becketts from portrush

[PBeckett44]

Yes that's definitely my family. My Grandfather James Lester died in Durham hospital but is buried at Ballywillan in Portrush. His brother John died in WW2 and is buried at Kirkee war cemetery India. I'm assuming you're connected to the Beckett's from Ballinderry? I was in contact years ago with a Ralph Beckett in America whose family came from Ballinderry. he had a website I seem to recall, with lots of information on the family. I'm certainly interested in the Ballymoney connection and look forward to hearing from you once you've had a dig around. Many thanks - Paul

[Anne Martin]

Yes I've had contact with Ralph. He didn't seem to know of our connection but we definitely are about 8th cousins I reckon! There seem to be 4 or 5 main lines. The modern Becketts in the area generally don't know each other incredibly!!
Re your family, I knew re the death of your James Lester in Co. Durham but know nothing about his cousin James Lester other than his father was a coachman in Donacloney  etc in 1911. Only have the d.o.b. of him and 3 siblings and the Portrush cousins including Cathleen Elizabeth's Sheila. It's incredible what you can find free online these days!
Delores Bickett Overskei of Dakota has written a book re your family - originally from Scotland it is thought. She may have passed away. I am not sure how much of the book is about the NI family rather than the US descendants. It is called Bicket-Bickett family - 1756-1989:Adam and William....

I found your posts re Ballycormick. I don't think that that is your closest relations as your James' father John is referred to as a labourer (although it might have been an elastic term!) whereas I think that the Ballycormick John's son James died c1885. I could most certainly be wrong! I have found the Ballymony lines as cofusing as the Ballinderry ones - and our family seems to have sttayed over the county borders to Down and Armagh to make things even worse!  There are at least 2 other John Becketts about Ballymoney! Have you seen the Griffiths Valuation entries?

Have you any knowledge of the William born 1831, son of Joseph, who married Mary Getty 22/6/1853?

Do you want me to make a fair copy of the Portrush crowd and post it to you or do you know about Sheila for example and Daniel Craig born 18/11/1880 and his sister who died 1890? If you know all this then maybe I know little more than you!

Anne

[Anne Martin]

PS I think 73 Causeway St is up for sale!!

[Anne Martin]

PPS I think Bazaar St doesn't exist any longer

[aghadowey]

PS I think 73 Causeway St is up for sale!!

https://www.propertypal.com/73-causeway-street-portrush/511424

[PBeckett44]

Thanks aghadowey for the link. I was in Portrush and took some photos of the house last October.                             

Anne thanks for the info, I will certainly look out for the book by Delores Bickett Overskei . Daniel Craig b 1880 was my Great Grandfather, his siblings were - Elizabeth 1877 -1890, James 1878 who later moved to Donacloney and it's his descendants that are now around the Ballyclare area., Ralph 1882 moved to Port Glasgow, John 1884 emigrated to Australia, Sarah Jane 1886 married Hugh McGratten, William 1887 who died at birth and kate Elizabeth 1889. I haven't come across a Sheila?. yes I had seen several John Beckett's on the Griffith's valuation but without my GG Grandfathers baptism record which should give place of birth I can't link him to any of them or the Beckett's from Ballymoney. Bazaar street and garden Court are long gone, 73 Causeway street holds some very sad memories for my family as that's where James  took his own life in 1915. I will have to take a closer look at the Beckett's from Ballymoney to try to find any connection to my family.

[Anne Martin]

Have seen on a Bill McAfee list that the Ballymoney CoI baptisms are held in the PRONI so that might yield the info you need - I can't find the info on any free source I have tried.
Kate/Cathleen/Kathleen Elizabeth born in Bushmills 21/11/1889 married Christopher Co(a)dy, a clerk in the Northern Counties Hotel in Oct 1914 in both Coleraine registrars and Holy Trinity P'rush - why I don't know. Sheila was born 29/9/1915 but is the only child I have found although birth records  fade out at the end of the decade.
I knew about the tragedy of James but not the location. That was a very substantial house they had.
I cannot find his son James in the 1901 census - James occurs in my Becketts too and there are one or 2 I can't place! I was rather pleased he had called his son James Lester in Donacloney to disentangle them!

[Anne Martin]

Have just noticed that James' wife Sarah Jane Lester was born in Co Down. That maybe explains why the son got a job in Donacloney