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  1. #1
    hilarykellis
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    Default SUMMERBELL - Bellingham, Elsdon

    Hi all,

    My ancestor Isabella Summerbell was born in Hole, Northumberland on all census (1841,51) records. I found that there is a Hole in both Bellingham and in Elsdon, where she got married and lived. She was born in abt 1779.

    Now I am trying to identify her parents, and running into some confusion. I luckily had the chance a few months ago to get to a family history centre and view the parish registers for Elsdon, because the ones transcribed in book form online are incomplete.

    Here's what Isabella's marriage record says: "Christopher Arkle of Billsmoorfoot and Isabella Summerbell of Elsdon in the Parish of Elsdon were married in this Church by License this 7th day of April" - witnesses were John and James Summerbell, and Euphins Brown. Both the bride/groom signed the register.

    Billsmoorfoot is a farm in Elsdon where Christopher's father was the main tenant.

    When I was looking at the page I noticed that John Summerbell's marriage was next to Isabella's on the register marrying Mary Brown, and the fact that John Summerbell and Euphins Brown were witness to Isabella's wedding implied to me that all of these people were connected.

    On Ancestry trees I find that John Summerbell was baptised abt 1773 in Bellingham, Northumberland which fits with the idea that Hole - the place Isabella names as her birth location - exists in Bellingham. So I thought these two could be siblings - but James doesn't appear on the trees with John and furthermore the parents are given as James Summerbell b. 1734 and Elizabeth Linsdale b 1724. There's no way Elizabeth could've given birth in 1779 in her fifties. They show James and Elizabeth marrying in 1760 in Cholerton. Oldest son Nicholas b. 1760 in Chollerton.

    So now I am stuck on what is wrong/right. Either they have Elizabeth's birth year wrong (because honestly, to give birth in 1773 aged 49 also seems highly improbable) or something else is wrong.

    Any advice? It is so hard finding Northumberland data online and very hard for me to get back to the nearest research library (I'm in the States). And it looks like maybe Isabella's baptism was never registered or is missing.

    Thank you!!

    Hilary

  2. #2
    Knowledgeable and helpful
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Wiltshire
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    731

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    I think you are making assumptions about family relationships from the marriage record when they are not stated there. The James who is the witness might be a brother but he might be her father or uncle or cousin or... . Have you pursued the marriage licence bond at the record office which keeps them in Northumberland? It might have additional information to use. Have you looked for wills which cover the relevant area or period? PCC wills are on line but I don't think PCY (York) are; I don't know about Northumberland - it's a bit further north than ERY which was my ancestral origin.. pwholt

  3. #3
    hilarykellis
    Guest

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    Hi Pwholt,

    I searched the Northeast Inheritance DB and didn't find any wills for the Summerbells, unfortunately. I haven't seen the marriage license bond because I'm not sure where to get it/order it.

  4. #4
    Name well known on Brit-Gen
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Cheshire UK
    Posts
    4,863

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    Hilary, I think you will find that Durham used to cover Northumberland
    https://www.durhamrecordoffice.org.uk...nd-Allegations

  5. #5
    Name well known on Brit-Gen
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Cheshire UK
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    4,863

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    When I was looking at the page I noticed that John Summerbell's marriage was next to Isabella's on the register marrying Mary Brown
    John was baptised circa 1773 & Mary Brown circa 1797........could John be the generation above Isabell i.e father / uncle etc

    Newcastle Courant 20 April 1805
    News line states: Sunday se'night Christopher Arkle of Billsmoorfoot to Miss Summerbell of the former place

  6. #6
    hilarykellis
    Guest

    Default

    Hi geneius, thanks for the newspaper notice, had not found that. I don't think John could be a father because he would be 6 when Isabel was born. But he could possibly be an uncle. I am finding the records on the Summerbells to be few and far between...

  7. #7
    janbooth
    Guest

    Default

    Looking for any SUMMERBELL burials in either Bellingham or Elsdon, brings up the gravestone of the James & Elizabeth you mention above on Find a Grave which states that James died 6 October 1795 aged 60, Elizabeth died July 1798 aged 65?. They had a son William who died 28 July 1789 aged 24?, a nephew Thomas who died 29 June 1869 aged 69 and Thomas's wife and daughter. There are 3 marriages at Elsdon in the early 1800's, that of Isabella to Christopher ARKLE, John SUMMERBELL to Mary BROWN in 1805 and another for a Mary SUMMERBELL on 4 February 1804 to an Edward ROBSON. Mary ROBSON appears in the 1851 census of Bellingham shown as a widowed Confectioner aged 73, born Hole, so it is reasonable to assume that she, too, is connected to your Isabella in some way. You have two choices for her baptism, both at Bellingham, one on 7 April 1776 father Thomas SUMMERBELL or one on 25 November 1776 father James SUMMERBELL (both baptisms on IGI Family Search). Both James & Thomas SUMMERBELL also have a son John baptised in 1773 at Bellingham but no sign of an Isabel(la). Your ancestors don't make it easy for us do they! John & Mary SUMMERBELL baptise a daughter Isabella in 1817, again another sign that they may be related.

    Thomas SUMMERBELL marries an Elizabeth TURNBULL on 10 December 1772 at Corsenside. I think I now need to stop and think for a moment.

    Janet

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