Anthony Clark Paxton

As we've previously discussed, William Paxton and Isabel Archibald had six children.  (I erroneously listed John Paxton twice in a previous entry - he is listed as born in 1755, but christened in 1758.  This could be correct, could be legibility issues, etc.)  

Their first son, William, was born in Tweedmouth on Sept 1, 1752.  The christening date we have for him, whether accurate or not I have not confirmed (if any of you can confirm, please share), is July 12, 1762.

Jane Clark was born in Tweedmouth on Dec 10, 1767, and christened on Dec 20, 1767.

William and Jane were married in Tweedmouth around 1784-1786 (again, records discrepancies).  They had 10 children:

• Isabel (1787-)
• Margaret (1790-)
• Eleanor (1792-1793)
• Selby (1793-1804)
• William (1795-)
• John (1798-)
• Robert (1801-)
• William (1804-)  
• (again, 2 children of same name?  Discrepancy?  Comment with sources if you have them)
• Mary (1807-1811)
• Anthony Clark (1812-)

William died 23 April 1836 in Tweedmouth.  His wife Jane died 3 July 1822 in Tweedmouth.

An engraving of Newcastle in 1832, courtesy of wikipedia

About 60 miles down the coast from Tweedmouth, in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, still in Northumberland, Jane Mills was born on 6 Sept 1814, christened 2 Sept 1815.  Jane Mills' ancestors had been in the Newcastle area for at least 8 generations.  Newcastle-upon-Tyne, about 10 miles inland from the coast, along the north shore of the Tyne River, is today a bustling metropolis.  In the early1800's Newcastle was benefiting  from an earlier coal trade monopoly and was in the middle of a  printing press rush.  Being a large port on the river, close to the North Sea, it was also a big player in the shipbuilding industry.  The Tyne river forms the border between Northumberland and Durhamshire.

South Shields, with Tyne and Wear in the background.
Courtesy of TripAdvisor.com

Whether a seaman because he was in Newcastle, or more likely, was in Newcastle because he was a seaman, William and Jane's son Anthony Clark Paxton made his way to Newcastle, and on 23 September, 1833, married Jane Mills in South Shields, a borough of Durhamshire at the mouth of the Tyne.

Anthony and Jane had 6 children, all born in the Tynemouth / South Shields area:

• William Mills Paxton (1836-)
• Isabella Paxton (1838-1905)
• Peter Mills Pazton (1841-)
• Anthony Clark Paxton (1842-1931)
• James Mills Paxton (1845-1910)
• Jane Paxton (1848-1935)

The HMS Dreadnaught

Anthony died at sea on 25 May 1848, on board the hospital ship HMS Dreadnaught, at the time, a hospital ship for ex-members of the Merchant navy or fishing fleet (wikipedia).

According to Anthony's son James Mills, in his autobiography: My father was of English and Scotch decent and a sea-faring man. My mother was of Scotch and English decent. She has often told me of a strange presentment which occured to me when very young. In which I persisted that my father was dead. It proved to be too true, for he was stricken with brain fever, on a return voyage from London, and died on board of the Dreadnot; a floating hospital. (A disabled seventy four gun ship) 25th May, 1848 5:45 a.m. he was 38 years old when he died at Greenwich.

 After the death of her husband, Jane is recorded in the 1951 census living with four of her children in Monkwearmouth, a suburb of Sunderland, about 6 miles down the coast from South Shields.  In our next post, we'll investigate what happens to Jane.

Sources

A record of Anthony Clark Paxton's
christening

A record of the 1851 census, list Jane Mills Paxton,
along with four of her children, in Monkwearmouth, Durham

A photo (claimed to be) of Jane Mills Paxton,
from a family portrait.

A record of the death of Anthony Clark Paxton,
upon the hospital ship Dreadnaught, and his
subsequent burial.