David McPhaden's Family Page

Part of the Jackson Family History

Updated 24 March 2009

David McPhaden was my father, Albert Braithwaite's stepfather.  Dad used to speak fondly of David McPhaden - he said that David was a collier who had come to board with them in Winterwell Road at West Melton, Rotherham in South Yorkshire.  Dad said that he spoke with a local accent, so did not originate from Scotland or Ireland as his surname suggests.  He had been lodging at Great Houghton, near Barnsley working at Houghton Main, then at Wath Main Colliery.  He then said that David had then changed his name for some reason to 'David Johnson' - Dad said he did not know of any reason why this had happened.

David, Dad said, had become 'friendly' with his Mother, Hannah, and when Josiah died in 1914, they eventually married in 1918.  His Mother, Dad emphasised, had been unhappy because Josiah was unfaithful and that David had comforted her.

At first, I could not  find a record of Hannah's marriage to David.  My cousin, Doris thought that they did not go through a marriage ceremony.  When the BMD index records became available on 1837 online, I was able to eventually locate my Grandmother Braithwaite's second marriage to David.

I knew that Josiah and Hannah had 11 children - Jim, Beattie, Annie, Billy, George, Harry, Edith, Albert, Gertie, Lucy and Effie.  My Father maintained that some of these children were David's.    However, his sister Lucy disputed this - she said they were all Josiah's children. 

My Great Aunt Emma Simms, my grandmother's sister, who at that time was living in Winterwell Road, West Melton and the person who introduced my Mother and Father, was the source of Dad's story.  Other members of the family believed that only Lucy was David's child.

I first found David in the 1891 census - this shows David age 25, living with the Braithwaite family at 43 York Street, Brampton Bierlow. As can be seen by following this link, David had given his surname as 'Johnson'.

Curious to find out more about David McPhaden, Josiah and Hannah's lodger, I searched for him in the 1881 Census and found him living at Greggs Row, Hunningley Lane, Ardsley, Barnsley, Yorkshire with 3 other boarders in the home of William and Mary Jeffery and their 3 children -

This is David found on the 1871 Census living with his widowed Father at 70 Edward Street, Nether Hallam, Sheffield:

Neil's wife Elizabeth had died in July 1869 when David would have been only 4 years of age.

I then sent for David's birth certificate which showed that the family were living at 99 Hammond Street, Sheffield:

---o0o---

In January 2007, I received an email from Effie Warr.  Effie had found the Braithwaite website and told me that her Great Grandmother was Sophia McFaden, daughter of Neil McFaden's 1st Marriage to Sarah.  Subsequent correspondence with Effie led to more information and some photographs which are shown here,

Brothers, Neil and David McFeaden migrated from Dundee, Scotland to Sheffield - I found Neil birth's on Scotland's Peoples website:

I couldn't find Neil's brother's baptism, but the IGI gives David's birth as 1 July 1800 and his baptism on 6 July 1800 in Dundee, Angus, Scotland, and his parents were Lachlan McPhaden and Agnes Ross. 

The IGI also shows baptisms for two possible Laughlan McPhaden's -

1. Laghlan McPhaden baptised 12 Apr 1770, Tyree, Argyll, Scotland - father Angus McPhaden

2. another Laghlan McPhaden baptised 30 Jun 1773 also in Tyree, Argyll, Scotland - father Rory McPhaden. 

In November 2007 I received an email from another MacFaden researcher, Jim Baxter.  Jim's connection, like Effie, was Sophia, daughter of Neil and his first wife, Sarah McFaden nee Wragg.  Sophia married Israel Ellis on 22 May 1870.  Jim supplied me with copies of the birth of Neil's siblings - Mary McFadyen in 1795 and David MacPhadan in 1800:

This 2nd image shows the month and year at the top but over the copy of the original is printed "06/07/1800 McPhadan, David (O.P.R. Births 282/0080 0415 Dundee)" - the digits in the margin (shown above in column 1) probably refer to the dates, ie 1 = born 1st July; and 6 = baptised 6th July and this is confirmed by finding the Birth/Baptism on the IGI.

---o0o---

In the 1841 Census, Neil appears at 55 Hoyle Street, Sheffield (North) with first wife, Sarah Wragg - married 8 October 1826:

and in 1851 Neil's 1st wife Sarah had died in 1848 and he had married Elizabeth Cheetham, age 20 on 22 April 1850 - in this census they were shown to be residing at 98 Green Lane, St Phillips district of Sheffield:

Effie's Great Grandmother, Sophia McFaden, Neil and Sarah's daughter was born in 1842, but she is not shown with the family at 98 Green Lane - its another mystery to solve, it might be due to mistranscription, but I've tried to find her using just her first name and trawling through loads of names, but to no avail. 

In 1861, the McFaden's were in Watery Lane, No.229, in St George's Parish, Sheffield:

Neil's daughter Sophia was working at Upperthorpe, Nether Hallam at the home of a Steel Manufacturer:

* Sophia's birthplace is definitely wrong - Jim Baxter has her birth certificate and she was born 25 Jan 1842 at 98 Green Lane, Sheffield.

The 1871 Census is shown here - and the 1881 Census, below, shows David's widowed father living with daughter Agness at 103 Penistone Road, Sheffield:

Neil died in 1888, age 82 and Jim Baxter kindly sent me a copy of his death certificate

---o0o---

My grandfather, Josiah Braithwaite died on 11 October 1914 and Hannah married David McPhaden in 1917:

Locating this marriage certificate, giving Neil McPhaden as David's Father was the final proof that the McPhaden Census entries shown above are definitely his family.

Hannah died first in 1924 and left a will leaving her possessions to David.  I intend trying to get copies of this will and of a will which David also made, leaving their possessions to his daughter Lucy Kenworthy (nee Braithwaite).  David died on 4 December 1926. Here are the details found on their death certificates:

and two years later

In the right hand margin it states "Clerical Error in Col 7.  Corrected on the 5th January 1927 by me L H Harrison, Registrar in the presence of W C Harrison, Supt Registrar".  This must be referring to the attendance "at death" of David's nephew, Charles D McPhaden*.

Picture 1 and 2 - This is the headstone of the grave where Harriet and David McPhaden are buried.  It does state "In loving memory of HANNAH, the dearly beloved wife of DAVID McPHADEN who died February 10th 1924 Aged 63 years; "Her end was peace" however at this period of my research, we had not yet found evidence of their marriage, nor could I find her death certificate on FreeBMD. But I then found her on 1837 on line as Hannah McPhaden and ordered a copy.  The inscription continues "Also of the above named DAVID MCPHADEN, who died December 4th 1926 aged 61 years "Thy will be done""

Picture 3 - I found this memorial silk for David McPhaden amongst my parent's papers and photographs.

---o0o---

* Effie Warr's research shows that - Charles David McPhaden was the son of Neal and Elizabeth's son, Albert McPhaden and his wife Lydia Ann formerley Stones.  They were married in Sheffield in 1873 and in the 1881 Census Albert and his family are shown to be living in Clerkenwell, London on Sekforde Steet:

Albert and Lydia's son, Charles David McPhaden was born in 1883 - registered Holborn, London, Middx, in October quarter, vol 1b, page 695 and in the 1891 Census the family were living at 19 Collingwood Road, Walthamstow, Essex:

The 1901 Census shows Albert "Mc Phaden" (as transcribed on Ancestry.co.uk) and his family still living in Walthamstow, but now at 48 Boston Road:

I received an email on 13 January 2007 from Effie Warr, a McPhaden descendant.  Effie had found this webpage and wrote informing me that her Great Grandmother was Sophia McFaden, daughter of Neil McFaden and Sarah Wragg - Neil's first wife.  Effie and her brother Bob are researching their family history and Effie has sent me these photographs shown on the right. 

Photo No.1 is thought to be Neil McFaden, and Photo No.2 is believed to be a McFaden family taken by a West Melton photographer, W. H. Rodway.  This just might be the family of Charles McPhaden.  Amongst Effie's notes is evidence that Albert McPhaden returned to South Yorkshire, at least to be buried - he died 14 July 1924, age 73, interred in Wath upon Dearne cemetery on 16 July - source was a memorial card.

In the 1911 Census, Charles is still living in Walthamstow at 52 Fairfield Road with his wife of 2 years, Ellen:

This Census record confirms the research done by Effie - it was thought that Charles married Ellen Susan Lock in 1909, marriage registered in Fareham, Hants.

---o0o---

Updated 24 March 2009