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I appreciate that this is a long shot.  But I am looking for any information about John Smith, my great-great-great-grandfather.
 
Based on census returns, John Smith was born around 1833 in Whitehaven.  On 9 April 1850, John Smith married Mary Watkins at St Andrew’s Church, Dublin.  The family story is that Mary Watkins was the daughter of an innkeeper, and John Smith met her while a customer at the inn.  Another version is that Mary Watkins was the daughter of a ship-owner, with John Smith working for her father.  In any event, John Smith was a mariner working in a merchant service.

Apart from that, my favourite family story is that John Smith could spit without opening his mouth.  Apparently, he had suffered some form of cancer which had resulted in part of his lip being cut out.

As shown on the census returns, John Smith’s children were all born in Workington (the 1881 census wrongly listed Ireland as the place of birth for John Smith and his children).  Also, his wife’s sister Elizabeth Watkins (wife of Evan Jones, mariner) settled in Workington, along with John Smith’s mother-in-law.  As I cannot find John Smith or his wife on the 1901 census, I am guessing that both died between 1891 and 1901 (by 1901, his daughter and son-in-law Joseph Stewart had relocated to Glasgow).  I am still to order all the possible death certificates for John Smiths and Mary Smiths during that decade!
 
I am particularly wanting to trace back this family as DNA results indicate that I have some non-European DNA.  One test called Chromosome Painting shows that I have chunks of African-Asian DNA on 16 out of 22 chromosomes inherited from one parent.  And apparently that DNA would stop showing after about 6 generations.  I have researched my family-tree fairly extensively, and I conclude that this DNA has come through the Smith branch.  I know that Whitehaven played a significant role in the slave trade, which resulted in larger-than-normal numbers of slaves or ex-slaves being brought to the area.  So I am speculating that this could be the source for my non-European DNA.

I have obtained copies of various birth, marriage and death records relating to John Smith and his family, as well as census returns.  I will copy those below this message.

Anyway, I thought that I would post here on the off-chance that anyone has been researching this Smith family or may do so in the future.
 
Many thanks
 
David

Robert

I was in Haddington this afternoon and recorded the inscription for you:

Erected
in memory of John Punton who died Sept 4th 1890
aged 52 years.
Marion Hamilton his wife
who died 28th Jany 1925, aged 81 years.
Agnes Amos wife of William Punton
died 10th March 1893 aged 25 years.
Elizabeth
daughter of the above John Punton
born 22nd Jany 1878, died 18th Jany 1918.
Also his son Thomas
died 5th Jany 1925 aged 38 years.
Isabella Wyllie
wife of George Punton
died 5th Jany 1946, aged 80 years.
and the above
George Punton
died 20th July 1951, aged 87 years.

As you'll note, the surname is Punton, rather than Ponton.  On the churchyard index on St Mary's website, you'll see that the churchyard contains other Punton graves too.

I have taken a couple of photographs of the headstone.  If you send me a Personal Message with your e-mail address, I would be happy to forward the photos to you.

Regards

David

Robert

Thanks for your response and extra information.

Rather than the siblings of Major Nelson (some of whom are mentioned above), I was really trying to trace his family back a bit further, eg siblings of his father or more!  But that's proving very difficult, with Irish records.

Meanwhile, I may have identified the earlier marriage of Major Nelson's father (on his marriage certificate to Mary Anne Black, George Nelson was described as a widower).  The earlier marriage may have been to a Jane Brown in December 1865, with 4 children born from that marriage.  But I would need to order a copy of the marriage certificate to prove that I am correct.  I think also that I may have identified the death of the earlier wife in 1875, which is the year before George Nelson married Mary Anne Black.

Thanks for the offer re the family tree on Ancestry.com, but I have never taken out a subscription to Ancestry.com.  Maybe that is something that I should do!

Regards

David

Thanks for that information: so that's the birth of Major David Nelson's eldest brother:

George Nelson
born 14 April 1878 at Darraghland
parents: George Nelson & Mary Anne Nelson ms Black.

Looking at the census returns and bits and pieces, I reckon that I have two brothers of Major Nelson's mother on the 1901 and 1911 census returns:

1901 - House 1, Coolkill, Lisnaveane, Monaghan
John Black, 54 years, Head, Presbyterian, Farmer, Not married, born co Monaghan
(this will be the John Black who is a Boarder with Major Nelson's brother on the 1911 census - see my post above)

1901 - House 2, Bannaghroe, Caddagh, Monaghan
William Black, 47 years, Head, Presbyterian, Farmer, Married, born co Monaghan
Mary Black, 37 years, Wife, Presbyterian, Farmer's Wife, Married, born co Monaghan
Mary A Black, 13 years, Daughter, Presbyterian, Scholar, Not married, born co Monaghan
John Black, 10 years, Son, Presbyterian, Scholar, born co Monaghan
Samuel Black, 8 years, Son Presbyterian, Scholar, born co Monaghan
David Black, 6 years, Son, Presbyterian, Farmer's son, born co Monaghan
William Black, 4 years, Son, Presbyterian, Farmer's son, born co Monaghan

1911 - House 2, Bannaghroe, Caddagh, Monaghan
William Black, 58 years, Head, Presbyterian, Farmer, Widower, born co Monaghan
Samuel Black, 17 years, Son, Presbyterian, Farmer's son, Single, born co Monaghan
David Black, 15 years, Son, Presbyterian, Farmer's son, Single, born co Monaghan
William Black, 13 years, Son, Presbyterian, Farmer's son, Single, born co Monaghan.

From familysearch.org, a William Black and a Mary Bradshaw were married Apr-June 1881.  So I reckon this is the couple in the 1901 census above.  Meanwhile, their son David Black will be the Private David Black who I have already mentioned as listed with Major Nelson on the war memorial for Cahans Presbyterian Church.  So that makes Major Nelson and Private David Black first cousins.

Meanwhile, the Roll of Honour for Cahans Presbyterian Church lists Private David Black's brothers: Private John Black from Banaghroe was wounded; while Private Samuel Black from Banaghroe was wounded and taken prisoner.  The 3 brothers served in the same regiment: 9th Royal Irish Fusiliers.

Another possible brother for Major Nelson's mother is Robert Black who witnessed the marriage of Major Nelson's parents.  But no other evidence yet.

As I have mentioned, the war memorial for Cahans Presbyterian Church lists 5 men.  So that's Major Nelson, Private David Black and 3 others.  One of the others is Private David Turbitt whose details I have recorded under the "Gilliland / Conly / Ballybay" thread.  The remaining 2 are Private William James Fleming and Corporal George McCullagh.

I guess that Private William James Fleming is probably connected to Margaret Fleming who was a witness at the marriage of Major Nelson's parents, as well as the other Flemings mentioned under "Gilliland / Conly / Ballybay".  Using familysearch.org and the 1901 and 1911 census returns for Slieveroe, Caddagh, Monaghan, Private William James Fleming was born Oct-Dec 1893, the son of Thomas Fleming (born c 1858) and Margaret Jane Pollock (born c 1863-65) who married Apr-June 1892.  The census returns list various siblings for Private Fleming, including a brother named Bradshaw Fleming, which must be a link to Mary Bradshaw who married William Black, maternal uncle of Major Nelson.

Meanwhile, I already have the birth certificate for Corporal George David McCullagh:
born 4 November 1896 at Slieveroe
father: Andrew McCullagh, Farmer, of Slieveroe
mother: Margaret McCullagh, formerly Reed and previously Jackson.

A short biography, photograph and family information for Corporal George David McCullagh can be found at:
http://www.thesilverbowl.com/biographies/McCullagh_GD.html

The Roll of Honour for Cahans Presbyterian Church also records Private John A McCullagh from Slieveroe who was twice wounded, and Private John B McCullagh from Stranoodin who was wounded.

Again, my post on "Gilliland / Conly / Ballybay" makes other references to McCullaghs, as well as Olivers (the Jackson family of Corporal George David McCullagh's mother had links to Olivers).  All these families with links to Cahans and other local Presbyterian churches must be seriously inter-related!

Hope all this is of interest to someone.  And I am still looking to directly link my great-great-grandmother Anne Nelson (wife of Joseph Gilliland) to Major David Nelson's family.  Although enough circumstantial evidence seems to exist to indicate some form of linkage through other families if not the Nelsons!

David

I was wondering if anyone has researched the family of Major David Nelson VC from Stranooden, co Monaghan.

When a Sergeant with the Royal Horse Artillery, David Nelson won the Victoria Cross for actions taken on 1 September 1914.  He was subsequently promoted and reached the rank of Major before being killed in action on 8 April 1918.

I have obtained David Nelson's birth certificate:

David Nelson
born: 3 April 1887 at Darraghlan, District of Kilmore, co Monaghan
father: George Nelson, farmer, or Darraghlan
mother: Mary Anne Nelson, formerly Black.

From familysearch.org, I believe that George Nelson (listed as Neilson) and Mary Anne Black were married in 1876 in Monaghan.  I am going to order a copy of the marriage certificate, which should name both their fathers and places of residence.

The 1901 census for Darraghlan, Caddagh, Monaghan lists the family as Neilson:
Mary Anne Neilson, 43 years, Head, Presbyterian, Widow, Farmer
George Neilson, 22 years, Son, Presbyterian, Not married, Farmer's son
Thomas Neilson, 19 years, Son, Not married, Farmer's son
David Neilson, 13 years, Son, Presbyterian, Not married, Scholar
Annie Neilson, 6 years, Daughter, Presbyterian, Not married, Scholar.

The 1911 census for Darraghlan, Caddagh, Monaghan lists:
Thomas Nelson, 29 years, Head, Presbyterian, Single, Farmer
Annie Nelson, 16 years, Sister, Presbyterian, Single
John Black, 67 years, Boarder, Presbyterian, Single, Retired Farmer.
(Quite possibly, this John Black is a relation, maybe uncle to Major David Nelson.)

From familysearch.org, Major David Nelson's father George Nelson seems to have died in January or February 1897, aged 53 years (ie born circa 1844), with probate granted in favour of Mary A Nelson on 13 February 1897.  Also from familysearch.org, Major David Nelson's mother seems to have died between July and September 1909, aged 52 years (ie born circa 1857).

Major David Nelson is one of 5 men listed on the war memorial for Cahans Presbyterian Church.  My own family is related to at least one of the other 4 men listed on the war memorial.  Another of the men listed is Private David Black who died 1 July 1916, aged 19 years, son of William Black of Banaghroe, Stranooden - possibly the same family as Major Nelson's mother.

I am wondering whether I may have a link to Major David Nelson through my great-great-grandmother who was Anne Nelson, the wife of Joseph Gilliland - please see my posts of 1 March 2014 and 12 October 2014 under the "Gilliland Conly Ballybay" thread.  So many of the families from the local Presbyterian congregations seem to have inter-married.

I would be interested to hear from anyone who has researched Major David Nelson's family.

Thanks

David