Rowland Burdon and Sarah Jane Cribbin

Rowland and Sarah were married in the Parish Church of Holmside 2nd December 1890. Rowland is described as a Grocer's Assistant residing in Collierly, son of Martin Burdon, and engineman. Sarah, aged 20, resided at Holmside and was the daughter of George Cribbin, a miner.

Sarah was born 19th May 1870 in Chroniwell Cottages, Medomsley. Her birth was registered in Lanchester 16th June 1870 by her mother, Eliza Cribbin, formerly McKENNERY who's place of residence was stated to be Chroniwell Cottages. Sarah died 4th April 1949 aged 78 at 37 Church Road, Harrington, Cumberland. The death was registered by her son John Edward Burdon of 34 Briery Dale, Calkerbeck, Workington.

Beyond this Sarah's family are being elusive. Rowland Burdon of York has sent me a sketch of an outline Cribbin family tree for those whom he recalls and this is very helpful. Pushing further back has been awkward. I have not tried to find Sarah on the 1871 census yet, however she appears on the 1881 census [ref RG11/4935 (p.22)] staying with her Uncle Benjamin JAMES and Aunt Frances Ann JAMES at Langley Park, Esh. Her age is given as 10 years and her place of birth is Ebchester, Durham. This ties with her birth certificate, Chroniwell being adjacent to Ebchester. Lewis CRIBBEN, aged 25, married and a miner is also staying with them. His place of birth is said to be Maryport, Cumbria, as is that of Benjamin James. Frances Ann's birthplace is Ebchester.

A search of the IGI did not get me any further. The aunt with whom Sarah is staying is Frances Ann, aged 38, which would indicate a date of birth around 1843. No matching record appears on the IGI though. Absence from the IGI may simply be due to the fact that the particular register in which she appears has not been transcribed. There do appear clusters of Cribbins (under various spellings) in Cumberland and (earlier) Liverpool and the Isle of Man. This may be a red herring but it does suggest where to look in terms of a blanket search of the name Cribbin in the 1871 an 1881 censuses for Durham, Cumberland and perhaps Northumberland.

I have no idea why my great grandfather was registered William John and christened Rowland, and when I first mentioned it to my Aunty Moira and Uncle Alan it was news to them too.

Rowland seems to have had a varied career judging by the occupations given on various certificates.1890 (marriage)Grocer's Assistant;1895 (George's birth) Grocer (journeyman); 1924 (Rowland's wedding) Colliery engineman. It is a romantic notion, but is there here a hint of a thwarted attempt to escape the pits? It is an unpleasant enough occupation now (so far as it still exists in the UK); what it must have been like for our ancestor's is unthinkable, although as I understand it the engineman would have been on the surface not at the face.

Rowland and Sarah had six children of whom I am aware:

Name	Event	Date	Detail	Source
Benjamin James Burdon	born	21st October 1891	died in infancy (note name re Sarah's uncle)	-
George William Burdon	born	2nd June 1895	=Thomason Anne WREN18 Feb 1928, Annfield Plain	-
Rowland Martin Burdon	born	26 June 1898	=Florence Mary RAINE 22 September 1924,	-
Ethel Burdon	born	1900	=Isaac MOSSOP 1931	-
Harold Burdon	born	15 Feb 1904	=Kathleen Lucy Agnes CROZIER, British Columbia.	-
John Edward Burdon	born	3 July 1909	=Lily Evalina CAMPBELL, 3 July 1937	-

George William was the father of Rowland Burdon of York who first fired my interest in family history when he sent a copy of his research to me in the mid. 1980s. Ethel and Isaac MOSSOP moved to Cumberland as did John Edward and Lily CAMPBELL (There is the Cumberland link again). Harold and Kathleen CROZIER married in Canada where their descendants reside.