Have you any Melville ancestors?

[Rosniak]

I have undertaken a project to link up all Melvilles in Northern Ireland into families and have made some great progress so far. I ultimately want to connect all the paperwork (births, marriages, deaths, wills, census records) and have managed to do a lot of that already. I hope that eventually I am able to prove more connections through DNA testing.

I'm not just looking for people who are called Melville but also those who descend from a Melville down a female line. Also photos can help if resemblances can be seen across the various families.

So far I have found three major families in Belfast, one that moved to Carrick/Larne and another two in County Down - in Banbridge and around Donaghadee/Bangor.

I would particularly like to hear from any descendants of Andrew Melville who started off the undertaking business in Belfast, I have managed to trace his line as far as the 1911 census but that's my major stumbling block at the moment.

So if you can help me at all with this project please get in contact!

Thanks!

[BallyaltikilliganG]

Hi Rosniak, Good luck on your project.  Melvilles in Ireland/Northern Ireland.  The best source I could find is http://www.GenesReunited.co.uk  because they will show relationships join if you are not a member
There are 164 matches for Melville Northern Ireland from 1800 to the present. Several Melville tree holders are listed, the member with the most is a “Martin”. Several show the female links you seek. However there are also 14 matches for Melvin in Ulster starting 1790 with no ‘Martin’ entries.

Ros Davies County Down website including part of Belfast http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rosdavies
see Melvill, Melville,Melvin,Melvine etc showing families existed in the following civil parishes Down, which includes Downpatrick, Inch nearby, Killyleagh, Kilmore, Loughinisland, Magheradrool,Newtownards, Saul nr Downpatrick
she has an entry Melvin came over from Scotland as part of 1607-1633 Plantation of Ireland.  I didnt find confirmation of that in http://www.billmacafee.com

Street Directories for Belfast
see http://www.lennonwylie.co.uk/ see also PRONI below
1877
Melville, Andrew, posting establishment and funeral undertaker, 89 & 91 Townsend Street
Melville, Samuel, brass founder and gas fitter, 39 Divis Street
Melville, Wm., mechanic, 10 Woodstock Street
Melville, Wm., gardener, 183 Woodstock Road
Melville, Wm., baker, 30 Peter's Hill

The Ulster Historical Foundation ‘s website http://www.ancestryireland.com has
Melvill Irish Birth/Baptism Records – Co. Antrim & Co. Down   201 results
Pay-Per-ViewIrish Marriage Records – Co. Antrim & Co. Down   154 results
Pay-Per-ViewIrish Death/Burial Records – Co. Antrim & Co. Down   40 results
Pay-Per-ViewNorthern Irish Gravestone Inscriptions   6 results
Pay-Per-ViewBiographies of Members of the Irish Parliament 1692-1800   1 results
Melville Irish Birth/Baptism Records – Co. Antrim & Co. Down   has 192 results for Melville
Pay-Per-ViewIrish Marriage Records – Co. Antrim & Co. Down   151 results
Pay-Per-ViewIrish Death/Burial Records – Co. Antrim & Co. Down   40 results
Pay-Per-ViewNorthern Irish Gravestone Inscriptions   6 results
Pay-Per-ViewBiographies of Members of the Irish Parliament 1692-1800   1 results
Melvin Irish Birth/Baptism Records – Co. Antrim & Co. Down   83 results
Pay-Per-ViewIrish Marriage Records – Co. Antrim & Co. Down   45 results
Pay-Per-ViewIrish Death/Burial Records – Co. Antrim & Co. Down   8 results
Pay-Per-ViewNorthern Irish Gravestone Inscriptions   6 results
etc.

currently Melville & Co. Ulster’s largest independent funeral director, and has been assisting families across three centuries. 21st, 20th,19th now appears to be part of the Morgan family company The company was renowned for being family friendly try them direct.
their history at PRONI includes    D3881/1  Dates :   1 June 1886
Description :   Copy of Partnership Deed of Andrew Melville & Co., funeral undertakers, Townsend St., Belfast. Under this agreement the daughters of Andrew Melville - Elizabeth Armstrong, Sarah McClure, Jane McLorie, Rosanna McClure, Margaret Melville and Olivia Melville - agree to become equal partners in the company and set out the terms by which the firm would operate. This includes the equal sharing of all necessary outgoings and expenses; the maintenance of proper accounts; the management of the firm; share prices etc. in 1870 he has a brother David Melvin [Melville], Centre Hill, White County, Arkansas, USA, see T3772/1 also in Proni.  Proni needs exhausting eg wills,
in their street directories isAndrew Melvill contractor for cleaning streets 23 Peters Hill

I discovered http://www.melcarson.com/william-melville-the-real-james-bond-007.html ‘Briefly– William Melville (of ‘M’ fame) son of James Melville and Catherine Connor (both born in Templenoe, Kerry), . descended from William’s parents, James Melvin (Melville- see reason for name change in previous posting) and Catherine Connor, both from Templenoe and later Driminabeg, then later still, Sneem, who married in Sneem in 1849( the year the potato famine-‘the great death’ became less severe but was by no means over). They had 3 sons, 4 daughters.William(MI5 fame) George( Met police) Richard(never married, remained in Ireland) Catherine (Sullivan) Bridget (Lyne) Mary Ann (Egan) Elizabeth (O’Connell, Boston)-married names shown in brackets.’
from http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/  there are two
entries
Melvin-Michl-Rossacussane,Ponlacoppul-Templenoe-Kerry-1840
Melvin-Willm-Rossacusane-Templenoe-Kerry-1840
both pay £9 pa rent. that’s a lot.. The website is useful showing some 90 Melvins with the main area Sligo, there are also 1 Melville and 1 Melvill.

to my surprise http://www.failteromhat.com/flax/antrim.php has none
the same flaxgrowers in Co Down had
Melvin            James                Kilmore                         Down
Melvin            John                   Dromara                         Down
Melvin            William            Newtown                         Down
Good luck  consider joining NIFHS

[Heather Cardwell]

My mother had a friend named Elizabeth (Betty) Melville. She lived in North Belfast. She was married to Victor Parker from Lisburn in the 1950s. Betty and Victor died a few years ago.

[BallyaltikilliganG]

from the Irish Genealogy Hub WEBSITE
for the Irish Tithe Applotment Books  i apologise for apparent duplicates
Melville, Henry-Townland: Ballyblagh Year: 1833-Shankill-Armagh
Melville, Henry-Townland: Ballyblagh Year: 1833-Shankill-Down
Melville, James-Townland: Drumcaw Year: 1828-Loughinisland -Down
Melville, James-Townland: Listooder Year: 1833-Kilmore-Down
Melville, John-Townland: Crossgar Year: 1833-Kilmore-Down
Melville, John-Townland: Knockneshane Year: 1833-Shankill-Armagh
Melville, John-Townland: Knockneshane Year: 1833-Shankill-Down
Melville, Phoebe-Townland: Lurgan Town Year: 1833-Shankill-Armagh
Melville, Phoebe-Townland: Lurgan Town Year: 1833-Shankill-Down
Melville, Saml.-Townland: Drumcaw Year: 1828-Loughinisland -Down
Melville, Saml., Jr.-Townland: Drumcaw Year: 1828-Loughinisland -Down
Melville, William-Townland: Ballydian Year: 1833-Kilmore-Down
Melville, William-Townland: Creevyargon Year: 1833-Kilmore-Down

good luck

[Rosniak]

Thank you both very much for your replies. Plenty to be working on!

I have recently heard that a member of the Melville undertakers family may be taking an autosomal DNA test so the results of that may start to piece the families together.

Re. Betty and Victor Parker, yes, I have their a small tree of their family drawn up. Betty's grandfather was Alexander Marshall Melville, a lithographic artist who was born in Scotland and who didn't move to Belfast until the early 1900s. I think Betty also had a sister Jean who may have married an Alan McCormick, though I haven't been able to confirm that yet.

By the way BallyaltikilliganG, the Genes Reunited people you correctly located were on my tree! 

[Heather Cardwell]

If you explain to me how to contact you privately I can give you more information on Betty and Victor and Jean as I know their daughters.

[Rosniak]

Thanks Heather,

I will send you a private message with my email address.

[grahamkj]

Hi, my g-grandfather William Beveridge Melville moved to Belfast in the late 1800's. His first wife had died (probably in childbirth) and he had a daughter (I have the details but not with me at the moment). He married again (in Stockport, his 2nd wife born in Liverpool - my g-grandmother - again I do have some details).
My grandfather James Melville was born in 1902 in Belfast. I think he was the 2nd youngest but I don't recall. My grandfather came to England around 1930, where he met my grandmother in Blackburn. They were married in 1931 and settled in Heston, where they lived until she died in 1975. My grandfather moved to Derby to be near his son (my uncle) and died in 1996.

[Kiltaglassan]

Welcome to RootsChat 

For others reading, here's your gt grandfather-

1901 census
Residents of a house 31 in Sunnyside Street (Ormeau, Down).
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Down/Ormeau/Sunnyside_Street/1213466/

1911 census
Residents of a house 82 in The Mount (Ormeau, Down).
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Down/Ormeau/The_Mount/217877/

Your grandfather James born 1902.    MMN Rothwell
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1902/01892/1735448.pdf

Full Abstract :
Melville William Beveridge of Knockbreda Victoria Road Holywood county Down retired engineer died 30 July 1941 Probate Belfast 16 October to Eleanor Melville the widow. Effects £125 0s. 6d.
https://apps.proni.gov.uk/WillsCalendar_IE/WillsSearch.aspx

KG