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We should be able to find Mary with 1 year old Annie on the 1881 census.

Margaret - I couldn't find them! (I don't mind being proved wrong, though!)

also the birth date for mary could be wrong and the Elizabeth got that from this Wrong bith cert oh dear sorry i cant get past mary now based the ruth bell and george cowen as her parents fom duff birth cert iv'e gone sadly wrong ...

Elaine, don't worry - it happens to all of us! As long as you know you're on the right track with the twins and other children we can work it out.

oh yes Cowan yet maybe wrong census spelling cos children called Cowen...all this cos my friend was convinced she was related to Sir joseph cowen which is highly unlikely thank you for helping me here friends x

This is Annie's marriage:

Marriages Mar 1897 (>99%)
Cowen Annie Tynemouth 10b 325
SUTHERLAND Edward Allan Tynemouth 10b 325

The certificate will give you Annie's father's name and occupation. If you know that then you can trace his marriage and find out exactly who Annie's mother was.

how about this one? 1901 number 5 Wanless Street, Wallsend

Mary is listed as a widow

1901 England Census
about Mary Cowan Name: Mary Cowan
Age: 44
Estimated birth year: abt 1857
Relation: Head
Gender: Female
Where born: Willington Quay, Northumberland, England

Civil parish: Wallsend
Ecclesiastical parish: St Luke
Town: Wallsend
County/Island: Northumberland
Country: England

Registration district: Tynemouth
Sub-registration district: Wallsend
ED, institution, or vessel: 2
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 43
Household Members: Name Age
Mary Cowan 44
John Cowan 14
Jane E Cowan 14
Isabella Cowan 8


futher info on household

Name: John Cowan
Age: 14
Estimated birth year: abt 1887
Relation: Son
Mother's Name: Mary Cowan
Gender: Male
Where born: Walker, Northumberland, England

Name: Jane E Cowan
Age: 14
Estimated birth year: abt 1887
Relation: Daughter
Mother's Name: Mary Cowan
Gender: Female
Where born: Walker, Northumberland, England


Name: Isabella Cowan
Age: 8
Estimated birth year: abt 1893
Relation: Daughter
Mother's Name: Mary Cowan
Gender: Female
Where born: Walker, Northumberland, England

Eh..Hinny yer in a reet muddle here...!!

this is the right one we must now rule out the ruth and george and benwell my fault entirely sorry and so we know that she's a widow but still no husbands name or when he died I will get the twins birth cert to try to trace him he must ave been alive then to produce family umm ..

yes do you want an unused!! duff birth cert Eeeee your'e a geordie ....oh and I thought I was doing quite well with my new hobby think I did mess up big time and wasted your valuable time sorry gang xx

it's alreet hinny

(another novocastrian here, although exiled down south!)

we're here to help and learn

Nae Hinny its grand to get in a pickle now and again thats why we're so easy going and nowt bothers us...but who the divil are we actually looking for...Plenty of Cowans in Wallsend but nen doon Birkett Street...

well it's like this...i have a Mary Cowen1856 howden if thats near willington quay ? as in Tempests find actually all her children were born in Walker ..but on 1891 census they lived at 5 wanless st wallsend sorry it was Annie who lived at 9 birket st .. I have the childrens spouses and even their children ,,,got as far as Mary and want so badly to know her husbands who died nameand date of death would be good and what her maiden name was but I think i am pushing it thank you for trying pet

Elaine, Howdon is just round the corner from Willington Quay - I often walk along there!

Keep us posted bonnie lass.

Hi to all me canny bairns, just to keep you up to date I received marriage certificate for Annie Cowen and Edward Allan Sutherland this morning (heaven sent after last night )forgotten I'd ordered it ..so great I thought this will tell me Mary Cowen's husband yes well it does but couldn't decipher christian name it actually looks like Ashia or Aspin Cowen if such a name exists he was an engineer..will try to do some research later... thanks .....

Eh...Bonny Lass it gets worse instead of better...!!
A bit of Wallsend geography...Wanless and Birkett St were next to one another..just off the Hedley St/ High St.
Never come across the either names (as written) where did Annie marry...( ?Church)....could it be Alex....?

Hi here's the 1911 census for John and his sister Isabella

Address: 8 Birket Street Wallsend Near Newcastle

Name Relation Condition/
Yrs married Sex Age Birth
Year Occupation Where Born


COWAN, John Head Single M 24 1887 Rivet Heater In Shipyard Northumberland (original says Walkergate)
COWAN, Isabella Sister Single F 18 1893 House Duties Walker Northumberland

..............................................................................................................................

and the 1911 for Annie Sutherland nee Cowan

1911 census - household transcription
Person: SUTHERLAND, Annie
Address: 9 Birket St Wallsend Near Newcastle

Name Relation Condition/
Yrs married Sex Age Birth
Year Occupation Where Born

SUTHERLAND, Edward Allen Head Married M 35 1876 Boiler Maker Shipyard Wallsend Northumberland
SUTHERLAND, Annie Wife Married 14 years F 29 1882 Windy Nook County Durham
SUTHERLAND, Polly Daughter F 8 1903 School Wallsend Northumberland
SUTHERLAND, Edward Allan Son M 5 1906 Wallsend Northumberland
SUTHERLAND, Alfred Son M 2 1909 Wallsend Northumberland

Bonny lass ...This is nee time for mekin the tea...is this Mary's death...?

Deaths Dec 1909 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

COWAN Mary 55 Tynemouth 10b 118

Just in case you dont have Edwards details..he was son of George and Isabella (Both from Berwick)..lived down Long Row Wallsend . He was born Wallsend but in Clyde St. (1876).

Hi, yes got them but not extra info addresses etc,.while I have you, you don't happen to know Isabella's maiden name do you thank you for helping me last night was a nightmare i was barking up the wrong tree with Mary but sorted nearly, ta ....