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Thomas Mercer, Newtownlimavady

Hi, my great great grandfather, John Wilson Mercer, lived in Newtownlimavady from approx 1860 to 1887. Before that he appears to have been living in Canada. Then he married Elizabeth Keith in Coleraine in 1854. A marriage notice in the Coleraine Chronicle refers to him as Mr. John Mercer, St. Johns, America. The married couple were next in Woodstock, New Brunswick, Canada where their first child, James Appleby Mercer, was born in 1855. A second son, Thomas Andrew Mercer (later of TA Mercer jewellers in Enniskillen), was born between 1858-1860. Around 1860 the family moved back to Newtownlimavady.

On his marriage registration John Wilson’s father is Thomas Mercer, a Carpenter.

According to an article in the Coleraine Chronicle in 1880, there was a Thomas Mercer found dead from natural causes at his home in Shanreagh, Newtownlimavady. He had a son named John Wilson Mercer. This Thomas Mercer was a farmer. I guess it’s possible that he could have been a carpenter and then a farmer but it’s not concrete enough evidence for me to claim him as an ancestor. The article mentions he had a brother living locally. 

My family tree stops at Thomas Mercer. I have been unable to tie this Thomas Mercer to other Mercers living in Newtownlimavady at the time like the architect Samuel Mercer or the Mercers that owned The Queen’s Arms in Newtownlimavady. Nor do I have his wife or any other children.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you for reading.

Val

valentinemercier

4 replies

Not sure if you have records for the couple's children who were born in Ireland:

 

Church Baptism Mercer Ellen1863 Co. Derry

Civil Birth Mercer Mary Jane1866 Co. Derry

Civil Birth Mercer George1869 Co. Derry

Civil Birth Mercer Elizabeth1873 Co. Derry

 

Source: RootsIreland

 

glanvil3@aol.com

Just for information, today Newtownlimavady is just known as Limavady. I assume that after 300 years or so they decided the Newtown element was a bit unnecessary.

John was a grocer in the town in 1866:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1866/03534/2300837.pdf

China merchant in 1869:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1869/03377/2042084.pdf

Watch maker in 1873:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1873/03202/2174255.pdf

Here’s the death of Thomas Mercer, farmer, in 1880. He was aged 94, so born c 1786.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_retu…

I suspect this was him in the 1831 census. He was the only person named Mercer in the whole county:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1831/Londonderry/Kennaught/Drumachose/Main_Street/69/

At that time he was living in the Main St, but he had land as well, as per the tithe applotment books (compiled listing folk with land).

https://www.irishgenealogyhub.com/derry/tithe-applotments/drumachose-parish.php

If he live din the town but also had land then he may well have been a nbit of a jack of all trades as Thomas Wilson Mercer was also.  I’d say the death in Shanreagh was your ancestor, especially as he had a son named Thomas Wilson. That’s not  a very common middle name in a county where the name Mercer wasn’t common either.

Londonderry Chronicle of 1st Nov 1861 mentions that there was  a Mercers Hotel in the town, Samuel Mercer was also a contractor in the town at the same period.

6th Aug 1864 Belfast Newsletter mentions a John Mercer, auctioneer, Limavady. I suspect these are all Thomas’s family.

Griffiths Valuation for c 1860 lists Thomas Mercer in Shanreagh on plot 1 which was just under 8 acres. So not a very big farm. Today that property is beside a junction between the A2 and the B69 on the western outskirts of the town. The farm buildings have long been demolished. After his death in 1880 a Charles O’Brien was the next tenant, according to the Valuation revision books on the PRONI website. The same records show John W Mercer renting plot 85 on Main St, Limavady until 1889 when he was replaced by Theodosia Fleming. Probably this family in the 1901 census. Note that Samuel Fleming was a master carpenter.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Londonderry/Limavaddy/Main_Street/1526168/

 

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you Patricia

Yes, I have records for those children of John and Elizabeth Mercer.

valentinemercier

Thank you Elwyn for all that information. Wouldn’t it be great if the 1831 Census had family member names and ages.

John Wilson Mercer was also a Baker on his marriage registration in 1854 and an Auctioneer on the birth registration for his daughter Mary in April 1866 (Drumachose church records).

He was the auctioneer in an ad in the Londonderry Standard of 1864. Interestingly the auction was to take place in The Queens Arms Hotel in Newtownlimavady. In 1841 a Thomas Mercer retired as the proprietor of the hotel and was succeeded by his son Thomas Mercer Jnr. I think I remember seeing in a article that Thomas Mercer Jnr died at a young age.

In 1868, according to the LENNON WYLIE Street Directories...

Mercer, John W., auctioneer
Mercer, Samuel, architect and builder, Main Street

Mercer, Samuel, posting establishment, Queen's Arms Hotel
Mercer, Samuel, spirit dealer, Market Street

 

valentinemercier

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