Searching for BRAITHWAITE'S

Part of the Jackson Family History - Latest update 8 April 2010

Alternative web address: http://www.hilarymaryjackson.co.uk/searching_for_braithwaite.htm

I have found it very difficult to make progress with my BRAITHWAITE family, hitting a brickwall trying to find my 2 x G Grandparents.  My research so far can be found by following the Braithwaite Family link in the above table.

From my Great Grandparents Robert and Harriet's wedding certificate I found Robert's father was named "Cristopher Braithwaite" (without the 'h') - his occupation was given as "Farmer".  Robert is shown on various Census entries as being born in Hartwith Yorkshire - although I have been unable to find him as yet in the 1841 Census - nor can I find any official record of his birth.  I have since found an entry on the 1841 Census for a Christopher Braithwaite, a shopkeeper living in Sheffield, a copy of this is shown on the Braithwaite family page, together with a copy of his death certificate.  Also shown are details of another Christopher Braithwaite found in Cumberland.  I cannot as yet connect these to my Great Grandfather Robert Braithwaite, and the search goes on . . .

I am steadily trawling through the 1841 Census for Yorkshire and have decided to publish all the BRAITHWAITE families I find as this might help someone else with their research.  I list below my findings to date and I will add others as I find them:

Interestingly, I found a "Braithwaite Hall" - no Braithwaite's there though:

John (age 4 above) is shown on the 1851 Census as grandson and on the 1861 is shown as nephew.

Thanks to Linda Harvey who supplies Census strays to the Yorkshire Rootsweb list:

1851 Census H107 1480 page 22
12 Deans Yard Terrace, St Peters Westminster, London
Catherine BRAITHWAITE, Servant, unmarried, age 34, Cook, born Yorkshire

---o0o---

Searching for Christopher Braithwaite, I found the following hand written records amongst my papers -

Marriage: 11 Jun 1804 St Mary the Virgin, Blackburn, Lancashire, England
Christopher Brathwaite - (X), bachelor of the parish of Blackburn
Agnes Craven - (X), spinster of the same parish
    Register: Marriages 1801 - 1809, Page 243, Entry 964
    Source: Film 1278807

Burial: 1 Sep 1909 St Oswald, Warton Nr Lancaster, Lancashire, England
Agnes Braithwaite -
    Age: 73
    Abode: Carnforth
    Buried by: E. W. A. OGILVY
    Register: Burials 1895 - 1920, Page 100, Entry 793
    Source: Film 1849663

Nothing conclusive, just other records to bear in mind.  I can't remember where I found this information, whether someone sent it to me or what? . . .

---o0o---

Genuki has some transcriptions of parish records for Egglescliffe and one of the marriage entries was:

17 June 1806   Christopher Braithwaite = Mary Cooke

---o0o---

I found a record of a marriage of a Christopher Braithwaite registered at Ecclesfield in September 1838 - thinking that this might provide me with some information, I sent for the certificate:

* the letters 'ai' appeared transposed here. 

---o0o---

I have been corresponding with another "Braithwaite" researcher who lives in New Zealand, Kym McNaughton.  Kym is also searching for a Christopher Braithwaite -

Christopher's son John was born about 1837 and John later emigrated to New Zealand probably travelling on the "Mermaid" arriving at Auckland on 19th October 1859.

John's wedding announcement in the paper in NZ stated that he was the only son  of the late C Braithwaite of Huddersfield.  John's wife Isabella Dillon arrived in NZ abt 1861, departing from Liverpool on the vessel 'Blue Jacket'.  Kym thinks they'd already met in England.

A possibility for John's father is a Christopher Braithwaite who died 1856 in Huddersfield .  .  .

Further information has been obtained from John Braithwaite's death certificate:

John died on 14 October 1881 in Mount Albert, Auckland, NZ, age 44 years; Occupation, Gardener; Place of birth: Kendal

John's parents were named - Mother: Mary Braithwaite formerly Baille;    Father: Christopher Braithwaite

Spouse: Isabella Dillon - the certificate also states "Isabella McQuillan". 

In an email dated April 2010, Kym wrote: "Just to let you know I have found two more children of John and his second wife, Isabella McQuillan. They are Albert John born 1878 died 1957 and Frederick Christopher born 1880 died 1929. His death certificate said 6 children 3 of each - still looking for the other 2."

A 1841 Census entry which matches Kym's information is the following family:

In 1851 this family were living in Almondbury, in the West Riding of Yorkshire - near to Huddersfield! at 1261 Long Lane, Taylor Hill:

Kym sent for a Certified copy of a birth certificate of a John Braithwaite, registered in Kendal who she thought might be her John Braithwaite, this arrived but the father was a "Benjamin Braithwaite".  I repeat the information from this certificate just in case it helps someone else:

 If you'd like this certificate - please contact me.

 ---o0o---

One very sad entry I found whilst surfing the net:

Commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial in London.  Robert's death is also mentioned on "The Canadian Great War Project" where it states that he was in the Canadian Merchant Navy, serving on the S.S. "Port Dalhousie - this site does not give Robert's middle initial but does state that he was born in British West Indies, his ethnic origin was "Caucasian" and that 'Cause of Death' states "Died in War, unknown case'. This information probably rules out Robert being 'our' Robert Reynard Braithwaite as both the possible Robert Reynard Braithwaite's were born in Stocksbridge and Workington, respectively. 

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GScid=&GRid=15222209& has a picture of this memorial and I found that there were five men with the surname Braithwaite commemorated on this memorial.

 ---o0o---

If anyone wants to get in touch with me regarding anything on this site please contact me at -

hilary.jcksn "followed by" @googlemail.com and if anyone objects to anything being included on any page, or if you spot any errors/assumptions made, please also let me know.

Dated 8 April 2010                    (more to add)