Miscellaneous documents
Reference: D/X 422 Catalogue Title: Miscellaneous documents Area: Catalogue Category: Other Records Description: Miss Florence Dawson of Pelaw Leazes, Durham City
Covering Dates: 1767-1974
Catalogue Index
Use and to reveal/hide the structure of the catalogue index (requires Javascript to be enabled in your internet browser options). Click to jump directly to information at a specific level of the catalogue.
- Miscellaneous documents
- Miss Florence Dawson of Pelaw Leazes, Durham City (Ref: D/X 422)
- Florence Dawson (Ref: D/X 422/1-31)
- Charles Dawson & Son, painters and decorators (Ref: D/X 422/)
- Durham City election, 1895 (Ref: D/X 422/)
- Engravings of Durham City (Ref: D/X 422/)
- Family information (Ref: D/X 422/)
- Local history (Ref: D/X 422/)
- Methodism (Ref: D/X 422/)
- Miscellaneous (Ref: D/X 422/)
- Pelaw Leazes (Ref: D/X 422)
- Photographs (Ref: D/X 422/)
- Singing (Ref: D/X 422/)
- William Robinson's silver cup (Ref: D/X 422/)
- Stereoview cards (Ref: D/X 422/54/1-109)
- Brancepeth (Ref: D/X 422/54/)
- Durham City (Ref: D/X 422/54/)
- Europe: France (Ref: D/X 422/54/)
- Europe: Germany (Ref: D/X 422/54/)
- Europe: Italy (Ref: D/X 422/54/)
- Europe: Jersey (Ref: D/X 422/54/)
- Europe: Switzerland (Ref: D/X 422/54/)
- Mexico (Ref: D/X 422/54/)
- Miscellaneous (Ref: D/X 422/54/)
- UK: Devon (Ref: D/X 422/54/)
- UK: Isle of Wight (Ref: D/X 422/54/)
- UK: Northern Ireland (Ref: D/X 422/54/)
- UK: Scotland (Ref: D/X 422/54/)
- UK: Stratford upon Avon (Ref: D/X 422/54/)
- UK: Weymouth (Ref: D/X 422/54/)
- UK: Windsor (Ref: D/X 422/54/)
- UK: York (Ref: D/X 422/54/)
- USA (Ref: D/X 422/54/)
- Postcards (Ref: D/X 422/54/110-138)
Catalogue Description
Miss Florence Dawson was the last surviving member of a family established in Durham for several generations.Her great grandfather, William Robinson of Framwellgate, a tailor and active freemason, was born at Hexham in 1767 and died in Durham in 1837. He married Jane Chismond of Tanfield at St Margaret's Church, Durham in 1794. They had eleven children, some of whom died in infancy and childhood. Their second son (also William Robinson) was born at Colchester in Essex in 1797 - probably when William Robinson was serving with the Durham militia or even briefly as a volunteer with the 68th (Durham) Regiment who were stationed there early in 1797, during the Napoleonic Wars. The elder William was known as the "patriotic tailor" for his readiness to join the Durham militia in 1792 on the outbreak of war and for his efforts to keep the citizens of Durham informed of events in the war when newspapers were rare and expensive. He is said to have decorated the mailcoaches at his own expense when they brought successful news of the war. In 1814 the people of Durham presented him with a silver cup in recognition of these services. This was presented back to Durham City Council. The eldest son, Lancelot, and William Robinson the younger were tailors like their father, and the latter in the 1840s carried on business on the new North Road in Durham. He was also for many years sexton of St. Margaret's Church.
Jane, the wife of the elder William Robinson, died in 1820 and the following year he married Alice Forrest (born in 1785) at St Margaret's Church in Durham. William and Alice Robinson had four children, two of whom died in infancy. Their daughter, Jane Elizabeth, born in 1824, married Charles Dawson, a Master Painter of Claypath, Durham. Their eldest son, Charles Forrest Dawson, born about 1853, married Catherine Mary Noble in 1879; they were the parents of Miss Florence Dawson. Charles Forrest Dawson attended the Choristers School, was also a painter and decorator and had a business in New Elvet and later on Elvet Bridge before going to live at Pelaw Leazes.
Despite her family's long connection with St. Margaret's Church, Miss Dawson was herself a life-long member of the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Old Elvet, as was her mother. Some of the items in this collection reflect her association with the chapel. She was a leading member of the Sewing Society (examples of her needlework are in this collection) and participated in many musical and choral events, having a fine singing voice. At the opening of the present Old Elvet Chapel in 1903 she was the soloist singing "The Heavens are Telling".
Catalogue Contents
The first stereoscopic viewer was created in 1833 by Sir Charles Wheatstone, a British inventor. Stereoview cards/photographs include two separate images printed side by side. Stereoscopic photography became popular when Queen Victoria was presented with a stereoscope made by Jules Duboscq.
This collection belonged to Miss Florence Dawson (1880-1974) formerly of 4 Pelaw Leazes, Durham City.