Wife of
W.P. 'Bill' Richardson's Great Uncle,
John Thomas Howey
Bell was born in
the first quarter of 1870, her parents were Joseph
Gordon and his wife Ellen (nee Simm). Her birth was
registered in the Chester le St. Registration District.
Bell and her family were recorded on the
census of 1871. They were living at Middle Row, Usworth.
Her Dad, Joseph, was 45, originally from Gosforth and he
worked as a coal miner, her Mam, Ellen was 39 and she
had been born in Felling.
Bell had brothers and sisters, Jane (17), Mary Ann (13),
Frances (5) and William (2). Bell was the baby of the
family, she was just one year old.
The census of 1881 recorded that they
still lived in Usworth, but in a different house. They
were living in Old Row. Bell's Dad was 52 and still
working in the mine, her Mam was 49. Of the children
listed on the previous census, only William and Bell
were still at home, though Bell (11) was no longer the
'baby' as she had a younger sister, Elizabeth, who was
8. On this census, Bell was listed as 'Isabella' but I
think that may have because the enumerator made an
(incorrect) assumption that her name was a shortened
form of Isabella. On 8th July 1888, Bell
married John Thomas Howey, at the parish church in
Usowrth. Bell was 18, though the record gives her age as
21, John Thomas was 21 and his occupation was given as
Weighman. Their witnesses were James Carter and Frances
Ellen Gordon. Frances was Bell's sister and she and
James married later that year.
Three years later, on the 1891 census, John Thomas and
Bell were living
in Bishopwearmouth, at Fore St.
John Thomas (23) was listed as the manager of the Victoria pub. Bell was
21 and she had a baby son, Thomas, who was 7 months old.
By the time of the 1901 census, they were living in
Birtley. Bell's husband must have decided to go back to
working in the pit and he was listed as being a
coal miner- below ground. Bell was 21 and as well as
Thomas (now 10) she had another son, Joseph Gordon who
was 7. The 1911 census showed the family
had moved again, this time to Coxlodge, near Gosforth in
Northumberland. Bell was 41 and as well as Thomas (20)
and Joseph (17) who were now both working in the mine as
putters, she had a new baby, John, who was 3 months old.
Her husband was also working in the mine, he was listed
as an 'onsetter'. Bell's husband, John
Thomas, died in 1916. Bell died in the
first quarter of 1946, she was 75 years old and her
death was registered in the Northumberland South
Registration District. |
