The LANE/LAIN(E)s of Ulster, Ireland, Chapter 6

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Children (iii): Sarah Anne DAVISON (née LANE) [b. 1842]

Sarah Ann LANE was born 9th of Sept 1842 at Unagh, Co. Tyrone and christened 11 Dec 1842 in the Parish of Lissan. See the baptismal register beneath.

Image of 17 Osborne ave.Baptismal register of Parish of Lissan: Sarah Anne LANE .. see transcription: " Sarah Anne daughter of James LANE and Mary his wife was born 9th of September and Christened 11 December 1842 By me William J Irvine".
PRONI: MIC/583/1-2 back cover. r/xLii)

 

Sarah was sister to Joseph LANE [see Chapter 6] and also to my g-grandmother Jane STRONG (née LANE) [see Chapter 4]. Do not confuse the Janes… compare with Jane LANE (née STRONG) who married Joseph LANE r/ii) [also see Chapter 6].

Image of 17 Osborne ave.After William's death, Sarah lived with her only child William James DAVISON, at 17 Osborne avenue South Shields. Sarah died at here in 1921 at the age of 78

The LANE family moved to Belfast from Co. Tyrone and subsequently Sarah was the informant of the birth of Mary STRONG to Sarah’s sister Jane STRONG (née LAINE) on 4 Dec 1872, with an address of 2 Craig's Terrace Belfast r/viii. Her name Sarah Ann is used by Jane STRONG (née LAIN) in the birth of Sarah Ann STRONG on 20 May 1866 at 21 Alexander St West, Belfast r/ix). The LANEs then moved to Jarrow as part of a significant Irish migration to that area. In 1874 Sarah Anne was a witness at her brother Joseph's marriage at the Wesleyan Swineburne East Chapel, East Jarrow r/ii). Then, at the time of the 1881 Census, Sarah Ann LANE, dressmaker, lived with her parents James and Margaret at 22 Sheldon Street, Jarrow, as their unmarried daughter r/iii).

Later in the same year, Sarah subsequently married William DAVI(D)SON a coal trimmer* on 16 Apr 1881 and lived at 6 Hope St. Jarrow r/x). I wonder if the STRONG family were represented at the wedding? Sarah Ann(e) DAVISON’s husband William DAVISON was a widower, and came with 6 children from a previous marriage to Hannah BAINBRIDGE (d.1879) r/iii…a), r/iii),  r/xxv).

William did reach the good age of 69, in spite of his career as a coal trimmer. He died at 12 Pembroke terrace South Shields on 2 Oct 1907, leaving £32 12s. 9d. to Sarah Anne r/xxiv, r/xxvi).

 

 

Note:
* Coal trimming was a very hard, very dangerous and very dirty job and was generally recognised as one of the worst on Tyneside. It involved levelling the coal (by hand) as it was being poured into a ship's hold, to ensure the stability of the ship. William DAVISON had a hard life. When he was only 12 he was a labourer in the coke ovens r/iii…b). Wiliam was later recorded as a coal trimmer in 1881 r/iii), a general labourer in 1891 r/iv)…… then rose to be recorded a foreman coal trimmer in the 1901 Census r/v). I wonder what life expectancy tables would have told us about coal trimmers? If they didn't die from an accident in the ship's hold, the coal dust on the lung would get them later.

After William's death, Sarah lived with her only child William James DAVISON, at 7 Osborne avenue South Shields r/xvi). Sarah died here in 1921 at the age of 78 r/xxvii).  She was survived by her son William James, her various step children, and her grandchildren Donald & Jean DAVISON.

Image of Will & Belle DAVISON.William James DAVISON & Isabella DAVISON (née YOUNG).
Photo: Kind permission of Sheila Curtis.

William James DAVISON was born about 1883 at Jarrow Co. Durham and married Isabella YOUNG when they were both aged 25 at St Andrew's (Independent or Congregational) Chapel, Camden St, North Shields on 24 Jul 1907 r/xxix). Witnesses to the marriage were M. YOUNG… probably Isabella's sister Margaret Taylor YOUNG b. 1881; and R.S. LANE… probably William James' best man / cousin / professional colleague… Robert Strong LANE (see here). Note that Robert's middle name Strong came from his mother's (my great-aunt Jane) maiden name STRONG.

It is suggested that both the YOUNG and the DAVISON families were Congregationalists, and that Isabella chose the Congregational church at North Shields for her marriage since she lived at 22 Borough Rd North Shields at the time, and the William James chose the South Shields Congregational Minister (Rev. Metcalfe Gray b/xx)) since the DAVISONs lived at 161 Eldon St South Shields r/xxix). William James' mother Sarah came from an ardently Methodist area (Cookstown Co. Tyrone), where Charles Wesley preached. Sarah's brother Joseph was married in a Wesleyan Chapel in 1874 r/ii), and Joseph's family were buried by Methodist ministers (see here). Note that Methodists and Congregationalists were part of a similar Dissenter tradition. Notwithstanding all this, Sarah had been married in the Established Church (Church of England) in 1881 r/x).

Isabella was born abt Jul 1882 at North Shields, Northumberland, the daughter of Master Mariner Robert William YOUNG and Mary Anne Hays YOUNG (née TAYLOR) r/xLvii). William died at 26 Harton Grove, South Shields on 2 Oct 1965. He had been a school teacher from the age of 18, and left £5,757 in his estate naming his son Donald DAVISON, a chartered accountant as the executor r/xxiv to r/xxvi) & r/xxxvi). William James' children were Donald and Jean.

Image of Donald DAVISONDonald DAVISON. Photo: Jill Hassall

Donald DAVISON was born on 6 Nov 1910; married 24 year old Margaret Emily ROBERTSON in 1937; and died on 6 Mar 1990 at Stanley Burn House, Wylam, Northumberland West r/xxxii to xxxiv), fb/xiv), r/xLi). Margaret died on 13 Nov 1991 at Hexham hospital with the usual residence of 5 Dunsgreen Court, Callerton Lane, Ponteland, Newcastle upon Tyne r/xL). Margaret & Donald had no children, thus her Will named her husband's niece and nephews (in Australia) amongst 9 other beneficiaries. Her Will made £15,554.61 in disbursements, and detailed legacies were made of individual household items fb/xvii).

Donald & Margaret’s niece, Jill Hassall, kindly wrote her personal account of her uncle & aunt. This is the material which makes a family history stand out from a mere "family tree". Thank you Jill!

Margaret Emily Robertson was my late father's sister, my Aunt Margaret, Donald Davison my Uncle. Unfortunately none of my father's brothers and sisters had any children, so Donald and Margaret were childless. As a young child, mum, dad and I used to spend our summer holidays with Aunty Margaret and Uncle Donald at their home in Ponteland, Northumberland, just north of Newcastle upon Tyne. I lived in Sheffield, South Yorkshire and as a child the 3 hour car journey used to seem to take forever. Their home was a base from where we drive to many of the beautiful coastal villages and castles at Alnwick, Bamburgh and Walkworth. I have wonderful memories of those holidays, Uncle Donald was a lovely, very gifted gentleman, as you know he was a chartered accountant and he became chief accountant at the North East Hospital Board. He was also quite a good (self taught) joiner… he panelled the large sitting room at their home with oak, he made a beautiful oak candelabra which he gave to my parents, he also built fitted wardrobes in the small room where I slept, when visiting them. He was also a talented artist I remember that in the small flat to which they moved as they became older, there was a small painting of his of the oak panelled sitting room of their old home. As a child I thought it was amazing to be in the sitting room with a painting of the very same room, on the wall. I remember in 1988 my husband and I took our three year old twins to visit Donald and Margaret at their apartment at Dunsgreen Court, Ponteland, Margaret was asleep in bed when we arrived so we sat and chatted to Donald whilst he was cooking lunch (Donald always did the cooking even when he was working full time). He was great with the twins he would have been an amazing father, which reminded me of when we stayed with them when I was a child, he cooked breakfast at the weekends and he used a pastry cutter to make my fried bread, he called them fairy rings.
Donald was a lovely man with a very lively mind.fb/xiv).

  Jean DAVISON was born in 1912 at South Shields UK r/xxxvi), married (abt Aug 1937 at South Shields UK r/xxxvii)) to Vivien Christmas (Chris) THOMAS (b. 22 Jul 1910 at South Shields UK) r/xxxviii), fb/xv). In WWII (1940), Jean's husband was promoted to Lieut in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps w/xii), w/xiii and served in East Africa, then rising to rank of major in Burma in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) fb/xv). At the end of the war in 1946 he was employed by Coca Cola (USA) as a mechanical engineer in the USA r/xxxix). He was then sent to Australia as a trouble-shooter for the Coca Cola Australian subsidiary, made a big impression and remained in Australia with Coca Cola. Jean and her two children followed Chris to Australia in 1947. Due to immediate post-war constraints on travel, they flew in aircraft being delivered to 10 different destinations, and made it to Sydney after a long 2 weeks. Geoff was 7 and (a daughter) about 18 months. It was in San Francisco that Geoff (eldest son) became bored with window shopping and returned to the hotel without telling Jean. Jean spent the afternoon driving around in a police car looking for him, until someone thought to check the hotel. Geoff remembered opening the door to a big burly policeman fb/xviii). Shortly after settling in Australia, they had a third child. Chris finished his career as the managing director of the company fb/xv). He died on 18 Jan 1977 at Heidelberg Vic at the age of 66, with his usual residence of  45 Fortuna Ave Balwyn North Vic r/xxxv).
  Jean died in 29 Nov 2007 at Box Hill, Melbourne Vic at the age of 95 fb/xv), n/xiv). Her eldest son Geoffrey (b. 1939 London UK) died 4 years after Jean at the age of 72 n/xii). It is hoped that the surviving children and the families of the 3 siblings may be able to contribute to knowledge of our family history.

Image of Marriage of Jean DAVISON & Vivien Christmas THOMAS.Jean DAVISON married on 11 Aug 1937 at South Shields to Vivien Christmas (Chris) THOMAS fb/xv). Newspaper image: Jill Hassall.
Does anyone know who these people are? From the left… Matron of honour (?), father of the bride (?), bride… Jean DAVISON,
groom… Chris THOMAS, bridesmaid (?), best man… Donald DAVISON (bride's brother) n/xiii).

Sheila Curtis has kindly searched the boxes of memorabilia left by her parents. Our search has been for a photo of Donald & Jean's grandmother Sarah Anne. Jean remembered Sarah dying when she was only 8 years old and her paternal g-mother lived with her parents. After that, she remembered that her maternal g-parents stayed with them for about 3 months of each year. Sheila found a photo of Donald and Jean with their parents and maternal g-parents (see below), but none of paternal g-parent Sarah. Many photos with old ladies in them… but unfortunately they were not identified.

Image of Marriage of Jean DAVISON & Vivien Christmas THOMAS.Donald & Jean DAVISON with their parents & maternal g-parents visiting their aunt & uncle Jenny & William SCOTT at Coupar Angus in 1917
From L to R: Back Row… William James DAVISON, Jenny SCOTT (née YOUNG), William SCOTT, Capt Robert William YOUNG
Front Row… Isabella DAVISON (née YOUNG), Marion SCOTT, Donald DAVISON, Jean DAVISON, Mary Anne Hays YOUNG (née TAYLOR)
Photo: Kind permission of Sheila Curtis.

 

Sources & Acknowledgements relating to Sarah Anne DAVISON (née LAINE / LANE)
 
Acknowledgements:
 
I am grateful to Jill Hassall, Sheila Curtis & Pat Thomas who have kindly chatted at length over the phone and/or corresponded at length with e-mails, providing valuable information and fascinating images
 
Sources:
 
      Newspapers and Periodicals.
n/xii)   Death of Geoffrey THOMAS. The Age, Melbourne Australia: Dec 28-29, 2011.
n/xiii)   Marriage of Jean DAVIDSON & of VC THOMAS. South Shields Gazette, UK: 12 Aug 1937. (Note: No text accompanied this photo).
n/xiv)   Death of Jean THOMAS. The Age, Melbourne Australia: 4 Dec 2007.
 
      Archives, Registrations and Lists:
r/ii) Marriage of Jane STRONG & Joseph LANE. Year & quarter: Dec 1874. District: South Shields. County: Durham. Volume: 10A. Page: 1134. Number: 3.
r/iii…b) UK Census, 1851.
r/iii…a) UK Census, 1871.
r/iii) UK Census, 1881.
r/iv) UK Census, 1891.
r/v) UK Census, 1901.
r/vi) UK Census, 1911.
r/viii) Birth of Mary STRONG. Year & quarter: Dec 1872. District of Belfast. Urban No. 5. Bk 13. Entry# 319.
r/ix) Birth of Sarah Anne STRONG. Year & quarter: Jun 1866. District of Belfast. Urban 4. Bk 5. Entry# 153.
r/x) Marriage of Sarah Anne LANE & William DAVISON. Year & quarter: Jun 1881. District: Gateshead. County: Durham. Volume: 10A. Page: 1074.
r/xxiv William DAVISON. Probate date: 15 Jan 1908. England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966.
r/xxv) Death of Hannah DAVISON. Year & quarter: Apr 1879. District: South Shields. County: Durham. Volume: 10a. Page: 396.
r/xxvi) Death of William DAVISON. Year & quarter: Oct 1907. District: South Shields; County: Durham. Volume: 10a. Page: 471.
r/xxvii) Death of Sarah A. DAVISON. Year & quarter: Jun 1921. District: South Shields. County: Durham. Volume: 10a. Page: 728.
r/xxviii) Birth of William James DAVISON. Year & quarter: Oct 1883. District: Newcastle upon Tyne. County: Northumberland. Volume: 10b. Page: 86.
r/xxix) Marriage of William James DAVISON to Isabella YOUNG. Year & quarter: Jul 1907. District: Tynemouth. County: Northumberland. Volume: 10b. Page: 565.
r/xxx) Death of William James DAVISON. Year & quarter: Jun 1921. District: South Shields. County: Durham. Volume: 10a. Page: 728.
r/xxxi) William James DAVISON. Probate date: 22 Oct 1965.England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966.
r/xxxii) Birth of Donald DAVISON. Year & quarter: Oct 1910. District: South Shields. County: Durham. Volume: 10a. Page: 816.
The Registrar's certificate of birth gives the exact date of 6 Nov 1910.
r/xxxiii) Marriage of Donald DAVISON to Margaret Emily ROBERTSON. Year & quarter: Jan 1937. District: South Shields: Durham. Volume: 10a. Page: 1333.
r/xxxiv) Death of Donald DAVISON. Year & quarter: Mar 1990. District: Northumberland West. County: Northumberland, Volume: 1. Page: 2252.
r/xxxv) Death of Vivien Christmas THOMAS. Reg# 1977/2018. Registrar of BDM, Victoria, Australia.
r/xxxvi) Birth of Jean DAVISON. Year & quarter: Oct 1912. District: South Shields: Durham. Volume: 10a. Page: 1724.
r/xxxvii) Marriage of Jean DAVISON & Vivien C. THOMAS. Year & quarter: Jul 1937. District: South Shields: Durham. Volume: 10a. Page: 1868.
r/xxxviii) Birth of Vivien C. THOMAS. Year & quarter: Jul 1910. District: South Shields: Durham. Volume: 10a. Page: 889.
r/xxxix) Passenger lists and immigration records.
r/xL) Death of Margaret Emily DAVISON. Year & quarter: Oct 1991. District: Northumberland West. Subdistrict: Hexham. County: Northumberland.
r/xLi) Birth of Margaret Emily ROBERTSON. Year & quarter: Apr 1912. District: South Shields: Durham. Volume: 10a. Page: 1724.
The Registrar's certificate of birth gives the exact date of 25 Apr 1912.
r/xLii) Baptism of Sarah Anne LANE. Born 9 Sept 1842, christened 11 Dec 1842. PRONI: MIC/583/1-2 back cover.
r/xLvii) Birth of Isabella YOUNG. Year & quarter: Jul 1882. District: Newcastle upon Tyne: Northumberland. Volume: 10b. Page: 17.
 
     Wills & papers, Correspondence:
fb/xiv)  Pers. comm. Jill Hassall. 2014.
fb/xv)  Pers. comm. Sheila Curtis. 2014.
fb/xvi)  Will of William DAVISON. Probate date: 15 Jan 1908. Death date: 2 Oct 1907. Registry: Durham, England.
fb/xvii)  Will of Margaret Emily DAVISON. Probate date: ? Death date: 13 Nov 1991. Registry: Northumberland, England.
fb/xviii)  Pers. comm. Pat Thomas. 2014.
 
      Books:
b/xx)   Metcalfe Grey. Memento of the Ministry of the Rev. Metcalfe Grey, Pastor of the Ocean Road Congregational Church, South Shields, for 40 years, 1873-1913.
 
      Websites:
w/xii) Forces War Records. Here. Information on UK armed services.
w/xiii) Supplement to the London Gazette. Here. Supplement to the London Gazette 6 Dec 1940: V.C. THOMAS' commission.
 

The Story Continues