Mary Ann Farndale

17 March 1853 to 1927

The Bishop Auckland 1 Line

 FAR00397

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A dressmaker and excellent needlewoman. She was strict, but kind and didn’t drink.

Dates are in red.

Hyperlinks to other pages are in dark blue.

Headlines are in brown.

References and citations are in turquoise.

Context and local history are in purple.

1853

Mary Ann Farndale, daughter of Thomas and Isabella (nee Bowes) Farndale (FAR00280) was born on 17 March 1853 in Auckland District. Mary Ann Farndale’s birth was registered at Auckland District in the first quarter of 1853 (GRO Vol 10a, page 102).

1861

Census 1861 – St Helens Auckland

Isabella Farndale, 42, a labourer and widow

William Farndale, son, unmarried, 10, born St Helen Auckland in 1851

Margaret (this presumably should be Mary Ann so will be an error) Farndale, daughter, 8 born St Helen Auckland 1853

1871

Census 1871 – Barracks, St Helen, Auckland

Isabel Farndale, head, 54, born Durham in 1817

William Farndale, son, 20, labourer

Mary A Farndale, 18, dress maker

1881

Census 1881 – Commercial Street, Willington, Co Durham

William Farndale, 30, colliery labourer

Mary J Farndale, 28, dressmaker

1891

Census 1891 – Low Willington, Willington, Durham

William Farndale, head, aged 40, a general labourer

Mary A Farndale, sister, 38, dressmaker

William and Mary adopted Nora Bovill, who had been born on 25 December 1885 in County Durham. Nora later married Rupert Evans at Newcastle in 1916 (Information from Judith Bremner, with thanks).

William Farndale and Mary Ann Farndale were the grandchildren of George and Mary nee Armstrong Farndale (FAR00215). When Mary Armstrong married George Farndale the marriage was given the consent of Ann Bovill the natural and lawful mother of the said minor. Since William and Mary later adopted Nora Bovill, it seems likely that Ann Bovill was from this same family, Ann being a generation or two earlier. There was clearly a close relationship between the Farndale and Bovill families which needs more exploring.

Mary Ann & William attended St Stephens Church of England in Low Willington (Information from Judith Bremner, with thanks).

Mary Ann was a respected member of the community, an excellent needlewoman. Judith has examples of her lace work and the dolls clothes she made for Judith’s mother. She did not drink alcohol herself but it was quite proper for visiting menfolk to be offered spirits and for Mary Ann to meet with other women in the ‘front room’ of the Dun Cow where she knew the landlady. Mary Ann visited Bishop Auckland each Thursday for market day and to meet other family members. She was strict but extremely kind and is only ever spoken of in terms of great respect and affection. From Judith’s mother’s viewpoint ‘Aunty’ came from a huge extended family many of whom Judith’s mother did not know. She does however remember visiting ‘cousin’ Ginny/Jenny? White in Queen St Redcar (Judith has an old post card sent to mother from this address) and has vivid memories of holidays at Cragg Hall Farm. Judith’s mother is adamant that she knew it is Cragg and not Craggs. Matthew (FAR00383), affectionately called Mattha by Mary Ann was an elderly widower by then and he appeared to enjoy her fussing over him. Judith’s mother remembers a beautiful rose garden hidden at the back of the farm seen only by those at the farm, fruit bushes dripping with berries, taking the farmworkers lunches out to the fields at midday, being allowed to go shopping on her own to Carlin How or Brotton (an example of the changes in society as she was only 5 or 6 at the time) and reading Pilgrims Progress in the rarely used ‘front room’ A special treat was to be taken for rides in the side car of Herbert’s (FAR00652) motor bike. Herbert, Matthews’ son was presumably running the farm by this stage. (Information from Judith Bremner, with thanks)

Following the death of her own mother Judith’s grandmother Nora Bovill was brought up from the age of 8 by her spinster ‘cousin’ Mary Ann Farndale and her bachelor brother William Farndale (FAR00386) in Low Willington Co Durham. The 1901 census shows Nora as their adopted daughter but a poor transcription shows their surname as ‘Thorndale’ (Information from Judith Bremner, with thanks)

A few years after Judith’s grandmother’s marriage she returned to live with the now elderly Mary Ann & William in Willington, taking Judith’s mother and uncle with her. Therefore between the ages of 5 and 10 Judith’s mother lived with Mary Ann Farndale. (Information from Judith Bremner, with thanks)

Mary Ann was always referred to as Aunty Farndale or Aunty. Her brother William was not very strong and Mary Ann looked after him until his death in 1919, at this time Judith’s mother was a toddler and unable to remember him herself. Mary Ann died aged 74 when Judith’s mother was 10 in 1927. Their parents were Thomas Farndale & Isabella Bowes. Thomas died in his early 30’s and Isabella had a hard life bringing up 2 young children as a single parent. (Information from Judith Bremner, with thanks)

Judith (nee Piddington) Bremner was born on 28 June 1947. She was the daughter of Margaret Bovill (nee Evans) Piddington, born on 9 March 1917. Margaret was the brother of William Farndale Evans who was born on 2 September 1921 and died on 17 November 1989.

Nora (nee Bovill) Evans was born on 25 December 1885 and died on 1 May 1957.

1901

Census 1901 – Low Willington, Willington, Durham

William Farndale, 50, caretaker Church Institute

Mary A Farndale, 48

Nora Bovill, 15 adopted daughter, born Co Durham in 1886

1911

Census 1911, 72 Low Willington, Co Durham

William Farndale, 60, coke drawer at colliery

Mary Ann Farndale, 58, sister and single

1919

Mary’s brother, William Farndale, died, age 66 at Durham District in 1919 and his death was registered in the second quarter of 1919 in County Durham (Vol 10A, page 411).

1921

Census 1921 – 72, Low Willington, Durham

Mary Ann Farndale, 66 years and 3 months, born at St Helens, Auckland, single, home duties

Margaret Bovill Evans, 4 years and 3 months, born in Newcastle

1927

Mary A Farndale, died, aged 74 at Durham District in 1927 and the death was registered in the third quarter of 1927 (GRO Vol 10a page 334).