Right: " Erected In Memory of MARGARET GREY, daughter of JOHN and MARGARET GREY, who died at Old Heaton, Feb. 16th 1815?, aged 5 years. Also MARGARET GREY, who died May 21st ? 1837, aged 18 years and also the above JOHN GREY who died Aug. 16th 1850, aged 70 years." Cornhill-on-Tweed - St Helens churchyard | Section A - Row 8. Thanks to Coldstream and Local District Local History Society for permission to use this photo. It is possible that Margaret Grey's death on the headstone reads 1818 rather than 1815. This would fit with the baptism records on family search for Margaret Grey's birth: 2 November 1813 christening: 8 October 1815 at Cornhill.

Edward Grey Born about 1822. Died about 1885

Edward Grey was born at Castle Heaton, which is how he described it on the censuses of 1871 and 1881, as opposed to calling it Old Heaton. The family tree says that he married Mary Ann Sharp daughter of Sharp of Berwick. However his wife was called Catherine Sharp, the confusion may be because her mother was Mary Anne nee Forster. The Forsters were Roman Catholic. Edward's Aunt Sarah Grey had married John Forster. Edward married Catherine in Berwick on Tweed in a Roman Catholic ceremony on the 12 February 1840. The witnesses were Robert Black, George Grey, possibly his brother and Joanna Alder.

By 1861 Edward, aged 40, is a farm steward living at Bedlington, near Warkworth, with his wife Catherine 43, Mary Jane aged 20, Margaret 18, Catherine 16, who is an out door worker, and Dorothy 14, Sarah 11, and John Grey 8. The two youngest both at school. They have the same servant Mary McClelland aged 25. They appear to be at Whitefield House, a farm of 537 acres farmed by Nicolas Henderson. The farm before is Woodside farm and the one after is East Chevington.

In 1871, aged 49 Edward is in Berwick at Western Lane, described as a merchant with wife Catherine 50, daughter Catherine, 24, born Lucker ?Moor, John G. Grey 17 drapers, assistant, born Oxendean, Joseph D. Grey 6 born Oxendean grandson, and Catherine Mary Quin grand daughter, 2, born in Berwick.

By 1881, aged 59, he is living at 60 Ravensdown, Berwick, next to the Roman Catholic chapel, his occupation is a weigher, his wife Catherine is 62, his daughter Catherine aged 30, is a dressmaker, Jos Douglas Grey, grandson aged 16 is apprenticed to a cabinet maker and was born in New House, Esh, Durham and Mary Grey, granddaughter born in Berwick aged 9, is at school.

A death record for an Edward Grey can be found in Berwick in 1885, which if it it is him would make him about 63.

Little is known about John Grey and Margaret Ferguson. John was born about 1779 at Old Heaton and Margaret about 1788 in Cornhill. A record of their marriage has not yet been found. Seven of their children are recorded on the Milfield family tree although another called Margaret who died aged 5 can be seen on his gravestone, as does a second daughter called Margaret who died aged 18. In 1828 John was recorded at Heton in a parish directory, and at Old Heaton in 1832, 1834, 1835, and 1838. He can be found on the census of 1841 living there with his wife Margaret, and their children, John, William, Mary and James. He died on 17 August 1850 and was buried at Cornhill. On an older family tree Mary is said to have died unmarried. Of their five surviving sons: John farmed at Heaton, George farmed at Middle Ord, and William farmed at Tindale. For Edward and James see below.

Heaton Mill. © Copyright John Watson and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence. From geograph.

Below: Norham Boat House. From Crabtree and Crabtree's website. It is now a holiday let.

In 1841 Edward and Catherine can be found on the census at Norham Boat House, Norham: Edward Grey, farmer, aged 20, Catherine Grey aged 20 and Mary Jane Grey 6 months. The place immediately before this on the census appears to be called Blinkbonny which is the farm associated with Edward on the Milfield family tree. (No trace of a Blinkbonny in the area can be found on today's maps although it is a very common name and there are Blinkbonnys near Milfield, and Cornhill. The next farm on the census was New Biggin which is nearby.

By 1851, aged, 33 Edward was living in Heaton Mill, working as the miller, with Catherine aged 35, born in Middlesex, Margaret 8, born at Heaton, Catherine 5, born at Lowick, Dorothy 4, born Lowick, Sarah 1 born Lowick, and Mary McClelland, a house servant. There are two neighbouring millers. At the same time James Black was farming New Heaton, a farm of 1690 acres employing 32 men and 20 women, and Edward’s brothers George and John were farming Old Heaton with its 900 acres and living with their mother and her brother John Ferguson. Mary Jane aged 10, born in Norham was visiting at "Flowers"in Haggerston a Barbara Steel, unmarried annuitant, aged 58 born in Ancroft and her niece Helen Nesbitt unmarried aged 34 born in Scotland.

James Grey Born about 1829. Died 1903

James is said to be of Sunderland on the family tree but at the time of writing it the family did not know his wife's name, only that his family had children. James was born at Castle Heaton in 1829, and can be found with his family at Old Heaton at the age of 12.

When he was 21 and a millwright he married Helen Trotter in Kelso, Scotland, on 29 August 1850. The witnesses were Archibald Trotter and Christian Elliot. The two of them can be found on the 1851 census for Scotland at Wood Market Street, Kelso where he is said to be a grocer. This may be a mistake unless he was a grocer as well as a millwright. Wood market is part of the central shopping area of Kelso. His wife Helen was born in Scotland in about 1833.

Their first child Mary Jane was born in Newcastle in about 1851, their next Margaret, in Bolton Le Moors Lancashire, in about 1854 and their son John on 12 November 1856. On his birth certificate it records his father James as a millwright, living at what could be 6 East Bowmont Street, Kelso. Their son George was born on 26 September 1858 in Coldstream at Dunse Loan. (Now called Duns Road.)

By 1861 he was living in Sunderland in Bishopswearmouth at 5 ½ Zion Street working as an engine fitter, although the census says he was born in Scotland with his wife Helen aged 28, and children Mary Jane 10, born in Newcastle, Margaret, 7, in Bolton le Moors, Lancashire, John 5 born in, Scotland, George 2 born in Scotland and William Short a boarder aged 22, also an engine fitter , unmarried and born in Scotland. (In the 1871 census William Short is still living in Sunderland, married to Anne Gage. He was born in Coldstream.) Living in the same house, but listed as a separate household was Thomas R. Parker, aged 29, a house and ship joiner born in Boston in Lincolnshire with his wife and three children. Their neighbours are craftsmen shipwrights and sailors.

Above: The remains of the Wheatsheaf and one house on the corner of Zion Street, Sunderland. The Wheatsheaf dated from 1820. It was, before its demolition, one of the oldest surviving pubs of Sunderland’s east end. Most of the surrounding dockland's area has been redeveloped. From Google's streetview.

In 1871 he was living at 11 Queen Street Sunderland, aged 40, an Engine fitter, born at Old Heaton, with wife Helen born in Scotland, Margaret, daughter aged 16 is a dress maker, born in Bolton Lancashire, John, son, aged 14 born in Scotland. George is absent and may be the George found dying at the age of 4 years in Sunderland in 1863 but original sources need to be checked. His son John was married in 1877 and went on the have nine children. His daughter Margaret was married before the next census. By 1881 he was living at 41 Sheepfold Road, in the Bridge ward of Sunderland. His occupation is a model maker Engine. There is himself and his wife and his daughter, now Margaret Lawson, with her daughter. They are surrounded by shipwrights. He says he was born at Heaton. The area was an industrial one with timber yards and a pottery. In 1882 he married Anne Gage, a widow who was previously married to William Short. (The boarder in 1861?) She had three children: William, Alexander and Leonard. In 1891 aged 60 James is living at 51 Stansfield Street, Sunderland, a marine engine pattern maker with Ann Grey aged 46, born in Sunderland and William Short, son in law, a fitter, aged 23 and Leonard Short son in law aged 12. Both boys were born in Sunderland. James records his birth at Heaton. In 1901 aged 72 he is living at 52 Stansfield Street Sunderland with his wife Ann, he is a retired pattern maker, born at Castle Heaton. He died in Sunderland at that address in 1903 on 19 May at the age of 74. Leaving £294 7s 2d. to his widow Ann.

His daughter Margaret married, aged of 19, to John James Gowdy on 7 April 1874 at Bishops Wearmouth. He died aged 24 a year later at Southwick, Durham. Their daughter Helen died in the same year. She then married Thomas Lawson, a coal trimmer, in 1877, with whom she had a daughter Elizabeth Jane who is 2 on the 1881 census at Sheepfold Road. He died in 1883. She then married Robert Kilpatrick, a pattern maker born in Fife, Dunfermline, Scotland. Their three children, Christina, Henry and Margaret ( Maggie) appear on the 1891 census at 21, Cousin Street, Bishops Wearmouth, South Shields with Lily ( Tilly) aged 11. By 1901 at 222, South Frederick Street, South Shields, Robert is a pattern maker for an iron foundry, Lily is a dressmaker, and Christina a pawn shop assistant. In 1911 at 218 S. Frederick Street Robert is an engineers pattern maker, aged 53, Christina is a clerk to a coal merchant ,and daughter Margaret is a laundry packer. Robert died in 1926. Margaret on 7 February 1936, at 218, S. Frederick Street. Her probate records that she left her £290 9s. 9d. to her daughter Christina Richardson wife of John William Richardson and her son Henry Grey Kilpatrick, iron moulder and Margaret Bruce widow. More on their descendants on ancestry here.

Above: Three of the places James lived in in Sunderland.

The 1841, 51 and 61 censuses for Loan Cottage, Loan House and 3 Dunse Road, Coldstream shows the Short family. The 1841 census lists a William Short aged 2, grandson of Mary Short aged 55. The others there are Leonard 30, Thos, 25, Wm 20 and Margt 15. In 1851 a William Short aged 12 is listed as the nephew of John Short , mason. Mary Short may have been the sister of Margaret Ferguson and therefore James Grey's Aunt. The next family listed on the 1861 census are the McLarens of Hope Park.

Above: Norham Boat House photographed in 2007. Thanks to Patrick Shipp for permission to use.

Whitefield House, Red Row by Ian S, from geograph © Copyright Ian S and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

The Short Family. William Short Border aged 22. BIRTH 1838 • Coldstream, Berwickshire, Scotland. DEATH 13 MAY 1880 • 29 Burleigh Street, Sunderland, Co. Durham, England. William gave his father's occupation as Land agent on his marriage certificate. "William's grandparents were ag. labs, his uncles were ag. labs, toll keepers and apprentice masons, there's not a sniff of anything as responsible as a Land Agent, or a Farm Steward ..If William Short is Edward Grey's son, he would have been the result of what I'd think of as early experimentation, with a girl who may well have been his cousin, if Mary and Margaret Ferguson are related, as I think they might be. Edward went on to marry Catherine Sharp, and if anyone looked after William, from the Grey family perspective, it was James Grey, who seems to have taken him to Sunderland, put him up in his own house, and after his death, married his widow and supported his children." Adam Short.

A recent YDNA match, ( with a genetic distance of 1), has revealed a Grey link with Adam Short, a descendant of William Short. Adam had long suspected that his ancestor may have been Edward Grey. Writing in May 2016 he says: "Edward is the name William gave for his father at his marriage. He actually wrote "Edward Short", but there are no Edward Shorts in the picture at that time and place, I searched for years, and it's not a family name for the Shorts, either up or down the tree. The census evidence would tend to indicate that William was illegitimate, and it was common for illegitimate children to put their father's first name (where they knew it, which indicates that William did know) and mother's surname on official documents as the father. He also gave his father's occupation as Land Agent.. and could be used almost interchangeably in an agricultural community with Edward's actual occupation as Farm Steward at the time. I believe William did know who his father was, if only because the details he gave are odd ones to have made up. Edward was young, but not too young, to father a child in 1838 (William's birth year) at between 16 and 20 (more likely around 16). My current favourite for William's mother .., Margaret Short, was even younger (13!), but my theory is that this was very much an immature and probably fleeting relationship. The other contender, Mary Short, was born in 1816, so was a little older than Edward. She's still in the running, but we might never know for sure, DNA won't help at all here. I'm currently favouring Margaret over Mary because she was present in Loan Cottage with 2 year old William in 1841, while Mary was elsewhere, working as a servant. Conversely, William is living with Mary in 1851, but Margaret had died by that point (she died in 1841, a couple of months after the census). So Edward's name and age so far make him .. the most likely choice. James, on the other hand, was too young at the time. He would have been 8 or 9. In any case, he later married William's widow (in 1880, William died at 42), which would have been pretty creepy for a father-in-law, but maybe less creepy for an uncle who was fairly close to William's age. There's also the possibility that the marriage was purely to support William's children, James's children being grown up, his wife dead, and Ann Short otherwise being left on her own with a 2 year old to support. In the 1850s, most of the Short family emigrated to Australia, to hunt for gold in the Victorian gold rush, but William stayed behind, and next turns up with James Grey in Sunderland. They seem to have left Coldstream for Sunderland together, given that they were certainly living on the same street in 1858 when James's son was born there, and turn up sharing a house in Sunderland in 1861. Their relationship seems to have been close, especially given what later happened with William's widow. I've often wondered if it was James's job (as a Grey family representative) to look after William. This is speculation, of course, but if it was his job, it's a job he seems to have done well, and thoroughly. One of William's grandchildren is actually named after James (James Grey Short, birth date unknown, died in 1941, apparently washed overboard from an oil tanker). In summary, my theory, based on the documents I've pieced together, is that Edward was William's father, but James (for some reason, maybe his brother or parents asked him to, maybe he was just a nice guy) was actually the one who looked out for him, certainly once he became an adult.

Alexander Short, son of William Short. He is a Chief Engine Room Artificer on board a torpedo boat on the 1911 census, The family lived in Kent.

Julie Simpson writing on her ancestry family tree web site says this about William :"Williams Short's birth in 1838 in Coldstream, Berwickshire, either legitimate or illegitimate does not appear to have been recorded. An illegitimate birth recorded in 1839 for a William Smith, actually turned out to be William Mitchell and appears in further census records, with his mother and step father. In 1841 Scotland Census, he appears at Coldstream Berwickshire living at Loan Cottage, as a 2 year old with Mary Short (nee Ferguson), who is most likely his Grandmother and her children Leonard, Thomas and William and Margaret. The absence of any other possible mother may indicate that Margaret may have been his mother, despite the fact she would have only been 13 at the time if his birth. Civil parish:Coldstream County: Berwickshire, Address:Coldstream, Loan Cottage, Parish Number:733, Mary Short 55, Leonard Short 30, Lab, Eng Thos Short 25, Lab, Eng, Wm Short 20 Lab, Eng, Margt Short 15, Eng, Wm Short 2 born County of Coldstream. William and Mary's other daughter Mary, who remained unmarried at her death, may also have been his mother but it is odd the she is not with a young son in 1841. In the 1851 Scotland Census, Mary appears with her brother John and young William, who was named as her brothers nephew. Parish Number: 733,Civil parish: Coldstream Town: Coldstream County: Berwickshire, Address:Loan House, John Short 21, abt 1830, Head, Mason Ap, England, Mary Short 35, abt 1816, Sister, Gambsmill [Lambs mill, Mordington], Berwickshire William Short 12, abt 1839, Nephew, Coldstream, Berwickshire. That fact that Leonard had a son William in 1845 also eliminates him as William's Father. At the time of his marriage to Ann Gage, William mentioned his father as a Land Agent named Edward Short this may or may not have been correct. If he was illegitimate his father may have been Edward but not necessarily Short, it was a common practice for illegitimate children, to name the father's first name and the mother's surname. Edward was not a name used by any other past or future Short family members, given the very traditional naming patterns the family used it would have been expected, that one of his brother's would have used the name if it was legitimate. The link to Hannah Greenlay (nee Cook) who was said to be his cousin at the time of William's death, seems more likely to be her husband William Greenley's cousin through Ann Gage, via the Taylors. Hannah's sister Elizabeth Rutter appears with the Greenlay's in the 1881 census. Elizabeth married Edward Rutter. To be William's cousin Hannah's parents either John Cook or Hannah Storey's sister, would have had to have been William's mother i.e. Edward married a Cook or a Storey, but their is no evidence of that."

The Short family can be found on ancestry on the SimpsonWenzlick family tree here

The above extract from a family tree in a Milfield scrapbook has Ed. Grey " went to Australia" which may give credence to the theory. Even if Edward Grey did die in Berwick, the Short family emigrated to Australia in the 1850s.

Partial chart of Edward's descendants, some from secondary sources.