William Beauchamp Begnall Harvey and link to BB Harvey
Hi folks....got some spare time to digging back into the family tree....we've hit a wall in our search but have some tantalizing information with lots of circumstantial evidence but no documents or confirmation. Then up your site popped up on Facebook.
Our earliest fully documented and known Harvey is John Harvey, b. Feb. 10, 1816 in Edinburgh Scotland, one of five kids born to Margret Sharpe and William Beauchamp Begnall Harvey. b. Ireland date unknown.
This is interesting because of two things.
1) The name. The story of BB Harvey, the United Irish Rebellion and his execution at Wexford is well known. A little research very quickly led us to that story. We were shocked because we thought the family was from Scotland and linked to the Keith Clan....apparently not.
The name Beauchamp (distorted as Beecham the literal pronunciation) appears twice more in our tree among family members in India so we think there's a strong sentimental connection but it has been lost over time.
2) The dates. Death certificates turn up two WBB Harveys, one in Westminster d 1838 (we know the family did end up in London) having been born 1792 in Ireland . The other death certificate is for 1832 in Edinburgh b 1782 possibly Dublin.
The circumstantial is that we know BB Harvey executed June 28 1798 at Wexford bridge was married a year before his death to perhaps to Judith Steevens of Arklow or to Judith Dockrell, they are both listed, but had no children by them.
There is however, more than a suggestion that he had a long time lover, or mistress who bore him one or possibly two sons and it's likely she was a Catholic and he a protestant this inter marriage may not have been on the cards, BB's father being a minister of the church and all that..
It may even be a first marriage. There is a noted marriage to Elizabeth Smith of Mayglass, County Wexford, Ireland who is said to have borne two children, James Harvey and William Harvey, but no dates were given.
Of note also is that “an act of attainder against Harvey's estate received royal assent on 6 October 1798 but was not effected.” (Meaning the crown was trying to take the lands back for sins against the King). The lands were instead leased to Harvey's brother James who received their formal regrant in 1810 before their ultimate restoration to his older brother, John.”
We also have some information that "a deed of Beauchamp of May 15, 1797 left 4000 lbs (sic) to his son William, his mother Elizabeth Smith and his brother James. In addition William was left 1000 lbs (sic) by Beauchamp's brother James.”
The names and the range of birthday dates add up. Also WBB Harvey named his other son James....not huge but a small clue.
So, that's all we have to work on. No Parish to start poking around in and no leads we can find from here in Canada....thus the shout out on the Net. I was raised in England before coming to Canada and we've often talked about planning a trip to Ireland since I've never been and it would be a great excuse to go poking about some records and taking in the sights.....
Any help, leads, advice....greatly appreciated.....
