Next I have the monumental inscription from the Coxon Headstone in Eglingham
Churchyard:
"Sacred to the Memory of Isabella, wife of Thomas Coxon of Eglingham who
died 21st February 1831 aged 41 years. Frances their daughter who died
March 17th 1810 aged 5 months. Thomas their son who died July 16th 1826 aged
15 months. Barbara their daughter who died September 13th 1844 aged 23
years. The above Thomas Coxon died the 9th May 1855 aged 74 years.
Thomas Coxon died at Eglingham December 26th 1893 aged 65 years. Jane Coxon
his wife died at Eglingham December 16th 1892 aged 64 years."
(Note: There is only one churchyard in Eglingham, at the church of St.
Maurice. All the Coxons are in one plot. There is only one headstone for the
whole family.)


I think the balance of probabilities suggests that Dinah was a child of Thomas Coxon and Isabella, because:

1.Thomas’s family moved from the Elsdon district about 1782, to Harbottle, then down the Coquet valley to Cartington by 1791. As the general drift of (surplus) labour was generally from the west and north of Northumberland towards the east and south, it’s reasonable to postulate that Thomas worked as a farm labourer farther east from Cartington, married Isabella across the Scottish Border, worked as a farm labourer at Overgrass, where their first child Dinah was born about 1803 or 1804 .
2. There’s no baptism record for Dinah that I’ve found, but it’s not unusual to find the odd one missing. The circumstantial evidence should prevail.
3. Grace Coxon, her sister, was a witness at Dinah’s wedding in 1829 to John Young. Grace married Thomas Gibson at Alnwick 1n 1837
4. Roger Coxon, her uncle, was also a wedding witness; Roger also was living with the John Young family in 1861.

A check of the 1861 Census for Alnwick should tell whether or not John Young’s wife was Dinah, and if she was this would strengthen the case.

And, finally, the William Coxon who was a miller at Overgrass Mill I believe also came from the Elsdon district of Redesdale, so there might be a distant family connection, though there’s not enough information to tell, one way or another.
.
Bob Green

1841 census
Township of Eglingham
(No street name or any house numbering
Thomas Coxon, 55, Publican
Jane Coxon, 22
Barbara, 20
Isabella, 18
Thomas, 13
(1841 Census HO107/829 Folio 15, page 4)

1851 census
Thomas Coxon hd wid 67 road maker bn Old Town, NBL
Thomas son un 23 road maker bn Eglingham, NBL
Jane Thompson dau mar 32 bn Eglingham
WILLIAM Thompson s.in-law mar 32 stone mason bn Howdon, NBL