The Weddle Family

Ref. S31

Sheena’s 3 x great-grandfather George Cosser (see Ref S3) married “Margaret Waddle” in an irregular marriage at Coldstream Bridge toll house  9.4.1797, leading us to take an interest in her background.  Of course the name is also sometimes spelled Weddel, Weddell etc.

Weddle – Rutherford Family

From the 1851 Census we learn that Margaret was born at Belford around 1773 and it seems clear that her parents were Thomas Weddle (?? – 1774) and Margaret Rutherford (?? – ??) who married at Belford 17.6.1764. They had family as follows:

William         Baptised 7.4.1765 Embleton

Thomas         Baptised 16.4.1767 Belford

Jane              Baptised 24.9.1769 Belford

Margaret       Baptised 18.6.1773 Belford

Thomas Weddle was buried 2.10.1774, i.e. when Margaret was only one year old. We wondered if the widow remarried but have seen no evidence of that.  Nor have we seen her burial.

Further back

In Northumberland in the decade 1735 – 45 there are six index entries for baptisms of Thomas Weddell (however spelled) and a like number for Margaret Rutherford, so, even restricting it to the county, that is 18 possible pairings – and Belford is not mentioned. Intriguingly, there were a potential couple who were each born in 1739 at Simonburn, but that looks spectacularly irrelevant!

March 2019