Wilson & Vance

[mwgeorgia]

Help Help Help

My Belfast roots are all deceased and I would like to find anything about his family that I can,especially on his fathers side

My father, David was born in Belfast in 1929 to Alfred Wilson and Mary Ann Wilson, nee Vance.
Alfred was a shipbuilder who passed in the 30's or 40's.   My father had one brother, Raymond.    His mother remarried an American Soldier in the 40's, and my father, his brother, and his mother immigrated to the US around 1947. The story is that my father came over on a US bride ship.   My grandfather had one sister that I am aware of, Peggy Wilson who never married.  My grandmother had a sister Nellie Vance and a brother James Vance.   Nellie, I believe, married a Callahan and had about 10 children.

I really would like to know more about my Irish family.   Can anyone tell me where to start?  I believe they lived in the Shankhill section.      I believe Peggy Wilson and Nellie Vance Callahan passed in 1960's or 70's.   

[aghadowey]

Welcome to Rootschat. It may be difficult to find online information due to the dates involved.
The 1901 and 1911 census are both available online (1911 is latest available and too early to show your father).
Online civil registration index only goes up to 1921 for Northern Ireland couties (too late to show your father's birth & probably also too late for his parents' marriage).

However, there are other Belfast resources online, including a cemetery database.
http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/burialrecords/search.asp
An Alfred WILSON, age 43, died 6 Jan.1944 at Purdysburn Mental Hospital, residence was 124 Oldpark Ave. Belfast. Buried 8 Jan.1944 Belfast City Cemetery- Glenalina Extension grave Y153.
Also in the grave were James Vance (died 1988 aged 96), Agnes Vance (died 1954 aged 53) and James Martin (died 1966 aged 73).

[kingskerswell]

Hi,
   This may help. 24 Nov 1915 Thomas H. CALLAGHAN married Ellen Vance in Belfast, Urban 15, Roman Catholic Church. The fathers'names were Thomas H. Callaghan and Thomas Vance.
   Urban 15 is in the Divis St., May St., Joy St., Bosnia St., area.

Regards

[aghadowey]

In that case this could be the Vance family in 1911- James & Agnes could be the ones I mentioned earlier buried in City Cemetery, father is Thomas but there's no Mary Ann (although she could have been born later?):
www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Antrim/Windsor_Ward/Craigmore_Street/168559

Same family in 1901:
www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Windsor_Ward/Craigmore_Street/975214

[aghadowey]

Cemetery database also has a plot for Thomas Vance of 17 Craigmore St., age 57, died 25 Mar.1921- in same plot-
Mary Ann   Vance died 24 Mar.1895 (aged 4)- address 52 Charles Street South
Annie Vance died 12 Sept.1898 aged 1 yr. 11months)- address 6 Craigmore St.
Agnes Norwood Vance died 25 Jan.1901 (5 months)- address 6 Craigmore St.
Ernest Vance died 11 Mar.1907 (aged 3 1/2 years)- address 6 Craigmore St.
Ann Jane   Vance died 9 Nov.1927 (age 57)- address 17 Craigmore St., died at Royal Victoria Hospital.

[kingskerswell]

Hi,
   Possibly going back another generation.
12 Jul 1887 Thomas Vance married Anne Jane Davison in St. Annes Church of Ireland, Shankill, Belfast. Fathers' names were William Vance and James Davison.

Regards

[mwgeorgia]

Gosh AGhadowey

I am sure that is my grandfather that passed in 1944.   I did hear he was in a mental hospital as a result of a shipyard injury

The James Vance was his brother in law-My great uncle Jim....   I do not know the others, and will see what I can muster up regarding James Martin

I am betting I still have some relatives that I am not aware of

I cannot thank you enough.  And the others that have posted.

It is a shame that we do not ask questions of our family when we are young, and when we want to know more,they are gone and there is no one else to ask

[Lauraod]

Hi,

My name is Laura and I have been trying to do some family research for my mam and her siblings and wonder if anyone could be of any help to me.

Their mother Johanna Byrne (formely vance) never spoke much about her childhood and they know nothing about their grandfather, her father, William Vance.

Having visited the Archives in Dublin I obtained a marriage cert for Johanna Vances parents, Annie Doyle and William Vance.  They married on the 15th of Jan 1921 in Dublin.  Johanna was then born on the 16th of June 1921.
They lived at 16 Fr. Matthew Square Dublin 7.  On the marriage cert Williams father was down as Thomas Vance and his occupation was Chair Maker, after some research on our 1901 census it has linked me to this Thomas Vance http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Windsor_Ward/Craigmore_Street/975214/
This Thomas Vance has a son William and is also down as a Chair Maker on the household return form.

Williams wife Annie died at 39 and we know that according to Johanna her father William never lived with them.  She told stories of how he would return from being away after long periods of time with presents for her.

My aunts and uncles are under the impression that William worked as a Bookies, they had been told stories of an aunt nellie in belfast and they knew that william was from belfast but johanna had told them that her father had passed away when she was young.  But on Annie Vances Death cert her "condition" is down as married and I was informed that if William was dead when Annie passed away under "condition" it would of said widowed.

Im unsure if any of this makes any sense to you but if it does I would be very greatful if you could get in touch.

Kind regards,

Laura

[aghadowey]

Starting with the Vance family you found in 1901 census- family in 1911:
www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Antrim/Windsor_Ward/Craigmore_Street/168559
(married 23 years, 11 children but only 6 living- 4 of the dead children are accounted for below)

Belfast City Cemetery plot G3 655
Miss Mary Ann Vance, age 4 yrs, 52 Charles Street South, died 24 Mar.1895
Miss Annie Vance, age 1 yr 12 mo,  6 Craigmore St., died 12 Sept.1898
Miss Agnes Norwood Vance, age 5 mo., 6 Craigmore St., died 25 Jan.1901
Mstr Ernest Vance, age 3 1/2 yrs, 6 Craigmore St. died 11 Mar.1907
Thomas Vance, age 57, 17 Craigmore St., died 25 Mar.1921
Ann Jane Vance, age 57, 17 Craigmore St., died 9 Nov.1927 at Royal Victoria Hospital
https://ssl.belfastcity.gov.uk/burialsearch/

The information on a death certificate is what is given by the informant- who may or may not have the correct facts.