Ann Newton

Land on Alnwick Moor 

Died Oct 7th 1849 

Ann was born Ann Wilson in 1822, but there were several Ann Wilsons born that year, so it is impossible to know for sure who her parents were. We do know that she married George Newton in 1844, and that they had three daughters before her death in 1849. These were : Jane Bell baptised on 20/10/1844 in St Michael’s Church, when they were living in Pottergate Row: Mary Ann baptised on 18/10/1846 when they were living in Chapel Lane: and Cicely baptised 31/12/1848 but she died 10 months later on 19/11/1849.

Cicely died just a few weeks after her mother Ann, who died aged just 27 on October 7th, in Correction House Yard-unusually for the time not from childbirth. Poor George had lost his wife and one of his daughters within a short time.

George had been born in Longhoughton on 9/5/1819 to a large family. On the 1841 census, which rounded ages, his parents John and Barbara Newton were both about 50, George was about 20, as was sister Alice. Brother William was about 15 as was John. Brother Isaac was stated as12 and sister Elizabeth 8. John was from a long established family of gardeners, we would call them Market Gardeners today. The Newtons had land on Alnwick Moor and also land to the East of Alnwick where Allerburn Lea is today, where they grew vegetables for the markets.

On the 1851 census we believe that Ann’s two children, Jane Bell and Mary Ann were living with their grandparents and most of the above aunts and uncles. We know this is true of Jane Bell, but we are not so sure about Mary Ann. We know  that George remarried and a Mary Ann was living with him and his second wife, Margaret, in 1851. And we know that George’s sister, Alice also had an illegitimate daughter the same age, also called Mary Anne Newton, so it’s complicated to sort out.

We know that Jane Bell married Thomas Dodds, a blacksmith at the Sion Chapel on 19/4/1863, but there were too many women called Mary Ann Newton to follow her story. Perhaps you can help?