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Chambers and Holland family 1860 - 1919

DownTullylish (Down)

I would like any information regarding James CHAMBERS and his second wife Martha HOLLAND.

Five of the children I have found are, Elizabeth , Martha, Suzanna (SMYTH), Sophia (DOUGHERTY) and Robert.

Sophia had twin girls on 17th May1902Caroline (my grandmother) and Frances. They were born in Ballnagarick withSally Ann Holland present. Sophia was still Chambers at the time.

John and Sarah Ann ADAMSON were present at Sophia's wedding 13th July 1908 to William James DOUGHERTY. Sophia and William moved to Britannic street - Belfast - Antrim. William died there in 1957 but I do not know what happened to Sophia.

But as fate had it Caroline came to New Zealand with Susanna (as her mother) in 1920. Caroline (May as she was known) never new what happened to her sister Frances who disappeared when they were very young.

James Chambers died 11th February 1907 in Ballydougan.

Martha Chambers (the daughter) had a daughter Edith born 1st March 1892. Edith livedwith her grandparents James and Martha.

Edith Chambers and William John Mulholland were witnesses at the marriage of Susanna Chambers and William John Smith (Smyth) 1st April 1910.

IrelandXO member

3 replies

Dates of birth for the 5 children. All births registered in Lurgan:

Elizabeth 2.5.1866; Martha 28.12.1876; Susanna 27.12.1869; Sophia 29.1.1872 & Robert 22.11.1876.  Couldn’t see any extra ones though if there were births before 1864 they wouldn’t be in the stat records.

Sophia Dougherty has moved from Britannic St by 1960. (I think they had lived at no 90). See: http://www.lennonwylie.co.uk/images/1960BSD/1960strs%200055.jpg

Can’t see a death for her but on-line deaths only go up to 1965. For later deaths you need to contact GRONI in Belfast. PRONI might also have a will for her but again neither the abstract nor the will will be on-line after 1965.

I looked for a young death for Frances Chambers b 1902 but couldn’t see one. Can’t see her in the 1911 census. Perhaps she was adopted?

 

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

How would I go about finding out if and how Frances Chambers was adopted. My grandmother was told her sister got sick and would not be back. I believe that the family may have been struggling, as James and Martha had their daughter Susanna - grand daughters Edith (Martha jun's daughter) Margaret (Susanna's daughter) and the twins Caroline and Frances (Sophia's daughters) all living at the one address.

Then Frances dissappeared. sometime between 1905 and 1908 when Sophia got married. I don't know if maybe Sophia took her but there is nothing on the 1911 census to suggest she did. The father is unknown to us but could he have taken Frances?

 

IrelandXO member

It would have been unusual for a father of an illegitimate child to take responsibility for it because generally he needed to be free to work each day. What tended to happen was that grandparents would take the child, or sometimes one of the mother’s sisters.

There was no formal adoption law in Northern Ireland till 1927. So if the child was adopted in the early 1900s that would have been arranged informally. Sometimes the local church acted as a go-between but often it was just arranged between families. There would not be any paperwork to record that or any change of surname. Very difficult to trace.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

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