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.

1849 Cholera Outbreak
Ann Allison George, Susan and Isabella Anderson Ann Appleby John Douglas Arnott John Balmer Ann Bamburgh Isabella Bell Jane Berkley Sarah, Robert, Sarah Black Dorothy and Jane Brankston Ann Brown Isabella Burn Elizabeth Burnett Sarah Burnett Mary Carr Thomas Carr John Cavenah Julia Dixon, Appalina Cooper Harvey and Catherine Cross Edward Davis George and Jane Davison William Dick John and Sarah Dickman Isabella Dixon Adam Dixon Rebecca Dobbs John Douglas Jane Douglas Jane Duncan Robert Duncan Ann Egdell Ralph Emmerson Ann Fawdon, Ann Fawdon Mary Ann Featherstone Henry and Ellen Mary Ferguson Isabella Flannaghan George and Eleanor Forster Robert Gardner Elizabeth Gray Dorothy Grey Robert Grey Thomasine Grey Mary and Henry Hedley Mary Henderson James and Ann Hindmarsh William Howey Ann Hudson, Ann Hudson George Hume, Alice Hume John Hunter Dorothy Jameson, Jane Jackson Joseph Jamison Thomas Jeffrey Elizabeth Jobson Mary Joicey James Keen, Margery Keen Frances Laing George Lindsay, John Lindsay Catherine Lockey James Lockey Ann Lough Patrick Macone Margaret Marshall Mary Maule Latitia McLaughlin James McMillan Thomas McMillan Neil McNab Elizabeth Mennim Catherine Metcalf Ann Middlemas Margaret Millar Mary Mills Margaret Moffit Jane Morrison Ann Nesbitt Ann Newton John Newton James Paxton Ann Pearson Mary and Isabella Pickard George Pike Rebecca Quin Mary and William Ramsay George Reed Thomas and Ann Robarts Michael Sanderson James Skelly George Slight Elizabeth Smails John Smith Sarah Smith John Snowdon Jane Snowdon Robert Stansfield John Stocker Robert Tate Dinah and Charlotte Tate George Taylor Grace and Jane Taylor Mary Thew Thomas Thompson Jane Thompson Henry Tinson John Walker Robert Wallace Alice Wardhaugh John and Robert Wardle Thomas Wilkinson James Williams Mary Wilson Elizabeth Wood Appendix-James Wood