8 May 2021

Today we received a copy of Thomas Tew’s death certificate:

Death at Hunt Mill, Westbury, Bucks on 8 July 1880 of Thomas Tew, male, age 78 years, a farm labourer. The cause of death was Natural Decay Anasarca 3 months, certified. The informant was Benjamin Fletcher, son in law, present at the death, Hunt Mill, Westbury. He could not sign his name. Registered 10 July 1880.

We also received the death certificate of Rebecca Brooks nee Pritty:

Death at Mendham on 7 July 1846 of Rebecca Brooks, female, age 75 years, wife of James Brooks, yeoman. The cause of death was Inflamation of the bowels, not certified. The informant was James Brooks, present at death, Mendham. He could not write his name. Registered 10 July 1846.

We spent some time researching the Peak family today, initially looking at the children of John Peak and Dinah Smith. I noticed, perhaps for the first time, that John had a servant in 1891. The family seemed to be doing well by that time. They also seem to be very close, as evidenced by the memorial poem that their daughter Rebecca sent to a local newspaper on the first anniversary of her mother’s death. However, not all the family were as well off. After his parents’ deaths in 1900, John Peak jr ended up in the Tynemouth workhouse by 1901¹ and was still there in 1911², but had deteriorated to being a patient rather than an inmate. He died in 1920 but I don’t know if he was still in the workhouse at that point.

However, it seems that John Peak senior made a good life for himself despite his origins. His father, also called John Peak (b. abt 1815) and wife Jane Harrison Todd had several run-ins with the law

In 1844, at the age of 29 when his son John was 6, he and his wife Jane were sentenced to 3 months imprisonment for assault. The details are shocking:

[DURHAM SPRING ASSIZES, 5 Mar 1844]… JOHN PEAK (27) and JANE PEAK (29) were charged with having assaulted Elizabeth Scott, with intent to do her some grievous bodily harm. All the parties belonged to Sunderland, and appeared heretofore to have led a questionable sort of life. Scott, a widow, was the tenant of a house in Low-street, but the greater portion of the furniture belonged to the prisoners, who lived with her. Late on the 17th of December, the assault alleged was committed in the room occupied by the prosecutrix. Both the prisoners wore[sic] active parties - both struck and kicked her in various parts of the head and body - and both repeatedly knocked her down. The effects of this ill-usage were serious; she was for a time insensible, her face was so swollen that neither of her eyes was discernible, blood flowed profusely from more than one wound, and proofs of kicking with heavy boots appeared in the lower parts of the body. The fact of the assault was not denied even by the prisoners: the nature of the quarrel that led to its commission was not quite so manifest. Verdict, guilty of an assault.-3 months’ imprisonment, hard labour. ³

We also found that later, in 1858, Jane may have been imprisoned again for nine months for keeping a disorderly house:

DISORDERLY HOURS - On Friday Jane Peak, publican in the High Street, was committed for trial by the North Shields Borough Magistrates, charged with keeping a disorderly house and harbouring prostitutes. She will be tried at the Quarter Sessions.⁴

We don’t know if this relates to Jane Harrison Todd. In the 1851 census she is living with her husband John Peak whose is then a baker. Interestingly we do not have them in the 1861 census. John died in 1862.

This Jane Peak was again charged with keeping a disorderly house in 18605 and was fined 20s6. In fact, more searching uncovered a dozen more times that she was charged in this way. She is described at various times as a publican, victualler or proprietor of an eating house.

In 1862, Jane Harrison Todd married a Thomas Porteus.

Marriage at the church, Wallsend on 2 June 1862 of Thomas Porteus, 45 widower, an enginewright of this parish and Jane Peak, 48, widow, of this parish. His father was William Porteus, an engineman. Jane’s father was Thomas Todd, a maltster. Thomas could sign his name, Jane could not. The witnesses were Joseph Mordue and John L Charlton, both of whom could sign.

This is definitely Jane Harrison Todd but is it the same Jane Peak that is mentioned in the newspaper reports. She has no occupation here, although her father being a maltster and having been married to a baker, it seems possible that she could also be a publican. Her marriage was also announced in the Newcastle Journal⁵.