My Irish Williamsons
kerbent
My 2x great grandfather John Williamson lived for 19 years in Victoria before he died, after emmigrating at the age of 23 in 1853/4 from England. His wife Louisa died in 1901. John & Louisa were married in Oct 1853 in England and migrated shortly afterwards to Australia. Both are buried in the St Kilda General Cemetery.
I had always assumed that they were of English origin so I was very surprised when I found that John, his parents and siblings were born in Belfast, Ireland. As I have been unable to find any record of them in the 1841 census I am assuming that left Ireland for England after 1841 and arrived before the 1851 census.
I was able to locate the family in the 1851, and although John came out to Australia before the 1861 census I was able to locate the remaining family members in England in the 1861 and 1871 census.
1851 (Series HO107 Piece: 2435; Folio: 561; Page: 11)
Wood Street, Maryport, Cumberland, England, UK
1. Thomas Williamson, aged 54, Dock labourer
2. Jane Williamson, aged 50,
3. John Williamson, aged 19, Tailor apprentice
4. James Williamson, aged 15, ship carpenter apprentice
1861 (Series RG9, Piece: 3942; Folio: 17; Page: 27)
Nelson Street, Maryport, Cumberland, England, UK
1. Thomas Williamson, aged 60 Labourer
2. Jane Williamson, wife aged 58
3. Jane Williamson, daughter aged 40 unmarried
4. James Williamson, son, aged 23, Ship carpenter
5. James Williamson, gson, aged 8, scholar
1871 (Series RG10, Piece: 5246; Folio: 77; Page: 35)
8 L Court, Nelson Street, Maryport, Cumberland, England, UK
1. Thomas Williamson, aged 70, labourer
2. Jane Williamson, aged 69
His younger brother must have moved out of home between the 1861 and 1871 census
As I found them in:
1871(Series RG10 Piece: 5246; Folio: 85; Page: 52 & 53)
Maryport, Cumberland, England, UK
1. James Williamson, aged 33, Shipwright, Labourer at present
2. Ann Williamson, aged 29
3. Mary Williamson, aged 6, scholar
4. Thomas Williamson, aged 3
5. Annie Williamson, aged 10 months
1881 (Series RG11, Piece: 5181; Folio: 95; Page: 4)
25 Collins Ter, Dearham, Cumberland, England, United Kingdom
1. James Williamson, aged 42, Foreman Of Blast Furnace
2. Annie Williamson, aged 38
3. Mary Williamson, aged 16, Pupil teacher
4. Thomas Williamson, aged 13, scholar
5. Annie Williamson, aged 10, scholar
6. John Williamson , aged 8, scholar
7. Jane Williamson, aged 6, scholar
8. James Williamson, aged 6mths
9. Elizabeth B. Cartmer, aged 17
1891 (Series RG12, Piece: 4306; Folio 20; Page 35)
1. James Williamson, aged 51
2. Annie Williamson, aged 20
3. James Williamson, aged 10
John?s father Thomas was born between 1797 and 1801 based on the various ages he gave in the 1851, 1861 and 1971 English Census. We think he died in 1872 in Whitehaven, Cumberland, England. There may have been more children who did not come out from Ireland with John and his parents Thomas and Jane when they came to England but I are not sure.
The question I?s like to ask is how do I go about finding out about the family in Ireland. I?m not sure where to start and with such common names as John, Jane, Thomas and James its difficult to know how to preceed.
It would be great to hear from anyone with any ideas, further information or even better still someone who has a connection with the family.
Sandra
Comments
Carol_Glasgow77 on 2008-10-04 11:34:18Do you have an Andy, Nancy or Ellen Williamson on your side of the family that might have came from Scotland and Ireland ? If you do than more than likely we could be related.
kerbent on 2008-10-04 16:02:17Thomas Williamson was living in 52 Wood Street, Maryport, Cumberland, England, UK and working as a Dock laborer at the time of the 1851 Census, he was living with his wife Jane, and sons John (app. Tailor) and James (app.ship carpenter), the entire family were listed as being born in Ireland.(1851 census of England, Cumberland, Maryport PRO HO 107/2435 folio 561, page 11)
As they had their known children in Belfast Ireland, I have always assumed that the couple were also married in Ireland. I have not been able to locate the family in the 1841 census however I did find a Thomas Williamson in Scotland who was born in Ireland working as a Minister Of The Scapea Church, there was a Helen Williamson with him although their relationship is not clear they could have been brother/sister, husband/wife, employer/housemaid.
(1841 Scotland Census. Edinburgh, Scotland, Parish: Melrose; ED: 2; Page: 17)
Is this the Thomas Williamson you are connected to?
The children that I have been able to discover from the marriage of Thomas & Jane's marriage are
i. Jane WILLIAMSON was born circa 1821 in Ireland.
(1861 census of England, Cumberland, Maryport PRO RG 9/3942 folio 17, page 27)
ii. John WILLIAMSON was born circa 1832 - 1833 in Belfast, Ireland,
(Registry of Birth, Death and Marriages, Victoria, Australia, Death Certificate John Williamson 1874, # 6427)
iii. James WILLIAMSON was born circa 1836 in Ireland
(1851 census of England, Cumberland, Maryport PRO HO 107/2435 folio 561, page 11)
As you can see there are big gaps in the birth sequence of the three children migrated to England with Thomas & Jane. So it is possible that there are more yet to be identified children born between Jane born 1821 and John born 1832.
Are you able to give me a little more information on these three, then I might be able to discover if there is a connection or not.