Once again a relative of mine that met an untimely end courtesy of the powers of nature! The Lady in question was a Miss Barbara Collin Donkin born 1805, the daughter of William Donkin of Plainfield and Barbara Carnaby his wife. Although equally horrific in nature, I find this one rather more 'gruesome' as this extract from Local History & Remarkable Events 1837 relates:-
Maybe the moral of this story is - ladies, learn to dress yourselves!! The Wedding that wasn't and the Wedding that most certainly was..I had it in the back of my mind when I wrote the above post, that this unfortunate lady had met her untimely death on the "eve of her wedding" but could not lay my hands on the evidence. Well, I have found it see below:- What an occasion this could have been judging by the account of her Great Uncle William Donkin's marriage to Eleanor Shotton in 1750 at Great Tosson, Rothbury. For upwards of a century, the Donkins, a well-known Northumbrian family, farmed at Great Tosson. Shortly before 1720, Samuel Donkin — the "Patriarch" came into Coquetdale, and settled at Great Tosson. He died at the ripe old age of 102, and was buried in Rothbury Churchyard, on May 6th, 1791. Members of this numerous family farmed at Whitton Dene, Rye Hill, Spital, and Plainfield. The wedding of one of them — William Donkin of Tosson took place on the 7th of June, 1750, and was remarkable for its festivities and the length of the cavalcade which accompanied the pair from the Parish Church of Rothbury, to Tosson, Now that's what I call a wedding!!! Shafted!A comment and excellent story from Alison Elliott put me in mind of another extraordinary event that occurred in the family of the unfortunate Miss Donkin. Her Great Uncle Francis Carnaby met his untimely end by falling down a coal pit near The Chirm, Wingates in 1765! This must be one of the most unlucky families I have come across! It would appear that Frances may have been returning from a visit to his sister Mary b.1735 d.1784 who was married to Lionel Aynsley b.1739 d.1829 at the Chirm.
The Chirm as we know it today was sometimes referred to as North Wingates, which together with Todburn formed part of the parish of Longhorsley. Circa 1764/5 a list of properties which formed part of the Estate of the late James Thornton d.1761 (Wingates and other associated Farms) was drawn up and clearly shows Lionel Aynsley as tenant of Garrett Lee, paying a rent of £52 per annum for a term of 11 years from 1763. In addition to this circa 1764/5 the Colliery at the Chirm was rented to a Mr Thomas Stair for £20 per annum. I wonder whether he had to pay compensation for the accident.? Somehow I doubt it. In addition it is interesting note that the Landlord and many of his tenants are noted as being of the Catholic faith, with Royalist sympathies during the 1640's and a near miss during the 1715 Jacobite rising! For further information re Wingates & the Thornton Estate see below:- http://www.northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk/understanding/historyarchaeology/historicvillageatlas/wingates_maincontent/wingates_the_history/wingates_estatesandagriculture
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AuthorSusie Douglas Archives
August 2022
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