3-Eglingham Churchyard Section A Row 1-3- Thompson

Transcription

In  Affectionate Remembrance of ELIZABETH wife of SAMUEL THOMPSON, shepherd Beanley, who died Nov^r 1^st 1875,aged 63 years. Also of ELIZABETH their youngest daughter who died Dec^r19^th 1858, aged 4½ years. And of GEORGE, their seventh son who died July 10^th1883 aged 34 years The above SAMUEL THOMPSON, died Nov^r 8^th 1889, aged 79 years, over 50 years faithful shepherd to the Messrs  STOREY, Beanley.

“Fear not for I will be with thee”.

Commentary

Family History

THE BEANLEY SHEPHERD

SAMUEL was born on 11^th March1810 to parents Andrew Thompson and Eleanor Hutton. He was one of nine surviving children, and their second son. Andrew was baptised at Alwinton church and married Eleanor in Eglingham. All their children were born at Branton, and the family were members of the Branton Presbyterian Chapel. By 1841, Andrew and Eleanor had moved to Beanley where Andrew and his son Samuel both worked as shepherds for the Messrs Storey (B2-3 and B4-1).

Aged 20, on the 8^th January 1831, Samuel married ELIZABETH Forster (born 8^th March 1812) in Newbrough. Her parents were John Forster and Mary Armstrong. Samuel and Elizabeth had eleven children, John (born 1831) in Hayden Bridge and Andrew (1834) in Bolton, all the others were born in Beanley: Mary (1836), Robert (1837), William (1840), Samuel (1842), Eleanor (1845), Thomas (1848), George (1849), Joseph (1850). Their last child, ELIZABETH, born in 1853, died when she was just 4. All the boys, at one time or another, worked as shepherds.

Samuel’s wife Elizabeth died on the 1^st November 1875, and by 1881 Samuel, now retired, had moved into another cottage in Beanley village to live with his daughter Eleanor, her husband William Dunn, an agricultural labourer, and their 4 children (A4-5). Samuel died on the 8^th November 1889 aged 79 years. His gravestone has a personal epitaph reflecting his long and valued service to his employer “over 50 years faithful shepherd to the Messrs Storey”. There are three similar dedications in the churchyard: two are on the gravestones of his brother, Robert (B7-2) who also died in 1886, and his sister in law, Hester (B7-1).

His obituary in the Alnwick Mercury, on the 16 November 1889, records four generations of Thompson shepherds at Beanley.

DEATH OF A NORTHUMBRIAN SHEPHERD

“At Beanley, on Friday the 8th instant, there ‘Crossed that burn from whence no

traveller returns’, in the 80th year of his age, Samuel Thompson, shepherd,

deceased was born at Branton, farmed at that time by the ancestors of the present

Storeys of Beanley to whom his father was shepherd. Thus, his long life of four score

years has ended with the same family of master’s under whom he first saw the light.

He is succeeded by his son and grandson as shepherds at Beanley, and who also

bear his patronymic name of Samuel. He leaves behind him 7 sons and 2 daughters.

His long and faithful servitude in the same family speaks eloquently and silently as to

the character of the man.”

The executors of his will were his sons Andrew and Robert. His personal estate, extracted by his executors, amounted to £203. 2s. 11d. which was divided equally between his 9 surviving children and his late son George’s widow. In 2024, this is approximately the equivalent of £33,000, and a tenth share £3,271.

GEORGE THOMPSON is also memorialised on this stone.

George was born in 1849 and was Samuel and Elizabeth’s seventh boy. On Christmas day 1868, George married Mary Dunn (born 1846) at All Saints church, Newcastle. Mary’s parents were Robert and Ann Dunn, who also lived in Beanley

(A3-4).  George’s sister Eleanor had married Mary’s brother William Dunn (born 1842) three years earlier in Alnwick (A4-5).

On the 31^st October 1871, Mary died aged 25 years, and George is named on her family’s gravestone (A 3-3). George was only 22. Four years later, in 1875, he remarried Sarah Ann Lindsay in Alnwick. In 1881, George was working as a shepherd in Beanley and living with Sarah and their two children Samuel (born 1876), and Joseph Lindsay (born 1879). Just two years later, George died aged 34 years.

Seven of Samuel and Elizabeth’s children are buried in St Maurice’s churchyard. ANDREW (married Elizabeth Scott) D 4-4, MARY (married Thomas Woodcock)  B19-5, ROBERT (married Elizabeth Wilkinson) A1-4, SAMUEL (married Eleanor Henry) A1-5, ELEANOR (married William Dunn) A4-5, GEORGE (married Mary Dunn) A1-3 and A3-3, ELIZABETH A1-3.

Samuel’s four other sons, John, William, Thomas and Joseph are buried elsewhere, but following is a brief summary of the lives of each.

JOHN, their eldest son, married Jane Tait (born 1829, Whittingham). There were 8 surviving children: Jane A. (born 1857 Newburn, Fife), and Elizabeth, Samuel, Luke, Margaret, Mary, James R. and John who were all born in Northumberland. John worked as a shepherd at Todlee Moor (1871), Trewhitt Steads (1881) and Thrunton (1891). John’s share of his father’s estate had 13 guineas deducted. By 1901, John had died, and Jane was living with her daughter, Elizabeth’s family (Davidson) at Brockley Hall, South Charlton.

WILLIAM, their fourth son, never married. He inherited a tenth share of his father’s estate but in 1901, he was recorded as a pauper living in Alnwick workhouse. He died in 1905.

THOMAS, their sixth son, married Mary Ann Scott (born 1848, Chatton) in1870. There were 4 children: Jane E. (born 1869, Chatton), Barbara E. (born 1870, Glasgow), Mary Ann Scott (born 1873, Morpeth), and Herbert S. (born 1880, Newcastle). Thomas’ wife, Mary Ann died in1900 and a year later in 1901, Thomas was recorded as a convict in Parkhurst prison, Hampshire working as a carpenter but listed as “feeble minded”. He died in 1910 in Alnwick.  Thomas’ children were beneficiaries of a tenth share of Samuel’s estate in equal shares as tenants in common, less a sum of £20 which he owed his father.

JOSEPH, their eighth and youngest son, was a shepherd and agricultural labourer. He spent time living with his brothers George (1881) in Beanley, and Robert and nephew Esau (1891) at Shawdon Wood House (B 25-6). He married Elizabeth (born 1869, Eglingham) in 1894 when he was 43. They lived at Shawdon Wood House in 1901 and had moved to Titlington Mount by 1911. They had 6 surviving children: Isabella, Elizabeth, Samuel, Mary, George and Margaret who was only 6 when her father died in 1915. Joseph was a beneficiary of a tenth share of his Samuel’s estate less the sum of £15 which he owed his father.

Carolyn Brewster 2025

References: Ancestry. Samuel Thompson’s will 1889. NPR-1-32 (Northumberland Archive)

CENSUS 1851 – Beanley

Samuel Thompson, head, aged 41, agricultural labourer, born at Branton

Elizabeth Thompson, wife, aged 40, born at Newburgh

John Thompson, son, aged 19, agricultural labourer, born at Bush

Mary Thompson, daughter, aged 15, agricultural labourer, born at Beanley

William Thompson, son, aged 11, scholar, born at Beanley

Samuel Thompson, son, aged 8, scholar, born at Beanley

Eliza Thompson, daughter, aged 6, scholar, born at Beanley

Thomas Thompson, son, aged 3, born at Beanley

George Thompson, son aged 2, born at Beanley

Joseph Thompson, aged 9 months, born at Beanley

CENSUS 1861 – Beanley

Samuel Thompson, head, aged 51, shepherd, born at Branton

Elizabeth Thompson, wife, aged 49, born at Newbrough

Andrew Thompson, son , aged 27, unmarried, Agricultural Labourer, born at Bolton

Mary Thompson, daughter, aged 25, unmarried, agricultural servant, born at Beanley

Robert Thompson, son, aged 24, unmarried, shepherd, born at Beanley

Elinor Thompson, daughter, aged 16, agricultural servant, born at Beanley

Thomas Thompson, son, aged 13, shepherd, born at Beanley

Joseph Thompson, aged 10, scholar, born at Beanley

CENSUS 1871 – 1 Beanley Village

Samuel Thompson, head, aged 61, shepherd, born Eglingham Parish

Elizabeth Thompson, wife, aged 59, born Warden Parish

Joseph Thompson, son, unmarried, aged 20, shepherd, born Eglingham Parish

Alnwick Mercury, 16 November 1889

DEATH OF A NORTHUMBRIAN SHEPHERD

At Beanley, on Friday the 8^th instant, there “Crossed that burn from whence no traveller returns “, in the 80^th year of his age, Samuel Thompson, shepherd, Deceased was born at Branton, farmed at that time by the ancestors of the present Storeys of Beanley to whom his father was shepherd. Thus his long life of four score years has ended with the same family of masters under whom he first saw the light. He is succeeded by his son and grand son as shepherds at Beanley, and who also bear his patronymic name of Samuel. He leaves behind him 7 sons and 2 daughters. His long and faithful servitude in the same family speaks eloquently and silently as to the character of the man.