trying to find out more about my fathers family

[Shar10]

Hi, sorry this could be a long and complicated post, I am trying to trace my fathers family from Derry/Londonderry.
I have already have a lot of help from this forum so thank you all that replied to my last posts and for Sarah who helped me with forum issues,
My father was William Brown/ Brown as was his father, I remember him telling me they  had a relation who had a shop called Joseph Mitchell I didn't know how they were related but when we found my great grandfather on ancestry  website his name was David Brown and his mother Mary ann Mitchell.

when we looked for a birth certificate for Joseph he was born in 1882 and his mother was Margaret Mitchell but she didn't have a former name so we assumed she was unmarried, but his father was down as Alexander Campbell or Capwell and it had a question mark beside it and a line through his name,

could they amend the birth certificate then after it had been issued if he contested he was the fatheror maybe she just didn't know who the father was very intriguing. incidently both Joseph and Alexander his father ? were living at the tikme at 17 or 11 murrays row.

to complicate matters further we have found a marriage of Margaret Mitchell to a Alfred Hellyer

and they had several children with the surname Heelyer but a son Joseph Mitchell but in the 1911 census she is in Ireland with her son Joseph listed as a widow but she is down as Mitchell and Alfred Hellyer didn't die according to records until 1915.we are sure we have the right joseph Mitchell on the census as his cousins were down as David and Alexander Brown and those names are right for our family although they are common other facts fit also thanks for any help I receive any info I will be grateful for.

[aghadowey]

Joseph Mitchell born 1881 not 1882- birth registered by Mary Malone, father Alexander Cambell crossed off when Registrar realised parents were not married (father and mother would both have had to register the birth together in order for father of illegitimate child to be listed on certificate)
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1881/02805/2029397.pdf

Joseph Mitchell & mother Margaret Mitchell in 1911-
www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Londonderry/Londonderry_No__5_Urban/Duke_Street/606328
1901?
www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Londonderry/Waterside/Benvarden_Avenue/1539541

[josey]

I haven't read your other threads so forgive me if these queries have been answered there.

to complicate matters further we have found a marriage of Margaret Mitchell to a Alfred Hellyer

Do you have proof this is the SAME Margaret Mitchell?

and they had several children with the surname Heelyer but a son Joseph Mitchell but in the 1911 census she is in Ireland with her son Joseph listed as a widow but she is down as Mitchell

Don't quite understand the bit in bold  . Who is Alfred with in 1901 & 1911? What year is the marriage you have found?

[Shar10]

thank you for your reply, Aghadowey. yes Joseph Mitchell was born in 1881 I just got mixed up and put down the wrong year.as he was only 29 on the 1911 census, it must have been taken before his birthday.

the 1911 census does point toward it being the right one but the 1901 census as him down as Joseph F Mitchell we have traced a Joseph Freme or Frame Mitchell and that seems to be a different person.


the 1911 one seems to fit with the other names thanks for the info about the birth certificate that is very helpful  I have learnt much more on this forum as on the other site I am on  is great but when I found my ancestors those who had them in their tree were mostly looking for the other side of the family I found my dads brother in law but I got no reply to my enquiries/
.

so thanks again for your help.

[Shar10]

thank you Josey for your reply. no I do not any proff it is the same Margaret Mitchell just that a few facts seem to fit but some do not.
we found a Margaret Mitchell who was born in Ireland in 1847, she had her son in 1881, on her profile it staes she married an Alfred Hellyer in 1865 in new Zealand.

it states they had several children before and after 1881 I think it says 1882 on the profile but that could have been going of the 1911 censusof Ireland.

joseph was the only Mitchell there . on his profile on ancestry it says he is the son of Alfred and Margaret and the link leads to the 1911 Irish census which I think is the Joseph Mitchell I am looking for

but I cannot see how it could be the right one as in those days it wasn't an easy jouney to and from new Zealand I am just very confused Alfred Hellyer incidently was born In England  its have if bits of facts have been mixed up. I just hope I can make some sense of it.

[Sinann]

It sounds like the tree you were looking at was put together to some extent at least using 'hints' the site gives, sadly people often think hints are facts and add them to their tree without checking them.
You need to work with what you personally know is fact and work from there.

[Shar10]

thank you Sinann for your reply, you are right about that I have found that also, and it is difficult to sort through what is factual and what is not. but I have found more info since joining this forum thank you.