Joseph Stephenson was the sixth child of Joseph Stephenson & Jane Carter christened December 7th, 1859 at Low Worsall.
Joseph lived at home at Low Worsall until at least 1881. At the time of the 1881 census he was the only child still at home & was working as a cartwright.
By 1891 Joseph was working as a journeyman joiner & was living with Mary & Robert Johnson, a joiner, at Nunthorpe, Great Ayton, N. Yorks.
Joseph married Matilda Robson May 15th, 1893, at the Parish Church of Great Ayton. Witnesses at the wedding were Benjamin Robson, Frances Jane Robson, Hannah Robson & William Chapman Robson. Matilda was born March 29th, 1867 at Witton-le-Wear, Co Durham, the daughter of Matilda & Benjamin Robson, a farmer.
In 1911 Joseph & Matilda were living at Tree Bridge Cottage, Nunthorpe, Great Ayton & Joseph was now described as a journeyman joiner & wheelwright. They had 4 children at home – Ethel (14), William (13), Edwin (11) & John George (7). Also with them at the time of the census was a niece Irene Howey (3) born in Sunderland. It was noted on the census that Joseph & Matilda had had 8 children, only 4 of whom were living.
Daughter Ethel married John Hunter in 1922 in Stokesley. Son Joseph married Ellen Ruddick in 1925 in Sedgefield & in 1939 they & their 5 children were living at Station Cottages, Wynyard, Sedgefield.
There is a death for Joseph Stephenson, aged 70, registered at Stokesley in April-June 1930.
The 1939 register shows widowed Matilda living at Levenside, Stokesley & with her was son John George who was noted as ‘totally incapacitated’. Son Benjamin & his wife Hannah M were still living in Stokesley in 1939 where he was a horseman on a farm.
Matilda, late of Tree Bridge, Nunthorpe, died on July 27th 1940, aged 73, at Bethal Cottage, Stokesley, N. Yorks. She was buried at Nunthorpe Cemetry.
The children of Joseph Stephenson & Matilda Robson were:
s.9.5.6.1 Ethel Stephenson born February 19th, 1897 at Tunstall & christened May 2nd, 1897 at Great Ayton, Tunstall, N. Yorks; died Jan-March 1973 in N. Yorks
s.9.5.6.2 Joseph William Stephenson born February 18th, 1898 at Three Bridges, Nunthorpe & christened March 20th, 1898 at Great Ayton, N. Yorks; died Oct-December 1969 in S.E Durham
s.9.5.6.3 Benjamin Edwin Stephenson born August 5th, 1899 & christened September 10th, 1899 at Great Ayton, N. Yorks; died Jan-March 1967 at Cleveland, N. Yorks
s.9.5.6.4. Mary Edith Stephenson born May 30th 1901 at Tree Bridge Cottage, Great Ayton & christened August 4th, 1901 at Great Ayton; died Oct-December 1905 at Great Ayton
s.9.5.6.5 John George Stephenson born December 19th, 1903 at Great Ayton, N. Yorks; died Jan-March 1952 at Cleveland, N. Yorks
s.9.5.6.6 Charles Henry Stephenson born July-September 1905 at Great Ayton; died May 22nd, 1906 & buried at Great Ayton Cemetery
s.9.5.6.7 Charles Stephenson born Oct-December 1907 at Great Ayton; died July 4th, 1910 at Great Ayton
s.9.5.6.8 Ernest Stephenson born Oct-December 1907 at Great Ayton; died February 11th, 1909 & buried at Great Ayton Cemetery