Thrice Widowed

This post represents a little diversion from the direct family line. In looking for documents of the Strong family, I found the makings of a story. We have already seen the Strong steam tug family, headed by John Strong (1772-1858). He had two wives, Elizabeth Fairs, who bore him four children, and died in 1812; and Hannah Elliot, with whom he had another nine children, and outlived him. Of his first wife, Joseph Strong (1808-1879), the "Master, Steem Boat", is my 3x great grandfather. Today, I turn to John Strong, the younger (1801-1866), who is my 4x great uncle, brother of Joseph Strong, and especially John's wife, Jane, who married and buried three husbands.

So far, we have the following for John Strong the younger:
       Born 6 Feb 1801 and baptized 8 Mar 1801 
       according to the parish register at Newburn, Northumberland

He is the son of John Strong, the elder, and his first wife Elizabeth Fairs, as indeed was Joseph. His mother died in 1812, and John (and Joseph) were raised by their father and step-mother, Hannah Elliot. This information, his 1851 England Census in Middlesbrough with his wife, and 1861 England Census in Birkenhead with his stepmother are reported in a previous post.

The London Gazette 19 Dec 1856 cites John Strong the younger's movements preceding the 1861 Census. The context is a bankruptcy hearing to be held at Lancaster Court 2 January 1857.
       John Strong the younger, formerly of Middlesborough, in
       the county of York, Steam Tug-boat Owner, and a short
       time in copartnership with James Martin, as Printers
       and Stationers, afterwards of No. 31, Bridge-street,
       Birkenhead, in the county of Chester, Steam Tug-boat
       Owner, and late of Warren-street, Copperas-hill, Liverpool,
       in the county of Lancaster, out of business, living in
       lodgings.

In 1851 John Strong is shown as married to Jane, born about Osmotherley, Yorkshire, which is near both Thirsk and Northallerton. While his age is given here as 50 years old, Jane is 25 years old. Given her age, I would expect to see this marriage occurring after civil registration became mandatory. A possible BMD Marriage Index in the same registration district as Middlebrough is:
       John Strong Jun1846 Stockton 24 244

While there are typically four grooms and four brides on each page of the register (and the index makes no attempt to match them at this date), the only match for first name is Jane Preston. The corresponding record in England, Select Marriages 1538 to 1973 has the additional data that the marriage is solemnized at St Thomas Stockton on Tees on 30 April 1846. Jane’s father is given as Thomas Preston, while John’s father - consistent with what we already know - is given as John Strong. The marriage certificate (which I do not have) would contain more confirmatory information on the occupations of John, the father, and John, the son, and maybe even useful addresses and witnesses.

John’s 1861 Census in Birkenhead lists him as married, not widowed, but with no sign of his wife. But, as it happens, there is a married Jane Strong on Commercial Street, Middlesbrough with no sign of her husband in the same census.
       James Marton Head        Mar  53  Printer Employing 2 Boys Durham Darlington
       Rachel Marton Wife        Mar  51                                          Yorkshire Thirsk

       Jane Strong Daur in Law Mar 32  Dress Maker                     Yorkshire Thirsk

(Source Citation: Class: RG 9; Piece: 3687; Folio: 3; Page: 6; GSU roll: 543172.)

This is interesting, since you will note that John had been briefly in partnership with James Martin as Printers and Stationers. The enumerator transcript has Marton, when it should be Martin, but this is clearly John's wife here. The father of the Jane Preston, married to John Strong in 1846, is given as Thomas Preston, whereas on this 1861 census Jane's "father-in-law" is James Martin. By father-in-law, I would suggest the census return intends step-father, which usage I have frequently seen in records of this period. Although I would hope to see a marriage record for Rachel Preston (widow) and James Martin, so far I have not.

The physical separation of John and Jane in 1861, and John's bankruptcy may be connected t0 their marriage not working out. It is interesting that they are each with their family of origin in 1861. The census was a week after Easter, so this is not a question of Mothering Sunday visits (which is the 4th Sunday in Lent). However, it is still possible that Jane was merely visiting with her parents in 1861, and intended to return to Birkenhead.

Ten years earlier, the 1851 England Census for James and Rachel Martin would appear to be East Row, Marshall’s Yard No. 3, Northallerton, Yorkshire.

       James Martin         Head  Mar 43  Printer Compositor  Durham Darlington

       Rachel Martin        Wife   Mar 41                                  Yorkshire Thirsk

       Christopher Martin Nephew     9  Scholar                     Durham Darlington

       James Paterson     Nephew     2                                   Scotland

(Source Citation: Class: HO107; Piece: 2377; Folio: 355; Page: 8; GSU roll: 8766687667.)

The couple’s names, places and years of birth, and James’s occupation connect this 1851 Census in Northallerton with the previously shown 1861 Census in Middlesbrough. Note also, the presence of James Paterson; the 1851 Census for John and Jane Strong possibly has his father and older sister, Alister and Elizabeth Patterson, with two tees.

John Strong died in 1866 in Birkenhead. His death record is:
       BMD Death Index Sep1866 Birkenhead 8a 269 Age:65

I have him in Birkenhead in 1856, 1861 and now 1866, so perhaps this was his continuous residence. We know that Jane was in Middlesbrough for the 1861 England Census, and wherever she was around this date, there is this record for the marriage of Jane Strong, in the same registration district as Middlesbrough.
       BMD Marriage Index Jane Strong Jun1869 Stockton 10a 179
 
By 1869, there are typically two grooms and two brides on each page of the register. In this case the possible grooms are Alexander Henry T Lewand or Isaac Bell. That the husband is Lewand is demonstrated in the 1871 England Census at Durham Street, Royal Hotel in Middlesbrough, Nos 2 & 4.
       Alex Henry Thos Lewand Head Mar 38 Licensed Victualler  Prussia
       Jane Lewand                     Wife Mar 37                                   Yorkshire Thirsk
(Source Citation: Class: RG10; Piece: 4890; Folio: 57; Page: 1; GSU roll: 848005.)

There is one visitor and several servants in addition, presumably all connected with the hotel that Alexander Lewand is running. Jane has aged only 5 years in the decade, but that is not unusual in census data, and this is almost certainly the Jane of the 1861 Census, previously shown. 

Alexander Lewand lives only two more years. The BMD Death Index has:
       Alexander Henry T Lewand Dec1873 Stockton 10a 34 Age:42

And a corresponding record from Natl Prob Cal has: Alexander Thomas Henry Lewand innkeeper died 20 October 1873 at Middlesbrough probate 11 November 1873 to Jane Lewand, widow.
The widow Lewand married again, this time within a year. The BMD Marriage Index has:
       Jane Lewand Sep1874 Stockton 10a 83 (to Henry Davey A Pring)

The corresponding record in England, Select Marriages 1538-1973 has the additional data that the marriage is solemnized in Middlesbrough on 8 August 1874. The groom is Henry Davey Adolphus Pring (father Malachi Pring); the bride is Jane Lewand (father James Martin). This last piece of information ties the last two marriages back to the Jane Strong, "daughter-in-law" in the household of James and Rachel Marton (i.e. Martin), and the business partner of John Strong.

But is this the same Jane as the first of the three marriages, who gives her father as Thomas Preston? As suggested above, possibly Thomas is her birth father, and James her stepfather. The first evidence to look at will be the 1846 marriage certificate to see if the groom, John Strong is our John Strong the younger, although at $14, it seems an extravagance to order it. But with no record of any children, and thus no direct descendants, how many family historians out there will be interested in finding out?

Only three years later, Jane is widowed once again, after which I lose track of her. The BMD Death Index for her third husband has:
       Henry Davey Adolphus Pring Dec1876 Middlesbrough 9d 334 Age:35.

One wife, Jane (possibly) Preston, three marriages and three funerals - her husbands getting younger by the decade.