Ralph Emmerson

Died September 28th 1849 

Ralph Emmerson died on 28th September 1849, age 53.

We know that Ralph was born about 1796, as he was 45 on the 1841 census. He was married to Jane Patterson on 19th July 1818 in Felton Church. The bride and the two witnesses Joseph Emmerson and Joseph Junior each signed with a cross.

By 1841, there was daughter Margaret (20): Joseph (15) an agricultural labourer like his father: James (13) and Ralph(1), living in Union Court, Alnwick

There is an issue regarding son James, as he is probably the James Paxton whose cholera death is described separately in this record, as James Paxton was the name used by Robert Rawlinson in his report. 

      

                                      Above: James as mentioned in the Emmerson family census return

                                       Below: Emmerson alias Paxton on Jamess burial record

   

Ralph Jnr was probably the illegitimate son of Margaret, as he was   baptised 8/3/1840 with only his Mother’s name in the register. (On Bishops transcripts it says “single woman”).

After Ralph senior’s death in 1849 his widow, Jane was living with her widowed mother, Margaret Patterson, both from Ellingham, and a Ralph (7). This is possibly the same Ralph reported as born in1840. They were living In Thompson’s Yard in Clayport Street, where they were laundresses.

Meanwhile eldest son Joseph Emmerson had married Ann, and was a carter, also living in Clayport . Yet another Ralph Emmerson was baptised on 19/4/1846. He was the son of Joseph and Ann Emmerson, now of Canongate, Alnwick.

This Ralph later trained to be a blacksmith. He married Isabella Corniston from Durham and they had 5 children, all born in Alnwick. Ralph and Isabella lived and worked in Clayport, Alnwick all their lives and Ralph died in 1905. They had 3 sons, Thomas, John and of course, a Ralph.