Author Topic: Blakely/Bleakley in Newtownards  (Read 33521 times)

Offline akanex2

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Blakely/Bleakley in Newtownards
« on: Thursday 08 January 09 15:39 GMT (UK) »
I am trying to trace the ancestors of William Blakely who had a draper's shop in Church Street, Newtownards 100 years ago. 

He died on 31 Dec 1909 and I have a copy of his will and his obituary from the Newtownards Chronicle.  According to the obit, he was born in Newtownards and served his apprenticeship with his uncle, David Platt, in Ballymoney, Co Antrim before returning to his native town to set up in business for himself.  He married Elizabeth Carrol in Donaghadee Methodist Church in 1866 (although both bride and groom had addresses in Newtownards town) and they had 5 children before Elizabeth died and he remarried Mary Cargo in Ballygilbert Presbyterian in 1886, having a further 3 children of whom 2 died in infancy.  When he died he belonged to 1st Newtownards Presbyterian Church.  I have traced all his direct descendants but no nothing of his brothers or sisters much less earlier generations.

William had apparently discovered the secret of eternal youth as his ageing varies every time he had to record his age, from "over 21" in 1866, via 49 in 1901 to 59 at death.  The recorded ages of his children also varied wildly between the censuses and rarely agrees with their birth certificates!  As a result any estimate of his actual year of birth could be wildly inaccurate.

I have found him in Griffith, 1901 census and various directories as well as obtaining copies of his marriage and death certificates, but earlier generations remain a mystery.  His marriage certificate gives his father as William Blakely, occupation weaver.  He also acted as executor of the wills of James and Jane Blakely of Little Francis Street, Newtownards who may well have been relatives. 

Finally I have a family photograph of William's grandson and family visiting unknown friends/relatives and marked "Leitrim 1934".  As there is a Blakely family living in Leitrim, Castlewellan in 1901 and 1911 censuses there is a possibility that William was in some way related to them.

I would love to hear from anyone with knowledge of either Newtownards or Leitrim Blakelys who could shed any light on these families and also the Platt-Blakely connection.

Offline kingskerswell

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Re: Blakely/Bleakley in Newtownards
« Reply #1 on: Thursday 08 January 09 16:05 GMT (UK) »
Hi,
   This is not much help but you can find a will abstract on the PRONI Will Search site for David Platt. It does however give you a little more information.

Regards
Stewart, Irwin, Morrison, Haslett, Murrell - Dungiven area Co. Londonderry
Browne, Barrett -Co.Armagh
Neil, Smyth _Co. Antrim

Offline akanex2

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Re: Blakely/Bleakley in Newtownards
« Reply #2 on: Thursday 08 January 09 16:46 GMT (UK) »
Thanks for that - Yes I'd seen David Platt's entry on the will calenders and see he had a sister Martha Graham in Charlotte Street, Ballymoney who I'm presuming was the widow of William Graham, sewed muslin manufacturer.  The problem is I'm not sure if David Platt married a Blakely or William Blakely married a Platt as I can't find the marriages.

Offline BallyaltikilliganG

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Re: Blakely/Bleakley in Newtownards
« Reply #3 on: Saturday 10 January 09 20:40 GMT (UK) »
There is a BLAKELY family tree in the Blackwood Family history manuscript trees in the LinenHall library, Belfast.  Volume 34.  it might not be connected atall, but if you could visit the library with warning, it would be easy to check, otherwise I suggest you ask them for photocopying estimates if they think your knowledge relevant and you should be prepared to pay a fee for copying, post and packing, and perhaps some staff time and overheads. However if the material is really relevant when you get it, I suggest a further donation to this unique library that is always needing extra funds.  Linen Hall Library,17 Donegall Square North, Belfast BT15GB, Northern Ireland, Telephone: +44 (0)28 9032 1707,  Fax: +44 (0)28 9043 8586, Email: <irish.reference[at]linenhall.com>.replace the [AT] with the symbol please
Good luck onwards, Jim
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Offline akanex2

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Re: Blakely/Bleakley in Newtownards
« Reply #4 on: Saturday 10 January 09 22:03 GMT (UK) »
Thanks Jim

I have had a look at the tree in the Blackwood Pedigrees - It relates to the descendants of the Rev Blakely of Moneyreagh who was originally from Dublin so nothing of the Co Down family I'm after.

Offline BallyaltikilliganG

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Re: Blakely/Bleakley in Newtownards
« Reply #5 on: Sunday 11 January 09 18:02 GMT (UK) »
Going into reverse in case something else shows up, do you know about  Ros Davies website freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rosdavies/SURNAMES/P/PlPo.htm#pl
David PLATT . Newtownards of Little Francis St, Newtownards; a boot & shoe maker in 1846; of Conway Square in 1852  POD
Isaac PLATT . Newry husband of Elizabeth McCaul; father of William b. 19 Jul 1871 CR
Miss Margaret PLATT . Newtownards daughter of John Platt; married William Rainey 25 Dec 1849 ; mother of female child b. 1868 BVR;CR
I might have a rainey contact for you.
Keep going Jim
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Offline akanex2

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Re: Blakely/Bleakley in Newtownards
« Reply #6 on: Monday 12 January 09 13:31 GMT (UK) »
Thanks again Jim

Certainly looks possible that Margaret could have been a sister of David the shoemaker of Little Francis St/Conway Square.  This is almost certainly the same guy who is a shoemaker in Main Street, Ballymoney in 1861 directory which I looked up on the Lennon Wylie website, as he has disappeared from Newtownards by that date and there are no Ballymoney Platts in the 1852 directory.

Clearly I have some work to do:-
1. Look at the David Platt will to see who's mentioned;
2. Look up his death certificate to see if he was married
3. Check out the church records where Margaret Platt was married in 1849.

Any other suggestions gratefully accepted.

Offline BallyaltikilliganG

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Re: Blakely/Bleakley in Newtownards
« Reply #7 on: Monday 12 January 09 15:13 GMT (UK) »
Been there perhaps?  Ever since you first mentioned Ballymoney, Co Antrim, my mind has worried about the others that are still in Co Down and so Ros Davies again ie
however the info is to big to place on chatters

in summary with those Ballymoney townlands in Co Down civil parishes of  Donaghadee, Kilbroney, Kilcoo, Magherally- part, Newtownards Seapatrick in front of me, some family connections may well exist within Ros Davies surname gatherings.

I made this up sometime from familysearch.com just for William
1. William Edward Moore Blackely – Igi  Birth: 13 Feb 1878 Antrim, Antrim, Ireland
 2. William Blackley – Igi  Birth: 11 May 1876 , Antrim, Ireland
 3. William John Blakeley – Igi  Birth: 13 Nov 1872 Ballymena, Antrim, Ireland
 4. William James Blakely – Igi  Birth: 19 Mar 1876 Belfast, Antrim, Ireland
 5. William Blakely – Igi  Birth: 02 Jan 1878 Antrim, Antrim, Ireland
 6. William Blackly – Igi  Birth: 1673 Derryaghy, Antrim, Ireland
 7. Mrs William Blackly – Igi  Birth: 1677 Derryaghy, Antrim, Ireland
 8. William Blackley – Igi  Birth: 14 Apr 1869 , Antrim, Ireland
 9. William Blakeley – Igi  Birth: About 1856 Belfast, Antrim, Ireland
 10. William Blakeley – Igi  Birth: About 1866 Belfast, Antrim, Ireland
 11. William Blakely – Igi  Birth: 1715 Of, , Antrim, Ireland
 12. William Blackly – Igi  Marriage: 1698 Derriaghy Parish, , Antrim, Ireland
 13. Mrs William Blackly – Igi  Marriage: 1698 Derriaghy Parish, , Antrim, Ireland
1. William Edward Young Blakely – Igi  Birth: 01 May 1876 , Down, Ireland
 2. William George Blakley – Igi  Birth: 15 Jul 1869 , Down, Ireland
 3. William John Blakley – Igi  Birth: 26 Nov 1872 Annahilt, Down, Ireland
 4. William John Blakley – Igi  Birth: 1852 Benraw, , Down, Ireland
 5. William James Blakely – Igi  Birth: 20 Apr 1859 First Presbyterian, Ballynahinch, Down, Ireland
 6. William Blakely – Igi  Birth: 17 Apr 1867 1035, Newtown Ards, Down, Ireland
 7. William John Blackly – Igi  Birth: 15 May 1839 Presbyterian, Dromara, Down, Ireland
 8. William John Blakely – Igi  Birth: 12 Jan 1865 0532, Killyleagh, Down, Ireland
 9. William Robert Blakely – Igi  Birth: 28 Nov 1876 Newtown Ards, Down, Ireland
 10. William Blakely – Igi  Birth: 05 Dec 1868 , Down, Ireland
 11. William John Blakley – Igi  Birth: 1852 Benraw, , Down, Ireland
 12. William John Blakley – Igi  Birth: 15 Aug 1877 Ballinagapoge, , Down, Ireland
 13. William John Blakley – Igi  Death: 31 Aug 1922
 14. William John Blakley – Igi  Death: 31 Aug 1922  
 15. William Blakely – Igi  Marriage: 02 Mar 1799 Downpatrick, Down, Ireland
 16. Wm. Blackley – Igi  Marriage: 31 Jan 1851 Newtown Ards, Down, Ireland
 17. William Blakely – Igi  Marriage: 15 May 1849 0692, Tullylish, Down, Ireland

And Over On The Griffiths Valuation Front Say 1860s
from http://griffiths.askaboutireland.ie/gv4/gv_
Blakely  William  Loan  Antrim  Craigs  
Blakely  William  Lisburn Street  Down  Magheradrool        
Blakely  William  Downpatrick Old Road  Down  Kilmegan        
Blakely  William  Ballykine, Lower  Down  Magheradrool        
Blakely  William  Bleary  Down  Tullylish        
Blakely  William  West Street  Down  Newtown Ards

from http://www.ancestryireland.com/index.php
Below is a list of results for William Blakely databases that are Freely available to Visitors and others that are not.
Birth records for Antrim and Down - Sign posting Index  16      
Marriage records for Antrim and Down - Sign posting Index  26      
Death records for Antrim and Down - Sign posting Index  5      
Index to 1796 Flaxgrowers Bounty List (giving parish locations)  3      
Ulster Gravestone Inscription Surname-Firstname Index  1      
Residents of Newtownards 1876  1      
Irish Will Calendars, 1858-1878 1  


NIFHS Genealogy Search Engine ie http://www.nifhs.org/resultsgse.htm produces different reports if you change counties for William Blakely. There is more than a one database at this website, it is the Genealogy one that is outstanding.

now that’s me closing down and wishing good luck and maybe church records galore for the time being , leaving all the above sitesmaybe, worth searching for Platt etc and other Blakelys
Jim
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Offline akanex2

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Re: Blakely/Bleakley in Newtownards
« Reply #8 on: Tuesday 13 January 09 13:43 GMT (UK) »
Wow Jim that looks pretty comprehensive!  I have seen all these websites at various times but will go through the entries again in case there's something new or a connection that makes more sense now.  Many thanks for all your work getting this together.

It's definitely Ballymoney town in Co Antrim I looking for and not a townland of the same name in Co Down (I've already been down that road!).

Also Margaret Platt was married in 1st Newtownards Presbyterian and I see their baptismal records start from 1833 - too late for Margaret to be included, but maybe William Blakely himself has an entry.  Ian Maxwell's book "Researching Down Ancestors" says these are in local custody, rather than in PRONI.  Have any Rootschatters accessed these before?