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It All Started with Adam
by Val Atkinson
Article ID: 3, First Published: March 2004When my brother started school in 1951 I was three years old, and I desperately wanted to go. I screamed the place down when my mother and I had to leave after dropping him off. I hung like a limpet to a coat hanger in the cloakroom until the head mistress and the teacher prised me off and told me to come back in 1953.
I did go back in 1953, and learned real things because in those days children began at ‘A’ and went to ‘Z’.
When writing stories we were taught the value of interesting repetition. A decent story must have three elements:
Tell them what you’re going to tell them.
Tell them.
Tell them what you’ve told them.
And so we come to Adam.
TELL THEM WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO TELL THEM:
I’m going to tell you how I solved the enigma of Adam and and made him areal part of my bygone family. I’m going to show you how hard work and persistence eventually pays off, and how turning over stones doesn’t always uncover black beetles and scorpions. I’m going to show you how I learned to be a ‘proper’ genealogist, and how I built up a picture from a name until it became a person, and the person became a family.
TELL THEM:
The DUNN family came from the Scottish borders to Newcastle on Tyne, and by the 1870’s were settled in Howdon, north of the River Tyne. Four of the nine children were girls, and three of them had illegitimate children. The family spread south of the Tyne into Durham, and some of their descendants still live in South Shields.
Adam was the illegitimate son of Isabella DUNN named after his uncle. When I found his marriage and subsequent children I felt quite satisfied and put him to one side. He was a tidy ‘stay put’ ancestor!
1873 Adam is born in Chapel Street, Howdon, Northumberland
1874 to 1893 Adam presumably grows up in Chapel Street,
1894 Adam gets married from Chapel Street and names his father as George DUNN (who’s that?)
1896 onwards: Adam and Annie DUNN have children at Chapel Street
One day I was idling on the computer, and thought to myself that I hadn’t found Adam on the 1881 census.
Now I didn’t NEED to find him because I already had him, but I made it my mission and eventually found:
1881 census at 45 Colledge’s Buildings Chirton Northumberland
Isabella DODDS Widow aged 24
Born Newcastle Northumberland
Adam DODDS Son aged 7
Born Howdon Northumberland
George DODDS Son aged 4
Born Howdon Northumberland
Mary Jane DODDS Daughter aged 1
Born Howdon Northumberland
I found Isabella’s marriage to George DODDS, felt satisfied that Adam had been part of a real family, but often wondered how and when he’d returned to Chapel Street for his marriage.
I thought I would see how he was doing on the 1891 census and this is what I found:
1891 census at Chapel Street Howdon Northumberland
James KING Head aged 37 trimmer
Born Wallsend Northumberland
Isabella KING Wife aged 34
Born Wallsend Northumberland
Adam DODDS Stepson aged 18
Born Wallsend
George DODDS Stepson aged 16
Born Wallsend
Mary Jane DODDS Stepdau aged 13
Born Wallsend
Isabella KING Daughter aged 6
Born Wallsend
Annie KING Daughter aged 3
Born Wallsend
Ellen KING Daughter aged 1
Born Wallsend
I found the DUNN/DODDS/KING marriage, and eventually four more children who had died.
Adam’s family had expanded and he had come full circle back to Chapel Street ready to be married.
He married as Adam DUNN and I think the George DUNN he named as his father must have been George DODDS his first stepfather.
TELL THEM WHAT YOU’VE TOLD THEM:
Adam began as a solitary illegitimate acorn, and finished as part of a family oak tree.
His overturned stone revealed buried family treasure and a story that tells us not to break our ties with the past.
Oak trees don’t grow without care, and family trees don’t grow without work and dedication.
It all begins with one, and if we take the time to follow through it ends in a cast of thousands.
Make it your mission. Turn over your stones. Do it!
