth Glamorgan Only other thing I can think of are people in Scotland on the LDS discs of the 1881 census?? ......Hmmm Just looked at the two Scottish CD's and still no one born at Howdon??? A mystery? Merry

Geez, I'm probably the world's worst typist - but here goes:1881 census all at 6 Wharton St. Shildon Jane A Lee 1877 Spennymoor,Durham d Janet Lee 1853 Leadgate, Durham w John James Lee 1875 Spennymoor, Durham s Joseph Lee 1849 Dudley, Worcs head Mary E Lee 1871 Howdon, Durham d (this is the one I didn't know about) Robert C Lee 1880 Spennymoor, Durham s Thomas W Lee 1872 Nettlesworth, Durham s ( my grandfather) Then over the next censuses add Daniel and Andrew Albert,Shildon. Isaiah and Joseph Henry, South Shields and Jeremiah, Dunston-on-Tyne. It seems strange to have to move out of Durham for Mary E. Anne. Hoping I'm making sense. I'm trying to adjust my waking moments to GMT and it's creating brain havoc - 4:26am here (don't do daylight savings for a couple of days yet) so please be kind. :>).

Hi Anne A Joseph LEE married Janet ARMSTRONG in the September quarter of 1870 in Auckland RD. Are they your ancestors? Given the birthplaces of the younger children I would still go with Howdon/Howden in County Durham. This is probably going to be Howden Le Wear. There are several matches for people born in Howdon on the 1881 Census cd, and many were listed in Willington Census District. Have you found Joseph and Janet in 1871? That may give you the address. Mary was probably born not long after this. Hope it helps. Lynne x

Yes there is a Howden,near Wallsend. In North Tyneside now. Mau x

Yes, definitely a Howden in Newcastle. It's just the other side of the Tyne Tunnel and right next to North Shields so, if the boundaries changed, it's probably that one. (May sometimes be found as High Howden). OH's family come from there. Snowdrops

Thank you everyone for all of the pointers - I guess I know what I'll be doing today !! 'Maureen The Mayoress' will be checking out the 3rd qtr wedding 1870 for me next week to see if that Joseph was born in Dudley, Worcs. and if he was that will be my 1st cert to buy. There are truly wonderful people on this site. I can't find my Joseph and Janet in 71, but I haven't tried him as a son-in-law or her as a daughter-in-law yet. This girl is really a puzzle as Jinny was supposed to be the only girl in a bus load of boys !!!! Ah well, it's all good for the brain cells - keeps them elastic. Thanks again - I had to finally give up and go to bed, so I imagine everyone else is having their teas now. Anne.