Joseph Soppit and Catherine Winship

St Bartholomew's Church, Longbenton
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Bill Henderson - geograph.org.uk/p/3641043

Joseph Soppit (b. 1 May 1806, bap. 19 Oct 1806 in Ovingham), who was the son of Joseph and Bridget Soppit, married Catherine Winship (bap. 9 Sep 1804 in Longbenton, Northumberland), daughter of John Winship and Mary Daggett on 1 Apr 1838 at All Saints' Church, Newcastle upon Tyne. 

Joseph and Catherine Soppit had three children; 

1. Bridget Soppit b. 1839 M Quarter in TYNEMOUTH UNION Volume 25 Page 388, bap. 3 Mar 1839 at St Bartholomew's Church, Longbenton
2. Winship Soppit b. 1842 M Quarter in TYNEMOUTH UNION Volume 25 Page 407, bap. 27 Mar 1842 at St Bartholomew's Church, Longbenton
3. John Soppit b. 1844 S Quarter in TYNEMOUTH UNION Volume 25 Page 424, bap. 6 Oct 1844 at St Bartholomew's Church, Longbenton

Longbenton had some notable residents, among them English physician and scientist, Thomas Addison, footballer Peter Beardsley and actor Jimmy Nail. The late wife and infant child of engineer, George Stephenson (1781 - 1848), are buried at St Bartholomew's Church, Longbenton. George Stephenson having worked as a brakesman and later appointed as engine-wright in 1812, in 1814, Stephenson constructed his first locomotive, 'Blucher', for hauling coal at Killingworth Colliery. (See Killingworth locomotives). This may even have been an influence, as later, John Soppit became an Engine Fitter. 

In 1839, on Bridget's baptism, the Soppit family were listed as living in Killingworth, with Joseph's occupation described as Waggonman.

In 1841, Joseph Sopwith (sic), Banksman (In Irish and British civil engineering, a banksman is the person who directs the operation of a crane or larger vehicle from the point near where loads are attached and detached); Catherine (30), Bridget (2) and Bridget Elias (60) [with the change of name, assume she remarried, but found no record] were living at Killingworth, Longbenton, Tynemouth. Longbenton has a long history of coal mining. 

By 1851, Joseph Soppit (44), a Colliery Labourer, Catherine Soppit (45), Bridget Soppit (12), Winship Soppit (9) and John Soppit (6), as well as Joseph's mother, Bridget Soppit (70), were all living at Hazbrigg, Longbenton, Tynemouth. (They subsequently moved to Durham, as Bridget Elias died in 1855 M Quarter in HOUGHTON LE SPRING Volume 10A Page 188.)

In 1861, Joseph Soppit (55), Labourer, Catherine (56), Winship (19), Blacksmith at Colliery, and John (14) Joiner at Colliery were at Four Lane Ends, Hetton Le Hole (where coal has been mined since Roman times).

Catherine Soppitt (sic) died, aged 66 (1871 M Quarter in HOUGHTON LE SPRING Volume 10A Page 269), and was buried on 9 Jan 1871 at St Nicholas, Hetton Le Hole. 

On the 1871 census, Joseph Soppitt (sic) (64) Labourer, and son Winship (29) Blacksmith, along with Isabella Hepple (42), Servant, were living at Lyons, Hetton-Le-Hole, Houghton Le Spring, Durham. 

In 1881, Joseph Soppit (74), Retired Coal Miner, was living in Caroline Street, Hetton-Le-Hole, with Martha Simpson (69) Widow, Housekeeper.

Joseph Soppitt (sic) died, aged 76, in 1882 M Qtr in HOUGHTON-LE-SPRING Vol 10A Page 254 and buried on 5 Feb 1882 in Hetton-Le-Hole.

John Pearson and Bridget Soppit

St. Cuthbert's Church, East Rainton
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Trevor Littlewood - geograph.org.uk/p/3448633

John Pearson (b. 1836 in Durham), son of Andrew Pearson and Jane Brown, married Bridget Soppit (bap. 3 Mar 1839 in Longbenton), daughter of Joseph Soppit and Catherine Winship, in Sunderland, Durham in Q2 1858.

John and Bridget had six sons:

1. Joseph Pearson b. 1859 in HOUGHTON LE SPRING Vol 10A Page 355
2. Andrew Pearson b. 1862 J Quarter in DURHAM Volume 10A Page 328 (Died aged 17 in 1879 in HOUGHTON-LE-SPRING Vol 10A Page 224)
3. John William Winship Pearson b. 1864 in DURHAM Vol 10A Page 332
4. Robert Pearson b. 1866 in DURHAM Volume 10A Page 345, bap. 5 May 1867 in Pittington, Durham
5. Frederick George Pearson b. 1869 in DURHAM Vol 10A Page 362
6. John Henry Pearson b. 18 Sep 1873 in HOUGHTON-LE-SPRING Volume 10A Page 582, bap. 5 Dec 1873, in East Rainton, Durham.

Yes, two sons were registered as John, although census records suggest the elder was known as William and the youngest, as Henry. 

In 1861, the couple were living in Low Moorsley (wonder if they encountered serial killer Mary Ann Cotton there?) in the district of Hetton-le-Hole. John Pearson (25) Joiner & Cartwright, with Bridget (22) and Joseph (1).

In 1871, at Quarry House, Pittington, we find John Soppit (35) Joiner, Bridget (32) and sons Joseph (11), William (6), Robert (4) and Frederick (2). I cannot account for the absense of Andrew and cannot locate him elsewhere.

In 1881, John Pearson (45) Foreman joiner (colliery) was living in Overmans Row, Haswell, Easington, Durham, with wife Bridget Pearson (42), Joseph (21) Fireman (locomotive engine); William (16) Pupil teacher; Robert (14), Frederick (12) and Henry (7), as well as Mary Jane Bird (14) General domestic servant. One imagines Overmans Row was housing for foremen. 

In 1891, John Pearson (55) Ironkeeper joiner, was listed at the Screen Man Arms, Gale Street, Haswell, with Bridget Pearson (52), FG Pearson [Frederick George] (22) and Henry Pearson (18), John Soppit (12) Nephew (son of Winship Soppit and Ann Hall) and Sarah A Walker (18) General Servant.

Bridget Pearson died, at 61, in 1900 in BROMLEY (Vol 02A Page 286). Bridget's younger brother, John Soppit, Publican, lived Bromley, Kent, so it would seem likely she was staying with him at the time of her death. 

In 1901, John Pearson (65) widower, living on own means, was boarding in 15, Rawshorne Terrace, South Hetton, Haswell, Easington, Durham, in the household of Thomas Hodgson (68) Coal miner.

In 1911, John Pearson (75) widower, Lamplighter, was a boarder in the household of Robert Shanks (75) Tea and coffee dealer, at 4 Richmond St, South Hetton, Haswell, Durham. 

John Pearson died, aged 80, in Easington, in 1916.