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Hi John

Good to hear from you. I still have no lead on who the parents of John (b1802) might be.

I have quite a bit of material on this family, a fair amount dealing with Mauritius, South Africa and South Australia. You may well be interested. If so, send me an email (artemisia@xxx.com.au - substitute grapevine for xxx) and I will return my file (.doc).

Cheers, Ross

Thanks Stephen - probably not much hope with wills then.

With regard to Margaret Clague, little of certainty could be found. She may have been the one baptized on 6 January 1808 at Ballaugh to a Norris Clague as the census of 1861 has her born at Ballaugh - but the census of 1881 has her as being born at Douglas. The name Norris has been much used in the Clague family and is thought to derive from a Rev William Norris, born 1627 at Marown, whose daughter Margaret married a James Clague. Could it be that Margaret descended from John Clague, a navigator of Douglas, who was taken prisoner by Algerine pirates and kept as a slave? He worked at a slave factory on the coast of Guinea (South America) and eventually returned home as captain of a Guineaman, a slave trading ship.

A kind researcher of the Isle of Man by the name of Jean provided what is the likely confirmation of the origins of our Margaret Clague. A Norris Clague married an Ealy (Alice/ Ely/ Ellais?) Kewley at Ballaugh (north-west of Lonan) on 17 January 1807. They had ten children, the early ones at Ballaugh and, from 1814, at Douglas.

Children of Norris Clague and Ealy Kewley
Name   Born/Bapt      
Margaret   6.1.1808 Ballaugh      ?married John Cowin?
William   31.12.1809 Ballaugh      
Easter (Esther?)   10.4.1814 Douglas      
Norris   8.3.1816 Douglas      
John   24.3.1818 Douglas      
Thomas   2.1.1820 Douglas      
Antony Kewley  20.1.1822 Douglas      
Alice    8.12.1824 Douglas      
Henry Edward  11.3.1827 Douglas      
Elizabeth   20.7.1828 Douglas      

Cheers, Ross

Thanks Frances

I will get film - may take some time. When I DO get this family sorted I will post with the results.

Cheers, Ross

Hi Glen

Unfortunately, I can add no more. I had hoped to get to Broken Hill and contact some Niblocks there but I am running about 2 years behind schedule with my research!! I will get there but suspect will learn little more about early Niblocks.

Aghadowey's kind post suggests that little will be found from formal records. Good luck with the search. I would love to know if you find anything.

Best wishes, Ross

Hi Wendy and Shaun

You have both made my weekend! You are both lovely people!

With the information you two have provided I have pushed it along and think I have the linkages but some speculation is involved. Here is the story:

John Cowin b1803 married Margaret Clague 1825 at Braddan, IoM

Two eldest sons: John b1825 and William b 1827, both at Douglas

John the father of most of those mentioned including Norris Tynwald AND Mona Margaret (the young Mona of Wendy's more likely an error or a g'dau)

William also at Mauritius but, around 1880, brought his family to South Australia.

My challenge now is to link to my Lonan Cowins but I already know they have links to both Braddan and the Clague family. END

When I get it written up and test it a bit more thoroughly, I would be happy to share with any interested persons - do I post it here or invite people to email me???

Also, do you have anything more on Philip in Spain? Intriguing.

Many thanks to you both, Ross

PS William’s son Norris (born 1893, SA) was killed in action on the Western Front about 4 km east of Ypres on 1 October 1917 and the memory of this brave man is memorialized at the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Panel 7.