Just received a certificate for my 3rd great grandmother’s second marriage, so I thought I’d start with her.

Mary Prudhoe was born c1828 in either Newburn, Northumberland or Blaydon, Durham, to John Prudhoe and Ann Scott.

1841 census: Blaydon, living with her parents and two siblings; Ann and John.

On the 24 November 1845 (age 17) she married Luke Biggins at St Nicholas Church, Newcastle Upon Tyne. Together, they had 5 children; James (1846-1921), John (c1848-?), Ann (c1850-?), Mary (c1856-?) and Thomas (c1859-?).

1851 census: Blaydon Staith, living with husband, Luke, and children, Ann and John.

1861 census: Blaydon, living with her father, John Prudhoe, husband Luke, and children James, John, Mary and Thomas.

On the 30th May 1861, her husband Luke died of Pulmonary Consumption, or Tuberculosis, as its now known. This is less than 2 months after the 1861 census was taken, so its easy to assume this is the reason they were living with Mary’s father at the time.

On the 21st December 1874, Mary married again, to Anthony Maddison. At the time, she was living at Marley Hill, Durham, not far from Blaydon.

Now that I have a surname, I have found a likely death for Mary in the BMD index. There’s a Mary Maddison who died in the 3rd quarter of 1884 in Gateshead, aged 53.

My first post on my first blog, so bear with me while I work out what’s what.

This blog will be about the Biggins family based in the North East of England.  I’ll start my tree with my four grandparents’ families;  Biggins & Clark on my father’s side, Cardella & Calder on my mother’s.  As the tree expands, you’ll see other names that might interest you, like Arkle, Parker, Johnson, Pye, etc.  Most of my family tree is based in the North East, with the odd Italian or Scot thrown in.

For the sake of privacy, I won’t be including any family members from mine or my parent’s generations, so no cousins, aunts or uncles, with the exception of me and my parents, of course.  If anyone gets in touch and gives me permission to include them, I will, eventually.