by 
Marmaduke Weastell is my 4th-Great Grandfather on the Garrison side. He also represents the most distant ancestor, that I have yet found, on the Weastell side. Marmaduke (I) was born about 1785 in the town of Hartlepool in Durham County, England and died May 5, 1866 in the same place. I have not been able to find a marriage record for Marmaduke (I) but I do know that he married a woman named Mary and they had a son, John, in about 1820.
Marmaduke is a Celtic male name. The meaning of the name is ‘leader of the seas’
I know from Marmaduke’s death record that he was 81-years-old when he died and his occupation was that of shoemaker. A 1827 county directory of Durham County, England, shows Marmaduke as a Boot & Shoemaker with his Hartlepool shop being on Southgate Street.
As fate would have it, Mary, Marmaduke’s wife, died three days after her husband. She was 83-years-old. My first thought was perhaps they were the victims of an epidemic. However, the causes of death for both were related to old-age. Mary’s occupation is listed as “Widow of Marmaduke Weastell, Shoe Maker”. (Note: Clicking on the images enlarges them, making them readable.)
John Weastell was born about 1820 in Hartlepool, England. He was my 3rd-Great Grandfather. I have no record of his birth, however his marriage record lists his father as “Duke”, a Shoe Maker. John’s occupation is listed as a “joiner” (woodworker). As was the case on marriage records of the time, neither the age or birth date is listed for the bride or groom. “Of full age” is recorded instead. Their marriage was held in Bishopwearmouth, Durham, England. John’s wife Margaret died in 1861 and her death record says she was the “wife of John Weastell, House Builder”. (The occupations are what helped tie the common names together.)
On March 26, 1846, Margaret gave birth to a son and named him Marmaduke (my 2nd Great Grandfather). For some reason, Margaret’s maiden name is listed as Hall on her son’s birth record. On her marriage record her maiden name was listed as Ord. Marmaduke’s father is listed as John whose occupation was that of carpenter.
On September 2, 1871 Marmaduke Weastell married Jane Postle in Sunderland England. Marmaduke’s father John was listed as a “joiner” by trade. Marmaduke’s profession is listed as “School Master”. I do not know when Marmaduke died, but when his wife Jane died in 1895, her occupation was listed as “Widow of Marmaduke Weastell, Private School Master”.
Jane Weastell gave birth to John William Weastell (my Great Grandfather) on September 21, 1873 in South Bishop Wearmouth. Marmaduke’s occupation is listed as School Master.
According to U.S. census records, John Weastell came to the United States in 1887 and was naturalized in 1897. He managed a couple “moving picture” theaters and eventually married the woman who played piano during the silent movies (Gertrude Wigley).
John Weastell died December 18, 1925 in Trenton, NJ. On his death certificate his place of birth is listed as England, however, only question marks appear in the fields that relate to his parent’s names and places of births. I was fortunate to be able to get past what appeared to be a dead end and learn his parents names. The thoroughness of the British vital records allowed me to trace my ancestors to 18th century England. More luck will be required to learn about ancestors further back than Marmaduke (I), as civil recordings were not mandatory in the 1700s. However, church records (baptism, marriage & burial) may exist for later ancestors. So, hope is still alive!
My ancestral line from Marmaduke Weastell is:
Marmaduke Weastell > John Weastell > Marmaduke Weastell > John Weastell > Leota (Weastell) Garrison > Charlene (Garrison) Crosby > Me
