"IN THE CENSUS," for #52ancestors challenge: 3 Generations of GILLESPIEs

Here we are on Week 5 of the year-long challenge of writing weekly 52ancestors/52weeks by genealogist Amy Johnson Crow.  This week the prompt is "In the Census."

Here is an 1881 England Census return which gave me 3 generations of my father's family: names, ages, birthplaces, residence address. The "do" on the right column is ditto for place of birth being Ireland for every member of this 3-generation family. This area of Walney [Walney Island] in Barrow in Furness, in north-east England, had many who were born in Ireland, now working in the shipbuilding industry or supportive industries.

However, I thought this was NOT my ancestor family when I first found it. In fact I scanned past it as the names didn't seem to match the tiny bit I thought I knew about my father's GILLESPIE family from England. This particular census of the neighbourhood ward of Walney [Island] in Barrow in Furness, Lancashire, showed the Gillespie family all born in Ireland. Well, that couldn't possibly be true - I "knew" that the Gillespies all came from England. I kept looking in England and found a few other possibilities but still, they were not particularly likely, I believed.

I took my list of  5 possibles and looked for them in the following Census, 1891. I eliminated 3 of the possibles because of the children's names - wrong group of names, wrong ages. That left me with only two possibilities.

Ohhh, and then the 1901 Census [above] in Barrow showed a Wm John married to Harriet with daughter Elsie. I knew my Aunt Elsie was the eldest of the Gillespie children. My family - very likely.

And the 1911 Census cinched it. There were all the correct names for my aunts/uncles, in the correct order. This 1911 Census in Barrow in Furness showed their birthplaces also - huge clues for me to use to research further for my Grandma's family in England. I was able to find my Grandpa's father and mother in the 1911 Census, with their birthplaces in Ireland as well.

The confusion about my grandfather's name, William John. I'd always known his name as Jack, and I assumed that was a nickname for his correct first name being John. My mistake. He was going by his second name, which became a nickname, Jack. Don't know why I didn't twig to this shift in names when I first saw the 1881 Census. It was early in my genealogy searches, and clearly I was not as attuned to variants in names at that time.

In addition - this 1911 Census was written in my Grandpa's handwriting - isn't it beautiful? I've since found his signature on my Dad's birth registration as well, confirming this is indeed his handwriting.

Treasure - one finds treasure in the Census. There are so many possible clues to use for further research. The church district listed on the Censuses, place of birth for all in the household, ages, how long married, number of living children, occupations, residence at time of Census, signatures, and more.

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If any of these are ancestors of yours, I would be happy to hear from you with your comments or corrected information. I am also very happy to share any details I might have that are not shown on this post. Contact information is found at the very bottom of this blog.

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A Conundrum: What is George GILLESPIE's father's name?

I've known for many years that George GILLESPIE, my great-grandfather on my father's side, had parents, James GILLESPIE, and Elizabeth [unknown surname - possibly Morrison].  The photo to the right here was taken about 1895.

Why was I so certain? Because I had carefully tracked back, proving linkages step by step, from my dad to his father, to his parents, and to his grandparents.  And the confirmation was to see them in Barrow in Furness on the 1881 England Census, James & Elizabeth, Andrew son, Robert son, Margaret dau, George son & son's wife Catherine, plus grandsons Wm John (Grandpa) and James Robert.  All born in Ireland, but living in Barrow in Furness, Lancashire, England in 1881. Grandpa Wm John was born in Augher, Tyrone.

Recently, using the site IrelandXO - Ireland Reaching Out - I found more information to help me track down George & Catherine's marriage certificate.  I was hoping to find their fathers' names, possibly more information.  A year ago, on an index of Ireland Marriages 1845-1958, I had found a marriage listing for the Registration district of Clogher (County Tyrone), showing Catherine Armstrong married to George Gelespie in 1875.

Well that seems clearly the right couple, doesn't it? I mean, really, how many Catherine Armstrongs could there be in County Tyrone in either the Parish of Clogher or the town of Clogher, marrying a George Gillespie/Gelespie (many variants), the year before my grandpa was born-?  None, right? Of course.  So with encouragement and a little extra information of the correct district from a friendly Clogher Parish volunteer on IrelandXO, I sent away for the marriage certificate from the GRO online.  Only £8, plus mailing. Quite reasonable.

And in only a week, I received the certificate, as noted in the Registrar's District of Dungannon, see photo of Glenhoy Presbyterian Church on the right:

#16  Nov. 25th '75  Geo. Gelespie & C. Armstrong married in the Glenhoy Presb. Church, by Licence, by R. Warnock, with signatures of witnesses William Wright and James Scott and with the marks of George Gelespie and Cathrine Armstrong.  Except for the signatures of the minister and the witnesses, the document seems to have been completely filled out by the minister.

BUT:  George's father?  "William Gelespie"   Ignore spelling of course.  And Catherine's father?  "John Armstrong"   Unknown to me, so can't evaluate

Oh dear... Why does it say William as his father, when from 1881 onward, we know his father was James?

Of course, I could make an assumption this still could be correct.  That is, his full legal name might be William James.  He could have decided to use James as his commonly-used name. In the same way my Grandpa was William John, but was always known by a nickname for his middle name John - "Jack."

Could that be the reason for William?  Too easy, isn't it.  I mean, it is possible, but I'm definitely suspicious.  Although, notice my Grandpa's name: William (after George's father??) John (after Catherine's father??) Maybe? Sigh.

Back to my newly updated Research Plan.  I need to try to find the birth record of any of the Gillespie siblings of George, to see if they list any of their parents, and/or the marriage record(s) as well, to see what they put down for their father's name. Money is a bit tight, so I'll try one at a time, so I don't pay for the wrong person other than my great-grand ancestors!

George's siblings, all born in N.Ireland:
  - Andrew, b. abt 1858, unclear if he married, d. 1924 Belfast, N.Ireland
  - Robert, b. abt 1861, m. Mary Ann McGarry, 10 Apr 1882 in  Barrow, d. 1906 Belfast, N.Ireland
  - Margaret Ann, b. abt 1863, m. Joseph Smith, 4th Q 1882 in Barrow, d. ? after 1911 Belfast (living, 1911 Census)

And of course, I definitely must research any William Gillespie/Gelespie in Co. Tyrone... plus any other Armstrongs including John Armstrong. We do know from other older first cousins that Catherine had several siblings:  George, Susan, Samuel, Bessie [Elizabeth?], and an unknown-named brother (disabled).  I have no idea where Catherine's birth is in this group of siblings.  But as I know her birth year is abt 1853 from Censuses in England, I can assume the other siblings are from 1840-1870.  Clearly I could/should also search out these Armstrong siblings as well.  Busybusybusy.

There are times I do wish my ancestors were written up in histories, were in court, had a higher status so would be more visible back in those days, in Northern Ireland.  But they weren't.  They were hard-working lower class labourers. Adventurous enough to hop across from Ireland to northern England for work, up to Scotland for work, then across the ocean and across Canada, to find a better life for their families.  Good on them.  But could they please leave me a little clue or two??  I'm looking...

If you know anything more about any of the above individuals, I would be so pleased for more details. And if you wish more information on them, I'm also happy to share. Contact me at my address at the bottom of the page.

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SURNAME SATURDAY - George GILLESPIE, b. abt 1850

George GILLESPIE, born about 1851 in Newton, Tyrone, Northern Ireland, is my paternal greatgrandfather.  He gave this year and birthplace on the 1911 UK Census in Barrow in Furness, Lancashire, England, which will help me, I hope, to find his birth registration or baptism, plus marriage registration.  Eventually.

The entire family - George, his wife and two small children, his 2 brothers, 1 sister, and his parents - all emigrated from Northern Ireland in approximately 1879, settling in Barrow where there was a significant increase in ship-building and related industry.

Here is a badly-damaged photo of George, taken in the 1930s; he died in February 1941 in Barrow, at the age of 90, apparently still going for a walk every day with his dog (Judy), according to Mary, his only daughter, with whom he lived:

Grgrandfather George was the eldest of 4 children of James GILLESPIE b. abt 1821 Ireland, and Eliza (Elizabeth) MORRISON, b. abt 1823 Ireland.   James & Eliza married approximately 1850, possibly in the Belfast area, according to several distant cousins.  They had at least 4 children that I have been able to track (to date); these four are listed on the 1881 UK Census for Barrow, and every member in the family is born in Ireland (no place given):
- George (my line) b. abt 1851
- Andrew b. abt 1858
- Robert b. abt 1861
- Margaret b. abt 1863

As you can see, there is a gap of about 7 years between George and his next brother, Andrew, which makes me wonder if there might be another daughter or two, or another son, who decided to stay in Northern Ireland.  Of course they may have lost one or two children at young ages.  There is still much research to do in this family.

George married Catherine ARMSTRONG in about 1875 in Parish Clogher, Tyrone, Northern Ireland, and they had 4 children, the eldest two born in Tyrone, Northern Ireland, the younger two born in Barrow, Lancashire, in England:
- William John "Jack" b. 23 Aug 1876 (my line) b. 23 Aug 1876 ?Augher, Tyrone
- James Robert "Jim" b. 7 Apr 1878 (Parish Beagh?) Armagh or Omagh, Tyrone
- Mary Elizabeth  b. 19 Apr 1883  Barrow in Furness, Lancashire, England
- George Armstrong  b. 1886  Barrow in Furness, Lancashire (d. 8 Aug 1916 at Battle of the Somme, France, WWI)

George & Catherine lived in Barrow for the rest of their lives.  George is listed on the various censuses in Barrow as an Iron Founders Labourer, and an Engine Fitter's Labourer.  The first Census I find the family in is the 1881 UK Census, where all 9 are living in the Walney Ward of Barrow in Furness, at "#262 Brick Cottages".  About 300 brick cottages were built for labourers for the burgeoning steel and ship-building industries.

The two eldest sons emigrated to Canada before the beginning of WWI, and the youngest son, his namesake, died in the Battle of the Somme in 1916.  By the time the war ended, his daughter was the only child still in England.  Mary (b. 1883) married later in life, in September 1930, widowed by 1948. The couple lived with her father until his death in Feb 1941.

Here is an excerpt from a letter Mary wrote to two first cousins of mine when they were young:

"Your greatgranddad is very well considering his 91 years.  He is always doing something.  Yesterday he was chopping wood.  Just now he is putting the potatoes on for the midday meal.  But the wireless is his pet hobby.  I don't think any scholar enjoys the broadcast for Schools, more than he does.  I tell him he ought by now, to be perfect in German & French.  But I really think the Church services are the broadcasts he likes best." 

If you know any information on the above GILLESPIE names and families, do please contact me at calewis at telus dot com.