Snowdon Family

This page traces the Snowdon family from the UK to Isabella SNOWDON and her daughter Elizabeth KEIRVEN (Edwards). The Snowdons can be traced back to the 14th century around Northumberland. The following figure shows the family tree back from Elizabeth.

Snowdons in the 14th – 19th Centuries

Note the following information is somewhat dubious. It’s based on combining family trees online, not confirmed source facts (like births/christenings, marriages and deaths). It is often the case that when folks build family trees they include data that may be close but not completely correct. The following data runs that risk. I need to spend more time digging through to confirm the facts. However it’s interesting to see the heritage stretching back and where it went even if the exact details aren’t correct.

The earliest Snowdon family I have been able to trace is John SNOWDON (b. 1568 Rothwell, Yorkshire) and Margaret BEAUMOND (b. 1582 Rothwell, Yorkshire). Their son John was born in Newcastle Upon Tyne in 1604. John and Mary ANDERSON (b 1603) had a number of children around Northumberland, including Thomas (b. 1630).

Thomas married Ann LEWANCE and must have moved to Yorkshire. Their son John was born in 1670 at Stokesley, Yorkshire (approx. 50 miles south of Newcastle). This John married Ann TWEDDLE in Haltwhistle, Northumberland (about 40 miles west of Newcastle) in Jun 1700. They had a son John later that year. John may have been the only child of John and Ann; there was another marriage to Hannah BIRD and atleast eight children resulting from it (this may also be conflicting info from the various family trees floating around).

John SNOWDON (b. 1700 in Haltwhistle) married Mary HARDING (b. 1701 in Longframlington, North’d) in Haltwhistle in 1724. They had atleast two children; Thomas (b. 1725) and John (b. 1727). Confused about the Thomas’ and John’s yet? This John married a Mary (surname unknown) and had a son William (in 1748) in Bolam, Northumberland. William married a Mary (surname unknown) and moved to Alnham, Alnwick, Northumberland. They had atleast six children between 1779 and 1791, including John (b. 1781).

John SNOWDON (b. 1781 in Alnwick) married Mary STOREY (b. ??? in Rothbury, North’d) in Rothbury in 1808. They also had many children, including a John (b. 1809 in Warwick, Cumberland). Warwick is in the midlands; a long way away from Northumberland, but verifiable data (census records) point to this place of birth so I’m comfortable that it’s valid. I’ve been informed that “Warwick is outside Carlisle. Carlisle is on the direct route following the line of the Roman Wall from Newcastle. It would be a relatively straightforward journey east from Newcastle”, validating the data.

John SNOWDON (b. 1809) married Isabella WAKEMAN (b. 1818, Durham City) in Durham City, Durham in 1839. Sometime between then and 1851 they moved back to Newcastle/Tynemouth.

Snowdons in Newcastle/Tynemouth

The following Google map shows the key locations of the Snowdons around Newcastle/Tynemouth.

View Keirven and Snowdons in Northumberland in a larger map

Most of the housing from the late 19th century around the Willington, Willington Quay and Rosehill areas have been torn down and rebuilt since then. Some of the streets no longer exist.

George and Isabella Snowdon

Now we come to the areas around Wallsend/Tynemouth. As of the 1851 census, John and Isabella Snowdon were living in Norfolk St, North Shields with children Elizabeth (10), Isabella (8), John (6), George (3), and Caroline (1). John (snr) is listed as a waiter. North Shields is over near the mouth of the river Tyne (thus the name Tynemouth).

By the 1861 census, they had moved to Wallsend (address given as Willington Sawpit?). The family consisted of John and Isabella, John (16), George (13), Caroline (11), Margaret (8), William (6), Mary A (4), Eleanor J (3), and Emma (4 months). So Elizabeth (20) and Isabella (18) had moved out of the family home (or not present there for the census). John (snr) was listed as a shipyard labourer and John (jnr) as Shipbuilders Apprentice. Like most in the area the family was involved in the shipbuilding industry.

At the 1871 census they were living at Ravensworth St, Willington. Maps from 1856-1865 show very little housing in the area. The main centre is Willington Quay on the Tyne, with what looks like small settlements of Rose Hill and Prospect Place to the north and the Willington Colliery to the north west. Ravenswoth St is a road connecting Prospect Place and the Quay with some housing on it. The only other housing in the area seems to be along the southern border of the colliery. A map of the area in the 1860’s can be seen here. Ravensworth St runs south from Prospect Place in the lower right of the picture.

The four eldest children had moved away from home by this time. The remaining family consisted of John (60), Isabella (52), Caroline (21), William (16), Mary Ann (14), Elenor Jane (12) and Emma (10). By the 1881 census all the children, other than Elanor Jane (22) had left home. John was 70 and Isabella 62. We believe John and Isabella both died in 1883.

George and Elizabeth Snowdon

George SNOWDON married Elizabeth HENDERSON in 1868. The Henderson family had also lived around the Northumberland and Durham areas for a number of generations.

At the 1871 census they were living in Stephenson St, Willington, but had not had any children. This was the road closes to the Tyne in the middle of Willington Quay, with the shipyards on it. George was a riveter. By 1881 they had three children, Thomas (5) Isabella (2, but not on census) and Elizabeth (1). They had moved to Ravensworth Street, just down the street from George’s parents.

By this time the area was becoming more established. Rosehill had a few streets full of housing stretching across the southern border of the colliery. Sometime between then and the 1891 census they moved across the river to Jarrow. The family consisted of George (43), Elizabeth (43), Thomas (16), Isabella (12), Elizabeth (11, but not on census), Emma (6) and Margaret (5).

By 1901 they had returned to Willington, living at 1 Orde Ave. This is where the Keirven’s would move to and possibly how Isabella met her future husband. This was a new estate on the eastern edge of the colliery. The family consisted of George and Elizabeth, Isabella (21), Emma (16), and Margaret (15). George was still working on the shipyards as an “Iron Ship Plater”. Isabella was working as a “General Servant Domestic”. I don’t have the 1911 census information but I know George died in 1918 in Wallsend. Elizabeth appears to have lived to the 1930’s.

Isabella Snowdon

In Nov 1904 Isabella married James KEIRVEN. More details on the marriage and children can be found on the Keirven family page.

Isabella died on the 6th September 1917 (at age 38) at the City Hospital for Infectious Diseases (Walker) of Pulmonary Tuberculosis. Her address was given as 16 Sutton Street, Newcastle upon Tyne. There is no indication of other relatives living with her.

By this time James had moved to 2 Dawson Square, Tynemouth, with the children.