Hi

I am hoping someone may be able to help trace ancestors.

I am looking for information of Ada Jamieson born 1888 and Henry Southward born  in the1870`s.  They married.Henry was an elementary schoolmaster and Ada in service.  My gran was born in January 1913, her birth certificate names her father as Henry Southward,deceased and her mother as Ada Jamieson. It also says her father was an elementary school master and her mother in service?

I believe they are from Egremont area.

Donna

Dear sir/madam,

I have been looking through your website and came a cross a genealogy page and wondered if I could add to it.

My mothers father was a Richard Winter Bigrigg born about 1892 (waiting for birth certificate) and lived as a small boy at 40 Church Street Egremont in 1901.

In later life he married a Emma Thompson from Workington and they moved to Nelson Lancashire where I still live.

They had three Daughters, Jane Hamel Bigrigg (my mother) Hannah and Wilhelmina Bigrigg all born and listed as Cockermouth.

Jane Hamel Bigrigg married Frank Harvey and lived in Nelson Lancashire. Over the years I have lost contact with people in Whitehaven,Workington and Egremont.

Sadly they are all dead now and there is just myself John Harvey and my sister June Riding nee Harvey left.

if you could put this on your genealogy page it would be appreciated in helping to find distant family members.

Any one with information can contact me at jhr1000@ntlworld.com

Regards, John Harvey
13 Cobden Street
Nelson
Lancashire BB9 0AH

I have just found the excellent site (by accident via Google!) and notice your enquiry about the Armstrong family, glad to say I can fill in one branch for you. Isabella Amstrong, the youngest daughter of George and Frances Edgar was my husband’s grandmother. The facts are a bit sketchy as my late father in law was a very quiet man, my husband said he rarely talked about his family and they saw little of them.

Isabella married William Dockray, another iron ore miner, (1883-1936) in 1910, marriage registered in Whitehaven. William was born in Cumberland but so far I haven’t found him on any census figures. They had 8 children:
FLORENCE (1910-)
WILLIAM (1911-1912)
JONATHAN (1913-1975)
ISABEL (1915- )
NANCY (1917–)
GEORGE (1918-2000)
DOROTHY (1919—)
KENNETH (1925–)
All the children’s births were registered in Whitehaven but I know George was born in St. Bees. Dorothy married and went to Canada but used to return home to visit.

George was my father in law, he served in the Army in W11 he then came here to work on the RAF camp initially. His brother Jonathan (known as John) was also here in Watton, why we don’t know but he farmed in a small way in the area called Neaton. George worked for him for a while and then went as a store manager at Tyrell and Byfords which was a seed merchants.
He married Evelyn Watling (nee Tennant) in 1950, there was a step son, Michael Watling from her first marriage.
They went on to have a further 5 children,
William (Bill my husband) 1950
Susan 1951
John 1952
Russell 1954
Rebecca (known as Cindy) 1956
John died a couple of years ago but the others are still resident here in South Norfolk.
George and Evelyn both died in 2000.

To go back to Isabella, at some point she came to Norfolk,she didn’t live with either of her sons but was in a nursing home on the coast near Cromer, a village called Overstrand, she died in 1964 and is actually buried in the graveyard of our church here, St. Mary’s about 5 minutes walk from where I am typing this, as far as I know there is no headstone but I’ll find out.
Jonathan (John) married Alice, they had one son Alan who is still alive, but has Parkinson’s Disease.
The name DOCKRAY is very rare in Norfolk, apart from one lady who lives in Norwich ( she comes from the Midlands) they are all descendents of Isabella, there are 13 with the name (like me) , direct descendents, 5 grandchildren, 11 great grand children and 8 great great grandchildren, with 2 more due in November.
We think there is a connection to the Sewell family some where as we have here a silver pocket watch, engraved
Jonathan Sewell Egremont 1891,then William Dockray –and under that (sadly not done professionally, it looks as if it was done with a pin!) George Dockray 1936, presumably my father in law received this on his father’s death.
I do hope this will be of interest to somebody, contact me if there is anything else I can help with.
I have already had contact with Nancy and Dale in New York!
Best wishes,

Sue sueandbill@supanet.com

Greetings! I’m writing to you, from Independence, Missouri, U.S.A., so hoping you will report our families reunion in Egremont 2012, in your newspaper. My name is Maureen (Brophy) Seskis. I am the great-granddaughter of Henry and Margaret (Lowther) Allison formerly of Egremont, England. Below is a brief summary of our families history. Will you post this in your newspaper? It is okay for you to list my home address in this announcement.

Descendants of Margaret Lowther, born February 9, 1858 in Egremont, England, and Henry Allison, also of Egremont, are organizing for a reunion in 2012 in Egremont. Eight of us are coming from America to visit our great-grandparents homeland. Henry arrived in Lucas, Iowa, U.S.A. and one year later Margaret arrived by train and were married that afternoon in 1885. We feel confident there are Lowther and Allison cousins still in the Egremont area. If we are related, please contact me by email at this address; moseskis@hotmail.com or contact the newspaper for my home address.

Sincerely,

Maureen M. Seskis
Address: 15201 East 41st Street South
Independence, Missouri USA

My grandmother Ann Eliza Lewthwaite was born in Egremont on 26 November 1885 and went to school there. She was the eldest child of Isaac Nicholson Lewthwaite and Ann-Eliza Bewley. They had eight children and lived at the Old Mill House when my grandmother was born.

Isaac Nicholson Lewthwaite was born in Egremont on 7 February 1861 and died in January 1921 in South Africa where he had followed the gold rush.
He was the eldest child of Isaac Lewthwaite and Jane Longridge. Isaac and Jane lived in Egremont. He was a builder and apparently build a row of Villas owned by the family.
Ann Eliza Bewley also had links to Egremont. She was born in Whitehaven on 4 April 1863, one of four children of Joseph Bewley and Ann-Eliza Emerson. They were Inn Keepers of the Pack Horse Inn at Whitehaven. Joseph and Ann Eliza Bewley died leaving a trust for the children who were brought up by their guardians Mary and Will Sewell who ran the Red Lion Pub, in Egremont.
My grandmother (Ann Eliza Lewthwaite) continued to live in Egremont with her widowed grandmother Jane (nee Longride) and eventually came across to join the family in South Africa when she was 21 years old. When she was alive, she wrote regularly to her cousins on the Bewley side ie Marion Bell and Annie and Elsie Bouch.

I have a bit more information on the Lewthwaite and Bewley children if anyone is interested and would love to find out if there are any linkages with other Egremont family lines.

email: mtiki@iafrica.com

I have just discovered that an ancestor may have been born in Egremont. He was Robert Casson, a ‘taylor’, who married in London in 1787 and died there in 1802. His father may be James Casson also a ‘taylor’, who came from Egremont and was married there in 1756. I shall be very grateful for any help in tracing him.

Jacky Casson
jacky@jackcasson.freeserve.co.uk

This is going to be a great big long shot, but here I go. I am desperately trying to trace family members from my father’s side.

Dad was born as Thomas Glaister-Carlisle and was born in Vale View Egremont 3 May 1925. I don’t think any other the other members of the family used Carlisle but I have no idea why. He went to Bookwell school. His mum’s name was Prudence and I think that his dad’s name was Henry.

He had a sister Nora who married someone with the surname Shepherd. There was two brothers, one of whom died in the war, and another sister, Sarah.
I should appreciate any help.

Diane Glaister-Carlisle
dianegc@hotmail.com

Was watching the news on the floods in Cumbria and thinking of my family roots, googled Egremont and was delighted to discover your genealogy site. My grandmother Ann Eliza Lewthwaite was born in Egremont on 26 November 1885 and went to school there. She was the eldest child of Isaac Nicholson Lewthwaite and Ann-Eliza Bewley.They had eight children and lived at the Old Mill House when my grandmother was born.

Isaac Nicholson Lewthwaite was born in Egremont on 7 February 1861 and died in January 1921 in South Africa where he had followed the gold rush. He was the eldest child of Isaac Lewthwaite and Jane Longridge. Isaac and Jane lived in Egremont. He was a builder and apparently build a row of Villas owned by the family.

Ann Eliza Bewley also had links to Egremont. She was born in Whitehaven on 4 April 1863, one of four children of Joseph Bewley and Ann-Eliza Emerson. They were Inn Keepers of the Pack Horse Inn at Whitehaven. Joseph and Ann Eliza Bewley died leaving a trust for the children who were brought up by their guardians Mary and Will Sewell who ran the Red Lion Pub, in Egremont.

My grandmother (Ann Eliza Lewthwaite) continued to live in Egremont with her widowed grandmother Jane (nee Longride) and eventually came across to join the family in South Africa when she was 21 years old. When she was alive, she wrote regularly to her cousins on the Bewley side ie Marion Bell and Annie and Elsie Bouch.

I have a bit more information on the Lewthwaite and Bewley children if anyone is interested and would love to find out if there are any linkages with other Egremont family lines.

Ann Harper

mtiki@iafrica.com

Sir,

I am looking for information on the Todds from Egremont. My great great grandfather George Todd was listed on the 1881 census as living with his father Thomas at Moor Row. Thomas’s occupation was a stationary engine driver. I have had very little luck researching this branch of my family tree. My grandparents, George and Sarah (née Temple) migrated to Australia around 1965. George had many brothers and sisters who I am sure would have children that still live in the area. Any assistance would be great.

Robyn Todd
robyntodd@westnet.com.au

Hi ,

Can anyone help me, my greatgrandparents were Michael and Jane Ann Carroll nee Strachan who lived in Bridge End Road Saint Johns Egremont in the 1891 census. Their children were Elizabeth Ann, Jane Oestle, George Strachan, Christina, James, Sarah, and Thomas Oestle Carroll. I do not know anything about the first three children, i would love to hear from any descendants , many thanks.

Bridie
aandbbrannigan@btinternet.com

Hello,

I am researching the family name Rose. My Great Grandfather was sup’t. with the Furness Railway in the area of 1866. He brought his family to the Lakes District from the Kent area.

James Rose worked with the Furness Railway, until he retired do to ill health. His son Edwin Rose of Victoria Villa Egremont, then replaced him.

Edwin Rose, and his wife Elizabeth lived at Victoria Villa until around 1925 when Edwin past on.

The children of Elizabeth and Edwin are:
Annette Eleanor b 4. 10. 1868
George Edwin James b 8.5.1870
Harry Sidney died in infancy
Frank Ernest b 15. 7. 1873
Arthur Vivian b 30. 1. 1876
Ethel Louisa b 1878
Edwin b 24 . 12. 1879
Guy Septimus b 16. 6. 1882
William John died in infancy

I know that Ethel Louisa was a teacher in the area.
The males all worked with the railway, and most were engineers, as were the father and grandfather.

Elizabeth Rose was the daughter of James Jones, of Whitehaven publican to the Indian Head, and Eleanor Blenkinsop of Whitehaven.

If anyone has any information on this family, or pictures, or web sites that may assist me, I would greatly appreciate if you would contact me at: ramblingrosebud@gmail.com

Susan
Pickering Ontario
Canada

Hi I am looking for information on my grandmothers family. In particular James Sloan her brother was born about 1881 and his son James born about 1900. James born 1881 was a seaman and young James was in army. James senior lived with parents John and Sarah Ann Sloan at 2 Hartley St Egremont. Both these men have one outstanding feature, their ears stuck out, both father and son. To my knowledge they are father and son but are definately related. I would love to know more about them. Thanks for the Egremont site.

eileenwilson97@hotmail.com

Hello,

I see your site has picked up a few queries about Egremont families! How wonderful to open up your site so that people can make connections with family members. I wonder if you would post this on your site for me?

Looking for ancestors of the Tidyman family of Egremont. Hannah Bell Clements married James Tidyman in 1858. We are related to this family. Please e-mail me at lass53@aol.com

Nancy Armstrong

I plan to visit Egremont and White Haven August 24-27, 2007, hoping to find more information about my father’s maternal ancestors. His grandparents, Joseph and Mary Wear Thompson Coates, were married in Egremont (Beckermont Church) in 1861. They moved with their one surviving son (3 children buried at church in Cleator) and settled in Virginia, USA, in 1872. They had lived in “Carron Cottage” in Cleator Moor prior to emigrating.

Joseph Coates was born 1833 in Keswick, and Mary was born 1834 near Egremont (Beckermont or Beckermet?).

I want to find out Joseph Coates’s parents’ names. I do know he had a brother Robert who moved to Melbourne, Australia.

Mary’s parents: Richard Thompson, born 1803, and died 1870 in Cleator; and Mary Eleanor Wear, who died 1871. Both are buried at “Cleator Church.” I wish to know their parents’ names.

I would appreciate any information about the Coates, Thompson, and Wear families in that area.

Thank you so much!

Jane Carter Vaughan in Virginia, USA

janeacv@gmail.com

Hi,

I’m a Benn descendant on my mother’s side, her maiden name being Benn. My Gx3 Grandparents Richard and Margaret (nee Glaister) Benn were born in Egremont. They married in 1840 in Whitehaven. Margaret, daughter of Jacob and Violet(nee Kellick) was christened in St. Bees 21 November 1808.

Richard Benn’s parents were William and Jane Benn, don’t know much more about them, but apparently were also from Egremont I’ve been told.

Richard and Margaret had a son William (my Gx2) Grandfather. circa 1841/2. They came to Australia in 1854 producing quite a few generations of descendants here. Any information on this family and any relatives I may have in Egremont greatly appreciated. I’ve been told there are still descendants there. I’ve researched the Glaisters and found a couple in census records but no solid leads yet. I’m also interested in the Kellicks but don’t know if they originated in the area or not.

Lesa Moore

lesamoore@hotmail.com

I am trying to trace members of my Grandmothers family. She was born Isabella Kirkby 1907, sister to Agnes and William (Billy) Kirkby. Her father was William Kirkby born 1877, mother Mary Eilbeck. I think he was born at Whitbeck. My father remembers visiting various members of the Kirkby family on farms in the Egremont area during the war years and remembers the names Matthew Kirkby who had a son who was a Cumberland wresler and Henry Kirkby who was an auctioneer. I am really struggling to connect to the correct Kirkbys and any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
Kathryn Gibbs

Hi,

I’m just adding some new info on my genealogy for your site, hoping it may trigger someone’s memory or that they may have same lines.

My mother’s cousin Alan Benn found this information for siblings of my Greatx3 Grandfather Richard Benn:

William b.12 January 1810, Christened 2 February 1810 both in Egremont.
Abraham b.abt 1820

Apparently there was also a sister Ann.

Also I found the marriage of my Gx4 Grandparents:

Jacob Glaister and Violet Kellick, the record had Violet as Voliet Kellot. They married 3 February 1806 in Whitehaven. These are the parents of my Gx3 Grandmother Margaret Glaister who married Richard Benn. Perhaps they spent some time in Egremont or lived there at some stage, I’m still researching.

Thank You,

Lesa Moore (lesamoore@hotmail.com)

Here is another message from Australia, this time from Jackie Horsburgh. Please contact us if you can provide Jackie, Lesa or Nancy with any information about their relatives or ancestors.

My grandmother was born in Egremont in 1879 the youngest of 10 children to Laurence McDowell and Martha Collins. Laurence was a Locomotive Engine Driver. The family is listed in the 1881 British Census. I would be most interested in any information. The family came to Australia in 1888 and lived in Albany W.A. My grandmother married in Brisbane Queensland and then came to Victoria and raised a large family.

Regards

Jackie Horsburgh

phorsbur@bigpond.net.au

I have a copy of the 1881 census where Lawrence and his wife Martha are living at Moor Roe (Moor Row) along with their 9 children and 5 lodgers. Among the lodgers is Lawrences mother-in-Law Jane Collins.

I came about this information because my married name is McDowell and I was tracing the family line. I found my husband’s grandfather – Robert McDowell living with his mother’s parents Robert and Eleanor Cannel, and next door were Lawrence and his family. Both Lawrence and Robert’s father John, were born in Ireland. I am convinced that they were related to each other – probably brothers.

I can attach the census if you think Jackie would be interested in it.

jean@jgmcd.fsnet.co.uk

Sir,

Congratulations on having a geneology site.

We think that my wife’s great grandfather was born in Egremont.

His name was William Shepherd. In the 1841 Census he was 7 and living with his Mother (?) Eleanor Shepherd who is shown as age 30, (but they rounded the ages of adults in those days) She was a ‘Flour Dealer’ and they lived on the ‘North side of the Main Street, Egremont’. William went on to become an Income Tax Officer and moved around the Country as his career progressed. He married Eliza Pearson from Lincoln, he retired to Stockport near Manchester. Which is where I met my wife!

Any relative information would be very welcome!

Reply to Alan at aandjspeakman@talktalk.net

Sir,

On your website, you are looking for people who have ancestors from Egremont. My Great Grandfather Robert Shanks was resident in Egremont from 1871 to at least 1901. His address in 1901 was 87 Woodend, in 1891 198 Woodend Farm (with both his parents still alive). In 1881 274 Main Street, His father James Shanks is down as Manager of the Iron Ore Mine. James Shanks was the brother of John Shanks who founded the sanitary ware company in Barrhead Glasgow.

The family moved down to Sussex around 1920, where my Grandmother still lives.

If anybody can provide me with more details of the family while they were in Egremont I would be grateful.

Regards

David Jones

Hello,

Several months ago I wrote to you about finding ancestors in Egremont, and you started a genealogy section. I am pleased to tell you that I had a response to my query today from a woman in Australia! She was able to share more with me about our Anderson family from Egremont. Thanks so much for helping us find more about our family.

Happiest of Holidays,

Nancy Armstrong
Lass53@aol.com

Sir,

I wonder if you can help. I am the great granddaughter of Joseph and Isabella Sewell who according to the census of 1901 lived on East Road Egremont – Joseph was a carter. They had seven children at the time. An eighth, my grandfather was born in 1907 and his name was Ponsonby! The other children were Joseph 9, William 7, Thomas 4, Mary 2 and Isabella 10 months. Isabella had two other children from a previous marriage James and Elizabeth Smith. I am looking for any relatives in the area.

Bev Purcey 

bevpurcy@hotmail.com

Hello,

Thank you for the site on Egremont. I was wondering if you might open a place for people working on genealogy connected with Egremont. My husband’s grandmother, Barbara Anderson, was born in Egremont in 1874. I know she had several siblings, and we’d love to find family still living in England. Barbara came to America and settled in Pennsylvania, and died in California in the 1960s.

My husband’s grandfather came from Cleator, My husband’s family in England has been a bit of a mystery for us. His grandfather was George Armstrong, born about 1865 in Cleator. He talked about racing bicycles on the walls of an old castle. I have to wonder if it wasn’t Egremont Castle. George Armstrong was the son of George Armstrong and Frances Edgar Armstrong. As far as I know, George and Frances had nine children: James, Joseph, George, William, Mary J., Margaret, Eleanor, Frances and Isabella. James, Joseph and George all left England sometime after the 1881 census, and went to Canada, and then came into America. William died at a fairly young age in England. What we have been hoping to find is descendants of the five sisters who remained in England. We did find family still living at Cleator Moor, but we are related to them from another generation back. It seems like someone in Cumbria would know what happened to the five Armstrong sisters. Mary J., Margaret, Frances and Eleanor are all on the 1881 census with their parents. Mary J. was ten; Margaret was eight, Frances was five, and Eleanor was two. I believe Isabella was born a few years after Eleanor. My husband’s grandfather, according to family lore, raced bicycles and tested tires for bicycles. Remember that this all happened in the 1870s and 1880s before he came to America. Our family claims that the three Armstrong sons kept in touch with their mother and sisters up until the time of World War One, and then lost track of each other.

My husband’s grandmother was Barbara Clements Anderson, born in Egremont in April of 1874. I found out that her father was William Anderson born in 1836 in Egremont, and he was a locomotive engine driver. Barbara’s mother was Barbara Clements Anderson, born in 1838 in Dishington. In 1881 I found the family living at Concreet Roe in Egremont.

1. Jessie Anderson born in 1862 and married to Kenith Wallace, born Isle of Man in 1859

2. William Anderson born 1864

3. Abraham christened August 31, 1865. In 1881 Abraham is living with a William Kitshan

on Moor Roe Farm in Egremont.

4. Bridget C. born 1869

5. James C. born 1873

6. Barbara C. born 1874

7. Thomas H. born 1877

8. Hannah born 1879

We know that some of the Anderson family did emigrate to America, but we think that some stayed in England. If anyone can help us find descendants of either the Armstrong or Anderson families, we’d be grateful!

Nancy and Dale Armstrong

111 West End Avenue

Binghamton, New York 13905

USA

E-mail: Lass53@aol.com

Nancy Armstrong

PS I’m going to scan some of the old photos we have . . . unknown people from England. Maybe you can put them on your site. I wish I knew who they were, and how they connect to our family in England.