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John WILLIAMSON son of Thomas & Jane WILLIAMSON born c 1832 Belfast

My 2x great grandfather John Williamson lived for 19 years in Victoria, Australia before he died. He was born Belfast Ireland[i]. He would have been 23 years old when he arrived in Victoria in 1853/4 either from another Australian colony or directly from England. His wife Louisa died in 1901, unlike her husband according to her death certificate Louisa had been born in England[ii]. John & Louisa were married on 10th Oct 1853 in Holy Trinity Church, Hoxton, Middlesex, England[iii], and migrated shortly afterwards[iv] to Australia. Both are buried in the St Kilda General Cemetery[v].

I had always assumed that they were both of English origin so I was very surprised when I found that Johns parents, Thomas & Jane Williamson,and his 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 they 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, James,must have moved out of home between the 1861 and 1871 census

I found him 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

Johns 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 am not sure.

The question is how to go about find out about the family in Ireland. Im not sure where to start and with such common names as John, Jane, Thomas and James its difficult to know how to proceed.

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.

Sources

[i] Registry of Birth, Death and Marriages, Victoria, Australia, Death Certificate John Williamson (Reference details 1874, # 6427 Original a certified copy

[ii] Death Certificate Louisa Williamson, 6 August 1901, Reference #9613, Registry of Birth, Death and Marriages, Victoria, Australia (Original a certified copy)

[iii] General Register Office, England, Marriage Certificate John Williamson & Louisa Walker 10 October 1853, Reference # unknown (Original a certified copy)

[iv] This date calculation is based on both of the death certificates of Louisa and John Williamson. John lived for 19 years in Victoria before he died, after immigrating at the age of 23 in 1853/4. His wife Louisa died in 1901 after having lived in Victoria for 47 years which indicates that she must have also migrated in 1853 or 1854.

In 1855 John's eldest son Thomas was born in Victoria which also supports the notion that they must have arrived before 1855. John & Louisa married in Oct 1853 in England and migrated shortly.

[v] The Argus (Melbourne, Vic, 1848 - 1957), TROVE, 9 Jun 1874, page 8 (Transcribed by Chris Filiamundi); The Springvale Necroplis website (Deceased database accessed at http://www.necropolis.com.au; has information regarding Springvale and St Kilda Cemeteries), Reference Number 4212; Tombstone at Grave site, St Kilda General Cemetery, Church of England - Monumental Grave, Compt C Grave 832 & 830

Sandra

8 replies

The birth is long before the start of statutory birth registration in Ireland (1864). So you will need to rely on church records. To do that you need to have some idea of what denomination the family were. Do you know that?

You could try searching on the UHF site (pay to view) to see if they have a record of the family. However not all church records are on-line and not all have survived. (Some Belfast records were lost during World War 2 due to German bombing, for example).

http://www.ancestryireland.com

You could also try searching the Belfast street directories for Thomas in the 1830s:

http://www.proni.gov.uk/index/search_the_archives/street_directories.htm

No census records for the Belfast area survive for the period you are interested in and tracing the family may prove tricky of they are not amongst the on-line records.

 

 

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

I am wondering if your 3x GG father Thomas born around 1800 in Belfast may be a brother of Michael Thomas Williamson my 3x GG grandfather. Michael was born in Belfast (Antrim) in November 1803 the son of Edward and Anne (nee McDermott) Williamson. Michael, his wife and children emigrated to Australia in 1840. If there is a connection, your 2x GG father, would be the nepher of Michael Thomas Williamson. It appears that there are some records available from St Patrick's Church in Antrim as I have found a marriage record for for Michael and his wife and the Baptismal record for one of his children. You might want to try looking here. I have not been able to find any details of siblings for Michael or any details such as BDM on his parents, Edward or Anne. Interesting, Thomas was a commonly used name within my Williamson family during the 19th Century.

If you can find any connection between your 3x GG father and Edward and Anne then we probably have a family connection.

Micheal Williamson 

 

mikewill

Hello Micheal,

What you are suggesting is intriguing, however I have not been able to push back to find the parents of Thomas Williamson born Between 1797 and 1801 in Belfast. Unfortunately I need a few more clues.  I don't even have their marriage date and place so it is very frustrating.  However like other brickwalls that I have had they do eventually come down.

I believe that John WILLIAMSON and his wife Louisa imigrated at some time between his marriage in Oct 1853 and the birth of his eldest son in Jan 1855.

There is no Louisa listed on the incoming passenger list at all in either the assisted or unassisted passenger lists for incoming shipping to Victoria in the 1853 to Jan 1855 time period.

It is quite plausible that they followed another relative out to Australia.  Where did Michael live when he came out to Australia?  What was his profession?

If I do discover a connection I will be sure to contact you, it would be great to have someone to compare notes with.

Good luck with your research.

Sandra

Sandra

Hi Sandra

If you go to this website www.marcusannesley.org which was set up by my brother Peter, you will be able to link to a book I wrote two years ago on the history of our Williamson family, via the heading Williamson Family Tree. It is probably hard reading for any body who is not directly related or knows our family back ground but it will give you a fair bit of detail on my Williamson family in Australia.

Look forward to your impressions.

Mike

 

 

 

mikewill

Hi Sandra

Forgot to tell that this is an extract from my book.

Regards Mike

 

 

mikewill

Hi Sandra, if you search the Unassisted Passenger List for Victoria you will find a Mr & Mrs Williamson arrived April 1854 on the "Mary Stoddart". Surely is our John and Louisa!

Michael, I see your Williamson's were RC! Where as our Williamson's were Presbyterian! So probably unlikely that we are related.

Hope you get some leads Sandra!

 

Cheers

Dawnie

dawniesean@gmail.com

Hi Sandra,

I am almost certain we are family through Thomas and Jane Williamson. Your 2x Great Grandfather John Williamson's brother James Williamson is my 3x Great Grandfather.

Barbara S.

claimingprospe…

Hello Barbara,

Intriguing, is this the James Williamson who married Ann Fiddler?

I see James was also born in Ireland circa 1836 any luck finding more about his Irish roots?

 

Sandra

Sandra

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