Stewart Atkinson Lismoyle .

DerryMagherafelt (Derry)

I have been looking for my Stewart Atkinson for many years. I know he was married to Letitia Maxwell and they had at least 5 children. I can find no birth, marriage or death for him.

Recently I found a Stewart Atkinson in the 1841 Scottish Census. He had a wife Mary and 2 children John and Mary.

1841 Scotland census a Stewart Atkinson aged 25 [1816] born Ireland with wife Mary aged 20 [1821]born Ireland 2 children John 4 and mary newborn.

I can find no other information in Scotland for them. I began to wonder whether they came back to Ireland and perhaps Mary died and he married Letitia. Children born to Letitia start at 1844.

Their daughter Thomasina McCahan when applying for a pension said her parents married in 1835 but once again no proof.

Stewart has a son William and his family all buried at Moyletra Parish Churchyard with the following memorial stone.

43 Atkinson-Stuart-Maxwell
Atkinson
Lismoyle
Erected by William Stuart Atkinson, in memory of
his parents
William, died 11 February 1924
and Isabella, died 1 March 1936
his sister, Letitia Maxwell, died 22 August 1924
his brother, James Alexander, died 6 February 1960
and the above William Stuart, died 20 September 1970

Stewart and Letitia's other children were Thomasina 1844- m. Alexander McCahan James c 1844 m. Mary Trimble Catherine 1847 -1911 m John McIlfatrick William 1849 - 1924 m Isabella Turner Stewart 1854- 1921 m. Susan Laird. [These are my great grandparents]

Stewart sn. wife Letitia died 16th Dec. 1889 Lismoyle. PAD son William.

I live in Australia and not likely to ever travel to Ireland so any help or guidance would be much appreciated.

Kind regards

Robyn Atkinson Debnam

Robyn

2 Sept 2021

10 replies

Robyn,

According to Letitia Atkinson’s death certificate, her husband Stewart was still alive in 1889:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1889/06127/4749799.pdf

I have looked for a death for him post 1889 but without success. Possibly his death wasn’t registered. That did happen. Looking at the Valuation revision books I see that the farm passed from Stewart to William in 1892. So that points to Stewart’s death around that year.

Statutory marriage registration started in Ireland in 1845. Prior to that you have to rely on church records. Not every church has pre 1845 records, and where they do, they are not always on-line. Lismoyle is in Tamlaght O’Crilly parish. The family were Presbyterian (judging by the 1901 census). Nearest Presbyterian churches seem to be Boveedy (records start 1841) and Churchtown (records start 1839). Another possibility is Garvagh 2nd Presbyterian church. I see that’s where Thomasina married. Tradition was to marry in the bride’s church so possibly that is the family church. If so, their baptism & marriage records start in 1830 and interestingly they have burials for the years 1853 – 1896. Most Presbyterian churches didn’t keep burial records so that’s a bonus. If Stewart died around 1892 and attended that church you might find his burial record there.

You’ll perhaps know which church the family attended, but if any of these 3 is where Stewart & Letitia married in 1835 and were themselves baptised in the early 1800s, then there are only marriage records for Garvagh 2nd. No baptisms for the early 1800s (though you may find their childrens baptisms post 1840). It doesn’t look to me as though you will find baptism records for Stewart or Letitia. They probably don’t exist. Copies of all the surviving records are in PRONI in Belfast. If you are unable to go yourself, you could employ a researcher. Researchers in the PRONI area: http://sgni.net

I noticed this probate abstract for William Atkinson on the PRONI wills site:

Atkinson, William of Lismoyle Swatragh county Londonderry farmer died 11 February 1924 Administration (d.b.n.) Londonderry 8 November to Mary Sarah Bolton widow. Unadministered effects Nil. Former Grant Administration London D.R. 6 February 1925.

It looks as though when William died in 1924, he died intestate and his estate was not fully administered, something apparently not picked up till 1961. (Probate granted 8.11.1961 Londonderry). It also looks as though he had assets in England as there was a probate grant there in 1925. (Possibly an insurance policy or investments).

Coleraine Chronicle of 23.9.1899 reports that William Atkinson of Lismoyle had a nasty accident whilst threshing hay and one of his fingers had to be removed.

Regarding the Atkinson family in the 1841 Scottish census, in that census only, adults ages were rounded down to the nearest 5 years. So 25 means anything from 25 to 29 and 20 means 20 to 24.

Most Irish research comes to a stop around 1800 due to the lack of records. It’s a common problem.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

2 Sept 2021

Many thanks Elwyn,

Much of what you state, I already have found but it is always good to have it confirmed. I will look at doing what you suggest re hiring a researcher. I have worked with Barbara Braswell re the old church records and find them facinating. Also showing other relatives living nearby. I seem to have connections to Neely's and McAllisters , Patterson etc. in these areas.

The Bann Valley files have been an interesting source of information.

I had hoped with having my dna done that it may point to who Stewart's parents may be.

While I get quite a lot of connections to Stewart jnr. wife Susan Laird and one to the Maxwell family, nothing however to Stewart snr.

Just a quick question please Elwyn. Where would a lass from your area go to train as a nurse or a music teacher. early 1900's .? 3 of Susan and Stewart Atkinson's sons went to Edinburgh to study medicine. The boys attended the Foyle School in Londonderry. Mary a daughter trained as a music teacher and went to Kent England c 1920's. Edith I believe became a nurse. She is listed as coming to Australia in 1922. My grandfather William their eldest child joined the British Navy for a 12 year stint. Left after 4 years which I believe was when he lost his left arm. Became a merchant sailor along the east coast of Canada. Later coming to Australia. [when I found the newspaper clipping re a William's accident I initially hoped it was grandfather and not his uncle]

Any guidance would be much appreciated in tracing Edith in particular. Another son Joseph is as mysterious as his grandfather Stewart snr.

Kind regards

Robyn Atkinson Debnam

Robyn

4 Sept 2021

Robyn,

The 1911 census indicates 3 of Stewart & Susan’s 10 children had died. It also tells us Edith was the only one of their children still at home in 1911:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Donegal/Castleforward/Colehill/500362/

I can see Samuel died in 1902. Have you worked out who the other 2 were? Could Joseph be one? (I can’t see his death in the statutory records but perhaps that’s what happened?).

You ask where a nurse would go to train? No easy answer to that. There were several hospitals in Belfast and Dublin training nurses at that time but a lot of women would have gone to Scotland or England too.

From what I can find on the internet, prior to 1921 registers of nurses were kept locally, by hospitals and nursing organisations. These included Burdett’s Directories from 1898 and the Royal College of Nursing (1916-1923). In 1921 the General Nursing Councils (GNC) were established; one for England and Wales, one for Scotland and one for Ireland. Edith doesn’t have any occupation in the 1911 census so perhaps had not yet started her training. If she qualified before 1916 it seems Burdett’s Directory might list her, if you can access a copy. I would also try the Royal College of Nursing to see if they have any record of her 1916 onwards. Obviously if she qualified in 1921/22 she might be in one of the 3 sets of GNC records.

You ask where a music teacher might train in the early 1900s. I really don’t know. Given that in 1911 Mary would have been about 26, and was not at home, she presumably was away training or working. I can’t see her in the 1911 Irish census, nor in the 1911 English census either. There are 3 or 4 possible Mary Atkinsons of about the right age in the Scottish 1911 census, but it’s pay to view so I can’t see where they were born or their occupations without paying. If Mary ended up in Kent, you might wonder if she trained and worked in England.

The 1921 census for England is due to be released sometime in the next 12 months, so you might be able to trace Mary, and perhaps Edith, on that, if you don’t already know where they were then. (There was no census in Ireland in 1921 due to civil disorder).

I see that Larchmont, where Stewart died in 1921, is a rather grand B & B nowadays (and up for sale). Odd that Stewart’s occupation is shown as labourer on his death certificate, rather then retired clerk of petty sessions or similar.

https://www.propertypal.com/larchmount-house-66-ardmore-road-derry/683666/photo-89

Irish Independent of 9.11.1916 records Stewart Atkinson’s retirement as clerk of Newtowncunningham Petty Sessions. Captain A A Atkinson RAMC was mentioned in despatches in December 1916 for his services at Salonika.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

4 Sept 2021

Once again Elywn, Many thanks for all your kind work and information. I guess that only time will tell re the girls. The other 2 ittle boys died very young. I suspect Joseph may have gone to America.

I feel they were a rather fractured lot and only some of them kept in contact. My own Grandfather never went back to Ireland and some of his sibs in England did receive a Christmas card at one time. He and his brother John who came to Australia fell out and never spoke to each other. Anyway enough of the mad Atkinsons.