Our Ancestral Heritage & Heraldic Story

The Watson Story

The Watsons have been traced so far to ancestors back on my mother’s side to  1791 the birth of John Watson who in 1816 married Ann Bell and in 1821 gave birth to Martin Watson who with Jane Armstrong had John he married  Esther Mulcaster who was born in 1853, John Watson my great grandfather pictured below. 
The Ancient Arms of Watson : As depicted on the right.
Heraldic Crest: A GRIFFIN'S Head erased Argent, ducally gorged Or(Gold).
Coat of arms: Argent, on a CHEVRON ENGRAILED Azure between three MARTLETS Sable, as many CRESCENTS Or(Gold)

The Family Motto : MEA GLORIA FIDES Translated means: “Fidelity is my glory”

         THE WATSON FAMILY SEAT

The Watson Family Seat situated in Northumberland, a working farm Broadwood Hall at Allendale Broadwood Hall is a group of 17th and early 18th century buildings. The hall is built in 17th century style but is dated 1716 over the doorway. An outbuilding is bastle-like but its walls are not as thick as in true bastles. Another building is said to have been a Quaker school. An older house once stood north-east of the hall and was demolished in the mid-20th century. It had an inscribed stone over the door with the date 1690 and the initials H above J B. The old house seems to have been a rather grander building than the usual Allendale bastles and may be better described as a strong house. (The Farm Pictured below in earlier times) This is a Grade II Listed Building protected by law.

The Watson lineage descends through John Watson
John Watson 1791- a joiner in early years at fifty his occupation is listed as blacksmith he married Ann Watson (nee Bell) and she bore him eight children William and James in 1816 followed by Mary and John in 1821 they moved from Chishire to Allendale Northumberland and in 1823 they had Martin and in 1824 Elizh and in 1831 Annabella followed in 1856 by Francis

Martin Watson 1821- 1892. a coal miner by occupation and married Jane Watson (nee Armstrong)  he died 13th April 1892, during the marriage she had seven children, Hannah 1847, Ann 1849, Margret 1851, Isabella 1853, John 1854, Elizabeth 1858, Edward 1860,

At this point Mulcaster ’s and Watsons merged when Thomas Todd Mulcaster 1813-1867 married Hannah Hodgson she gave Thomas nine children, James, John, Susannah, Elizabeth (died at infancy interned at Malaga Spain) Elizabeth Ann, Hannah, Esther (my great great Grandmother) Robert William and Thomas Todd jnr.

John Watson 1854-1931. married my great great Grandmother Esther Mulcaster 16th  Aug 1877, they had three children John, Maggie  and Thomas Todd (my grandfather and named after Esther’s younger brother). For the most part they lived and worked the farm Broadwood Hall at Allendale Northumberland, from where Thomas left to come south as a travelling salesman to meet Nanny.

The picture right shows John Watson (left standing) and Esther, granddad Thomas as a young man, seated left Grannie Jane Watson (nee Armstrong), Maggie (with Jean on her lap) and John’s sister Francis.

Thomas Todd Mulcaster Watson 1890-1961 in 1916 he married Florence Beatrice Spurway 1886-1973 during their married life they had five children all girls, Diana, Rosemary Jane, Margaret Esther (Peggy), Josephine Mary (my mother) and Angela.

The picture right shows the second generation of the Watson family from left to right - front seated Florence (Nanny), Josephine, Jane (at the back) Peggy, Diana (next to Jane) Angela (the youngest) and Thomas seated.

Josephine Mary Spurway - living: with my father Lawrence William Farr had two children myself and my sister Marilyn, thus tracing back the link to the dynasty of the Mulcaster family ancestors