A CHALLENGE: Hilton, Wallis, Tayler, Kent, Ireland, Army, Navy?

[Katessanna]

I have tantalizing information in an old letter from my husband's long deceased aunt, but cannot make any progress in solving the riddle she bequeathed him.  She and my husband shared ancestors in the Hilton family in Kent.
She is sure that the grandfather of Capt Thomas Hilton's wife Ann(e) was James Wallis "on the Irish side".  We have a "James Wallis" bookplate, and he is, according to the aunt, my husband's 4g grandfather.
She said that James Wallis's wife was descended from the Fitzgeralds "and whose great-grandpa was the famous knight of Kerry".   She had inherited a Fitzgerald crested tea-tray.
So my questions are: who was Thomas Hilton's wife Ann(e); who were her parents and grandparents; and how can I find out?
Capt. Thomas Hilton was born 12 Dec 1813, Selling, Kent, and he died there in 1883.  He was said to be a Capt in 19th Regt of Foot.   According to family sources he married Anne Wallis-Tayler, daughter of Capt Wallis-Tayler, Surgeon Capt; RNMD of Queenstown,  Ireland.   According to the birth certificate of Thomas and Anne's daughter in 1862  Anne's maiden name was Tayler.  According to the IGI Ann Taylor was born 3 Nov 1822 of Hawboline, Queenstown, Cork, Ireland; it also lists Ann Taylor born about 1820 in Cloyne Diocese, Cork who married, in 1841, Thomas Hilton, Cloyne Diocese, Cork.  There is also an entry for a marriage on 1 July 1841.
Anne had a relative (sister or cousin perhaps?) referred to as Dora Wallis-Tayler.  Dora married Col Robert Campbell; their daughter Mary was born in Cape Town in 1849. 
It looks as if there should be good sources, but I can't find relevant references in on-line indexes and I find myself going round in circles.  And I don't have ready access to Irish or military records, so  please can anyone give me suggestions as to how to approach this problem.  Many thanks.

[kated]

Hi.

I would start by googling wallis-taylor and cork and ireland,. There are quite a few hits you could try.

Kate

[Sabretoothtiger]

I have a Catherine Taylor who was probably born c1820 and lived at Crookstown, Co Cork, was married to a James Callaghan or O'Callaghan.  At least one daughter Johanna born in 1845 who emigrated to Queensland.

[Sio]

Hi,

Check for any misspellings - Haulbowline is the correct spelling of the naval base island off Cobh(Queenstown).

The Queenstown Story museum exhibition in Cobh may be able to point you in the right direction as to where the naval records are.

http://www.cobhharbourchamber.ie/history.html

[Christopher]

Hello Sio,

I think Haulbowline was a prison in the early 1800s. 

The Island was upgraded to a naval dockyard in 1869. http://tinyurl.com/495tnq

Royal Naval records are held at three locations in England. As far as I'm aware there
are no Royal Naval records held in Ireland. www.mariners-l.co.uk/UKRNPersonnel.html

Christopher

[Katessanna]

Thank you to all who have replied to this post.  Since posting I have been able to establish that Anne Wallis-Tayler/Taylor's husband was Captain Alexander Taylor and that Pigot & Co's "Dublin and Hibernian Directory" published  London 1824, includes in a list of the principal inhabitants of Cove (ie Cobh/Queenstown) ..
ROCHE'S ROW.
Alexander Taylor, surgeon....."
Source: photocopy of pages of local information held in Cobh Museum, July 2007. 
I would highly recommend this museum to anyone with a genealogical interest who is visiting Cobh and the Cork area. (The Queenstown Story in the Cobh is also recommended).  A very attractive town too.
Whist in southern Ireland last summer we were able to establish that the house in Roche's Row is now gone -  Wolf Tone Street and St Colman's Cathedral are now in the vicinity.  We reckon the house could have stood on the site which is now the cathedral car park, and would have been close to what was referred to as "the Admiral's house" - a Georgian house, which remains.
I'll try to follow up your helpful directions Christopher when time or budget permit.
The "Wallis" line which comes from the wife's side seems to point to Drishane and the Wallis family established there - although curiously the bookplate we have does not seem to match the Wallis coat-of-arms.  Another mystery!

[kwt]

Hello

I have some information about the Wallis Tayler family if you are still looking for it. I know this thread is old but thought it was worth a try.

[Katessanna]

Thank you.  I'm certainly very interested. I've not learned much about Alexander Tayler/or since I posted, except that he possibly had a father of the same name, and was possibly the surgeon on a convict ship to Australia in 1820.  On his wife's line (Anne Wallis) I have made a speculative link back to the Fitzgeralds through Lucinda Hewson, who MAY be Anne's grandmother, but as I don't have any information about Lucinda's children this has got to be tentative.
Any help or connections gratefully received!

[kwt]

I have a family tree showing Alexander Taylor surgeon general RN in 1764 and the history goes back to 1275. He did indeed have a father of the same name. And we can see then names of Fitzgerald too. I maybe can find a way of sharing the family tree?