I'm attempting to fill in the great-grand aunts and uncles of my GILLESPIE father's side, in hopes of finding a few cousins who may have stories or photographs or more to share! Note that capitalized surnames are my direct line ancestors.
My GreatGrand-Aunt Margaret Gillespie is still quite unknown to me. Her husband Joseph Smith shows up in 1882 for the first time, marrying her in Barrow in Furness, Lancashire, England. This is where the 3 generations of the Gillespie family settled just before 1881, and where Margaret and her husband Joseph raised their 9 children. The family disappears before the 1911 Census.
In Barrow in Furness, shipbuilding and steel work were the big industries in the mid to late 1800s, but became less so in the early 1900s. Families needed to be able to move to where employment could be found in steel work, ship work, etc. For example, my grandfather moved his family up to Newmains Scotland for a few years in the early 1900s, and two of his uncles (Andrew and Robert) moved back to Ireland settling in Belfast around the same time. Joseph Smith was working as a "Shipyard Labourer" on the 1891 Census for Barrow in Furness. And on the 1901 Census, his occupation is listed as "Fireman Shipyard."
1. James GILLESPIE, b. abt 1821, N Ireland (father, Robert GILLESPIE)
+ Eliza (Elizabeth) MORRISON, b. abt 1823, N Ireland (father, John MORRISON)
2. George GILLESPIE, b. 1851 Newton, Tyrone, N Ireland
+ Catherine ARMSTRONG, b. 1853, Clogher, Tyrone, N Ireland
(4 children)
2. Andrew Gillespie, b. abt 1858, N Ireland (no marriage)
2. Robert Gillespie, b. abt 1861, N Ireland
+ Mary Jane McGarry, b. 1863, Belfast, Antrim, N Ireland
(7 children)
* 2. Margaret A. Gillespie, b. abt 1863, Northern Ireland
+ Joseph Smith, b. abt 1864, Ireland (m. December 1882, Barrow)
9 children, all born in Barrow in Furness, Lancashire, England:
3. Margaret E. b. Dec 1883
3. Mary b. 1885, d. Sep 1899
3. Mabel b. Jun 1887
3. James b. Jun 1889
3. David b. Sep 1891 (namesake - Joseph's older brother David)
3. Robert b. Dec 1893
3. Joseph b. Dec 1895
3. Sarah Jane b. Mar 1898
3. Elizabeth b. Dec 1899
Unfortunately I have not been able to track down these children by marriage or residence, mainly because of the Smith surname and relatively common first names. Note that James & Elizabeth Gillespie, and George & Catherine Gillespie died in Barrow in Furness (often listed as Barrow), Lancashire. However, Andrew Gillespie and brother Robert & Mary Jane Gillespie moved to Belfast area, and died in Northern Ireland.
If any of these are your relatives, do please contact me at calewis at telus dot net -- I'm happy to share whatever I do have with you, and work with you to find more details as well.
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