13 May 2021

I received a PDF death certificate today which was a bit surprising:

Death at Middle Street, North Shields on 31 January 1862 of John Peak, male, age 2 weeks, son of John Peak, anchorsmith journeyman. The cause of death was bronchitis 3 days, certified. The informant was John Peak, present at the death, Middle Street, North Shields. Registered 1 February 1862.

I had ordered this because I thought it was the death certificate for John Peak born c. 1815 but it appears to be the death of his grandson. The father on this certificate is probably John Peak born 1838 and the mother would be Dinah Smith. John Peak 1838 was living in Middle Street on the 1861 census and his occupation then was Forgeman, so this seems to fit.

The complication is that John Peak 1838 is shown living with a son called John aged 8 in the 1871 census so I need to look for another John Smith born around 1862 or 1863

It also means I need to look for John Peak 1815’s death between 1858 when he was mentioned on his son’s marriage certificate and 1862 when his widow remarried. There is one in 1854¹ which I will order.

I could not find another John Peak being born around 1862, so it’s a mystery who the John Peak age 8 and 18 in the 1871 and 1881 censuses is.