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

[George Gordon]

The address he gave on the marriage certificate is hard to read but seems to be 43 Foyle Street (the same is given for Ellen Ward). I presume this only means that is where he was on the day he was married rather than where he actually lived. He was an engraver and I can find him in Belfast Street Directories and the Census Records at Tasmania Street, Larkfield Road, 10 Baden Powell Street, 11 Glencairn Street, 3 Greenmount Terrace (Ballymagarry) and finally 54 Whiterock Road. Greenmount Terrace is now gone unfortunately but 54 Whiterock Road (on the 1911 Census) is still there. I have a family photograph taken outside,  and although the exterior has now been rendered the house is the same.

In 1892 an engraver named S Rainey lived at 43 Foyle Street so I presume he was a friend or work colleague.

The witnesses were William James Gray and Roseanna Lyons.

I understand that it might be hard to find the birth at the GRO because he is under John or William etc but the marriage, death and births of his four children are all under William John Lightbody. That was my first visit to GRO and I am still getting to grips with working through records and the pitfalls. I suppose another trip to GRO is necessary to be absolutely sure. There are not many variations on the name Lightbody but I have seen Leghbody

[George Gordon]

I went back up to the GRO in Belfast this week and tried again, The advice not to be specific about William John was good. I knew he was 41 when he died in 1912 so he was born about 1870 and his marriage and the census give Belfast as his birthplace.

There is a birth for a John Lightbody in Belfast on 15th January 1870 at 47 Boundary Street. His parents were William Lightbody and Anna McConkey. They had been married on 19th May 1864 at Christ Church of Ireland.

 I think when searching at GRO you need to have broad net. Searching for a William will not reveal a Willie unless you use the % wildcard. Ellen can become Nellie etc. I still have a lot to learn but it is is becoming very enjoyable (if frustrating at times).

William John had five children when he died. Four of them I know a lot about. They all ended up in Bangor where I was born. The other (Nellie) I only know from a birth record and a few photographs. I never heard her mentioned in the family and wonder what happened to her. She was 14 when she lost both her parents within six months.

[aghadowey]

The 1870 birth matches with an extracted birth record for John Starrette Lightbody-
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F5D3-KMX

[George Gordon]

Many thanks. I think the Starrette with the name put me off as William John Lightbody never used that name. I suppose you are under no obligation to use forenames given by your parents.

That is the right birth however. I knew William John and Ellen were buried in Belfast City Cemetery as Belfast City Council has a searchable website. However I had not realised that if you know the plot number you can list all the burials.

There are four burials there. Margaret McConkey on 12th January 1909, William John and Ellen Elizabeth Lightbody in 1912 and Ellen Lightbody on 31st January 1922. Margaret McConkey died at 11 Glencairn Street where William was living so she must have been related to his mother Anna.

It also solved the puzzle of my aunt Nellie. She died at the Abbey, Whiteabbey. The Abbey had been a tuberculosis hydrotherapy centre since 1897 and was to become Whiteabbey Hospital in the 1930's. She would only have been about 24 years old.

Again many thanks for your help.

[thegabriel]

Wow - this is all great information.
I am a Lightbody descendant and have a lot to say about what has been written here.
I hope you are still minding this topic.

[thegabriel]

One thing is;
EVERYBODY seems to claim that William John Lightbody born July 4th 1869 to John Lightbody and Agnes McMillan as there ancestor. I do wonder where that William John Lightbody ended up.
I know some of my relatives think he is our ancestor, but I am skeptical. But it is possible.
My gr-gr-grandfather is the William John Lightbody on the 1911 Census at 96.1 Castle St Bangor.
By 1922, some listed on the 1911 Census had moved to Canada and some had died and I believe the remainder moved to Armagh. William John and his wife moved to Canada in 1923 where they died in the 1940s.

[thegabriel]

Also I think the Francis Lightbody on Castle St on the 1901 Census is related to my family, possibly he is the father of my gr-gr-grandfather, William John Lightbody.
And I think the McDaid or McDade family on Castle St on the 1901 Census is also related by the mother being nee Lightbody and that one of the McDade daughters seems to have emmigrated to Canada with 2 of the girls from the Lightbody family from 96.1 Castle St on the 1911 Census.

[thegabriel]

And, thanks for the link for looking up Belfast burials. That is a great tool.
Have you searched the Ulster Petition on the PRONI website?
I found my ancestors still living on Castle St, but at different house numbers.
And, I got to see their signatures, which is cool !

Do you know anything about the Savage Family on Castle St in 1901 and then Castle Square in 1911? Were the Savage family still around when you were growing up there?

[Frank Vincent]

Hi,

Hopefully George will respond to your message, I am sure that he will.
I can tell you however that my Grandmother, through her second marriage , married into the Savage family.
My Grandmother's Sister Isa also married and became part of the Savage family. They lived in Castle Street, Bangor for many years and I have many fond memories and some photographs of them.
I spent a lot of time as a boy at " Aunt Isa's " house and Eric, her Son, was  someone that I remained in contact with until his  death.
In Castle Square where I also grew up there was indeed other members of the Savage family, one of my boyhood pals was Maurice Savage, I understand he still lives in Bangor.
I have tried in the last few months to contact Maurice but so far no response.
My Brother died last year in Bangor and I have come into many photographs. One is very interesting as it shows Edith Lightbody and some of my family members in the photograph.
I can only assume this to be George's Mother but I have not quite clarified this yet!
I am currently trying to sort these out, no easy matter when they go back such a long time.
If, and when I get round to completing this I would be more than happy to share what I have with you.

Regards

Frank