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Thanks to everyone for their help. I'm away from home for a few days now so I'll have to consider all this carefully when I get back. I'm reasonably convinced that we've jointly established the connection between my gt gt grandmother Mary Harding and William harding the wealthy stockbroker, but I'll need to look into which documents I need to obtain to categorically prove the point.
In relation to place of death of Wm Harding I think it was Hove. He went to London for an operation (accompanied by my grandfather according to family legend) and then to the south coast to recuperate - but he didn't. I think I'll try and get the death certificate in case it was my grandfather who notified the death. And in case anyone was wondering, no grandpa didn't get a mention in the will, so I'm not an heiress! Funny how family fortunes always seem to be missing fortunes isn't it!

Hannah Close of 13 Cresent Parade Ripon widow died 28/5/1911 probate to Minnie harding Close spinster,William Harding Stockbroker !! and George Edward Peckett Davis doctor
£22109 17 7
resworn £25,603 19 3d

Maryb.

William's sister Hannah Close who benefited from his will


William Close 1832 died 1886 married Hannah Harding A/M/J 1854 in Stockton.She was the daughter of Thomas and Ann born 1838.
Hannah Close widow of William Close died 1886 of 14,Peacock Street Midlesborough probate to Hannah £10

It is looking more certain that the 1841 is the correct family.
Just trying to prevent Ann from spending money on certificates if they are not needed.

Maryb

Oh well we'll forgive her lol :-D But yes the fortune he built up was quite impressive. In the probate (I assume you have it - the will might be interesting to get if you haven't) shows his home as Hollyhurst but says he died in Hove. The transcription says Darlington.

I suspect the former is correct and this is the GRO

Deaths Jun 1910 (>99%)
Harding William 70 Steyning 2b 170 Scan available - click to view

I think your next step is to buy those two marriage certificates for Thomas and Mary and, hopefully, the father (and his occupation) will be the same proving they were siblings. fingers crossed.

heyjude
I see where you are coming from but to be fair to Mary Jane, she didn't inherit the whole fortune, so I don't think she blew quite £9m in 9 years! (For an elderly spinster Quaker lady that would be going it some!) According to a faded newspaper report I have, he made legacies to his brother John, his sister Hannah Close, several nephews and neices and various good causes - to the tune of about £12k. He left Mary Jane the rather grand house they lived in - Hollyhurst, Darlington, now a nursing home - for her lifetime but then it reverted to his other beneficiaries. The rest of his estate was split 3 ways, between Mary Jane and William's surviving brother and sister - so she may have got about £27k in assets in her own name, plus use of the house.
Not bad all the same for a girl whose mother couldn't sign her own name.
Family history is fascinating, isn't it!

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

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

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.

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

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,

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

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

Kath. x

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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).