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Funeral Card · primary-source record

William Shanks

circa 1840 (computed from age at death) – August 10, 1894

Died 10 August 1894 · Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, Northumberland, England

Editorially verified

At-a-glance facts

Record type

Funeral Card

Date of death

August 10, 1894

Date of birth

circa 1840 (computed from age at death)

Age at death

54 years

Place of death

Newbiggin By The Sea, Northumberland, England, United Kingdom

The funeral card

From the funeral card

When the day of toil is done,

When the race of life is run,

Father, grant Thy wearied one

Rest for evermore.

In Loving Memory of

William,

The beloved husband of Elizabeth Shanks,

[unreadable]

Who died on August 10th, 1894,

Aged 54 years.

A folded two-panel memorial card: a mourning verse on the left panel, the memorial text on the right. The verse is transcribed as best as the surviving low-resolution photograph allows and is worth a second look against the original card. A small caption line beneath "beloved husband of Elizabeth Shanks" and a printer's imprint line beneath "Aged 54 years" are both too small and blurred in the photograph to transcribe reliably.

Brian's research

The 1881 census of Northumberland, England places the household at High St (Kings Head Inn), Newbiggin in Morpeth:

  • William Shanks (head, married, 41, born Newbiggin, Northumberland, licensed victualler)
  • Elisabeth Shanks (wife, married, 36, born Chesterly Street, Durham)
  • Mary Ann Shanks (daughter, 10, scholar)
  • George Shanks (son, 8, scholar)
  • John T. Shanks (son, 4, scholar)
  • Eleanor Shanks (daughter, 3)
  • John Shanks (brother, unmarried, 38, grocer and baker)
  • Mary A. Urwin (niece, unmarried, 15)
  • Mary Bell (servant, unmarried, 22, born Newsham, Northumberland, general domestic servant)

All the children were born at Newbiggin, Northumberland.

— Brian, Ancestors at Rest

Sources consulted

  • 1881 census, Newbiggin in Morpeth, Northumberland, England — dwelling High St (Kings Head Inn); Family History Library film 1342236, Public Records Office reference RG11, piece/folio 5119/90, page 50

People named in this record

  • William ShanksSubject
  • Elizabeth ShanksSpouse
  • Mary Ann ShanksMentioned
  • George ShanksMentioned
  • John T. ShanksMentioned
  • Eleanor ShanksMentioned
  • John ShanksMentioned
  • Mary A. UrwinMentioned
  • Mary BellMentioned

Record submitted by

Original contributor unknown — Was it you? Let us know

Source & citation

Source type
Photograph & transcription
Provenance
From the Ancestors at Rest archive — founded 2004 by Brian and substantially built out across two decades by Lorine McGinnis Schulze of Olive Tree Genealogy.
Transcribed by
Ancestors at Rest archive — original contributor not recorded.
Last verified
2026-06-12
Permalink
/records/funeral-cards/shanks-william-1894/
Image vs transcription
Both — photograph of the card and a transcription on this page

Citation: "Funeral card of William Shanks, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, Northumberland, England, died 10 August 1894," photographed and contributed to the Ancestors at Rest archive (https://ancestorsatrest.com/records/funeral-cards/shanks-william-1894/ : accessed [your access date]).

The original contributor of this record is not preserved in the archive. If you transcribed this plate, please get in touch so credit can be restored.

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