John Richardson was the seventh child of Thomas Richardson & Eleanor Powell, born June 6th, 1827 at High Hendon. He was christened on September 9th, 1827 at St Michaels, Bishop Wearmouth.
In 1841 John was living at home at White House, Houghton.
On October 10th 1853 John married Jane Sarah Wade at Hetton-le-Hole. Jane was born at Birtley & christened September 4th, 1814 at Chester-le-Street, the daughter of Ann Maria & John Butson, a grocer.
Jane had previously been married to Robert Wade, a butcher & she was recorded as widowed in the 1851 census, living at Easington Lane, Hetton-le-Hole where she was a butcher with a son George (8) & 2 daughters Ann Maria (4) & Mary Gill (2) Wade. Also living with her were 2 house servants & a butcher servant John Watson (27) & a visitor Grace Almond (40).
In 1854 John, butcher of Easington Lane, was ‘charged by Elizabeth Richardson with being the putative father of her bastard child’. He was ordered to pay 2s.6d. per week and costs. (Durham County Advertiser of February 24th, 1854) The identities of Elizabeth Richardson & her child are as yet unknown.
The Durham Chronicle of July 10th, 1857 reported that Alice Wilkinson (‘a woman of very repulsive appearance apparently arising from a disease’) was charged with stealing several items from the Richardson home in Easington Lane. Alice was occasionally employed in John’s house and a number of articles, including a pair of cashmere boots which Jane stated belonged to her daughter, were discovered by the police in Alice’s possession.
The 1858 Post Office directory of Durham reveals that John was a butcher living at Easington Lane.
John & Jane continued to live at Easington Lane & recorded with them in 1861 was another son Alfred Butson Wade (16) from Jane’s previous marriage & her daughters Ann Maria & Mary Gill Wade. John & Jane also had 2 of their own children, Sarah Jane (5) & Charlotte (3). John was still a butcher and they had 2 servants at this time – Barbara Maughton (19) & Elizabeth Cummings (15).
The Newcastle Journal of July 12th 1870 reported that John was in a court case brought against him by Aaron Brass, a fruiterer of Easington Lane. Brass had loaned John £50 in 1863 & John had been paying interest on the amount until 1868. The action was brought to recover the £50 & £5.15s. interest owing. John was ordered by the court to pay the full amount.
In 1871 they were living at Elemore Lane, Hetton-le-Hole with their 2 daughters and a 9 year old son, John. The Wade children had left home.
At the time of the 1881 census Jane was visiting her daughter Charlotte at Easington Lane, Hetton-le-Hole. Charlotte had married Martin Gardner, also a butcher, in 1880. Charlotte had just given birth to a 1 day old son. John was not found at this time & there is a burial for John Richardson, aged 44, on March 28th, 1872 at Houghton-le-Spring.
In 1891 Jane (76) was living with her daughter Jane Sarah (Sarah Jane) who had married William Fotheringill Westwick, another butcher, in 1879 & they had 3 sons & 1 daughter, all living at the High St., Easington Lane, Hetton-le-Hole.
Jane died the following year on July 10th, 1892, at Easington Lane, Hetton-le-Hole when she was noted as widowed. Administration of her will was granted on March 14th, 1894 to daughter Sarah Jane (Westwick) & her effects amounted to £30.
In 1901 daughter Sarah Jane (known as Jenny) & husband William Westwick were living at Front St, Hetton-le-Hole & William was still a butcher. They had 6 children at home.
By 1911 daughter Charlotte & husband Martin Gardner were living at 13 Cleveland Rd, Sunderland where Martin & son Robert Willis Gardner (29) were both butchers. Other children at home were Charlotte Eva (25), a dressmaker, Elizabeth Isabella (21), a clerk & John Powell Gardner (19), a grocer.
Daughter Sarah Jane (Westwick) was living at 61 Lyons Terrace, Hetton-le-Hole in 1911. Her husband, William, was not at home on the night of the census but there were 5 children with her – John (29), a fruiterer, George (20), a cartwright, Herbert (18), an assistant fruiterer, Albert (14), a stable boy & daughter Annie (28). They had a general domestic servant, Elizabeth Craig, who had also been with them in 1901.
The children of John Richardson & Jane Sarah Wade (nee Butson) were:
r.2.2.7.1 Jane Sarah Wade Richardson born July-September 1854 at Easington Lane; died at Easington Lane & buried December 9th 1855 at St Nicholas, Hetton-le-Hole
r.2.2.7.2 Sarah Jane Richardson born Jan-March 1856 at Easington Lane, Hetton-le-Hole; died July 19th, 1913 at 51 Lyons Terrace, Hetton-le- Hole
r.2.2.7.3 Charlotte Butson Richardson born July-September 1857 at Easington
Lane, Hetton-le-Hole; died Oct-December 1929 at Sunderland
r.2.2.7.4 John Robert Wade Richardson born July-September 1859 at Easington Lane; died at Easington Lane & buried March 1st 1860 at St Nicholas, Hetton-le-Hole
r.2.2.7.5 John Pool (Powel) Richardson born April-June 1861 at Easington Lane, Hetton-le-Hole; died at Easington Lane & buried August 4th 1890 at St Nicholas, Hetton-le-Hole