Alexander family of Mount Pleasant, Belfast

[lmgnz]

Just to update this thread.

Ezekiel D Wiley of Ballycushan baptised 13 Oct 1805 was the son of Hugh Wiley of Templepatrick. I have a couple of known sisters ( Isabella b1803 and Fanny b 1808) and my own 3xgt grandmother Mary Wiley  baptised 13 March 1799 was likely another sister. Mary married James Graham of Ballycushan and the names Ezekiel Davis/ David Wiley carry on through 3 generations of Grahams in Antrim.

Ezekiel  Wiley married Jane Barron in 1828. John Barron married another possible sister of Ezekiel, Ellen Wiley on 16 Sep 1820. These records are extracts from the record office microfilm CR4/12a/1

Isabella Wiley married a Samuel Alexander on 11 Feb 1824. I think it is likely that the  this Samuel Alexander is from the same family that Ezekiel's daughter married into in the next generation.

Cheers

Linda

[Gilby]

Hi Linda, thanks for posting that.

I'd love to join up Samuel Alexander with these Alexanders of Mount Pleasant.  I've been wondering for a while now what their connection was with the Antrim-Ballyclare area - especially since there were Alexander families in the neighbourhood.

Another name that I've started to see popping up is McCune (Arthur Alexander b1806 married Mary McCune b1806).  Maybe the McCunes were from the area too.

Do you know if John Barron who married Ellen Wiley was any relation to Jane Barron who married Ezekial Wiley?

[Gilby]

I'm not sure if I've mentioned it here before, but the family register had within it a memorial service leaflet for the funeral of Rev. Robert Workman on the 15th February 1921.  For ages I wondered what the connection was - but I think I've now more or less cracked it.

Firstly, I know the Newtownbreda Church was the local Church for several members of my family (Gilbert, Stevenson and McCausland branches).  In fact my grandparents even married there.

Secondly, thanks to help from various people I've found on the internet, and a book called "Robert Workman of Newtownbreda" I now know of at least 5 family connections (so far):

1. Robert Workman had a cousin of the same name who married Jane Service (whose mother was a Workman).  Jane had a sister Margaret who married Sir James Porter White Corry and his niece, Bethia Adelaide Corry married my great granduncle, Thomas Gilbert.

2. Robert and Jane's youngest son, Francis Workman, married Sarah McCausland, my 1st cousin 3 times removed.

3. The Rev. Robert Workman himself married Sarah Peile Davis.  Her sister, Jane Agnes Davis married Josias Cunningham and their daughter Anna Wise Cunningham married John Ferguson, my great great granduncle (see the family tree about 3 posts up).

4. Rev. Workman had a daughter, Emily Davis Workman who married James William Corry, brother of the Bethia Adelaide Corry mentioned above.

5. One of his other daughters, Genevive Sarah Peile Workman married Edward Brice Killen, a 1st cousin, 4 times removed of mine.

I had great fun finding all that out    I'm not sure whether it is strictly relevant to this thread, but since the Workman memorial thing was in the Ferguson/Alexander family register I think it is, sort-of...

[Gilby]

I have a couple of updates to my research on this subject.

Firstly, I was browsing the Belfast burial records when I noticed that when the Stevenson graves (C2 107 and C2 108) were first registered/bought (?) the address for Samuel Brown Stevenson was “7 Mount Pleasant” (when I visited I was allowed a look at the book).  This was the last place of residence for the earliest Stevenson burial – a stillborn child – in 1887. 

The plot thickens!  I’ve had Alexanders, Fergusons, possibly Wileys, and now Stevensons living in this tiny corner of Belfast.  I didn’t expect that when I started this thread.  [Edit: by the end of this post I could also add Gault to that list.]

I’ve now been shown how to look up the valuations records on PRONI, so I had a good hunt through for all I could find on Mount Pleasant.  As Gaffy had discovered, the terrace wasn’t there in the earliest (Griffith’s?) valuation, but I’ve found it was added in in the 1865-1881 book (so that narrows down the date of construction).

There is a red ink note when the terrace is added to the valuation book which says, “a terrace of large good houses in progress, will not be ...[complete?]... in some months yet.”  Is there any way to tell what date the different colours of writing were?

I wasn’t sure if the Alexanders had had to sell half the garden for the development, but it looks like Arthur Alexander himself was behind the project, as he continued to be the “immediate lessor” until his death (1879) when his wife Mary (nee Wiley) took over.  After her death in 1913 the landlord is “Reps Arthur Alexander.”  Does anyone know what the reps means --- represent? 

The earliest entry for Arthur Alexander I can is as a tenant in Mountpleasant, Stranmillis Rd, with immediate lessor listed as “Rep Rev Geo. M Black” (there’s that ‘rep’ thing again).

It gets interesting again in the 1915-1930 valuation book after Mary (nee Wiley) Alexander’s death.  Mary had been living at No4, Mountpleasant and her name was stroked out to be replaced by Margaret Gault (whose husband James died in 1906).  Margaret’s two unmarried sisters, Jane and Sophia Ferguson, moved into No7 (that one which keeps popping up).  (The sisters’ mother was Elizabeth Wiley, sister of Mary Wiley.)

Going back a bit to look at this House No7.  In the 1882-1897 valuation book, the period during which the Stevensons apparently stayed there, the occupier was Anna Ferguson.  I’ve no idea who she was!  Bearing in mind Samuel Brown Stevenson (Jr) married Mary Wiley Ferguson, I think this Anna was probably a close relative.  But the only Anna Ferguson I can find on my tree is Anna Wise Cunningham who married John Ferguson (brother in law of SB Stevenson) – but she was only born in 1872 – and her husband John didn’t die until 1922 – and anyway, they lived at Silversprings in Parkgate, not Belfast.

To be solved...

[lmgnz]

Just to let you know. The reps are the representatives and usually appear after the occupant has died and before estates are settled.

Re the James Alexander who married Ann Barron in 1841, not seen on this thread but in private message, there is a will for a James Alexander snr of Sizehill who died 1890.

The probable corresponding death puts James birth at c1811 so there is a good chance he is the husband of Ann Barron. The will does not mention a wife so she probably pre-deceased James. One son John and several daughters are named.

In looking for this James , I cam across the Will of another James Alexander of Holestone who died 1887 & named a granddaughter Elizabeth Ferguson Alexander.

[kingskerswell]

Imgnz,
         Don't know if this is relevant but James Alexander married Elizabeth Ferguson In Downpatrick Civil Registrars Office in 1857.

Regards

[lmgnz]

Thank you Kingskerwell,

I have just been looking through the Fergusons in the 1901 census to see who was where. Only there were so many that I have so far just kept to the Donegore families. Adam B Ferguson of Muckamore, was one of the executors of James Alexander of Holestone. I haven't reached Holestone Fergusons in the census yet.

James Alexander of Holestone was married to an Elizabeth so that looks like it could be his marriage or possibly that of his son James. I have yet to match up the family named in the 1887 Will with census records to get their respective ages sorted out. I do not know if Elizabeth Ferguson from presumably Downpatrick is related to either of the two Templepatrick Ferguson families.

Cheers

Linda (NZ)

[lmgnz]

I have just found that Elizabeth Ferguson Alexander,  born 28 Oct 1880, was the daughter of Robert Alexander and Elizabeth Robinson.

Robert was another of the sons listed in James Alexander's Will of 1887. So it seems likely that the 1857 marriage was for Robert's parents, James Alexander and Elizabeth Ferguson.

Only Robert's brother Andrew who inherited the farms at Hoelstone,  appears in Holestone in 1911.

 

[lealex]

Are you still looking for information on the Alexander family of Mount Pleasant?  I am the granddaughter of James McLean Alexander and I have plenty of info.