Mary Speed was the fourth child of Jacob Speed & Hannah Coates christened May 14th, 1797 at St Michael & All Angels, Houghton-le-Spring Co Durham.
Mary married Benjamin Cawthorn(e) on July 1st, 1820 at Chester-le-Street. Benjamin was christened June 14th, 1795 at Chester-le-Street, the son of Jane & George Cawthorn.
Benjamin, who was described as a mason at the time of the christenings of his children, died in 1840 & was buried on May 1st at Gateshead, Co Durham.
Widowed Mary was living at Ravensworth Terrace, Gateshead in 1841 & was a laundress. With her were daughters Hannah (11) & Mary (3) & son John (7). Sadly 3 of her first 4 children all died in infancy.
The children of Mary Speed & Benjamin Cawthorn were:
sp.1.6.4.4.1 Sarah Cawthorn christened February 28th, 1822 at Chester-le-Street; died at Breckonhill & buried March 11th, 1822 at Chester-le-Street (11 weeks)
sp.1.6.4.4.2 George Cawthorn born at Great Lumley & christened August 29th, 1825 at Chester-le-Street; died at Great Lumley & buried September 1st, 1825 at Chester-le-Street (10 weeks)
sp.1.6.4.4.3 Hannah Speed Cawthorn born September 5th, 1829 & christened November 1st, 1829 at Chester-le-Street; died April-June 1898 in Sedgefield
sp.1.6.4.4.4 Eleanor Ann Cawthorn July 11th, 1831 & christened September 11th, 1831 at Gateshead, Co Durham; buried November 15th, 1832 at Gateshead
sp.1.6.4.4.5 John George Cawthorn christened January 19th, 1834 at Newcastle-upon-Tyne; died August 28th, 1905 at Cornforth Lane, Coxhoe
sp.1.6.4.4.6 Mary Jane Cawthorn born Oct-December 1837 at Penshaw; died Oct-December 1899 in Auckland
Mary married again in 1842 at St Nicholas, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Her second husband was Benjamin Newton. Benjamin was born at Coxlodge, Gosforth & christened September 1st, 1817 at Gosforth, Northumberland, the son of Jane & Thomas Newton.
Mary & Benjamin were living at 52 Oxclose, Coxhoe, Co Durham in 1851 & Benjamin was a pitman. With them was Mary’s son John from her first marriage who was also a pitman, & daughter Mary Jane (13) (listed as Marianne) who was born in Penshaw. They also had an adopted son, John Hales, aged 19 & born in Sunderland, also working as a pitman.
Mary of Oxclose, Coxhoe died later in 1851 & was buried October 25th at Kelloe, Co Durham.
Daughter Mary Jane married John Atkinson Kenmir, an iron moulder, in Oct-December 1857 in Easington. They and their many children lived in Cornforth & later in Spennymoor, Co Durham.
Daughter Hannah married Thomas Bennett, a coal miner, on November 28th, 1858 at Kelloe, Co Durham. They & their family lived in Coxhoe & at the time of the 1871 census a John G Cawthorn was living with them & described as stepson. John G, an iron moulder, was born in 1853 in Kelloe. Presumably this was Hannah’s illegitimate son who was with the family in 1861 & listed as John G. Bennett. Hannah was widowed by 1881.
Son John George married Mary Jane Roxby on September 25th, 1859 at Kelloe. They and their son lived in Cornforth & John George worked in the coal mine before becoming a grocer & draper by 1901.
By 1861 Benjamin was living at Dyke Row, Framwellgate Moor, Durham & was a coal miner. With him listed as his wife was Mary, aged 52 who was born in Norton, Yorks, so it is presumed that he married again.
In 1881 Benjamin was living at Back High Row, Killingworth Colliery, Longbenton, Northumberland with wife Mary (age 72).
Benjamin died in April-June 1885, his death being registered at Tynemouth.