Blakely/Bleakley in Newtownards

[akanex2]

Jim

My William Blakely is the one in West Street in Griffith (either him or his father anyway).  Do you know if town maps were done showing individual plots like the rural ones available on the site you mention?

Latest update - I found 1st Newtownards presbyterian records transcribed by the NIFHS and got a look up done.  No joy. 

I'm beginning to think the Blakelys were originally Methodists but the Newtownards records don't seem to go back that far.

Need a visit to GRONI to see the death registers I'm afraid!

[BallyaltikilliganG]

Yes, they should. The maps were used by local government and annotated with change as each occupier changed thereafter.  These annotated maps are very difficult to identify .  You may get help from Mary Bradley Local Studies Librarian, South Eastern Education and library board, Ballnahinch Hdqs Co Down.   I have now looked up West Street and Newtown ards under the place search and found a map that shows individual house boundaries, but could not see the numbers that are quoted in the printed edition of Griffiths valuation.  I didnt know about this myself before even though I have an ebook about Comber as a historical directory available on ComberOnline.com under their history section done in a great rush.  My reaction to the map for newtownards is great, and I shall try to download comber town and stitch it together later. Keep going, Jim

[akanex2]

Jim

Can you PM me with the possible Rainey contact details - I'm tending to the belief that Margaret Rainey (nee Platt) may be a sister of David's.  Also in Movilla Cemetery in Newtowards there is a gravestone for a Margaret Platt, formerly Stewart, the wife of John Platt, who died in 1849 aged 54.  These are potentially her parents and are definitely the parents of Sarah Platt who was baptised in 1st Newtownards Presbyterian in Feb 1837.  She is the first Platt baptism in this church which has records back to 1833, so David and Margaret are too old to be included.

[BallyaltikilliganG]

Have you tried 1911 irish census even though he died before then, for the surnameshttp://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/
Have you tried new Familysearch BMD site called pilot that now includes Ireland its short cut is http://pilot.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html#p=2;t=searchable;c=1408347
My Rainey contact is not available, when contact made again I will point you onwards, he’s a member of Comber historical Society.
Rushing Jim

[BallyaltikilliganG]

Forgot to mention this one
Bleekley,Templepatrick Graveyard, Miller Hill, Donaghadee   www.graves2.homecall.co.uk/Templepatrick

[FionaMcDonald]

It does seem odd that two people with Newtownards addresses would go all the way to Donaghadee Methodist.  Maybe the bride didn't live at home and her family lived in Donaghadee.

If anyone wants lookups from Newtownards Methodist please let me know.

Newtownards Methodist Marriage Books (50 marriages in each)
Book 1 - November 1863 to January 1885
Book 2 - April 1895 to April 1896
Book 3 - May 1896 to October 1909
Book 4 - October 1909 to July 1920
Book 5 - September 1920 to April 1937
Book 6 - September 1938 to July 1949
Book 7 - August 1949 to July 1956  - (51 marriages)
Book 8 - July 1956 to October 1963
Book 9 - November 1963 to February 1969

Comber Methodist Marriages
April 1894 to April 1937 (15 marriages)

Newtownards Methodist Baptisms (400 in each book)
Book 1 - December 1869 to May 1891
Book 2 - July 1891 to November 1912
Book 3 - November 1912 to September 1945 (416 in book)

[akanex2]

Hi Fiona

Some of the bride's brothers were baptised in Donaghadee Methodist so maybe that was her original church before she came to Newtownards.  Could you please look up any Blakely baptisms in N'ard Methodist up to the late 1880s.  Also details of the marriage of Anna Carrol and Thomas Taylor in 1863 and any baptisms for their children.

Do you know if any earlier records exist for this church?

Thanks
AK2

[FionaMcDonald]

No problem, it was the very first one recorded!

27th November 1863
Officiating Minister - Henry Price
Groom - Thomas Taylor - full age - bachelor - occupation Boot & Shoe Maker - Newtownards High Street, father's name John Taylor - occupation Tailor
Bride - Anna Carroll - full age - spinster - Church Street Newtownards, father's name Richard Carroll - occupation Labourer
Witnesses - Robert (?possibly Stampe) Hugh Patton, Catherine (?possibly Halohan)

I could send you a scan if you want to try to decipher the illegible bits yourself.

I'll check on the baptisms and get back to you.

Newtownards Methodist has been my family's church for at least 200 years and it's where I was baptised and where I went to Sunday School.  I think these are the earliest records extant which relate exclusively to this church.  PRONI (Public Records Office) in Belfast has older Irish Methodist records for various congregations/circuits.  I looked at these once but they're all higgledy-piggledy and really hard to read in bad scratchy handwriting.

Fiona

[FionaMcDonald]

The witness name is Robert Stoupe not Stampe (as I've just seen his children's baptisms).

Baptisms

16th October 1870
Agnes Jane Taylor - daughter of Thomas and Annie Taylor -
Newtownards - 1 month 6 days

This daughter must have died as the next daughter has the same name -

20th March 1872
Agnes Jane Taylor - daughter of Thomas and Annie Taylor -
Newtownards - 5 months 29 days

18th August 1872
Thomas Taylor - son of Thomas and Anne Taylor -
Frances Street Newtownards - born 9th July 1872

28th December 1873
Mary Blakely - daughter of William and Elizabeth Blakely
Regent Street Newtownards - born 6th December 1873

22nd February 1875
William Henry Taylor - son of Thomas and Annie Taylor
Frances Street Newtownards - born 22nd December 1874

23rd July 1876
Jane Blakely - daughter of William and Eliza Blakely
Church Street Newtownards - born 19th June 1876

January 1877
John Taylor - son of Thomas and Annie Taylor
Frances Street Newtownards - born 30th November 1876

23rd February 1879
Margaret Montgomery Taylor - daughter of Thomas and Annie Taylor
Newtownards - born 4th February 1879

7th April 1879
Ursilla Blakely - daughter of William and Elizabeth Blakely
Newtownards - born 11th December 1878

I checked as far as 1890 and that's all.  Of course there could have been others between the marriage in 1863 and the first baptism book starting in 1869.

Fiona