I hope you do not think I was being rude by not connecting back to the Forum but I wanted to look a little further into the families so I could let you know that without everyone’s help here I would not have made it as far as I have with this family.
It is with thanks firstly to hallmark for setting me off in the right direction with the Civil Registrations for the deaths of Andrew and Mary Speers. Further finds by hallmark led me to the marriage of James Dawson and Isabella Speers.
I am still trying to confirm Elizabeth Speer who married William McCready is definitely of the children born to Andrew and Mary Speers. This has turned into a brick wall at the moment but I will pursue this couple nevertheless to confirm whether this is a definite child or not of the couple.
To aghadowey, thank you for Samuel Speer and his wife Rachel who I have been able to locate her surname as being Weir. I am not able to confirm this couple as being part of Speer/s extended family I have, but I will keep on pursuing. I do know however from an obituary and other newspaper clippings that William Speers born 1860 and passing at St Marys, Tasmania 1893 was the last born son to Andrew Speer and Mary nee?
Aghadowey, you have helped immensely with the location of the Carr / Kerr family and for this very grateful. Thomas Carr/Kerr (as it sometimes appears in documentation) married 1871 Magherafelt, Londonderry. No image is available but a search on both surnames Carr and Spear (as it appears on the index) are exactly the same number so I am assuming this is the couple. Further searches have revealed this couple went on to have 11 children, 6 boys and 5 girls. At this stage I have located all birth registrations for the children so am pretty happy with this. I have not taken this further at this stage. I will however look into marriages for each of the children and where possible any deaths.
Thank you hallmark for pointing out a photocopy for the certificate is E4.00. I looked at the form to fill out and sadly it is of no use to me. I do not have a credit or debit card that I put over the internet. I have a generic card that does not bear my name which is mandatory for applying and paying by card. To purchase a cheque for payment in Euro would cost from A$25.00 just to purchase so this is totally out of the question. We live in rural NSW with our bank being about 450kms south and 500kms north. When I travel to Victoria to visit family I will go to the Genealogical Society I belong to there and look at the films they have to see if I can locate information there.
Turning to James Dawson and Isabella nee Speers. I have located “James” Dawson birth. He was registered as William “James” Dawson, born 22 January 1866, Leitrim, Ballyscullion, Magherafelt. James Dawson passed away 9 March 1951 and Isabella 1 September 1939. This couple were laid to rest Christ Church, Church of Ireland, Castledawson, Co. Londonderry, Northern Ireland - Plot No. 1. As you are already aware this couple married 16 July 1888 in the Presbyterian Church, Magherafelt.
James and Isabella had 4 children, 2 sons and 2 daughters. First born child Andrew William Dawson first married Sarah Matilda Ellis 24 March 1913 Christ Church, Church of Ireland, Castledawson (I have located a birth registration for Sarah Margaret Ellis born to Edward Ellis at Edenreagh, Bellaghy, Londonderry. Sarah passed away 18 September 1918 at Edenreagh. I have not been able to locate where she was laid to rest. Sarah passed away from TB.
Following Sarah’s passing Andrew William Dawson then married May Anderson on 23 September 1919 at Ballymacarret, Belfast.
Second born child, son James Dawson married Sarah Catherwood 19 April 1915 at Ballaghy, Ballyscullion, Londonderry.
First born daughter and third born child Maggie Dawson did not marry. She passed away 27 October 1921 and was laid to rest with her parents.
Second born daughter and fourth born child is Mary Isabella Dawson. I have written down this lady married but I am yet to locate the information I am seeking.
I have also located birth registrations for all these children and where possible their spouses and have downloaded the images.
So it is with thanks for everyone’s help that I have been able to get this far on a family that was a brick wall for so many years. It was by a sheer fluke that I located the brothers of William Speers in Tasmania and possibly Thomas Speers who came to Australia with William Speers in 1879.
Cheers
Judi
