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Thomas Wilson & Elizabeth Thompson

Cavan

 

Hello! 
 

I'm seeking any information on Thomas Wilson b. 1820 ish supposedly in County Cavan and his wife Elizabeth Thompson b. 1823 

I don't have a marriage date but I am aware they had four sons in Ireland: 

* William on March 17, 1852

* Andrew on July 28, 1853 

* Edward in 1856 

* Thomas in 1860 

The family immigrated to Canada approx. 1862. Thomas Sr. I suspect either died en route or shortly after arrival. Elizabeth and her sons eventually settled in Ottawa county, Quebec, Canada and she remarried to William Maxwell. 
 

I have no records at all on Thomas Sr. but am going on passed down family info. Elizabeth and the children I have only been able to find records in Canada for them - census and some vital stats. I've been struggling because of the common last name. 

They have always been listed as either some variation of Protestant or Methodist in the census. 

I hope this helps. I would be very greatful for any assistance  

 

 

 

robinhelstrom

3 replies

HI Robin, I searched Roots Ireland and found no records to match, plenty of WIlson names in Cavan and Leitrim but no births, marriage or children to match. The only WIlson of interest was an Eliza Wilson born in 1860, father John and Mother Eliza, it was the only birth that mentioned Methodist and was interesting as the baptism took place in Killeshandra, Cavan, near the Leitrim border but the address of the family was given as the parish of Gulladuff, Carrigallen, Leitrim, this is not close to Killeshandra but not too far either but as there was 2 weeks between birth and baptism it obviously was not too easy to get there, all I take from it is there was a Methodist church there and with no knowledge of said religion I will venture that there were not too many Methodist churches in the area, there were a number of Presbyterian churches in Cavan but the main Protestant church of Ireland, over 40% of their records were lost in the civil war in 1922 when the public reocrds office was destroyed. 

There is a Methodist Museum in Belfast and the one time I emailed them I heard back within 12 hours, https://methodisthistoryireland.org/index-of-irish-methodist-churches-2/ Also check the genealogy section of this site, apparently they did not record the mothers full name.

I am afraid it will not be much help as their records may only start around 1830 so the marriage may be available but in my Roots Ireland search I found nothing to match your information especially as you are so accurate in birth dates, so you could try asking the church as I think there are not too many of them online.

There are scraps of the 1821 census for Cavan online free here, but only one Thomas Age 4 so unlikely to be so lucky that this is your man but you can see here http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/ there are also some Thompson people around, for some reason the census return comes up twice so the names are repeated after the first lot of records it starts again, there is really no way of picking them out as yours. 

Heads of house or taxpayers were recorded in the Tithes Applottments from 1824 to 1838 but again all you will know is there were Wilsons or Thompsons living there, http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/home.jsp ;

There are a number of private Facebook pages on genealogy in Cavan and Leitrim plus other counties and areas but everyone is stuck in the same time period and if there are no records for you there are none for others either.

Your best hope is the Methodist church I think and sorry the news is not better.

Good Luck

Pat

St Peters LouthIrelandXO Volunteer

I don't see a connection but my father's Wilson family come from Co.Cavan.   The earliest I've traced is my 2 x great grandfather, Thomas Wilson (1793-1889).  He is buried at Bellasis Presbyterian Church, Drumgora, Co.Cavan.  My great grandfather, James Wilson (1842-1918), is also buried there.  He was a farmer in Drumagoland (near Virginia), Co.Cavan.   This family was strongly Presbyterian over generations.    Thomas Wilson married Margaret Fawcett. 

 James (my grandfather) married Fanny Cranston from Bailieborough and they had six children - four boys, two girls.    They were all very well educated as per Presbyterian tradition.  One daughter stayed in Cavan and one son moved to nearby West Meath.   The other four children left Cavan and went to live in Londonderry, Bristol, South Africa and US.  Fanny Cranston's brother came to Australia with his extended family  in the mid1860s.     Records in England and Australia were relatively easy to find.   And the South African family found me!

I spent 10 years tracking down information as I had none from my own family.  As Pat mentions, records are hard to find.  But not impossible if you persevere especially as more and more alternative record sources are being released.   I was fortunate that two of my ancestors wrote comprehensive books about their lives!   I found them on google!!    I've actually been very successful used a range of alternative sources.  And I found a lot on RootsIreland including some very early records.  And many wonderful volunteers are now transcribing the memorial headstones in graveyards which are being put online.  

I'm also a member of three Co.Cavan family history sites:  IGP Co.Cavan Ireland Genealogy Group, Virginia Cavan Genealogy and Cavan Genealogy.

Good luck

Cora-Ann Wilson

 

 

 

Irishann 1944

Hi Robin,

This is the info I have., I have his name as Andrew. He was my Great, Great, Great Grandfather.

ANDREW WILSON + Elizabeth (Thompson) MAXWELL (County Cavan, Ireland)

 

William Andrew Wilson, (1852-1922) Blacksmith

 

Born: March 17, 1852, County Cavan, Ireland

Parents: ANDREW WILSON + Elizabeth Thompson (County Cavan, Ireland)

Born in County Cavan, Ireland on 17 March 1852, the eldest son of Andrew Wilson and Elizabeth Thompson. His family emigrated to the United States in 1862, during Ireland’s Great Potato Famine but his father died the day after their arrival in New York. The family made their way to Montreal and subsequently to Leeds County, Ontario, eventually settling in Gatineau, Quebec.

Willie began to learn the blacksmith trade at the age of 14 years.

In 1873, he married Mary Anne McCann (1849-?) daughter of Andrew McCann of Hinks, Ottawa. They had two children in Gatineau, Lizzie and Andrew Elswood (maybe 3, inc. Maud?).

By 1879 he was a journeyman and moved west, leaving his family at Gatineau. until the following year when they joined him at Rat Portage (now Kenora, Ontario), where he worked for the Keewatin Milling Company.

Two years later, the family traveled by train to St. Paul, Minn. and then continued by horse and cart on to Brandon, Manitoba. William started a blacksmith shop, one of the first in western Canada, on 10th St. His family lived on Lorne Ave. This is where the children grew up and went to school.

Children:

Elizabeth (Lizzie) –  married Mr. Mott – had three sons, Russell (Thunder Bay),  Clarence  (Atlanta) and Elswood (?) 

Andrew Elswood (b.1876) – married

Maude – married Tom Laundry (Minnedosa) – had Harold (Edmonton) and Alma who married Clarence McConnell (Winnepeg)

Fanny May (b.1881) married George Curl (Redvers, Man.) – had Andrew (Redvers)

William Maxwell (1882)

Fredrick Thomas (b.1884) – bachelor – farmer (Minnedosa)

Robert Edward (b. 1886) – bachelor – farmer (Minnedosa)

Ottawa Belle (Ottie) (b. 1889 ) – died at 19 in Redvers, Man in 1808/9

He was a member to the Methodist Church, the Conservtive Party and the Ancient Order of United Workman (AOUW).

He died in the RM of Odanah, Minnedosa on 30 May 1922. Mary Anne Wilson died a year later on Halloween, 1931.

The museum in Winnipeg has horseshoes on display made by Wm. Wilson.

eofthesea

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