Hi Dav
I have inherited four typed pages of 'approximate' Somerville Geneaology (dated 1937) in regards to Pierce, Jacques & George Somerville, so I hope this thread is still operating! :
Quote: "The three brothers, Pierce, Jacques and George came from Warwickshire to buy horses from Ireland for the English Army, and remained to settle in Ireland.
The surname at the time was pronounced Somerelle though the spelling not known. The same pronunciation was retained off and on for some time afterwards and is occassionally heard. They were French Hugenot stock, as were many of the progenitors of the Northern Irish where they were largely responsible for the development of the linen industry."
There is further information about Pierce & George's family lines. I descend from Pierce>Henry> ?Edmund's line (I think).
I am a New Zealander and all of the place names mentioned in your other posts are places where I have visited relatives on my mother's side (Barnetts, Somervilles, etc) in my childhood and I attended a Somerville reunion at the family farm ?Okoroire about 25 years ago.
My nana Noreen Wynn Somerville (of Okoroire, Somerville Rd?) married a MEDLAND. The last I heard there were Somerville descendents running an orchid/cut flower business from the family farm. There are also still Somervilles on a farm at Maramarua (?my 2nd cousins). I also remember mention of Canada in the family history. The name Clive rings a bell, but there is also a 'Cliff' in my memory so I'll have to research the further.
Edmund Somerville's wife Mary Somerville (nee Simpson) was known in the family as Minnie as far as I know. Search for 'Metone Girls Grammar School' for history of her as one of the founding pupils at "Cobbalana".
(Pierce's son) "Edmund Somerville married Minnie Simpson at Metone, Melbourne Australia, April 3rd 1906 @ 'the Presbyterian Church". Bridesmaids were sisters Effie, Ethel & Daisy Simpson.
(This is extracted from a separate 1906 Metone news article I have a copy of).
This is Day 1 of research for me.
Is it appropriate to scan the pages and post them on this site or are they best typed up as a message post so that names are searchable for others? I've extracted the following detail from the text so far:
Pierce Somerville is recorded as having ten children:
Henry, George, Pierce, John(never married), Joseph(died young), Anne, Jane, Betty, Mollie & Charlotte.
Pierce's son Henry Somerville had 18 children via two marriages, 11 children survived:
Pierce's First family : John, Joseph, James, David, Simon, Hannah (died about 16), Ellen and Mary (died in infancy), and Sadie
Pierce's Second family(with ... BROWN?): Annie, Edmund, Elizabeth (died 3 weeks old), Ralph (died of whooping cough in infancy), Hannah, Henry (died in childhood), William & Mary.
Pierce's second son George lived in Ireland (? farm at Lurgan), married three times and had 15 children, nine of whom grew up. (None from third wife).
George's First family: Samuel, Benjamin and two daughters Jane & unknown(?+) all of whom went to Brisbane, and Benjamin later went to Melbourne.
George's Second family: Mary, Hannah, Rachel, John & George 'grew up'.
George (Senior) children:
Jane (eldest daughter) married HARRIS a pilot in Brisbane (grand-daughter Liza Hart was in Newtonards near Belfast (02.08.37 - probably 02 August 1937)
Mary went to Brisbane, married BELL
Hannah married WILLIAMSON farmer of Rich Hill. County Armagh. (handwritten note: "one of her (?sons) distinguished himself in the war and was accorded XXX military funeral)
Rachel married a head gardener called DRYSDALE (died six weeks prior to 02.08.37)
John (?died...) ''(...in a linen factory left a son and daughter)''
George (youngest son of George) "remained in County Down on his father's farm at Lurgan and had four children". His second son died at school, and the youngest son (?Yohannsan?) survived a fire at the farm ''six months ago (1937)"
(there is more about George's grandchildren too which I can try to decipher and post as necessary?)
Am I allowed to ask where you fit in?
