"Lightbody" family in Bangor, Co.Down, Northern Ireland - any ideas about that?

[Noor36]

Hi all,

 I am researching at the moment a Royal Navy and Royal Navy Reserve man K12927 William James Lightbody service and personal life. I have his medal roll inputs and also NA card for a start. He was born in Belfast, Co.Antrim 7 June 1893 and died Bangor, Co.Down 1963.
 What I am actually most interested to find out is his family tree…. Can there be any connection with the Bangor man Gary Lightbody, who is the head singer of the British Rock band the Snow Patrol?

 I presume their family name is not the most common one – Lightbody. Also they were both from Bangor. It is a wild guess but would be fascinating to find out.

Regards,

Noor

[jim1]

1901 Ireland has this Family:
7 Larkfield Rd. Victoria Co. Down.
William John Lightbody/31/Heraldic engraver/Belfast
Ellen/28/Leicester
William/6/Befast
Nellie/2/do
& 1911:
54 White Rock Rd. Woodvale Co. Antrim
William John Lightbody/41/Silver engraver/Belfast
Ellen/39/Leicester
William James/16/Power loom mechanic/Belfast
Nellie/12/Belfast
Annie/9/do
Edith/4/do
Walter/2/do

Do these names ring any bells?

jim

[Noor36]

Oh, sorry, I should mention that I checked Irish Census as well.
William joined Royal Navy same year - 21 November 1911 and following summer he was on board HMS Highflyer in the Persian Gulf, catching gun smugglers.

Basically I know fair a pit his military side but almost nothing about his personal life.

Kind Regards,

Noor

[George Gordon]

Hi all

William James Lightbody was my uncle. I am not sure whether he is directly related to Gary Lightbody but given the size of Bangor it may well be possible. William James was the son of William John who was born in Bangor on 4th July 1869. He moved to Belfast where he worked as a silver engraver and raised a family of five. William James was the eldest.

William James joined the Royal Navy in 1911 for a period of 12 years. In 1912 William John and Ellen Elizabeth died within a period on six months and are buried in Belfast City Cemetery plot HI88. The other children went to an orphanage along Ballysillan Road.

He served in the Royal Navy throughout the war including on HMS Aboukir which was later torpedoed with great loss of life (along with two other cruisers). He was commended for services after a fire incident in Bombay and also has C.M (which I take to be Court Marshall) on his record - it was not proved.

After his service in the Royal Navy the whole Lightbody family (except Nellie the eldest daughter who had died as far as I know) all went to Bangor to live. They were all together in Railwayview Street but separated as they all got married and William James married May and lived on the Bloomfield Road where he had raised four children. He worked in the Post Office.

As I child I remember him telling me of a ship he had seen torpedoed but I was too young to take it all in (it was one of the few times he talked to me in an adult fashion and the only time he talked about the war).

He was a very competent wood worker making furniture for his brothers and sisters. He also made model yachts too large for the usual sailing place for such models in Ward Park. He had to take them out to Bangor Bay and follow them in a rowing boat. One such escaped and sailed over to Scotland. It was returned to him as he had his name and address on a plate and he collected it in Donaghadee.

All the best

George

[Frank Vincent]

Hi all

William James Lightbody was my uncle. I am not sure whether he is directly related to Gary Lightbody but given the size of Bangor it may well be possible. William James was the son of William John who was born in Bangor on 4th July 1869. He moved to Belfast where he worked as a silver engraver and raised a family of five. William James was the eldest.

William James joined the Royal Navy in 1911 for a period of 12 years. In 1912 William John and Ellen Elizabeth died within a period on six months and are buried in Belfast City Cemetery plot HI88. The other children went to an orphanage along Ballysillan Road.

He served in the Royal Navy throughout the war including on HMS Aboukir which was later torpedoed with great loss of life (along with two other cruisers). He was commended for services after a fire incident in Bombay and also has C.M (which I take to be Court Marshall) on his record - it was not proved.

After his service in the Royal Navy the whole Lightbody family (except Nellie the eldest daughter who had died as far as I know) all went to Bangor to live. They were all together in Railwayview Street but separated as they all got married and William James married May and lived on the Bloomfield Road where he had raised four children. He worked in the Post Office.

As I child I remember him telling me of a ship he had seen torpedoed but I was too young to take it all in (it was one of the few times he talked to me in an adult fashion and the only time he talked about the war).

He was a very competent wood worker making furniture for his brothers and sisters. He also made model yachts too large for the usual sailing place for such models in Ward Park. He had to take them out to Bangor Bay and follow them in a rowing boat. One such escaped and sailed over to Scotland. It was returned to him as he had his name and address on a plate and he collected it in Donaghadee.

All the best

George

Hi George,


I came across this article quite by chance.

I can only assume that having read it that you are my 2nd Cousin, George, and as boys we grew up together in Castle Square,Bangor?
I can't think there could be another George Gordon from Bangor with an Uncle named Lightbody, and I too remember your Uncle from when I was a boy!

Best Regards


Frank

[Frank Vincent]

Hi George,

It appears that I can't send you a personal message as I am a new member?
I assume this leaves you in the same position, ironic isn't it as I appear to have found,  by chance,  a long lost relative, Ha Ha!
I will feel a bit of a fool if you are not my Cousin, George.
Anyway George it looks like 3 posts are required before a personal message is allowed.
Hopefully this will count as my second. I do have a question however regarding the Lightbody's, Walter comes to mind from when I was a boy, was it Walter that I remember?
I remember going to a fantastic Halloween party with you and staying overnight, they lived out in the country, was that Bloomfield Rd,  I always thought of it as a small farm?
I still remember it vividly though it was probably nearly 60 years ago.


Warmest Regards

Frank

[Manchester Rambler]

If you both add a reply to this thread ("OK" will do!), you will be able to use the PM system. 

Great to see long-lost cousins getting back in touch!

Rambler

[Frank Vincent]

Hi Rambler,

Many thanks for your help.

I really hope George responds as I would love to get in touch with him, it must be 45 years or more since I last had any contact with him.
Nearly all my family in Bangor are now departed so I was beginning to see myself as the last man standing 
Once again Rambler I appreciate your help,

Regards

Frank

[George Gordon]

Frank

We are indeed old Castle Square men (I have many happy memories of the place now sadly gone). Walter (another son of William John) lived at Hayford at the Primacy and many times I walked out there from the Square (passing Uncle Bill's house on the Bloomfield road if not calling in).

I will gladly share any information I have about Uncle Bill. I may be wrong however about his father being born in Bangor as there may be two William John Lightbodys in the census. The only way to sort it out would be to go to Belfast and check the birth records. It still seems a coincidence to me that they all ended up in Bangor however.

I have Uncle Bill's war record and if you do not have it (I am sure you have) let me know.

His son Jim is living in England and could fill in a lot of detail for you and Joanie is still in Bangor.

All the best

George