The Kiplings of Long Newton

The 1911 census contains three households of this group: 105 headed by Joseph Kensley Kipling (37) at Long Newton with his wife, three children and three cousins (children of William Kipling (1852-89) see below); 109 Joseph’s mother, Mary Kipling (61,) a visitor at a house in Stockton; and 266 Frank Kipling (3), illegitimate daughter of Annie, one of Joseph’s cousins, living with his adoptive parents at Masham.

The group most probably traces back to William Kipling who married Mary Widrop at Haughton-le-Skerne in 1782. In 1783, a Catholic baptism was recorded at of a daughter, Ann. Sons John (1785), Thomas (1786), William (1788) and Joseph (1791) followed

Who was William? He may have been the William Kipling b Nov 1750, son of Thomas and Ann Kipling1. This William had brothers John, Joseph and Thomas. But what took him from Bowes to Haughton?

The deaths of William and Mary were recorded at Haughton.

Burials, Darlington District - Record Number: 766629.2 Location: Haughton-le-Skerne Church: St. Andrew Denomination: Anglican 24 Mar 1831 William Kipling, of Haughton, age: 80

1 This Thomas was the illegitimate son of Dorothy Kipling of Mellwaters, daughter of Thomas Kipling of that place, and Charles Bailes.

Burials, Darlington District - Record Number: 766777.2 Location: Haughton-le-Skerne Church: St. Andrew Denomination: Anglican 24 Sep 1837 Mary Kipling, of , age: 84

Mary was probably living with son Joseph at Sadberge when she died.

Daughter Ann married George Crisp in 1810 at Haughton. (Northumberland and Durham Marriages). The four boys’ stories are set out below.

John Kipling

Baptisms, Darlington District - Record Number: 704071.0 Location: Haughton-le-Skerne Church: St. Andrew Denomination: Anglican 17 Feb 1811 Mary Kipling, of Haughton, born 28-Jan 1811, 1st daughter of John Kipling (butcher, native of Darlington) by his wife Mary late Wetherington (native of Darlington)

Marriages, Darlington District - Record Number: 339869.1 Location: Darlington Church: St. Cuthbert Denomination: Anglican 11 Mar 1832 Robert Robinson (bachelor), of the parish of Aycliffe married Mary Kipling (spinster), of this parish, by licence Witnesses: R.H. Naylor, John Wilson

John Kipling died in 1839, when living at Ryhope, but was buried at Aycliffe.

Burial Register (BT), Aycliffe, 1839

John made a will in 1836 when he was living at Howden House in Aycliffe. He left to his wife Mary various freehold properties and gardens in Aycliffe occupied by John Robinson and Charles Law. Following her death, they were to go to daughter Mary Robinson (wife of Robert) and then to any children she may have. Should Mary die childless, the properties were to be sold and half the monies to be distributed to the children of brothers Thomas and William and the other half to his wife’s sister Isabella Dunbar and her children2. The residue of the estate was to go to wife Mary.

Possibly Mary then became a housekeeper at an inn at Bishop Middleham (D&VM describe her as Mary Dodsforth Wetherington). She married George in 1843.

Thomas Kipling

Registers of Whorlton, Durham. May 1811

Marriages, Darlington District - Record Number: 319468.1 Location: Middleton St. George Church: St. George Denomination: Anglican 26 Mar 1825 John Ferguson, of Long Newton married Jane Orwin, of this parish, by license with consent of parents Witnesses: Thomas Kipling, Christopher Jackson

2 An Isabella Wetherington married a Joseph Dunbar in Plumstead in 1828. A Mary Wetherington married a Hill in Plumstead in 1806 (although later marrying John Kipling in Darlington seems unlikely)

1841 Sadberge

York Herald - Saturday 20 March 1841

1851 Sadberge

Burials, Darlington District - Record Number: 827909.2 Location: Sadberge Church: St. Andrew Denomination: Anglican 10 Feb 1857 Thomas Kipling, of Sadberge, age: 69

William Kipling

I have been unable to trace William and his children (which we know from John’s will that he had). He could possible be the William below:

Marriages, Darlington District - Record Number: 160262.1 Location: Aycliffe Church: St. Andrew Denomination: Anglican 15 May 1816 William Kipling, of this parish married Elizabeth Elliott, of this parish, by banns Witnesses: Margaret Harcus, Thomas Robinson

1851 Counden

Joseph Kipling

1841 Middlesbrough

1851 Middlesbrough

York Herald - Saturday 10 April 1852

York Herald - Saturday 18 November 1854

York Herald - Saturday 20 November 1858

1861 Yarm

Burials, Stockton District Record Number: 681719.2 Location: Long Newton Church: St. Mary Denomination: Anglican 15 Dec 1866 Joseph Kipling, of , age: 76

Did Joseph move to his nephew William’s in his final days?

William (1812)

William (born at according to later census records) was the son of a Thomas Kipling (as recorded at the time of his second marriage, see below), although no direct record of his baptism has been found. This may be the Thomas above (and mother Ann).

We first actually encounter William when he marries for the first time in 1836.

Marriages, Darlington District - Record Number: 347733.1 Location: Sadberge Church: St. Andrew Denomination: Anglican 16 May 1836 William Kipling, of the parish of Middleton St.George married Isabel Robinson, of this parish Witnesses: Mary Dennison, Matthew Robinson, Mary Lee

It appears an infant daughter died young, possibly with her grandparents at Sadberge.

Baptisms, Stockton District - Record Number: 691387.0 Location: Long Newton Church: St. Mary Denomination: Anglican 28 Jul 1840 Marianne Kipling, of Goosepool, daughter of William (carpenter) & Isabel Kipling

Burials, Darlington District - Record Number: 827783.2 Location: Sadberge Church: St. Andrew Denomination: Anglican 26 Mar 1841 Mary Ann Kipling, of Long Newton parish, age: infant

In 1841, the family is recorded at the hamlet of Goosepool, which lies on the boundary of Middleton and Long Newton parishes. A map of the 1860s shows it in the latter, although the censuses in the decades before imply the former.

1841 (Goosepool)

1851 Middleton St George

Isabel died in 1853 of consumption and in 1855 William married Jane Hutchinson. A Joseph Kipling (his uncle?) was a witness.

Saturday 07 March 1857, York Herald

Post Office Directory of Northumberland & Durham, 1858, Long Newton.

The family appears in the 1861 and 1871 censuses in the High Street, Long Newton.

Northern Echo - Wednesday 06 October 1880

1881 Long Newton

Joseph (Kensley) Kipling was the illegitimate son of Mary Kipling (family 105/109 in the 1911 census). Spensley and Hislop were the married names of William snr’s sisters Margaret and Isabella.

Northern Echo - Friday 22 August 1884

Both Williams died in the following decade and are buried with their wives and with Mary at Long Newton.

Widow Jane then moved to Grewelthorpe near Ripon where for a time she ran a pub.

York Herald - Saturday 06 January 1894

Saturday 03 February 1894, York Herald

Northern Echo - Tuesday 31 January 1899

The Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer - Friday 04 September 1925

Many thanks to Peter Kipling for assistance in compiling this history.