Elizabeth Earnshaw was the fifth child of Thomas Earnshaw and Elizabeth Crosby, born 1837 at Dawdon Hall, Co Durham, & was baptized February 19th, 1837 at St Andrews Dalton-le-Dale.
In 1841 Elizabeth was living with her parents at Dawdon Hall.
In 1851 Elizabeth was living at home in William St, Dawdon as a house servant.
Elizabeth married Joseph Coulton on December 30th, 1860 at St Andrew’s, Dalton-le-Dale. Joseph was christened December 19th, 1836 at St Andrew’s, Dalton-le-Dale, the son of Elizabeth & Richard Coulton, a brewer. Joseph was also a brewer at the time of the wedding & was of Seaham Harbour. Witnesses at the wedding were John Earnshaw, Elizabeth’s brother & Thomas Harrison.
Joseph was still a brewer at the time of the 1861 census when he & Elizabeth were living with Elizabeth’s sister Jane and husband William Blenkinsop at 27 William St, Dawdon. The 2 families were next door to Elizabeth & Jane’s parents.
At the time of the christening of their son Thomas in 1865 Joseph was described as a grocer.
By 1871 Elizabeth & Joseph had 4 children, Richard (8), Elizabeth (7), both born at Dawdon, Thomas (5) born Crook and Margaret (3) born Wolsingham. At this time Elizabeth (34) & the children were living at Back North Railway St, Dawdon but there is no record of Joseph. She was a shopkeeper.
Elizabeth & Joseph had emigrated to Canada by October 1872 when their fifth child, Frederick William, was born in York, Ontario. It is possible that Joseph had already left for Canada in 1871 which is why he was not found in the census & that Elizabeth followed later with the children. The family were still living in York, Ontario in 1874 when daughter Ada Hall was born.
Sadly Joseph died on November 28th, 1880, aged just 44 years, the cause of death being a brain tumour. His occupation had been a porter & the family were living at 3 Inkerman St, Toronto at that time. Joseph was buried on November 30th in St James’ Cemetery, Toronto. Probate of his will was granted in London on August 4th, 1909 to widow Elizabeth & his effects amounted to £27.17s.9d.
Intriguingly it is known that Joseph’s coffin was exhumed in 1886 & his body transferred to the family burial plot of David Waring in St James’ Cemetery. The reason for this unknown, but according to a current member of the Waring family, Joseph may have been mistaken for another Joseph Coulton who had married into the Waring family. The person exhumed was clearly Joseph Coulton born in Durham, UK & whose last address was Inkerman St, Toronto.
Elizabeth was working as a washerwoman in Toronto City at the time of the 1881 census. She continued to live in Toronto until 1901 when she was listed as living in York, Toronto, aged 64.
The 1911 census shows Elizabeth still living Toronto & with her was daughter Elizabeth.
Elizabeth died in 1919 & was buried in St James Cemetery, Toronto.
Son Richard, a woodworker, was to marry Elizabeth Ann Toilly on June 14th, 1892 at York, Ontario & they had 2 children, Charles Richard & Ada Elizabeth.
Daughter Margaret Hannah married Charles Augustus Dunning in 1891 in York, Ontario.
Daughter Ada Hall married James King in June 1897 in York, Ontario & they were to have 2 daughters, Ethel Letitia & Stella Earnshaw.
Daughter Elizabeth did not marry until 1926, her marriage being to George Walker in York, Ontario.
The 1930 census shows son Thomas, a shipping clerk, & his wife Minnie, a Canadian by birth, & their 2 daughters Louise & Elizabeth living in Rochester, New York, USA. Both daughters were teachers & had been born in New York.
The children of Elizabeth Earnshaw and Joseph Coulton were:
e.1.5.1 Richard Coulton christened September 24th, 1862 at St John's, Seaham,
Co. Durham; died October 24th, 1928 at York, Ontario, Canada
e.1.5.2 Elizabeth Coulton born Jan-March 1864 at Dawdon, Co Durham
e.1.5.3 Thomas Earnshaw Coulton born at Crook & christened June 7th, 1865
at St John’s, Seaham, Co Durham; buried 1934 in Mount Hope Cemetery, Rochester, New York
e.1.5.4 Margaret Hannah Coulton born Jan-March 1868 at Wolsingham, Co Durham
e.1.5.5 Frederick William Coulton born October 17th, 1872 at York, Ontario, Canada; died 1893 in Ontario, Canada
e.1.5.6 Ada Hall Coulton born November 6th, 1874 at York, Ontario, Canada; died April 16th, 1950 in Toronto, Canada