There is a marriage record for John Pettigrew and Agnes Gray in the Church of Ireland Parish Church, Bangor on the 27th June 1863. John was listed as a widower, so married before. John’s father was listed as Thomas Pettigrew and Agnes’ father as James Gray. Who were the wives of Thomas Pettigrew and James Gray?
Are there birth records for John and Agnes? I couldn't find John in the 1901 or 1911 census, to get an estimate of birthyear for him.
In the 1901 census, Agnes Pettigrew is listed in Bangor, as head of household, age 65, married, but husband John is absent. Where is John?
In the 1911 census, Agnes Pettigrew is listed in Bangor, as mother-in-law, age 79, widow.
So, Agnes' birth was c. 1832-1836. Since John was married once before his 1863 marriage to Agnes Gray, I think we can assume he was older than a usual early 20s at that second marriage. Unconfirmed family lore is that John had children by his first wife, some who migrated to Australia. Is there a record of this first marriage? Are there birth records for the children?
John and Agnes had several children:
- Charlotte, born 22nd May 1865; m. Frank McConkey, carpenter.
- Thomas James, 14th February 1867; emigrated c. 1887 to America (New York City.)
- William John, 8th April 1869, emigrated c. 1887 to America (Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
- Agnes, 6th September 1872; m. George Carson, grocer.
- Daniel, 12th of July 1874, emigrated c. 1891 to America (Minneapolis, Minnesota.)
These children are all well-documented. William John and Daniel died in America. Thomas James returned to Bangor after 1935 and died there 1945. The sisters and their families lived and died in Co. Down.
Back to their father, John. A John Petticrew appears in several street directories, for Bangor:
1852, as John Petticrew, publican, Quay St.
1864, as John Petticrew, carter, Quay St. (same in 1865, 1870)
On son Daniel's 1874 birth record, John is listed as a farmer.
On daughter Agnes' 1906 marriage record, John is listed as a contractor.
In Griffith's Valuation, 1863, there are three listings for a John Pettigrew in Bangor. It records John as having three registered pieces of land; i) a placename Fisher’s Hill, Townland of Corporation, Bangor, a holding of a quarry, ii) also at Fisher’s Hill, ruins and garden, and iii) at Quay Street, a House, Office and Yard.
For John's father Thomas, I could find no other records in Bangor besides his name in the marriage record for John and Agnes. He does not appear in Bangor in street directories or the GV. In GV, there are Thomas Pettigrews listed for town/lands, Drumbeg, Saintfield, Comber, and Newtownards. I can't determine if any of these are John's father.
If you can offer any help in finding information about John or Thomas Pettigrew, you have my thanks. If you can guide me to other sources to check, that would be great, too. What details I currently have about these people came mostly from familysearch.org and ancestry.com.
