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Independent Islands => Isle of Man => Isle of Man Lookup Requests => Topic started by: kapeake on Monday 21 September 15 20:00 BST (UK)
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I am making my third trip to the Isle of Man in May of next year. I have known my whole life I was Manx but had very little information before recently. I found A portion of letter detailing my Great-Grandfather, William J. Peake's life. I am searching for any information on his parents or other family members. We know that his mother died when he was young and his father was lost at sea. He was born in Castletown on 28 April 1859. He was then given to an Aunt to care for him and then to a sea captain as she was unable to care for him. He eventually joined the British Mercantile Marines. I am looking for any information that could build my family tree. He sounds like he lived a fascinating life and my love for the IoM comes directly from him, I am sure of it. Thank you for any assistance you may lend.
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Hi and welcome to Rootschat
1861 census for Castletown IOM - all born there
Richard Bridson 63
Margaret Bridson daughter - unmarried 26
Louisa Leighhall 3 g/dtr
William Peak 1 g/son
Agnes Callister 21 boarder
RG9 Piece 4414 Folio 8 Page 9
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Yes, I have that information, but nothing about if this Richard Bridson was actually a relative or not. I appreciate the quick reply!
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but nothing about if this Richard Bridson was actually a relative or not
William is shown as his grandson. Have you checked for a marriage between Bridson & Peake?
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It says grandson, but because of the back story I now know, could that have been false information? I only know that his Aunt briefly cared for him (I do not know her name). I have found many Bridson records, no marriage information related to the Peake surname. Could it have been likely he was born out of wedlock? I don't know how surnames worked in those situations at that time.
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The 1851 shows Richard's wife was Louisa and they had another daughter Mary Ann aged 20
No other daughters showing on the 1841 entry
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If William was illegitimate you would expect his birth to be registered in his mothers maiden name
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1871
50 Castle St Castleton I.O.M.
Richard Bridson Head widower 72 Castletown
William Peake grandson 10 scholar Castletown
RG10 5777 1818
so 1861 & 1871 William is described as grandson of Richard bridson
1881 maybe this is him???
92 Edgeware Rd Liverpool Lancs
William J Peake Boarder U 20 General Lab Castletown IOM
one of several boarders in the household of Thomas Matterson
RG11 3707 15 24
Suz
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In 1841 - Richards wife is Lucy
Family Search has a marriage in Malew 14.10.1822 to Lucy Christie.
I thought possibly William's mother may have been a second wife to Richard hence the Peake surname
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I do believe he is that boarder you mention, may make sense as he was traveling on ships so much. I appreciate your responses. I will follow up with the Bridson line and see if I can find out any more information.
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the problem is in 1881 his occupation is "General labourer" nothing to do with the sea - maybe as he was living in Liverpool his career at sea began after then
Suz
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wonder if this is the ship's captain he was "given to"???
Merchant navy Crew Lists
William Peak
born Castleton
Ordinary Seaman
Vessel Cassoway
from 1 July 1876 to 31 Dec 1876
Previous vesselFishing
Vessel official number 64708
Vessel reg port Douglas
Master's last name Kelly
Master's address castletown Isle of man
Owner Edward Martin
owner's address Malew St Castletown
so wonder if he left the Merchant Navy in 1876 and "landed" at Liverpool where he laboured for a while
???
Suz
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That's fantastic, thank you!
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Hi
Who did William marry - where and when?
Did he give a fathers name on his marriage cert?
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He married twice. His first marriage ended when his wife and children died in New York City, USA during a flu epidemic at the turn of the century. Her name was Maggie O'Toole. He then married my great grandmother, Elizabeth Sattler in Buffalo, NY approximately in the early 1890's.
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If William was illegitimate you would expect his birth to be registered in his mothers maiden name
only if born in England - no civil registration on IoM (other than a very poorly used optional arrangement) until 1877/8 - illegitimates would actually be known under their father's name - the baptismal register merely states child of male and female with usually a note as to illegitimacy - there might be a presentment for fornication that would result in an appearance as a church consistorial court (records for such held by Manx Museum) but these records seldom if ever give the name of the child - it is possible tho rare for the woman to sue for maintenance from the father.
The Mormons with their insistance that the IoM followed the english custom re illegitimates lead many astray
on my Manxnotebook CD I have many of the records of this court - in court May 1861 a Elizabeth Bridson affiliated her child on James Peak who admitted the same
quick check of 1861 Castletown census indicates a James Peake s/o annuitant (gentleman crossed thru) James B Peake and wife Fanny - all children born England
More info is in the 1851 census when the Peake family is at College green Castletown James senior born London, with James W the son born in Shaldon Devon - judging from varied birth places for children family moved around and would appear to have only moved to IoM a little before the 1851 census
James junr would appear to be buried aged 34 at Malew 1 Sep 1874 (misread entry as James Peaks) - father James senr 5 Jun 1878 age 69 + mother Fanny 1887 age 74
at first I suspected Elizth to be dau of Richard Bridson + Cath Christian - bapt Santan 18301212 - Richard was a farmer at Ballfurt but the Richard gfa in 1861 is an Ag Lab living in Queen [Hythe] street Castletown (somewhat of a poor neighbourhood - see page on www.manxnotebook.com under Castletown)- widower wife was Lucy Christie (she was illegitimate bapt Mal 18000400 )- however no Elizabeth in this family that I could see - Bridson is a common name and a Margt Bridson of Malew was also presented for fornication in 1860 and there is a gdau Louisa Leighall (a very non Manx name - Castletown was also home to the barracks and many illegitimate births registered to soldiers) - I wonder if Wm J [?james] Peak was actually a boarder rather a gson ?
yet more - the Peakes had moved to Castletown whilst one son was at King William's college - Robt Wm Youle Peake s/o J B Peake was entered as a Day boy in Aug 1848 and left mid summer 1851 noted as dying at sea c 1864 - it is possible other boys went to KWC but I only transcribed reg upto 1850 - KWC was a relatively cheap public school
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I believe he may have been a boarder if both of his parents were deceased at that time. That's a lot of information, I'm not sure I quite understand the outcome, are you saying those were are possibilities but are actually not related?
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no I was looking for potential Elizabeth Bridsons in 1861 census in Castletown area (Malew + Castletown) - with a 24yr old James I'd expect the woman to be around same age or somewhat younger - there are 2 unm possibilities in area one noted as 22yr niece of Robt Kelly in Derbyhaven (just down road from King Wm's colleg this was I think d/o Thomas Bridson + Margt Cubbon age 11 in 1851 Robt Kelly's wife was Judith Cubbon - noted as a servant) and the other a 17yr old dau of Eliz Bridson (provision dealer in Bridge st Castletown + widow of Robert) - I suspect the former is more likely
I think James Peak did attend KWC - I don't have immediate access to my copy of KWC reg for this period but a later volume has index to earlier years and a J Peak is noted in prob early 1850's
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plugging name into search box on my site brings up an obit from North American Manx Assoc re death in July 1941 - final job florist in Buffalo
Fanny + Henrietta Peake were still in Castletown in 1881 - Henrietta dying in 1905 age 54
might be worthwhile to check on www.imuseum.im especially for newspaper reports - since James predeceased his father I'd expect a memorial inscription in Malew
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if Elizabeth died at a young age then one strong contender is Elizabeth Bridson bur age 22 26 Jul 1868 - noted as of Queen Street - she would be about 16 at birth of child too young to marry - the Peake family would appear to have some money and could support the mother - she is I think the dau of Thomas Bridson also living in Queen street in 1861 - might explain the family story
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whilst in Manx Museum checked up on KWC
George Peake born 20 Nov 1848 son of J B Peake entered Aug 1859 left May 1862 , farming in New Zealand d 1895 in New Zealand
appears that James did not attend that school
The MI for Peake family in Glebe yard Malew (stones E15,16) fills in most of story:
Sacred / to / the / memory / of JAMES BUDGEN PEAKE ESQUIRE / Third son of the late / THOMAS PEAKE ESQUIRE / of Lincoln's Inn, Sergeant at Law / who died at Castletown / on June 2nd 1878 / Aged 69 years / Also of his two sons / ROBERT WILLIAM YOULE PEAKE / who vas drowned at / St. Thomas West Indies / on January 12th 1864 / Aged 27 years JAMES WOODS PEAKE / who died at Braddan on August 30th 1874 / aged 34 years / and of his daughter / MARGARET ANN PEAKE / who died at Castletown on November 15th 1878 / aged 35 years / Also of FANNY widow of the above James B. Peake / and only daughter of JOSEPH FLETCHER WOODS / of Oakham, County Rutland / who died at The Green Castletown, November 23rd 1887 /-Aged 74 years / Also of HENRIETTA JANE / youngest daughter of the above who died / January 5th 1905, aged 54 years.
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having tried to match Elizabeth I looked back at my photo of presentment - It is an Elizabeth Bridson who is presented but this looks to be a mistake as Margt is entered in a different hand above the entry [I'm not sure how to post a photo but can send it to you if you PM me] and the court note is
At a chapter court held in Castletown on the 17th day of May 1861 Margaret Bridson having appeared and made oath upon the Holy Evangelists that James Peak of Castletown is the father of the said illegitimate child (the same being admitted by Frederick J Gelling esq advocate in behalf of said James Peak) The said child is therefore affiliated on the said James Peak in due form
an advocate appearing at these courts is unusual and confirms that Peak's family had some social standing - I presume the father is the young James W and not the James B senior - Margt Bridson would appear to have had another illeg a couple of years earlier.
There is a burial for a Margaret Bridson of Queen St age 35 at Malew 9 Jan 1870 - would fit Margt d/o Richard + Lucy - the reported ages for Richard would fit s/o Robert Bridson + Jane als Bridson bapt Malew 17970317 but there are two Richards bapt around this time but naming eldest son Robt would add some strength to my choice. There might be a MI in Malew but generally Queen St was a fairly tightly knit group of the lower social strata in Castletown (T E Brown's comment was there were more social classes in Castletown than skins in an onion) - there could be wills but again looking at social class this is rare post 1800 - more interesting is that James Peake senr left no will (tho wife Fanny + dau Harriet did)
It may well be King William's college that provided the meeting ground as at least two sons of J B Peake went there and the eldest son of Richard Bridson was noted as a servant there in 1841 + the college employed numerous women to feed + clean - I didn't note James W as a pupil (the J Peak in the index was younger and came from Runcorn) tho I might have missed him but James W is noted as a draper's asst in 1861 which would be somewhat unusual for a family professing a high social standing.
Small correction the 1881 census entry - W Peak is at house of Thomas Watterson (also of Castletown) with a couple of other Manx boarders
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So you think Margaret Bridson and James W. Peake are the routes I should investigate? Or Robert William Peake? William's (my great grandfather), father died at sea. Also, if you can send me the photo you mention, that would be great, or any other info you may have. Thanks again!
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need an email address to post photo - contact me via my website (in my profile)
Margt looks to be mother - no Elizabeth in that family than I can see (not sure why the presentment is in name of Elizth but Margt appeared in court - re the Wm who died at sea I suspect he was already at sea when child was conceived - also court + advocate both seem to accept James (tho which one father or son) as father of child.
The MI gives you all the bio material you need - the whole Peake family were non Manx
The elder James was a debtor in prison in 1864 (can send you that cutting as well) there might well be more in local papers - see www.imuseum.im tho you will need take out a subscription
Tracing Richard back is going to be trickier I think - there is a note in IoM Times 27 Nov 1847 that Wm Bridson eldest s/o Mr Richard Bridson of Queen street died by accident boarding his vessel whilst in Kenmore Ireland
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I just want to make sure I am making sense of this. William's father did die at sea according to my grandfather (William's son). James W sounds to be the father, then?
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a Wm Peake died at sea but the child's father was noted to be James Peake - don't think Margt had two children by different members of family - his aunts/grandfather probably told him a few white lies (his mother if Margt, d 1869(from memory) - the younger James was dead by 1874 and the elder james 5 years later - as I said Fanny + Harriet/Henrietta left wills - you may be able to buy a copy from Manx museum library@mnh.gov.im but they are on Mormon (church of Jesus Christ latter day saints - they run fam history centres try your local phonebook) film 0106507 for Fanny's will 1888 and 0106550 for 1905 will of henrietta
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Wonderful, I will go to that site and start my search. Thanks again, this is truly exciting.