A Life of Hardships - Robert Cornelius Hails
The opportunity to present on the subject of “Money and property matters” at a SAG Hang Out during COVD-19 prompted me to document the story of my 2 x great grandfather, Robert Cornelius Hails. Southwick, Durham, England Early Life Robert was born on 9 November 1855 in Southwick, County Durham, the fifth child of Robert Hails, a shipwright and Mary Ann McKenzie, who had married in Sunderland in 1849. Birth Certificate - Robert Hails - 1855 Sadly, four of his brothers died in infancy and his mother Mary Ann passed away on 12 November 1860 in Sunderland, as a result of complications following the birth of a daughter, Ann. Death Certificate - Mary Hailes - 1860 In 1861 Robert was living at 24 Cottage Row, East Murton with his father, Robert, now described as a joiner, brother John, aged 11, a coal miner, and sister, Annie, aged 2. Also living with the family was his maternal aunt, Ann, who was recorded as his father’s wife. 1861 Census - East Murton, Durham, ...