Great Great Aunt of W.P.
'Bill' Richardson
Jane was born in the third quarter of 1845 at New Bewick
in Northumberland. She was the fifth child of Adam Howey
and his wife Sarah (nee Watson).
On the 1851 census at Silverside Farm, Snitter,
Northumberland, Jane was recorded as age 5. Her father
worked as an agricultural labourer on the farm and she
had an older sister and two older brothers at home.
The 1861 census said the family lived at Shawdon Wood
House. Jane was 15 and earning her living working on the
farm. Her father Adam and her older brothers Thomas and
John were also farm workers, her older sister Esther
worked as a dressmaker and Mam Sarah looked after them
all.
Jane's mother died in the first quarter of 1871.
By the time of the 1871 census, Jane had left home and
was living in Branton. She was 24 and worked as a
general domestic servant for a farmer called William
Cairns and his family.
In the second quarter of 1877, aged 30, Jane married
Thomas Rochester a farm labourer from Edlingham.
The 1881 census showed that Jane and Thomas had set up
home in Refuge Cottage, Titlington, Bolton,
Northumberland. Her husband Thomas was working as an
agricultural labourer and they had two children. Robert
was 2 and Esther was 11 months old. Also living with them
was Adam, Jane's father, who was 78 and a widower. Adam
lived with them till he died in 1888.
In 1891 they were (unusually for farm workers) still
living at the same place in Refuge Cottage. Jane was 45
and her husband Thomas was 51. The family had grown.
Robert was now 12 and Esther was 10. The new additions
were Grace (8), Jane Ann (5), Elizabeth (3) and Thomas
was the baby, just 2 months old. Apart from the two
youngest, the children were listed as scholars.
They also had a visitor, a little girl called Evelyn
Howey who was 2 and was described as a Great Niece, born
in Amble. Evelyn was the daughter of Sarah Howey, Jane's
brother James' child, she was born before Sarah married.
The 1901 census showed that Jane was 55 and her husband
Thomas was 61. They were still living in Refuge Cottage
and Thomas was listed as an estate labourer. The
children still at home were Grace (18) who worked as a
dressmaker, Jane Ann (15) who was a general domestic
servant, Elizabeth (13) and Thomas (10).
By the time of the 1911 census, Jane was 65. She and her
family were still living at Refuge Cottage. Her husband
Thomas was 71 and listed with an occupation of estate
worker. Only two of their children were still living
with their parents, Grace (28) who worked at home as a
dressmaker and Elizabeth (23) who had no occupation
listed. Jane's brother in law, Jacob Rochester (69) was
recorded in the house as a boarder. Grace completed and
signed the census form on behalf of her father and
stated that Jane and Thomas had been married for 33
years and they'd had 6 children, all of whom were still
living.
Jane's husband, Thomas, died aged 78 in the second
quarter of 1918, his death was registered in the Alnwick
Registration District.
Jane died in the first quarter of 1924, she was 78 years
old.
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