page_title: James Ayton Symington
section_title: Marriage and middle life
hierarchical_section_title: James Ayton Symington / Marriage and middle life
caption_attribution_description: English: Leeds City Museum taken on opening day
context_page_description: James Ayton Symington was an English book and magazine illustrator from Leeds. He worked closely with the Leeds publisher Richard Jackson, but moved to London after his marriage in 1889.
context_section_description: The 1891 census (5 April 1891) shows Symington with a wife Kate (18 January 1859 – 18 November 1944). Kirkpatrick speculates that this was Catherine Tindall who married a James Symington at the Parish Church in Doncaster on 19 May 1889. There are a number of facts that suggest that this is not correct:
  In the 1911 Census (2 April 1911), Kate give the number of years married as 29, suggesting that their marriage took place between 3 April 1881 and 2 April 1882. Of course, errors in ages and durations in the census returns are not uncommon.
  Secondly, the bridegroom gave his name as James Symington, rather than as James Ayton Symington, at a time when it was the normal practice to give one's full names for such formal occasions.
  Thirdly, the James Symington that married Catherine Tindall in Doncaster on 19 May 1889 gave his occupation as a labourer, the son of John Symington, a painter. Catherine Tindall was the daughter of the late Henry Tindal, also a labourer. The couple were living together at 27 March Gate in Doncaster at the time of their marriage.
  Fourthly, both bride and groom gave their ages as 26, which would have given them birth dates between 20 May 1862 and 19 May 1863, whereas Kate Symington was born on 18 January 1859, and Symington was born c.1856.
  In any case, Symington and Kate had one son, Arthur Ayton (30 Jan 1898 – 3rd quarter of 1955) who trained as a civil engineer and was his mother's executor.
  The 1891 census found Symington and his wife living at 71 Cheverton Road, Putney, Wandsworth, London. They were still there in 1896, but 1901 found them living with their young son at 1 West Park Gardens, Kew Gardens, Kew, London. They were still at that address in 1912. Symington was granted permission to erect a house at Old Church Lane, Stanmore, Edgeware, North London in October 1912. He seems to have built the house as, in 1916, the next-of-kin address on his sons enlistment papers gave his address as "Loidis" Old Church Road, Greater Stanmore.
  They were still in Church Lane in 1922, but had moved to Dale Cottage, Meadowside, Great Bookham, Surrey by 1927. and were still there ten years later. Although living in London, Symington maintained his connection with Leeds. His son was born in Leeds, and in 1934 Symington donated 7 black-and-white drawings of Yorkshire windmills to the Leeds Museum.
caption: Leeds-city-museum
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