Darling, Roland & Carl_d's photo

[janwhin]

I don't know if I've ever mentioned the Darlings

Jane Alice Darling married Richard Charles Roland in South Shields in 1888 and gave rise to Rolands the Butcher in Amble. In the family's possession is a photograph of a Victorian gentleman with a pistol.

Jane Alice was the daughter of John Darling, a mariner and latterly a ship's captain. He died in hospital in Rio de Janeiro, aged 40, on 4 February 1873 of yellow fever. He was captain of the Elizabeth Henderson, an Amble owned 300ton brig which left the Tyne with a cargo of coal in Nov 1872 bound for Brazil. She was wrecked in April 1873 on her way home.

John's father was Robert Darling, coastguard, from whom rather a lot of people in Amble seem to have descended.

Walter Runciman was also a coastguard but one of his sons kept notes of some of the coastguard activities. One note dealt with a bumptious inspecting commander called Boyce, who liked nothing better than trying to catch out the coastgaurds he supervised. On one occasion, on a dark night he went after "rough mouthed Bob Darling." Coastguard Darling refused to believe that Boyce was who he said he was and fired a couple of warning shots from his flintlock pistol past Capt Boyce's ears. "In those days the old flintlock pistol was heavy ordnance".

So is the family photograph, Coastguard Darling and his trusty flintlock or is it Captain John who might have inherited the old flintlock and wielded it on occasion to keep order on board his vessels.

[Coquet]

That's a different photo to this one?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/risky337/9502665600/

[janwhin]

Same photo. I've misled you over the pistol, it was passed down the family along with the photograph, not in the photo

[Coquet]

Jane Alice was the daughter of John Darling, a mariner and latterly a ship's captain. He died in hospital in Rio de Janeiro, aged 40, on 4 February 1873 of yellow fever. He was captain of the Elizabeth Henderson, an Amble owned 300ton brig which left the Tyne with a cargo of coal in Nov 1872 bound for Brazil. She was wrecked in April 1873 on her way home.

And definitely John not Robert junior, b 1843?

[janwhin]

Robert Jr (1842/3) was Robert Alexander father of Edwin and Norman and Tweedmouth harbourmaster.
He died 11 January 1905 at Tweedmouth (the famous Thomas, shoemaker, was his executor)

Thomas Darling was another brother (1839) and boot and shoemaker in Amble. He died in his 90s in 1932.

[Coquet]

Have you a full list of the Children of Robert sr (1802) Janwhin? there are more popping out the woodwork all the time!

Would Capt Edwin Darling MC and Ernie Murray be cousins then?

[janwhin]

The ones I have, from the census plus baptism dates are:
John 1833, married to Mary Hay in 1856; Alice 1835 (no trace); Jane 1836; Thomas 1839, married Ann Elizabeth Curry in 1862; Robert Alexander, 1842, married Ann Catherine Darling in 1868 and Eleanor Mary Robinson in 1881; Ann 1844, married Robert Bain in 1866; Rachel 1847, married John Harrison in 1872; Margaret Isabella 1851, married John Grey Murray in 1875 and Robert Collingwood Brown in 1893.

So, Edwin Darling, Ernie Murray and Thomas Bain were all cousins.

[Coquet]

I see. Was 'Robert A' a Master Mariner as well did we say? Think that's what got me lost there.

There is an Alice Darling as a Servant with William and Isabella Smailes at Craster on the 1861 census. She was born Craster as well, age about right, and is recorded as 'Niece' on the return.

She appears to marry Robert Dawson from Amble in 1867, and they are living in Warkworth with their daughter Bella in 1871. (daughter aged 9 so from previous marriage?)


I don't know if this is her but the Niece bit might help if you can deconstruct the William and Isabella Smailes relationship.


This particular Alice Dawson is dead before the 1881 census as Robert is a widower living with his niece in Warkworth (the Butts) by this time

[janwhin]

You're right, Coquet, Robert A was a master mariner as well. I'll do a bit of "deconstructing" on Alice It would be nice to have a full set.

[janwhin]

Originally Posted by Coquet

There is an Alice Darling as a Servant with William and Isabella Smailes at Craster on the 1861 census. She was born Craster as well, age about right, and is recorded as 'Niece' on the return.

She appears to marry Robert Dawson from Amble in 1867, and they are living in Warkworth with their daughter Bella in 1871. (daughter aged 9 so from previous marriage?)

William Smailes was married to Isabella Archbold, sister of Alice's mother, so it's the right one. She married Robert Dawson and died in 1871. The Berwickshire News carried a death notice: "At Shields, on 3 July, Alison, wife of Mr Dawson, and eldest daughter of Mr Robert Darling, late coast-guard, Amble."

Bella was born out of wedlock, as they say, registered as Isabella Darling.

[Coquet]

excellent detective work as usual!