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Biggerstaff / Bickerstaff families of Dromara

DownGarvaghy (Down)

Hi there,

I am looking for any further information I can get on ancestors Thomas and Mary Bigerstaff/Bickerstaff who married ion 24 July, 1839 at Dromara Presbyterian Chuch, Dromara.

Together they had 7children as follows: Thomas bap. 14/6/1840, John bap. 2/2/1842 (although his father is listed as John, not Thomas), but I understand that back then many were known by their middle name rather than their Christian name. I have a document from 1875 which confirms John was definitely the brother of my ancestor. Next child is Samuel bap. 19/8/1843. Joseph bap. 8/10/1846, Nancy bap. 6/3/1849, James (my immediate ancestor) b: 3/2/1851 and Mary Jane b 12/2/1853.

James came to Australia in 1877 on the ship Indus as James Biggerstaff, as a steerage passenger,interestingly so did a Samuel Biggerstaff as an Assisted Immigrant (however Samuel's age is 7 years younger than James which makes me uncertain whether it's an error or if he could have been a cousin rather than his brother. Also on the ship was Caroline Ellison, assisted immigrant, listed as a single female, however, James and Caroline supposedly married in either Belfast Or Glasgow, Scotland, in 1875, if their death certificates are to be believed.

James was a teacher and later school principal in Queensland andNew South Wales, Australia and I know from his proof of age document attested to by his brother John that he also had a Civil Service role, presumably teaching in Dromore, Down in 1875. Can anyone direct me as to how I can find out more about his Civil Service role in Dromore at that time?

Also, looking for anything I can find on his siblings, particularly brother John who remained in Ireland. I have exhausted most records on websites,but haven't found anything conclusive on his siblings.

Many thanks for any help you can offer.

Lynn Bickerstaff

Lynn Bickerstaff

3 replies

Lynn,

I looked for the 1875 Biggerstaff/Bickerstaff marriage in both Ireland and Scotland but did not find it. There are several James B’s marrying and 1 Caroline Ellison marrying but not to each other.

If you think that James was a teacher in Dromore, any records should be in PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast. They will be held in the EDD series of records. They are not on-line and so you would need to get a researcher to look them up for you. There may have been quite a few schools in the area, and so it might take a little time if you don’t know the name of the school. PRONI generally only have the records for state funded schools (National Schools). There were also plenty of private or church schools. The records for those probably haven’t survived.

There is a marriage on 5.1.1870 between a Joseph Biggerstaff of Enagh and Martha Kernaghan. His father was Thomas B a farmer. They married in Banbridge Register office. A witness was Samuel Biggerstaff.

A Mary Jane Biggerstaff married Thomas Ferguson on 25.12.1886. Her father was Thomas, a labourer. She lived at Tullyniskey, but her husband lived in Enagh.

There was a Thomas Bickerstaff, farmer, of Enagh who died 14.2.1890 aged 81. He was a widower. Informant was son Joseph.

Noted these families in Enagh in 1901:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Down/Gaevaghy/Enagh/1205360/

The head is Bella (Isabella).

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Down/Gaevaghy/Enagh/1205372/

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Down/Gaevaghy/Enagh/1205374/

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Down/Gaevaghy/Enagh/1205378/

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Down/Gaevaghy/Enagh/1205385/

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Down/Gaevaghy/Enagh/12…

The names mostly seem to fit your family and they all lived near each other.

There are several Biggerstaffs from Enagh on the PRONI wills site, including a Samuel.

Biggerstaff Samuel of Enagh Dromara county Down farmer died 31 March 1920 Administration Belfast 6 March to Helena Biggerstaff spinster. Effects £87 16s. 3d.

Also: Biggerstaff Thomas James of Enagh county Down farmer died 24 June 1922 Probate Belfast 15 November to John Biggerstaff and James Biggerstaff farmers. Effects £258 15s.

I notice that a Thomas Biggerstaff, whose father was also Thomas married Sarah Morgan in Banbridge registration area on 17.3.1869. That’s not on-line free yet but if you are interested you can view the original certificate on-line on the GRONI website, using the “search registrations” option:

https://geni.nidirect.gov.uk

You will need to open an account and buy some credits. It costs £2.50 (sterling) to a view a certificate.

 

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

 

 

Dear Elwyn,

Thank you so much for this information.  I noted that there were a few families of the name Biggerstaff/ Bickerstaff in both Down and Antrim, and of course, as was the case at the time, the Christian names were often reused throughout the families.  It got a bit confusing as to whom was a Bickerstaff and who retained the name Biggerstaff within the one family.   I too couldn't find any marriage in either Scotland or Ireland between James and Caroline.  To be honest, I don't think it took place at all since Caroline came out to Australia under her maiden name as a single female immigrant.    Still, they're not the first in our family not to have legally married, and I'm sure they won't be the last, though it is unusual for the time. 

Thanks for the links and tips, I'll look further into those.  I think I will have to get a researcher

Kind regards,

Lynn 

Lynn Bickerstaff

Lynn,

Researchers in the PRONI area: http://sgni.net

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

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