James Robson (1844 - Unknown)

FATHER:
MOTHER:
SPOUSE:
OFFSPRING:
Edward Robson (b.1811)
Sarah Ritson (b.1812)
Hannah Stobbart
May Agnes (Unknown) (b.1848)
Mary (Unknown) (b.1873)
Margaret Ellen Robson (b.1866)
Edward Robson (b.1868)
William Robson (b.1871)
Mary Annie Robson (b.1873)
Elizabeth Robson (b.1874)
James Robson (b.1877)
Willie Robson (b.1879)
John Robson (b.1895)
Annie Robson (b.1897)
Sarah Robson (b.1900)
CHRISTENED: 15 December 1844 - Allendale, Northumberland
MARRIAGE: No Details
DEATH: No Details
KNOWN ADDRESSES: An unknown address in Hawksteel, Allendale, Northumberland - 1873
9 Spelter Work Road, Grangetown, Sunderland - 1881
An unknown address in Sunderland - 1895-97
An unknown address in Grangetown, Sunderland - 1900
5 Hemming Street, Ryhope, Sunderland - 1901
BIOGRAPHY:
James Robson was born in 1844 in Allendale, Northumberland. His parents were Edward and Sarah Robson (formerly Ritson). He was the fifth child of nine, his siblings being; Joseph (b.1832), Edward (b.1833), Thomas (b.1839), William (b.1841), Margaret (b.1847), Sarah (b.1849), Jane (b.1852) and John (b.1855). James's father, Edward, was a 'Tanner' by the time his last son was born in 1855.

James married Hannah Stobbart in approximately 1870 and they had two known children; William (b.1871) and Mary Annie (b.1873). By the time Mary Annie gets married in 1889 James ran his own paper factory.

It is unclear whether James's wife, Hannah, died prematurely because by the time of the 1881 census James is recorded as living with six of his seven children in Ryhope, Sunderland with a new wife, May Agnes Robson, who was from Scotland. It is assumed from the dates and places of birth of these children that the first four were born to Hannah between 1868 and 1874 in Hexham and Sunderland and the last two were born to May Agnes between 1877 and 1879 in Sunderland. It is therefore possible that Hannah died in approximately 1874, possibly during the birth of Elizabeth.

On 29 April 1889 James's daughter, Mary Annie, married George Tough in Ryhope, Sunderland. According to family rumour James wasn't too happy about this, considering that she could have done better. He was only a labourer at the time.

In approximately 1895 James remarried a woman named Mary who was 28 years younger than him. They had four children by the time of the 1901 census when they live on Hemming Street, Ryhope, Sunderland. He is 56 years old and records his occupation as "Retired Grocer", which is very different from his earlier paper making job. Intriguingly, he has a boarder called John W. Hinsley (or Linsley) who lists his occupation as "Engine Greaser, Paper Mill". Willie Robson, a son from a previous marriage is also living in the house. It is unclear whether this is his first son, William (b.1871). The 1901 census records Willie as a 19 year old "Labourer in a Paper Mill".

The birthplaces of James's children suggest he lived in Grangetown/Ryhope between 1874 and 1879 (when Willie, James and Elizabeth were born) and Sunderland between 1895 and 1897 when John and Annie were born. They then appear to have moved back to Grangetown/Ryhope for the birth of Sarah in 1900, where they are for the 1901 census. Incidentally, James's third wife, Mary, records her birthplace as Deptford (an area in the heart of the town of Sunderland) so they may have lived close to here when they first married in approximately 1895.

IMAGES: (click to enlarge)

James and his first wife living in Warden in the 1871 census.

James and his third wife living in Ryhope in the 1901 census.

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