Family Index   Name Index    HOME  


Robert Thompson   1773-1854
Robert was born about 1773, in Sunderland. He was a keelman when he married Elizabeth Beaney on 25 November 1796 at Holy Trinity, parish church of Sunderland. Robert was listed as a Master Mariner, when he died of "old age", at West House, Fulwell, on 6 March 1854.
A keelman ran a keelboat, a shallow draft boat that could navigate far up the shallower parts of the river. 		  Some keelboats were used to haul away the sand ballast that was brought in by the early seagoing sailing ships, The sand keels could carry between 50 and 60 tons of sand. Other keelboats were used to haul coal from far up the river down to the waiting brigs. Each coal keel, by law, should carry 21 tons of coal.
Elizabeth Beaney
Elizabeth was from Bishopwearmouth Panns, a small area of Bishopwearmouth near the river, not a separate parish.
They had the following children:
Robert Born 21 Sep 1797 Sunderland Married Sarah Lowes
Margaret Born 4 Mar 1800   Sunderland
Elizabeth Born 6 Jan 1802   Sunderland Died 21 Nov 1802, Age 10 Mo.'s
Edward Born 30 Aug 1806   Sunderland
Ralph Kirton Born 8 Jun 1808   Sunderland Married Ann Pickering
John Born 13 Jan 1810   Sunderland Died 1 Oct 1811, Age 2
Barbara Born 17 Sep 1811   Sunderland Married Thomas Moffoot
John Born 4 Sep 1813   Monkwearmouth Married Margaret Coltman
Thomas Born 1 Jul 1815   Monkwearmouth Married Maria Hull
Jane Watson
Joseph Born 5 Jul 1820   Monkwearmouth Shore Married Isabella White

Birth of Parents
Robert Thompson b: abt 1773               Holy Trinity, Sunderland
(There is a possibility that he was the son of a Robert Thompson, c: 4 Oct 1773, South Shields,
and Mary Kirton, daughter of Ralph Kirton, married on 11 Jan 1770, in Heworth, county Durham.)

Elizabeth Beanie No Date

Marriage
25 Nov 1796
Robert Thompson
Elizabeth Beeney 		Holy Trinity, Parish Church of Sunderland
both of this Parish, by Banns, by John Hampson Rector
Wit: Mills Beny and Thomas Ailot

Children
Robert Thompson b: 21 Sep 1797  c: 20 Jan 1799                     Holy Trinity, Sunderland
1st Son of Robert Thompson, Keelman, of this Parish, and Elizabeth Bieney, of this Parish
Margaret Thompson b: 4 Mar 1800  c: 2 Nov 1800                     Holy Trinity, Sunderland
1st daughter of Robert Thompson, Keelman, of this Parish, and Elizabeth Beaney, of this Parish
Elizabeth Thompson b: 6 Jan 1802  c: 6 Jun 1802                     Holy Trinity, Sunderland
2nd daughter of Robert Thompson Mariner, native of Sunderland, and Elizabeth Bainey, native of Panns
Elizabeth  died 21 Nov 1802   Age 10 Mos.  
Edward Thompson b: 30 Aug 1806  c: 4 Sep 1808                     Holy Trinity, Sunderland
2nd son of Robert Thompson, Keelman, of this Parish, and Elizabeth Beaney, of this Parish
Ralph Kirton Thompson b: 8 Jun 1808  c: 4 Sep 1808                     Holy Trinity, Sunderland
3rd son of Robert Thompson, Keelman, of this Parish, and Elizabeth Beaney, of this Parish
John Thompson b: 13 Jan 1810  c: 5 Jul 1810                     Holy Trinity, Sunderland
4th son of Robert Thompson, Keelman, native of Sunderland and Elizabeth Beany, native of Bishopwearmouth          Died 1 Oct 1811, Age 2 Yrs, Convulsions, Buried: 3 Oct 1811
Barbara Thompson b: 27 Sep 1811  c: 3 Oct 1811                     Holy Trinity, Sunderland
3rd daughter of Robert Thompson, Keelman, of this Parish, and Elizabeth Beaney, of this Parish
John Thompson b: 4 Sep 1813  c: 23 Jul 1815                   Holy Trinity, Sunderland
son of Robert Thompson, and Elizabeth Beaney, Golden Alley
Thomas Thompson b: 1 Jul 1815  c: 23 Jul 1815                   Holy Trinity, Sunderland
son of Robert Thompson, Keelman, and Elizabeth Beaney, Golden Alley
Joseph Thompson b: 5 Jul 1820  c: 30 Jul 1820                   Holy Trinity, Sunderland
son of Robert Thompson, Keelman, and Elizabeth Beaney, Golden Alley

Death
Elizabeth Thompson Buried 6 Jun 1828, Age 57,     Bishopwearmouth Burials 1824-1853
Vine Place
(There is nothing that identifies this as our Elizabeth Thompson, but the date and age appears timely.)


1841 Census HO 107/321/7 7 June 1841 Bishopwearmouth, County Durham
George Street Born in this County?
Robert Thompson
Joseph 		Age 65
Age 20 		Mariner
Shipwright 		Yes
Yes 		abt 1773
5 Jul 1820

1851 Census HO107-2397 31 March 1851 Sunderland, County Durham
4 Trafalgar Square     "Merchant Seaman's House"
Robert Thompson (Wdr) Age 77 Mariner Durham Sunderland abt 1773
Plus 10 other residents. Built in 1840 at a cost of about £3,000, obtained from the money of the Muster Roll Fund, together with £600 subscribed by the friends of the sailors. It is built upon the site of The Old Workhouse Garden of Sunderland Parish and made over to the Trustees, for the sum of £5 per annum as nominal rent which initially was paid by the Governors of the Orphan Asylum. In 1903 there were 104 rooms each occupied by a man and his wife, or widower, or the widow of a sailor.


Death
Robert Thompson Died 6 March 1854, Age 81,       Master Mariner, West House, Fulwell     1954 1Q Sunderland 10a 229
Burial: Sunderland Churchyard, Informant: Robert Thompson