Person:Jane Watson (24)

Marriage to William Bradshaw

On 23rd October 1825, Jane married a man named William Bradshaw at Monkwearmouth, on the opposite bank of the River Wear from South Hylton and Bishopwearmouth. At the time of their marriage, both were described as living in Monkwearmouth. Shortly after their marriage they moved back to Jane's native South Hylton. Here they had two daughters: Elizabeth in 1826 (baptised just three months after Jane and William's marriage) and Ann in 1827. Both girls were baptised at the newly opened chapel of St Mary in South Hylton. Their baptisms describe William as a potter.

William died as a young man when he was only 29 years old, being buried at South Hylton on 4th November 1830. Jane was therefore left with two small girls to look after.

Marriage to John Cooper

Five and a half years after William's death, Jane married again. Her second husband was John Cooper, who was originally from Hanley in Staffordshire. They married at Bishopwearmouth on 29th May 1836. They settled at South Hylton, where John was also a potter. Between 1838 and 1842 they had three children born at South Hylton: Jane, John George, and Joseph. The 1841 and 1851 censuses both find Jane and John living at South Hylton with their children.

John died at the age of 62 in the Sunderland Union Workhouse, and was buried at Bishopwearmouth Cemetery on 5th January 1857. Jane appears as a widow in the 1861 census with her two sons. She outlived John by nearly eight years, dying in late 1864, when she was said to be 63 years old. She was also buried at Bishopwearmouth Cemetery, on 30th December 1864.

1. ↑ England. 1841 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 310; Book 13; Folio 39; Page 23, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Hylton, Ford, Bishopwearmouth, Durham
   John Couper, male, 43 [1797/8], Ind, born outside county
   Jane Couper, female, 40 [1796-1801], born in county
   John Couper, male, 6m [1840/1], born in county
   Jane Couper jn, female, 3 [1837/8], born in county
   Ann Bradshaw, female, 13 [1827/8], born in county

2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} England. 1851 Census Returns for England and Wales. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 2395; Folio 12; Page 16, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: South Hylton, Ford, Durham
   John Cooper, head, married, male, 52 [1798/9], Potter, b. Hanley, Staffordshire
   Jane Cooper, wife, married, female, 50 [1800/1], b. Hylton, Durham
   John G. Cooper, son, male, 10 [1840/1], Scholar, b. Hylton, Durham
   Joseph Cooper, son, male, 8 [1842/3], Scholar, b. Hylton, Durham
   Elizabeth Bradshaw, daughter, unmarried, female, 25 [1825/6], b. Hylton, Durham

3. ↑ England. 1861 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG9; Piece 3770; Folio 74; Page 23, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Ford Ter, South Hylton, Ford, Durham
   Jane Cooper, head, widow, female, 63 [1797/8], House Keeper, b. South Hylton, Durham
   John B. Cooper, son, unmarried, male, 21 [1839/40], Ship Joiner, b. South Hylton, Durham
   Joseph Cooper, son, unmarried, male, 19 [1841/2], Ship Carpenter, b. South Hylton, Durham

4. ↑ Bishopwearmouth Cemetery Register, in Durham Records Online.

   bur. 30 Dec 1864: Jane Cooper, of South Hylton, aged 63 [1800/1], widow

5.   Bishopwearmouth (St Michael & All Angels) baptisms, in Durham Records Online.

   ch. 21 Sep 1800, St Michael & All Angels, Bishopwearmouth, Durham: Jane Watson, born 29 Aug 1800, second daughter of George Watson (keelman, native of Penshaw) by his wife Jane late Dodds (native of Newburn, Northumberland)

   This baptism has been linked to the Jane Watson who married first William Bradshaw and second John Cooper on the basis that:
   1. At each of her marriages one of the witnesses was a George Watson. Her first marriage was also witnessed by an A. Watson, who could have been the Ann Watson who was stepmother of the Jane born in 1800.
   2. Jane consistently claimed to be born at Hylton / South Hylton, which in 1800 was part of the parish of Bishopwearmouth. When the mother of the Jane baptised in 1800 died in 1804, her burial records that the family lived at "Hilton Ferry" (an old name for South Hylton).
   3. Jane's daughter Elizabeth Bradshaw appears in the 1841 census living in Hartlepool with a Martha Watson (married to Ralph, but her maiden name was also Watson), with Martha appearing to be the sister of the Jane baptised in 1800.