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Ireland (Historical Counties) => Ireland => Down => Topic started by: akanex2 on Thursday 08 January 09 15:39 GMT (UK)
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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.
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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
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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.
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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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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.
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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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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.
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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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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?
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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!
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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
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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.
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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
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Forgot to mention this one
Bleekley,Templepatrick Graveyard, Miller Hill, Donaghadee www.graves2.homecall.co.uk/Templepatrick
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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)
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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
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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
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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
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Fiona
That is brilliant - many thanks indeed! Could you possibly send me a scan of Mary Blakely's baptism in 1873? She is my gt granny. I'll PM you my email address.
Thanks again
AK2
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Hi. I am the great grandson of William Blakely. I have been researching him for years and have
recently discovered that he used a different name throughout his life. Loads more info if you would like to hear it.
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Would love to hear any information you have and I'm very interested to hear how you are descended from William.
Once you have posted a few more messages you will be able to use the Personal Messaging option to send me stuff you don't want posted in the public domain.
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Hi. OK here goes, hope I can remember it all. Williams parents were John and Jane. She was his second wife formerly Cadell and her maiden name was Gibson. They had two sons and for whatever reason called both of them William. The second one died very young. The first William was registered as William James Blakely born on 19th March 1876 at Valentine Street, Belfast On his birth certificate his mothers maiden name is spelt as Kell which is wrong. During his life he went by the name of James Alexander Blakely and his death record from the States confirms his date of birth on it. He married a Matilda McCashen when they were both 19yrs and had a daughter Lizzie who was my grandmother. She married a Fred Barlow in Glasgow and they had a daughter Jane Blakely Barlow who was my mother. I have some photos of the family and have really struggled with this one. There is family in the states and I visited them in 2004. Hope all this makes sense to you and you find it helpful.
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Hi YF
Sorry, your William is over 30 years younger than my guy and I can't see any connection between them with what I know so far. Did John and Jane come from Newtownards do you know? Maybe with a bit more digging we can find a link.
AK2
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Hi AK2
Thanks for that. Just have to keep plodding on. My attention to this of course in the first place was the date of birth. Will carry on digging though.
Best wishes
YF
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Just an update on what I have found since my first post:
William who died in 1909 actually did get his age right on one official document - the 1901 census where he got his childrens' ages wrong!
I have located his baptism in 1st Newtownards Prebyterian and he was born on 15 July 1848. His parents were William Blakely and Ursilla McCully (McAuley) and he had 3 other siblings in the church records - Anne Jane (1850), Ellen (1861) and James Alexander (1869). Anne Jane married James Quinn in 1871 (also in 1st Newtownards).
The elder William was the son of John Blakely and Anne Jane (Nancy) Kilpatrick of Greenwell St, Newtownards. His brothers and sisters are baptised in Newtownards Non Subscribing Prebyterian and include Ann Jane (m Samuel Morrow), James (m Jane Johnston), Robert and Charles (elder children predate church records).
I would love to hear from any descendants of this family and many thanks to everyone who helped me so far.
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hi i found this post with a google search.i am interested in thomas taylor and anna carroll as they are mygreat,great grandparents i ordered the wedding certificate and it arrived yesterday and then i found this page.would it be possible fiona for you to look up if there were any more carroll marriages as i am looking for annas brothers and sisters.
akanex2 there are more children
annie taylor born 1865
richard carroll taylor 17 feb 1867-16 may 1939 my great grandad
mum anna carroll was born in 1843 and dad thomas taylor was born in 1842 old swan west derby liverpool his father is john taylor and his mum is margaret.if your a member of ancestry.com i am wildfowl and my tree is fowler family tree you will see some census etc .
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Hi Wildfowl
Would love to make contact - I know of at least 1 other sister and two brothers of Anna and Elizabeth Carroll and have some death certificate/baptism details. I'm not a member of ancestry.com but if you make another 2 postings on this site we will be able to use the personal message system to swap email addresses and I can send you the stuff I have (& vice versa).
Hope to be in touch soon.
AK2
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here are the census forms i have found for john taylor
1851 census address victoria place,west derby,lancashire
john taylor born 1811 prescot lancashire occupation tailor
wife margaret born 1818 wales occupation tailor
children
john born 1831 prescot occupation shoe maker
ann born 1840 west derby school
THOMAS born 1842 ,,,, ,,
mary ,, 1844 ,, ,,
hannah ,, 1846 ,, ,,
richard ,, 1848 ,, ,,
margaret ,, 1851 ,, ,,
~~~~~~~~--------------------1841 census swan row,walton on the hill,west derby,lancashire
john taylor born 1811 lancashire occupation tailor
margaret ,, 1811 ,,,
children
shadrach ,,, 1830 ,,,
john ,, 1831 ,,,
jane ,,, 1835 ,,,
richard ,,,, 1837 ,,
anne ,,, 1839 ,,,
those are the 2 census"s i have found i think they may all go over to ireland.you will notice margaret changes from being born in lancashire to wales.
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Were the Taylor's Methodist in Lancashire or only on coming to Co Down?
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now thomas taylor 1851 census above post
1861 census
address 3,5 court,wood street east,west derby,liverpool
he is living with brother shadrach who is down as a boot and shoe maker
thomas taylor occupation is journey man and boot and shoe maker
~~~~~~~~-------------------1863 living in newtonards ireland address high street hes a boot and shoe maker marriage to anna carroll who is living on church street
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1867 living newtonards ireland address regent street this comes fron richard carroll taylors birth certificate
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we then know that they live on frances street because fiona put the baptism records on but also
1877 BELFAST/ULSTER STREET DIRECTORY OF TRADERS he has a shop thomas taylor frances street boot and shoe maker
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1881 census
they go back to west derby england
the street address is 5 denman street
between 1881 and 1891 anna carroll dies in west derby
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1891 census
they are now in the isle of man
the address is onchan,douglas,isle of man and its 48 strand street thomas is still a boot and shoe maker the shop is now a wh smiths if you want to look at the present premises.
~~~~~~~~-------------------1901 census
back to england living in bolton lancashire the address is 160 mornington road thomas is now a music and book dealer
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1911 census still in bolton on mornington road occupation music and book dealer
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thomas taylors occupation does change but we did know about that before we started searching we did know there was a connection with liverpool but we didnt relise he was born there.
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i am not sure whether they were methodist before or after they arrived in ireland.
i havent found a lot on the carrolls i have
john h carroll son of richard married bessy j lindsay 7 november 1854 newtonards.
richard carrol of church street leased from the marquis of londonderry 2 houses on church street and half acre lane these are in the griffiths valuation for 1863 and anna gives her address as church street.
and then i found this the dates it would make him to be too old for richard carroll but it could be his dad
richard carroll of church street newtonards died 20 december 1847 aged 86 buried st patricks church of ireland graveyard.
thats all the information about them we have at the moment
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Hmm came across this on google and just had to reply. I came across a John Bleakey/Blakely (depending on sources) whilst researching a topic for my dissertation. I came across this man who was convicted of murder of his son Felix but his family was convinced he thought his son was a changeling (interesting story). It would be interesting to see if he is a relative of your Bleakey purely as its an interesting character to be related to. Anyways the trial date was in 1840 and he has a sister named Anne Finly.
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Very interesting - what can you tell me about the John who was convicted?
I'm pretty sure it's not the same guy as my John was living in Newtownards with his daughter, son in law & 2 sons in the 1851 census.
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Hi, my great grandfather, James Robinson emigrated to Boston 1889 and lived in Chelsea with his wife, and his father in law, William Gilmore. In the census of 1900, he also had three boarders- a James Blakeley, who was born in 1886 and immigration was in 1889. My grandfather came from Holestone, Antrim Ireland. I wonder if this blakeley could be related to his wife, Mary Margaret Gilmore Robinson.
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My gt gt grandfather had a brother James Blakely born in 1869 who married in Scotland in 1893. No connection to Gilmour or Robinson though.
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have a blakely family tree going back to 1768 if its helpful to anyone
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have a blakely family tree going back to 1768 if its helpful to anyone
Hi Mary, my Great-Grandfather was James Hamilton Blakely (born 16 May 1855 in Bangor, Co Down), he joined the Navy and ended up in Portsmouth. I think he had at least 2 brothers: Robert & William, who were probably both older than him. His father Robert may have been a 'cab man'.
I have the family tree of all his (James') many descendants but no information at all about his family in NI...
~ If the family tree you mention may be connected at all that would be very helpful to me :)
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Posted on behalf of Mary who had sent the image to RootsChat help
Sarah
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Andy , It might not look like it but I am trying to check when he left Co Down
1861 English Census I stumbled on this
Old Monkland Lanarkshire Scotland
Thomas Blakely b 1817 Ireland m Esther b 1823 Ireland with children
Samuel 1845 b Ireland
Agnes b1848 b Ireland
Jane b 1850 b Ireland
James b 1856 b Ireland { I dont think this is the right James or family}
John b 1859 Old Monkland
1863 Griffiths valuation see http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation
Here comes the puzzle is this JHB’s old home. Please look them up. one is possible just land and andrew lives on another place or it is two different Andrew ?
An Andrew Blakely is living at Mallyree townland, Bangor civil parish map ref 9 you can look a map and see blgd outline and fields if a farm
An Andrew Blakely is living at Balloo townland, Bangor civil parish map ref 7 you can look a map and see blgd outline and fields if a farm
Anyway having got an Andrew coming on the scene potentially some sort of relative I would check back to both these websites
http://www.newtownards.info/family-blackly.htm
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rosdavies/
He could have been a brother of James father or etc One or other of these websites have a Hamilton Blakely slightly older and I acould not connect him in.
1871 English Census
Boy 2nd Class James Blakely b 1855 age 16 HMS Implacable training ship, Plymouth Devon
1881 English Census
Signalman James Blakeley b 1855 Age 26 Birth Place Bangor Ireland The ship name might have been HMS Hector
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Thank you Mary for making that information available, (and thank you Sarah for posting it), I don't see any connections at the moment but it may be invaluable later. :)
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Hi BallyaltikilliganG , Thank you for all that information.
I agree with you that the 1861 England Census appears to be a different family.
Thanks also for the 'heads up' on the 1863 Griffiths valuation (& the links to those websites) - no way of knowing if there is any connection though. JHB's son's appear to be named after his 'Best Man' at his marriage and then his Father/brothers that I have names for, but no "Andrew" with his other 2 sons, so it seems unlikely.(see below)
You have found the correct person on the 1871 & 1881 Census (which was on HMS Hector), but I have been unable to find him on the 1891 Census which was 4 days before his wedding.
He was serving aboard HMS Duke of Wellington at that time (from 1st April 1891 until 2nd June 1891) although he had just been transferred from HMS Hibernia (from 25th November 1888 until 31st March 1891) so he may have been on leave and somehow avoided the Census ('inebriated'?)
On the 1901 Census he was a 'Naval Pensioner' in Portsmouth and had all his 5 sons by then, he died in 1906.
I have his Naval Records and they show he signed up as a "Boy 2nd Class" to HMS(?) Endymion on 20th January 1871 and signed up (on HMS Audacious) for his 10 year ticket as "Ordinary Seaman 2nd Class" on 1st January 1873 - still assigned to the Endymion.
I believe he narrowly avoided going on the 1875/76 British Arctic Expedition when they decided not to take dedicated Signalmen (I believe he was on the preliminary crew list). The expedition was noted as suffering badly from Scurvy with 4 deaths, although it was rated a success overall. (HMS Discovery & HMS Alert)
I've included this extra information because the significance of some of it may have escaped my attention so if anything strikes you please let me know. Thanks again for your help. :)
James Hamilton Blakely 1855-1906 Children: George Alfred James Blakely 1892-1917
m. 1891 Southsea William John Blakely 1893-1976
Esther Stagg 1858-1944 Leonard Robert Blakely 1895-1965
Harry Albert Blakely 1898-1972
Frederick Valentine Blakely 1900-1975
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I don't think anyone has yet mentioned that great source for Co. Down genealogy, "Ulster Pedigrees, the Descendants, in Many Lines, of James Orr and Janet McClement, Who Emigrated from Scotland to Northern Ireland ca.1607". The title says it all! The original handwritten family-trees are in the Linen Hall library but there's also a book version by the American researcher Ray A. Jones. There are 27 entries for Blakely in the index, mostly in Carrickmadyroe.
Harry
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The Leitrim visit sounds interesting. The long list contains a birth in Benraw - adjacent townland to Leitrim. There was significant movement from the area to Killyleagh after the famine; perhaps the Blakelys were part of that and moved on to Newtownards? Just speculation. See last gravestone inscription here: http://www.historyfromheadstones.com/index.php?id=522&page=306&prevStartQuery=1525&theme=Infant&Send=Send
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Quite a lot of interest to me here since I last posted. I see that the gravestone in reply#42 has the Charles Blakely who married Sarah Simpson (tree in reply#37) as the father of Thomas who erected the stone. Thomas’s baptism was recorded in Leitrim Presbyterian on 14 July 1843 showing his parents are Charles and Sarah. William, son of Charles, and Isabella Brown married in Leitrim on 7 December 1843, meaning if William and Thomas were brothers there was a large age gap (or possibly Thomas was baptised at a mature age?). My “connection” to Benraw/Leitrim is the attached photo of my grandfather William Blakely Kane (man in centre of doorway) labelled “Leitrim 1934” which I speculate may have been a visit to his Blakely relatives. I know nothing more about a link to that part of Co Down. My grandfather was the grandson of William Blakely (1848-1909), a draper in Newtownards. His father was William Blakely (1823-1873 a weaver in Newtownards) and grandfather was John Blakely an innkeeper, also in Newtownards, who died in 1859. John also had sons named Robert and Charles, baptised in N’ards in 1833 and 1836 respectively, who disappear from view and I had presumed died young. I’m now wondering if this Robert could be the Bangor Cabman (father of James Hamilton Blakely in 1855) and the name Charles a link to the Leitrim/Benraw family? John the innkeeper and his brother William both lived in Newtownards, as did their father Duncan Blakely who signed the Freeholders Register on 25th January 1790. I have always presumed that Duncan was descended from William “Blackley” of Newtownards, a butcher by trade who took leases in the town in 1740 and 1742.
Does anyone recognise the house/people in the photo?
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Stone in Leitrim Presbyterian; difficult to read:
In Loving Memory of JAMES BLAKLEY BENRAW
Who died 1st Sep 1886 Aged 54 years
(also his wife)?
ELIZABETH
Who died 10th Oct 1887 Aged 82 years
?
also their daughters
MARGARET who died 20th Sep 1906
and
SUSANNA who died 4th July 1909
AGNES who died 15 November 1912
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Stone in Leitrim Presbyterian - transcription previously discussed:
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Hi Mary - who posted the family tree that included Charles Blakely - would you be able to tell me if this line was Presbyterian? My 3rd great-grandfather was Charles Blakely and he had a brother James who had both emigrated to Canada (New Brunswick) in the mid to late 1840's when they were teenagers. I'm trying to figure out where they may have come from and who their parents were. I see on your tree that Charles and Sarah Simpson had two sons with the names Charles and James and they may be the right age based on Charles birth year of 1789. I'm am wondering if this could be his family. Thank you.