livingston - armagh

[epenwell]

Hi
My g.g.grandmother was Ellen Livingston (1840 - 1919) who married a John Chambers (1841-1908) in Knocknamuckly, Armagh, Northern Ireland in December 1861.  Her father was recorded as William but have no more details than this.  People have posted public trees on Ancestry.com, which suggest the William was born married and died in Yorkshire, but I have reason to believe that this connection is based on an incorrect assumption.  Ellen and John were known to have lived in Portadown for a period of time after the marriage, before emigrating to New Zealand in 1873. They had the following children before leaving, namely Elizabeth born 16 Dec 1862 in Portadown (my g.grandmother), who died in 1932; Adam James born 4 Mar 1865 in Ballygargan (died in 1939), Ann Jane born 29 Mar 1867 and died in 1944; William John born 1 Dec 1869 - died 1954; Thomas George born 24  May 1872, Ballygargan and died at sea, on the 26 Feb 1874 on the voyage out to New Zealand.
I have reason to believe that Ellen may have had siblings of Jane Ann Livingston(born 1843) and a William Livingston born 1845, all born in Armagh. Whilst I have details of Ellen's descendants here in New Zealand, I am particularly interested in finding out more about her parents and siblings.
Eric Penwell

[KatC]

Ellen gave her name as Ellen and age 17 in an 1857 census when she was living with James Sr, Jr. and Rachel (Rankin) McCormick as a weaver.  However she married as Ann Livingston.  Her father was listed as a laborer. 

A William and Ann Levison baptized Ann Jane in June 14, 1840 at Knocknamuckley.  Possibly they are weaver William and Ann Livingston of Clare who had William John baptized Feb 19, 1843, but they had dau Ann Jane bapt July 28,1844, so that seems unlikely.

 I have heard Elizabeth Thompson was your William's wife, but they were married in 1821, so there should be many more earlier children.  They may be the couple in Ballydougan having son James baptized May 25, 1836. He may be the servant living in Ballygargin in 1857 at the home of John and Fanny (Black) Reid. If so, it sounds as if the Levingston family broke up due to deaths perhaps in the 1850's.

A marriage to Ann White occurs August 19, 1841 after the baptism, so that seems unlikely. Levingston/Livingston has been well researched, but there are few Williams.

Here are other Knocknamuckley entries:
1848   10   August   David   to William   Bess   Levison   Moyraverty      
1842   11   December   William James   to William   Eliza   Levison Bleary         
1845   25   July   Margaret   to William Elizabeth Levison   Ballydougan            
1852   26   October    Elizabeth   William and Mary Ann   Levison ,Ballydougan      
1853   23   January    Robert   William Henry and   Ann   Levison   Ballydougan   
   
Seagoe record  William and Ann had Sarah Jan 9, 1850  (I did not get the location)

[epenwell]

Thanks for the reply, and I think the information supplied is possibly more accurate than that which has been posted in public trees in Ancestry.com.   The reference in the 1857 Census as age 17 living with a McCormick family is almost certainly her, given that her future mother in law was an Anne McCormick.  Ellen married John Chambers who was also a weaver.   A previous researcher had suggested that William was a Draper (although no evidence was provided as to where this occupation came from) , although also stated that no parish records for William could be found.  Ellen (nee Livingston) and John Chambers lived in Bleary Road, Ballygargan, with Johns mother Anne McCormick (listed as occupier in the General Valuation of Tenements in 1864). This house was built about 1834, and in the 1980's was known to be still standing. The births of at least 4 of their children were registered in Portadown - I have a copy of these registrations - they list John Chambers of Ballygargan as being the father and Ellen nee Livingston as being the mother.
As to the rest of your information this provides some possibilities, without any real certainty, but I still believe the assumption by others (on Ancestry.com) of William coming from Yorkshire is probably incorrect.
Yesterday I was reading a site which said that many records from Armagh were destroyed in 1922, but it didn't say why or how they were destroyed?.
Thanks for your kind assistance.

[aghadowey]

The 1922 date refers to Irish records destroyed in Dublin -
http://www.irish-genealogy-toolkit.com/irish-records-burned.html

[scotmum]

I have reason to believe that Ellen may have had siblings of Jane Ann Livingston(born 1843) and a William Livingston born 1845, all born in Armagh. Whilst I have details of Ellen's descendants here in New Zealand, I am particularly interested in finding out more about her parents and siblings.
Eric Penwell

Have you considered this William Livingston in Knocknamuckly at 1901 as a potential sibling? His age would suggest a c1841 birth, albeit ages in census are not always accurate:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Armagh/Carrowbrack/Knocknamuckly/1027770/

He died in 1907 and his Will can be read on the PRONI website.

In 1911, this Levingstone family are in Knocknamuckly:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Armagh/Carrowbrack/Knocknamuckly/298240/

[scotmum]

Have you read this thread yet?

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=210150.27