Dear J Bleakley,
I did have a look at the BLAKLEY family of Ballyshiel, Co Down. Ros. Davies has a very good site, Surnames of Co Down; Blakely, Bleakley, Blackley and variants on freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestory;com/ .
There is a possibility, but I dont think so.
We have a more likely date with a Margaret Bleakley who died on the 17th May 1902, age 88, Portlongfield. Born about 1814 so could be the wife of Andrew, (Margaret Nolan).
Andrew Bleakley was born about 1818 and was 23 in 1841 Census. Andrew married Margaret Nolan and their son Andrew Bleakley was born on the 2nd August 1838, Killeshandra, Co Cavan, Ireland, according to church records that are now unavailable, just mushy paper according to Priest, which has been sent to the records office.
Andrew`s father ( 1818-1842) died 10th April 1842, age 25 yrs. Killeshandra. We don`t have the death certificate so can only wonder what caused his untimely death at such a young age. Margaret would have mostlikely remarried so who knows what her surname was at time of death. For that matter, who brought up little Andrew.
Andrew Bleakley married 30th March, 1858, Co Cavan, Elizabeth Montgomery and he died 19th January 1899, Upper Caboolture. QLD, Australia.
Could you find out more info about the cousins who visited the Bleakleys in QLD from Ireland. There were seven families of Bleakleys in Killeshandra for the 1841 census, with large families who intermarried etc. So lots of cousins with different surnames including Huggins.
Robert Huggins sister married a James Armstrong in Killeshandra, with their children they visited Australia then decided to live in America. Along the way a couple of young children died but I don`t know all the details.
The name Bleakley is nearly as common as Smith in America. Different branches of the Bleakley family also settled in Australia and New Zealand for Killeshandra and we are still trying to discover how they fit into the family tree.
Thankyou for your help.
Would be very interested to hear any Bleakley stories or memories.
Sue.