Mary Cowen

From MyHeritage: Joseph Cowen: 1841 England & Wales Census

6 June 1841 Census for residents of Blaydon Burn House, Winlaton, County Durham 54.954284, -1.740907, England

• Joseph Cowen, head (implied), male, aged 40 - 44 [born between 1797 and 1801], in Durham, England; Fire brick M [Manufacturer?]
• Mary Cowen, wife (implied), female, aged 40 - 44 [born between 1797 and 1801], in Durham, England
• Mary Cowen, daughter (implied), female, aged 15 - 19 [born between 1822 and 1826], in Durham, England
• Joseph Cowen, son (implied), male, aged 11 [born about 1830], in Durham
• John Cowen, son (implied), male, aged 9 [born about 1832], in Durham
• William Cowen, son (implied), male, aged 8 [born about 1833], in Durham
• Edward Cowen, son (implied), male, aged 5 [born about 1836], in Durham
• Thomas Strong, male, aged 30 - 34 [born between 1807 and 1811], in Durham, England; Male servant
• Ann Prudah, female, aged 20 - 24 [born between 1817 and 1821], in Durham, England; Female servant
• Hannah Snaith, female, aged 15 - 19 [born between 1822 and 1826], in Durham, England; Female servant
• 4 siblings, 3 servants

From MyHeritage: Joseph Cowen: 1851 England & Wales Census

30 March 1851 Census for residents of Hanover Square, Winlaton, County Durham, England [Hanover Square, now Hanover Drive, Winlaton, Tyne and Wear NE21 6ES 54.9552388, -1.7303155]

• Joseph Cowen, head, married, male, aged 51 [born about 1800], in Ryton, County Durham; Manufacturer
• Mary Cowen, wife, married, female, aged 54 [born about 1797], in Winlaton, County Durham; Manufacturer's Wife
• Mary Cowen, daughter, single, female, aged 28 [born about 1823], in Winlaton, County Durham
• Elizabeth Cowen, daughter, single, female, aged 26 [born about 1825], in Blaydon Burn, County Durham
• Joseph Cowen, son, single, male, aged 21 [born about 1830], in Blaydon Burn, County Durham
• John A Cowen, son, single, male, aged 19 [born about 1832], in Blaydon Burn, County Durham
• William Cowen, son, single, male, aged 17 [born about 1834], in Blaydon Burn, County Durham
• Thomas Strong, servant, single, male, aged 44 [born about 1807], in Wylam, Northumberland; Servant
• Sarah Potts, servant, single, female, aged 20 [born about 1831], in Meldon, Northumberland; House Servant
• Alice Robson, servant, single, female, aged 17 [born about 1834], in Shotley Bridge, County Durham; House Servant

From FreeBMD: Registration of death of Mary Cowen in 1851

July to September 1851: Registration of death of Mary Cowen; [no age given]; in Newcastle T (Volume XXV, Page 259)

From British Newspaper Archive: Newcastle Guardian and Tyne Mercury Saturday, 2 August 1851 Page 5 Deaths

Deaths: In this town, at the house of her brother, Mr. Newton, Wednesday, 30 July 1851 [ult.] aged 56, Mary Cowen, wife of Joseph Cowen, Esq of Blaydon Burn.

From rootschat

Sir Joseph Cowen, born 1800, died 1873. He married Mary Newton in 1822 at All Saints Church in Newcastle. They had the following children:-

• Elizabeth Cowen 1823 – 1853
• Mary Cowen 1823 – 1891
• Joseph Cowen 1829 – 1900
• John Anthony Cowen 1831 – 1895
• William Cowen 1834 – 1875
• Edward Cowen 1835 – 1867

From PDF FORMAT: Joseph Cowen (1829-1900) Of Newcastle and Radical Liberalism - PhD by Joan Hugman July 1993 Page 22

Cowen's mother was no less politically aware. Mary Newton had been born into a poor Methodist family and although she had received little formal education she was an avid reader of political tracts. Her brother Joseph, a shoemaker, was considered to be something of a "political philosopher" while Mary herself became leader of the Winlaton Female Reformers in 1819. Her religious views were equally progressive and the couple reached the amicable compromise of having their children baptised alternately Anglican and Methodist. It is unfortunate that surviving accounts of Mary's life are so sketchy. Jane's manuscript biography of her father provides little additional information, and there is no factual evidence of her involvement in the Newcastle Female Political Union which was formed in 1839. In any event, by then she was the mother of six young children and it may have been more difficult for her to take an active role in local politics. The fact that Sir Joseph was just beginning to establish himself as a member of the local Whig oligarchy may also have been a contributory factor.

After 1832 the Cowen family politics became rather ambiguous. Sir Joseph is said to have 'engaged in a little social climbing', taking his family to society balls and soirees, and identifying himself with the Anti-Corn Law League and Poor Law Reform.