Isabella Lister was the tenth child of Thomas Lister & Ann Pattison christened February 3rd, 1835 at Ormesby, Yorks.
In 1841 Isabella was living at home with her parents & family at Ormesby.
In 1851 Isabella was living with her sister Margaret who was a farmer of 30 acres at Ormesby & living with her & working on the farm was her brother Thomas (24). Isabella was a dressmaker. Visiting them was nephew John Robinson (2) son of Isabella’s sister Ann who had married Robert Robinson. Living next door was brother John Lister & his wife Elizabeth & their 11 month old son Benjaman.
On June 4th, 1855 Isabella married John Donking, a sail maker, at St Hilda’s, Midlesbrough. John was born c1829 at Thornaby, the son of John Donkin, a farmer. Witnesses at the wedding were Robert Robinson, James Robinson & Mary Jane Donkin.
John died before the 1861 census. However Isabella & John had 2 children before his death which is believed to be in 1858. John was living with his uncle Thomas Huddart in Middlesbrough at the time of the 1851 census when he was a sailmaker & his uncle was a master sailmaker. There is a will for John Donkin the younger, a sailmaker, who died on November 29th, 1858 at Middlesbrough. His will was proved the following year on February 15th by his uncle Thomas Huddart, sailmaker, & William Bolam Brayshaw of Stockton, a druggist. John’s effects were under £800. John was buried on December 2nd, 1858 at Ayresome Cemetery, Middlesbrough.
The children of Isabella Lister & John Donking were:
li.10.1 Mary Ann Donking christened December 9th, 1855 at Middlesbrough; died February 8th, 1938 at 33 Kensington Rd, Middlesbrough
li.10.2 Thomas Huddart Donking christened February 7th, 1858 at Middlesbrough; died on August 26th, 1937 at the North Riding Infirmary, Middlesbrough
In the 1861 census widow Isabella was living at New Linthorpe & was working as a grocer. She had 2 children at this time – Mary Ann (4) & Thomas H (3). Living next door was Isabella’s sister Mary Lister [li.2], now married to Thomas Stainsby, & her 3 children.
In Oct-December 1865 Isabella married Ramsey Smith, a grocer, at the Register Office, Stockton. Ramsey was the son of Susannah Ramsay & William Smith, a wheel wright, christened August 26th, 1838 at Holy Trinity, Stockton, Yorks.
In 1871 Isabella & Ramsey were living at 107 Stockton Rd, Linthorpe with the 2 children from Isabella’s first marriage & a new daughter Susannah Smith (4). Ramsey was still a grocer & they had 2 servants – Ann Groves (48) & Thomas Garbut (14).
By 1881 Ramsey had become a grocer & wine merchant & the family were living at 105 Newport Rd, Middlesbrough. Mary & Thomas (listed as Donkins by the LDS) were still at home & both were listed as grocers, & Susannah was also at home. Son Thomas was to marry Emma Ann Merryweather in June 1881.
By 1891 Ramsey had retired & he & Isabella were living at 11Woodlands Terr, Middlesbrough. Mary & Susannah were still at home & they also had a boarder – John M Jones (33), a bankers clerk from Holywell, Flintshire. Susannah was to marry John Jones later that year, their marriage being registered at Middlesbrough.
In 1901 Ramsey & Isabella were still at Woodlands Terr & with them were Mary (45) & granddaughter Isabel A Jones (8). The rest of the Jones family – John, Susannah & son Trevor A (5) were living at 110 High St West, Sunderland where John was a bank accountant. Isabella’s son Thomas, also a grocer, & wife Emma had 3 children by 1901 – Ruth (17) a pupil teacher, Elizabeth (14) & Mary (11). Living with Thomas was Emma’s step-father William Cranston, a 64 year old widower who worked as a furnace boilerman.
Isabella lived until 1905, & died in Middlesbrough, aged 71. She was buried on March 14th at Linthorpe Cemetery, Middlesbrough.
In 1911 widowed Ramsey was still at the same address & with him was step-daughter Mary Ann who was still single & a servant Mabel Saunders (24). He was described as living on private means.
Ramsey died at 11 Woodlands Terrace, Middlesbrough on December 16th, 1914, aged about 76. Probate was granted on February 13th, 1915 to Thomas William Smith, cashier, & step-son Thomas Huddart Donking, brewer’s traveler, & Robert Henry Barlow, Solicitor’s clerk. Ramsey’s effects amounted to £5,535.2s.7d.
The 1939 register shows widowed daughter Susannah (Susan) living at Heaton Rd, Newcastle-upon-Tyne with son Trevor A, an accountant, & his wife Florence Jones. Also with them was Trevor’s sister Isabel A.
The children of Isabella Donking (nee Lister) & Ramsey Smith were:
li.10.3 Susannah Smith born August 20th, 1866 at Middlesbrough