Robert Grey

Died 29th September 1849

Robert Grey, aged 13 was the only person to die from cholera while living in Denwick, a rural township with its own clean water supply, Robert must have visited one of the polluted areas of Alnwick to catch the disease.

The only Robert Grey living in Denwick, at that time, was the son of Robert and Grace Grey. His father was a husbandman and miller journeyman, and living in a cottage. He had many siblings, but no mother. Grace had died on 25th November 1839, the day after her final baby had been baptised (privately), so Grace most probably died from complications following childbirth. She was 44.

Two years later in 1841 the first census was carried out nationwide, and Robert Grey Snr. was a miller at that time. As his wife had died eldest daughter Elizabeth ( b 14/3/1818) would have been looking after her younger siblings: Hannah (b 22/4/1821); Ann ( b 9/10/1825) but not on the census; plus Joseph (b 1827): Grace (b12/6/1831) Alice (b1835); Robert Jnr (b7/8/1836) and baby Peter. Since Grey/Gray is a common name in this region, it was difficult to trace all the family and impossible to say where Ann was in 1841.

Eight years later Robert Jnr. was dead from cholera. As a non-Alnwick resident he was extremely unlucky to catch the disease and die in the first week of the outbreak, on 29th September. He was buried in a mass grave at the rear of St. Michael’s Church.

In 1851 Robert Grey was 54 and still working as a miller. Youngest son Peter (12) was at home and Elizabeth his eldest daughter who was now married to William Housby from Cumberland, were lodgers. They had two young daughters, Mary and Grace. Their family had increased in number, by the next census but Peter had gone and Robert was now the lodger.

The Housby Family were still living it Denwick, in Allerburn Cottage, on the 1881 census. Elizabeth died in 1887 almost forty years after her young brother, Robert had died in the cholera outbreak.