James Bower - 1815-1887 - my maternal 4th great uncle

James was brother / brother-in-law of my great, great, great grandparents, Bridget Bower and (Alderman) Thomas Gray. 

James's appearance on different family members Census caught Mum's attention.  Living with his parents and working on Hartley West Farm he stays there until at least the Census in 1851, by which time, his brother, William and sister in law, Barnella (great name!) have taken on the tenancy.

According to the 1861 Census Reports, in the end column, James is deaf.  We can't confirm if James was born deaf or became deaf through illness, ie Scarlet Fever, of which there had been an epidemic in James' early years.

Definition of terms used on Census returns England & Wales 1841 - 1891 : 

Lunatic : a mentally ill person with periods of lucidity

Imbecile : persons who have fallen in later life into a state of chronic dementia 

Idiot : persons who suffer from a congenital mental deficiency 

James had moved to live with his widowed sister, Elizabeth Wharrier, on a 300acre farm with 6 labourers at Avenue Head, Seaton Delaval.  At the time of that Census in 1871, James and Elizabeth's older sister, Jane Froud, is a 'Visitor'.

James may have been moved on through the family or welcomed by his brother in law, Thomas Gray and children following the death of Bridget in 1875.  A 'retired farmer', age 66, James was living at Red House Farm on the 1881 Census, the end column now stating he is "deaf and dumb".  I wonder if Thomas' children John (Matthew) Gray, Elizabeth, Jane, Mary & Bridget communicated with him in their own version of sign language or whether by this time of his life he had retreated into himself?

I've located a copy of James' death certificate from the Records Office and it is comforting to find that Thomas Gray was in attendance when James passed away at the age of 74 on 10th March 1887, cause of death being cancer of the stomach.

A lifelong interest explained:

Growing up, my Mum had often wondered why her Grandfather, Jack Gray, gave talks and helped raise hundreds of pounds, in particular for deaf and dumb charities.  Clearly James' presence at Red House Farm must have struck a chord with the family which passed on to Thomas Gray's grandson, Jack, in his active and generous support of deaf and dumb societies.