27 December, 2022
15 September, 2021
Williamson: Current Research
Currently a number of events have brought my focus back to the Williamson Family – my maternal grandmother’s family (through my mother’s adoption).
The purpose of this post is to summarise the current areas of research and what is being done (September 2021) in order to help others and via search engines to catch the attention of people currently unknown to me who may be researching the same family.
Currently we know of the Williamsons in Cork in the first half of the 19th Century, later emerging in Worcester in England in the 1861 Census. That same census indicates that there was a branch of the family in New Jersey United States.
(more…)12 July, 2021
The Family of James Keighley (1805-1888)
James Keighley was my Great Great Great Grandfather. His daughter Martha (1834-1920) married Robert Fell (1924-1910) and their eldest child, Elizabeth Fell (1856-1929) was the mother of my paternal Grandmother, Marjorie Fell Lendrum (1887-1963).
Reconstructing James’s family or families is of interest not just because he is at the time of writing the most distant Keighley relative but also because of two outstanding genealogical itches:
- The identity of “Granny’s sister and her bridesmaid” – an elderly woman standing behind Martha Fell in Robert and Martha’s Golden Wedding Photograph at Somerville, Hungerford Road, Huddersfield – the annotation written from the perspective of someone of the same generation as my Grandmother Marjorie Lendrum.
- A suspicion that the recently acquired Carte de Visite of Martha Fell shows her in mourning dress – who was she mourning?
As a “read” it is probably only of interest to Keighley, Fell and Ramsden relatives and those wanting to find out a bit more about the two posts referenced in the paragraphs above.
genealogyJames Keighley’s 2nd wife Sarah
We know from census records that after Elizabeth Ramsden died on 26th April 1851 (aged 40, at home in Manningham), James Keighley remarried at least once. In the 1861 Census (7 April 1861) James is recorded as residing in the same house as in 1851 (1 Belle View, Manningham) with his wife Sarah, a 49 year old born in Farnley, Yorkshire. This would imply a year of birth of 1811/12.
A note in the Leeds Times of 25th October 1862 (page 8 column 5) states: “DEATHS … Bradford … On Monday, age 51, Sarah, wife of Mr. James Keighley, Belle Vue.” This death announcement would indicate a year of birth of about 1810/11 – reasonably consistent with the 1811/12 implied from the 1861 Census. No probate record has been found.
This note is about the steps taken to identify her given her 1861 Census entry and the above death announcement, in support of another note about James Keighley’s families. It is also written in the (not entirely forlorn) hope that other researchers will find this note and add their thoughts.
A marriage announcement in an on-line Newspaper archive identifies her as “Mrs. Sarah Knight, eldest daughter of the late Thos. Ingle”.
genealogy1 April, 2018
William Blizard Williamson of Cork
One of my brick walls has been William Blizard Williamson and his family;
- His wife Elizabeth (maiden name unknown) and
- His sons William Blizard and George Henry.
George Henry was the father of Elizabeth Ann Willett who with her husband Everard William Willett adopted my mother, which makes William Blizard Williamson (senior) my Great Great Grandfather (by adoption).
This posts summarises what is and is not known about this family and what can be done to break down this brick wall! Essentially we know little about their Irish life or of their ancestors in Ireland.
(It was initially published on 24 December 2016 and updated 1 April 2018 and 3 August 2021.)
(more…)16 December, 2016
Will: Samuel Williamson of Cork
Below is my attempt at transcribing the will of Samuel Williamson of Cork (1808-1872) as found in the Original Will Registers 1858-1920 on Find My Past
It is a key document for working out the family tree of the Williamsons of Cork.
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13 December, 2016
Obituary: William Blizard Williamson (the elder) of Worcester
The following is a transcript of the obituary (and associated reports) for William Blizard Williamson (the elder) of Worcester. He was (via the adoption of my mother) my Great Great Grandfather and lived from about 1811/12 until 15 September 1878.
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24 March, 2016
Research & Other Work Agenda
Taking stock of questions to research, itches to scratch, and development work to do.
Contents
- Family Reconstructions
- Specific People
- Website Development
(more…)
25 May, 2015
The Willetts of Colchester, Essex (and Daylight Saving) 1 of 2
The change to and from British Summer Time can bring about a flurry of interest in William Willett, the original advocate in Britain of Daylight Saving. He was the eldest son of another William Willett. For some reason this spring Google and that ilk have pointed a larger number of people than usual towards this family blog. Some of them have familiar family stories about being related to “Daylight Saving” Willett.
In addition another comment by a relative (about William Willett senior – Daylight Saving Willett’s father – running away from his step-mother) has prompted me to re-examine “the top” of the Willett tree as I have previously understood it.
(more…)24 August, 2010
William Willett (b 1837) Founder of the building firm
There are (at least) two notable William Willetts. The most notable two are probably the father and son pair; the son (b 1856) is noted as the advocate of Daylight Saving, whilst his father is noted for founding the building firm Willetts. (more…)