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From my gt grandmother's birth certificate (Margaret Elizabeth Mellaby born 1859 Ormesby, Yorks) I know that her parents were George Mellanby (ag.lab.) and Mary, nee Harding (who made her mark rather than signed the certificate). From the 1851 census I know that these two were born in about 1813/14 and 1815/16 respectively. I think I've found - on Familysearch - a parish record of Mary Harding's christening on 24 sept 1815 in Danby, Yorks - no image available unfortunately.
Can anyone help me find out more about this couple and the children they had?
In 1881 at age 21, Margaret Elizabeth was living with an unmarried cousin William Harding, age 41 a sharebroker who became a wealthy man, mayor of Darlington, JP, pillar of the Society of Friends, several paragraphs about his funeral in 1910 in the local newspaper etc. He appears to have sheltered various Mellanby cousins and I am trying to find out how exactly he was related to them, to Mary Harding, and thus to her daughter Margaret Elizabeth Mellanby and indeed to her son Sidney Harlock, who I understand also was sent to live with William Harding when his own father fell on hard times (late 1890's/1900's perhaps). I suspect William sponsored Sidney (my grandfather) through boarding school and professional training and I'd like to know what his link was to my family.

Slightly different spelling on marriage details

Name: George Melonby
Date of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar 1838
Registration District: Stokesley
Inferred County: Yorkshire North Riding
Volume Number: 24
Page Number: 415
Records on Page: Name
Mary Brunton
Mary Harding
Isaac Hugill
George Melonby

Glitterbaby
Thanks. I guess that suggests there may be a string of Mellanby children starting from about 1838 onwards. My ancestor (born 21 years later) was presumably the youngest!
Any documentation to show if Mary Jane Mellanby (born c.1843) was her sister? It seems Mary Jane kept house for William Harding for all her adult life and inherited his house and much of his wealth when he died in 1910.
Ann

Hi Ann

Have you got the certificate for the marriage?


Marriages Mar 1838 (>99%)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Harding Mary Stokesley 24 415
MELONBY George Stokesley 24 415

From the census returns it seems that William Harding was born c.1840 in Norton, Stockton-on-Tees.

This could possibly be his birth (the certificate would give you his parents names):-


Name: HARDING, William
Registration district: Stockton
County: Durham
Year of registration: 1840
Quarter of registration: Jan-Feb-Mar
Mother's maiden name: Not available before 1911 Q3
Volume no: 24
Page no: 196

Kath. x

No - Glitterbaby only just referred me to it. I presume I'd have to order it from GRO to see the details. What would it be likely to confirm?

I guessed it would be the offspring of these two that I'd need to investigate in order to establish the link between William Harding (1840 - 1910 the wealthy one) and Mary Harding - and between him and his cousins Mary Jane Mellanby and Annie mellanby (age 4 in 1881 so surely not another child of Mary and George Mellanby).

1851 just for info

Name: Marg Mellanby
[Mary Mellanby]
Age: 35
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1816
Relation: Wife
Spouse's Name: George Mellanby
Gender: F (Female)
Where born: Danby, Yorkshire, England

Civil Parish: Ormesby
Ecclesiastical parish: Cleveland
County/Island: Yorkshire
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Disability: View Image

Registration District: Guisbrough
Sub-registration District: Lofthouse
ED, institution, or vessel: 3
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Schedule Number: 56
Piece: 2375
Folio: 246
Page Number: 14
Household Members: Name Age
George Mellanby 37
Marg Mellanby 35
Elizabeth Mellanby 11 born Stainton
Mary J Mellanby 8
Catharine Mellanby 6
Thomas Mollanby 4
William Mollanby 1

Class: HO107; Piece: 2375; Folio: 246; Page: 14; GSU roll: 87663-87664.


Not yet found them in 1841

I think this is George Mellanby in 1841:-

1841 census transcription details for: Durham Place, Middlesbrough

National Archive Reference:
RG number: HO107
Piece: 1258
Book/Folio: 5/26
Page: 47
Reg. District: Stockton on Tees & Sedgefield
Sub District: Yarm
Parish: Middlesbrough
Enum. District:
Ecclesiastical District:
City/Municipal Borough:

Address: Durham Place, Middlesbrough
County: Yorkshire

Name Relation Sex Age Birth Year Occupation Where Born

MELLANBY, George M 25 1816 Yorkshire
MELLANBY, Mary F 25 1816 Yorkshire
MELLANBY, Hannah F 5 1836 Yorkshire
MELLANBY, Elizabeth F 2 1839 Yorkshire
COLLIN, John M 30 1811
COLLIN, Diana F 30 1811 Yorkshire
JANE, Mary F 1 1840

EDIT - John, Diana and Mary Jane Collin are in a separate household in the same building.

Kath. x

Thanks Kath (my last reply was to Gins - I'm getting a bit mixed up here!)
Yes I think that's him. I've found a christening record for 2 feb 1840 (can't remember where exactly now) that indicated William was the son of Thomas and Ann Harding (christened at St Thomas's church, so not a Quaker by birth). Thomas was an agricultural labourer, so William really was a self made man. Odd thing is that in 1851 he was at boarding school in Great Ayton, age 11. I wonder who was paying for that sort of education for a farm labourer's son? Tho' I haven't checked the school yet - it may have been for the sons of the labouring poor or orphans i suppose.
Do you advise i order the birth certificate? I'm not sure it will tell me any more than the christening record showed.

yes wealthy indeed..

Name: William Harding
Probate Date: 21 May 1910
Death Date: 19 Apr 1910
Death Place: Darlington
Registry: Durham, England

£100,569 9s 2d The entry actually says he died in Hove Sussex

The birth certificate would give you his mother's maiden name which might shed some light on the connection with the Mellanby family (or not).

The school he was at in Great Ayton was an Agricultural School amongst other things.

It seems that one of his parents might have been a Quaker who had married outside of the religion as the school was set up originally for the children of "disowned" Friends who were not eligible for Quaker education.

Kath. x

1861

Name: William Harding
Age: 21
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1840
Relation: Head
Gender: Male
Where born: Stockton, Durham, England
Civil Parish: Haughton le Skerne
County/Island: Durham
Country: England
Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

View Image
Registration District: Darlington
Sub-registration District: Aycliffe
ED, institution, or vessel: 9e
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Schedule Number: 92
Piece: 3684
Folio: 121
Page Number: 16
Household Members:
Name Age
William Harding 21
William Harding 83
Mary Jane Mellanby 18

William aged 83 is his grandfather

Jude

Kath
Thanks v. much for the info' re the school Willaim Harding went to. In the 1861 census he was a railway clerk thereafter he became a share dealer/ stockbroker. And clearly made a fortune at it!
isn't it most likely that the connection I'm looking for is between Thomas Harding (Wm's father) and Mary Harding - who became Mary Mellanby on marriage? If . for instance, thomas and Mary were brother and sister then her Mellanby offspring would be cousins of his son william Harding.
Ann

Yes, you are probably right. I thought you were unsure of the connection between the families but this seems most likely.

Kath. x

Yes, what you are looking for is a father William Harding with children Thomas and Mary Harding......

I think I might have the same Mellanby family in my tree. I have Thomas Mellanby born abt 1846, son of George Mellanby born abt 1814, Stainton and his wife Mary born abt 1816 Danby.

My Thomas Mellanby married my great grand aunt, Anne Bean 15 June 1867 in Eston, Yorkshire. She was previously married to John Race.

My Thomas had siblings Elizabeth 1840, Mary J. 1843, Catharine 1845 and William 1850,

Trouble is that Thomas Harding and Mary Harding are too old to be on any census together and Thomas was probably married before the start of civil registration so there won't be a marriage certificate that could be used to check addresses etc.

Kath. x

Mary Jane Mellanby died 1919 probate £27,987 8s 4d,so she enjoyed spending money.

1851
Thomas Harding 32 widow born Guisborough
John 8
Thomas 5
William Harding born Basda;e Yorks retired farmer
Mary 72 born Moorholme? Yorkshire.

1841 Guisborough
William Harding a farmer
Mary Harding
William Harding 20
Hannah Harding 1836 (is this Mary's daughter before marriage)

Thomas Harding married in 1837 to Anne Dale.

Maryb.

The marriage Mary posted..

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page
Marriages Dec 1837 (>99%)
DALE Anne Guisbro' 24 323 Scan available - click to view
HARDING Thomas Guisbro' 24 323 Scan available - click to view


So you could buy this certificate and the certificate of Mary Harding's marriage to George Mellanby - and hopefully their fathers will be the same....

Jude

William's legacy in 1910 equates to about £10M today !!!!!! And by the time she died, Mary Jane had got through the equivalent of £9M :-0