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Call me Lyle.

Madden Bridge would be in the townland of Tullyhugh. I had thought of a possible twin however the documentary evidence suggests otherwise. There are only 11 birth registration civil records for children of George and Jane, and in the 1911 census Jane states that she had had 11 children of which 10 where alive. So far I can find information on all children up to 1911 bar the first Elizabeth and Margaret Jane who was born on 1 Aug 1886. May fits Elizabeth perfectly so Margaret Jane must have been the one who died before 1911.

Looking into George's wife, Jane Davison's side I came across this http://history.davison.ca/ website and it would appear that our Davisons were involved in the production of linen from the early 1700s. A J. Davis (a by-name for Davison) in 1805 introduced damask linen production. Jane's father was Joseph Davison of Tullyhugh and this site mentions Joseph. They also provide a map based on the valuations from 1864 http://history.davison.ca/Images/DavisonLeasedLand1864.jpg which clearly shows Joseph's plot of land along with the Tandragee railway station and a hotel, the "Madden Inn Hotel" (it lay by the Madden River).

In Jane's parents marriage record Joseph is listed as a hotel keeper, so it is definitely one and the same. According to the valuation books held at PRONI, George Alexander Matchett took on the tenancy of the land and hotel in 1884 before a Joseph Gilpin took it on in 1891. This matches the time frame where the first half of George's children were born in Tullyhugh.

In Joseph's marriage record his father Robert is recorded as being a manufacturer tying it directly into the Davison's of the linen trade as referenced in that website. The site says Joseph rented out his house in Tullyhugh and the only applicable record I can find for a death of a Joseph Davison (under various alt spellings) is in Drumaran townland, the same townland Samuel Matchett's family lived, though through valuations it would appear he had land there from as early as the 1860s.

Hi, unfortunately I don't have any other information on Elizabeth other than her death record (23 Jul 1883, Drumaran, Tullylish, Down). I have found six children for Samuel so far, the one you are missing is Samuel James Matchett (between 1847-1850, died 25 Feb 1903, Sandown, Isle of Wight). He married Alice Emma Smith (1860s-19 May 1941, Brighton) of Norfolk and had one child Samuel Benjamin Matchett (c1899, Nottingham - 1906, Sandown, IoW). The connection is confirmed from a newspaper mention of Samuel James' death that states his father was Samuel of Drumaran. The reason for the places being all over England is from Samuel James being a commercial traveller, but appears to have been based in the IoW.

I'm descended from George's daughter Elizabeth (1884-1927), who'd be my great-grandmother. Married 14 Jan 1916, Belfast, to William A. B. Green, of Straid, Ballynure parish, though they afterwards lived in Whitewell, Carnmoney parish.

In regards to George Alexander Matchett and his wife Jane Davison, according to Jane in the 1911 census she had 11 children of which 1 had died. I have civil records for all 11 children and none of them are called Mary. Their first child was born in 1880 but was recorded as Elizabeth, however as they had a second child called Elizabeth in 1884 it would appear the first one is the one that died before 1911.

I have a DNA account on GedMatch if you have a test done, to see what matches can be found?

Below is the information I have on George and his family:

George Alexander (c1842-15 Jul 1909, Belfast) married 8 Mar 1880, Armagh District Registrar's Office, to Jane Davison (c1861, Tullyhugh, Ballymore, Armagh-died 1933)

• Elizabeth (7 Jun 1880, Tullyhugh - died bef. 1884)
• Samuel James (15 Nov 1881, Tullyhugh) married Nellie Campbell, 14 Nov 1910, Bronx, NY, USA
• Elizabeth "Betty" (30 Jan 1884, Tullyhugh - 5 Nov 1927, Belfast) married 14 Jan 1916, Belfast, William A. Green. My great-grandparents.
• Margaret Jane (1 Aug 1886, Tullyhugh)
• William Joseph (12 Dec 1889, Tullyhugh)
• George Thomas (2 Jun 1892, Belfast - 8 Feb 1973, Ontario, Canada) married Dorothy McTeague, 24 May 1932, Niagara, NY, USA
• Robert Alexander (3 Apr 1895, Belfast - 12 May 1963, Los Angeles, CA, USA) married 24 Feb 1925, LA to Ellen Cecilia Davis
• Alice Emma (6 Nov 1897, Belfast) - married Robert Gibson, 6 Nov 1915, Belfast
• Hugh Norman (29 Sep 1900, Belfast), though seems to use Norman as forename
• Albert "Bertie" (13 Feb 1903, Belfast)
• Eileen (18 Jun 1904, Belfast) - married her sister Bessie's widowed husband on 28 Jan 1930

Having said that, that doesn't mean there wasn't a Mary. I have seen children registered as one name but with a different name in later records before and I don't have 1901 or 1911 census information for Margaret. Though I don't see a death record for her from the time of her birth (1886) to 1911, which means she may have gotten married, or she got married and died before 1911 but is recorded under that name, but again I find no applicable marriage records. So there is a mystery to unravel

[UPDATE:] Found the marriage record for your May and the 1911 census does give c1881 for year of birth. I note her sister Bessie, my great-grandmother, is living with her family and was her marriage witness!

Hi, I was wondering do you have any DNA testing done, and if so is it uploaded to GEDMatch? I would like to compare our tests to find out do we have a Dupre connection.

My 3x great-grandfather was Samuel Matchett (b. c1813), born in County Armagh but lived and died in Drumaran townland, Tullylish parish, quite close to where Hamilton Dupre lived when he got married. In Samuel's marriage record is a James Dupre Matchett (b. c1810), son of a George Matchett. They had a hotel in Armagh city. Tullylish is right on the County Down/Armagh border and it is quite possible Samuel Matchett was born simply a matter of miles away from Drumaran.

I am descended from Samuel Matchett who in his marriage record had a James Dupre Matchett as a witness. Whilst I have no evidence to prove it, I believe that Samuel Matchett (who had a son George) was the brother of James Dupre Matchett and thus son of George Matchett. As surnames were commonly used as middle names and sometimes forenames in Ireland, it is likely George's wife or his mother or moth-in-laws maiden name was Dupre.

Thanks to all who have responded!

No Richardsons in Killyberry or Leitrim in the 1831 census.

The Killyberry & Leitrim ones derive from the quite nearby parent Castledawson branch, which is found in the 1831 census.

Marriage
Maggie J Richardson and George Pickett, Philadelphia
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q29S-2Z8T

Good catch! As well as the 1900 census one.

Quote from: heywood on Saturday 19 August 23 00:55 BST (UK)

1920 Margaret and Geirge Pickett with Isabella Richardson
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXSX-PF1

From this census return it seems that George Pickett/Picket and Margaret Pickett (nee Richardson) plus Sarah Richardson emigrated to the US in 1893 and became naturalised in 1917.  I am not sure who actually emigrated in 1893  as Margaret & George sought a licence to be married in 1915 in Philadelphia.  Margaret gives her occupation as a spooler. 

Thye are boarding with the family Blare/Blane? Blane I think.    The wife Minnie Blane emigrated in 1893.  In my family there are a couple of  Irish Marys who have turned into Minnies so this family may be worth looking at. 

With the other census result provided by heywood it would be the surname Beare, which is actually local to their home area. Minnie is a common pet form of Mary, my own great-granny Mary was nicknamed Minnie.

Again, thanks for the help.