Sarah McCree Pallister [p.1.6.3.1.1.6]

Sarah McCree Pallister was the sixth child of Ralph Speed Pallister & Eleanor McCree born at Wingate in 1847 & christened October 10th, 1847 at Holy Trinity, Wingate Grange, Easington.

In 1851 the family were living at Castle Eden, Monk Hesleden, Co Durham. At home were brothers Ralph, Robert & William.

In 1861 Sarah was still living at home at Cargills Court, Wingate Grange Colliery, Co Durham. Her 3 older brothers Robert, Ralph & William were all coal miners. Also at home was brother John (10).

In 1871 Sarah was living with her brother John McCree (20), a labourer at the stone heap, at 66 Burdon St, Ryhope. Also living there was Sarah’s mother Ellen & brother Ralph, a fireman. Sarah (21), was described as a manglewoman. A nephew of John McCree’s was also listed on the census – John Pallister, only 3 months old. This was almost certainly the illegitimate son of Sarah McCree Pallister. There was also a visitor – Charles Carney, a 25 year old screeman from Ireland.

Sarah married Henry Hunter on December 8th, 1874 at St Andrews, Dalton-le-Dale, Co. Durham. Henry was 27 at the time of the wedding & was a miner of Murton Colliery. He was born at Middleton, Co Durham, the son of Elizabeth & Henry Hunter, a lead ore washer. Henry signed the certificate & Sarah made her mark. Witnesses at the wedding were John Bell & Thomas Harrison.

Presumably Henry died as Sarah remarried in Jan-March 1876 at Easington. Her new husband William Woollett (Willett) was born at Thornley & christened May 31st, 1844 at Kelloe, Co. Durham, the son of Barbara Hall & Robert Woollett, a coal hewer. Sarah’s brother, John McCree Pallister, had married William’s cousin, Barbara Hall (daughter of John Hall & Margaret Slack) in 1873.

By 1881 Sarah & William (Willett) were living at 11 West Row, Pelton Fell, Chester-le-Street & William was a coal miner.

Sarah & William planned to emigrate to the US & William’s US naturalization record of May 1891 shows that he embarked from Liverpool on July 15th 1886 & arrived July 26th in Detroit, USA via Quebec, Canada.

In 1892 Sarah & William (named Woollett on the passenger list) sailed from Liverpool on the Teutonic, arriving in New York on August 3rd. William was a coal miner & their last address in the UK was Merton Colliery. Travelling with them was John Pallister, described as 43 year old miner from Merton Colliery. However this is likely to have been Sarah’s son John McCree Pallister, born in 1871 who is known to have emigrated to USA in 1892. Oddly all three were described as American citizens.

William Woollett died on September 28th, 1893 at Glenroy, Jackson, Ohio, USA.

Widowed Sarah returned to Co Durham via Liverpool in September 1898 & she married once again in April-June 1899 in Sunderland. Her third husband was Thomas Simpson, born c1855 at South Hetton, Co Durham, the son of Ada & George Simpson, a coal miner.

At the time of the 1901 census Sarah & Thomas, a coal miner, were living at 3 Lamb St, Ryhope, Co Durham.

Sarah & Thomas sailed to the USA in 1902. They left Liverpool on the S.S. Oceanic on November 5th sailing to New York. Their final destination was given as Wellforce, Jackson County, Ohio where Sarah’s son John McCree Pallister lived. It was noted on the ship’s manifest that Sarah had visited the US 4 years previously. Travelling with them was Ellen Pallister, Sarah’s niece, aged 21, who had lost both her parents (Barbara & John McCree Pallister p.1.6.3.1.1.7) in the preceding year.

Passenger list showing Sarah & Thomas Simpson & niece Ellen Pallister on S.S. Oceanic, 1902

By the time of the 1910 US census Sarah had been widowed again. She was living at Coal, Jackson Co, Ohio & head of the household with her own income. The census notes that she was unable to read or write & that she had emigrated to the US in 1887. Listed next to Sarah in the census was her niece Ellen Pallister who had married & was now Ellen Gilliland. Ellen was working as house keeper for the Williams family & she had a 2 year old daughter Barbara, born in Ohio.

Sarah was still living in Jackson County in 1914 when she was the informant of the death of her brother, Ralph Speed Pallister. Her address was given as Glen Roy.

Sarah died on February 8th, 1919 at Coal Township, Jackson, Ohio.

The children of Sarah McCree Pallister were:

p.1.6.3.1.1.6.1 John McCree Pallister born 66 Burdon St, Ryhope, & christened March 12th, 1871 at St Paul’s, Ryhope, Co. Durham