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Topics - chelsen

Pages: [1] 2 3 4 ... 9
1
Armagh / James Magee, son of Felix Magee
« on: Thursday 23 November 17 10:55 GMT (UK)  »
My 2 x Great Grandfather was James Magee.  I only have proof of his birth date from his marriage certificate and death certificate.  He was married to Elizabeth O'Connell on 19 November 1864 in Secunderabad, India whilst serving as a Quarter Master Sergeant in B Battery, D Brigade of the Royal Horse Artillery.  His father's name is given as Felix Magee.

He and Elizabeth had 5 children, 4 of them born in India, Teresa Jane, Annie (my Gt Grandmother), James Felix and Felix (both died in infancy) and Winifred Hannah born in Woolwich in 1873 when the family had returned from India. 
James Magee committed suicide on November 25 1873, two weeks after Winifred's birth whilst still a serving soldier.  I don't suppose we will ever know why.

From his name I have always assumed he was from Northern Ireland but have never found any proof.  Recently I discovered a James McGee (the name was often spelt in this alternative way) baptised in Dromore, Armagh, parents Felix and Margaret McGee.  I also found a marriage for Felix Magee and Margaret Caulfield on 28 April 1831 also in Dromore. 

My problem is that the baptism is in 1832, but James' age on his marriage certificate is 28, which tallies with his age of 37 on his death certificate.  That would have made his dob 1836, not 1832. 
I have the original marriage certificate so I know there is no transcription error. 

I would dearly love to have proof of his date and place of birth so help would be gratefully received.  I have posted about James on the India and Military sections some time ago.
Thank you
Carole

2
Other Countries / Helsen ancestors in Netherlands
« on: Saturday 26 November 16 12:34 GMT (UK)  »
My husband's two previous generations are from France but we always knew they probably came from Belgium as Helsen is a popular name there.  My Granddaughter has now discovered that they come from a place called Echt in the Netherlands. 
My husband's Great Grandfather was Gerard Hubert Helsen (1835-1901) who married Jeanne Catherine Pittoors in Paris in 1863. 
However, it appears now that Gerard was born in Echt and had a lot of siblings.  His name is written as Gerard Hubertus Helsen in the Dutch records and his father, whose name is written as Jean Francois Helsen in the French records is listed as Joannes Franciscus Helsen (1805-1870) in the Dutch records.  Jean Francois/Joannes Franciscus was married to Maria Anna de Marteau (1802-1876) who was born in Loenhout in Belgium.  When researching her family my Granddaughter has discovered all their names sound Latin too.
 
Could someone explain to me why the Dutch versions of all the names sound Latin rather than Dutch?  Some of my husband's family was, I believe, Catholic. Would the family have changed their names to the French version to become more acceptable in France?  Also, I have no idea why the family would have moved from Netherlands to France.  Gerard must have moved to Paris before 1863 as he married there in that year.  Gerard was a "journalier".  His son, Victor Helsen, born 1868 and my husbands Grandfather, was a Carver and Guilder and he brought his family to live in London around 1900.

I would be grateful for any help with this.
Thank you
Carole

3
Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition / Nurse child
« on: Sunday 19 April 15 11:26 BST (UK)  »
On the 1851 census for my x X Great Grandparents, James and Ann Panton in Deptford, Kent, there appears an unrelated child, Sarah Jane Walker, aged 9 and described as a "Nurse Child".  There are no other children in the household, just James (73), Ann (65) and 3 adult unmarried sons.

I would be grateful if someone could explain what this means.  Could it be a foster child?  James and Ann are a bit old to be looking after someone else's child. 

Carole Helsen

4
World War Two / World War 2 and the resistance
« on: Tuesday 31 March 15 12:42 BST (UK)  »
I have been researching my husband's family for some years.  His Grandparents were French but came to the UK in around 1900.  They were Victor Helsen and Blanche Helsen (nee Cantin).  Some of their children were born in France and some after they came to England.
There are family stories, some more likely than others, that several of my husband's uncles and aunts had roles within the resistance during the second world war. 
Does anyone know if there is any way of finding out about this sort of thing?

5
World War One / Royal Flying Corps aerodromes in France
« on: Saturday 11 October 14 13:36 BST (UK)  »
We are travelling to France in November and wondered if there is any point in visiting to the St Omer, Abeele areas or anywhere else where the RFC aerodromes were. 

The friend we are travelling with had a Grandfather and Great Uncle in the RFC serving with 14th Squadron (Gosport) and 23rd Squadron, France. 

Does anyone know if there is anything still to be seen?  I think there is a museum in St Omer but I am not sure about the aerodromes.

Thank you

6
Armed Forces / British India records. Thomas and Elizabeth O'Connell. Widows claim for pension
« on: Friday 03 October 14 13:22 BST (UK)  »
I have been researching my ancestors, one of whom was Thomas O'Connell who served with the 3rd Madras Fusiliers (later 3rd Madras European Regiment) who died or was killed in 1860.  I have found various records including pension records etc.

It would appear his widow married a Michael Meally/Mealy, Gunner RHA, a few months after his death.  I have found a record which states that his back pay was paid to the Commanding Officer of B Battery,  3rd Brigade RHA four years after his death.  Why would this be?

Also, I have found a record which shows a submission for a pension from Elizabeth O'Connell, widow of Thomas O'Connell, 3rd Madras Fusiliers, dated 6 Dec 1876.  The address given is in Plumstead, Kent where many of the family lived.  Surely, Elizabeth would have been Elizabeth Meally, not Elizabeth O'Connell. 
I have not found a death for her second husband Michael Meally.

I would like to trace Elizabeth back in England.  Any help would be gratefully received.

7
Armed Forces / Michael Mealy Royal Horse Artillery, India
« on: Tuesday 12 August 14 15:11 BST (UK)  »
I have recently discovered that my 3 x Great Grandmother Elizabeth O'Connell (nee Sharp) born Cork 1828? remarried after the death of her first husband Thomas O'Connell in India.
I found a record for her marriage to Michael Mealy (Meally), Gunner in the Royal Horse Artillery, on 7 Jun 1860, just 3 months after Thomas had been killed in March 1860.  The place looks like Jaulnah, Madras, but I am not sure if I have read this properly.

I have now found a record of Michael Mealy's medal entitlement but am having difficulty reading the writing as I am not familiar with the campaigns.
I would be grateful if anyone could decipher the writing both alongside his name and at the top of the columns.
Also, I cannot find any trace of Michael or his wife Elizabeth after the birth of their second child, James Mealy in 1864 in Secunderabad.

I have attached the medal sheet.
 

8
Europe / Helsen family, France, Flanders, London
« on: Wednesday 30 July 14 14:14 BST (UK)  »
My husband's Grandfather, Victor Helsen and his wife Blanche (nee Cantin) travelled to London from Paris around 1899/1900.  In 1901 they were living in Shaftesbury Avenue and in 1911 they were living in Baleman Street, Westminster.  Later they moved to Tottenham.
It would appear that Blanche's family also moved to London but I am not sure if it was before or after the Helsen family.
The first 4 children, Marcel, Jeanne, Marguerite and Fernand were born in Paris.  They then had at least 6 more children in London, including my husband's father Lucien Maurice Helsen born 1902.

On the 1911 census only the older children were with the parents in London and I cannot find any trace of the remaining children, Lucien, Eve Yolande and Marius Henry.

I wondered if anyone could tell me if there is any way I could check whether the younger children were in France in 1911.
Also, does anyone know why these two French families would have left their homes in Paris to live in London?  Victor was a Master Gilder and later on he and some of his sons set up business in Oxford Street, London and were highly regarded.

9
Kent / John Meek, Clerk at Fort Pitt, Chatham
« on: Thursday 10 July 14 12:39 BST (UK)  »
I am trying to find out more about my 3 x Great Grandfather John Meek who, at the time of the baptism of his children, was a Clerk at Fort Pitt, Chatham. 

I cannot find his birth date but his children were Mary Ann Meek B 1811, Elizabeth Massett Meek B 1814, Sarah Meek B 1817, Charlotte Meek B 1819 (all baptised at St Mary, Chatham) and John Meek B 1820 (my 2 x Gt Grandfather). 

I have John Meek (senior) as marrying Mary Ann Inment Brayley at St Mary the Virgin in Dover in 1808 but someone else, who has this John Meek in their tree, has him as marrying Mary Ann Norwood in 1806 in Marylebone. 

I only have the online record of the marriage to Mary Ann Inment Brayley so cannot prove it but, according to their online tree, the person who has him marrying Mary Ann Norwood has no proof either.

I am wondering if there are any records for Fort Pitt which could give me the date of birth or any other information of my 3 x Great Grandfather, John Meek.

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