RootsChat.Com
Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Topic started by: lila on Saturday 20 May 06 11:34 BST (UK)
-
hi i have traced my family back to william downie born 1785 in newbiggin by the sea northumberland died 1866 north shields and dont know how to get back any further or even if i could i know a lot of the downie familys were either scottish or irish and altho its a long shot i was wondering if anyone has come across this fellow in their research he married mary ann cross born 1793 who died aged 90 in 1883 in scotland any little slither of info would be a great help thanks for looking lila
-
http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/VG/
you can look for a contact us and send them an e.mail with the stuff you have for that area and they will send you an e.mail back. i do that all the time. i had someone born in dundee so i looked for the town hall and sent them an e.mail and i get e.mails back all the time with the stuff that i want. there are downie in renfrew in scotland i went to school with some
-
william what exactly am i looking for on this link? lila
-
Hi Lila :)
Welcome to Rootschat!
What information do you have about William's birth? I.e. the date, and who his parents were? And where did you get the info?
That will give us some clues of where to start looking. I've found a William DOWNEY christened 10 Oct 1785 in Belford, Northumberland - father Peter DOWNEY. Is that him?
Prue
-
hi prue most of my info has come from my cousin who has been doing this for quite a while and now i am hooked to she sent me copies of death birth certs etc i have williams death cert and now and found his grave stone in north shields which said he was a shipowner .my cousin wrote to me and said she is looking at holy island because she thought williams father was called john and could have been born on the island but has not found proof yet however i believe belford is near holy island so it could be him i just feel it in my bones that we originate from scotland as that is where most the downies are from and i know that i have with my cousins help got quite far back in our line trouble is i just want more i think i must be very nosy!!!!!!!! thanks for helpingme tho and for your time lila
-
Do you know whether William was married, and do you have his marriage cert? That will have his father's name on it.
Prue
-
hi got no cert and i dont know how she foundthis out but married mary ann cross daughter of alexander cross newcastle upon tyne mary born 1793 dies 1883 aged 90 they had 9 children among them another william born 1816 this one being my gggg grandfather lila
-
prue i cant grumble really i have done quite well and only been looking 6 months and found loads of info but its just so addictive and cant stop looking for them wonder if its just me lila
-
oh prue forgot to tell you family legend has it that we are related to coats cotton from scotland dont know if thats true tho have 2 peter coats downies as great grandfather and gg grandfather
-
Hi Lila :)
No it's not just you, why do you think we are all lurking on Rootschat, we can't stop either ;D ;D ;D
So William married prior to civil registration, so the way to find him is through parish registers...have you discovered the IGI yet? It's here at http://www.rootschat.com/links/0bq/
I found the William christened in 1785 in Belford on the IGI. Out of interest, there is a marriage listed on the IGI for a William DOWNAY to Elizabeth LUCKLAY on Holy Island, in 1722 - interesting considering the family story about a connection there...you have a bit of a way to go before you can claim that couple, though! ;)
If I were you, I would get back to your cousin and obtain all the information they have, including the sources they used to get the info. Then you will know what has already been searched, and where you can have a look next.
Prue
-
Whoops, nearly forgot: the other place you need to look, if you haven't already, is GENUKI:
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0hb/
(That's the page for Northumberland).
Prue
-
thanks for your help lila
-
You're welcome - let us know if you get stuck or you need more help! :)
Prue
-
:)Hi I am a distant relative of William Downey/Downie, What sort of info are you looking for? :)
-
hi i have traced my family back to william downie born 1785 in newbiggin by the sea northumberland died 1866 north shields and dont know how to get back any further or even if i could i know a lot of the downie familys were either scottish or irish and altho its a long shot i was wondering if anyone has come across this fellow in their research he married mary ann cross born 1793 who died aged 90 in 1883 in scotland any little slither of info would be a great help thanks for looking lila
Hi, Lila.
You are almost certainly descended from John Downie, born 1750 Glenisla, Angus, Scotland:
Glenisla OPR 290-1
1750 February 25 John Son to John Downie in Dalvainy
Family Bible of Downies of Newbiggin, Northumberland
John Downie the Elder was born in Dalmeney in the parish of Glenshe in the Shire of Angus April 15th 1750
I was sent a copy of the flyleaf of the family bible a few years ago by another descendant who unfortunately is now deceased and much of his information has perished with him. I believe it was transcribed from an earlier bible in about 1900 and that the transcriber has misread Glenisla, though in fact Dalvanie is it is spelled today is not very far from Glenshee.
John Downie married Mary Lisle on 21 February 1774 at Bedlington, Northumberland. From the family bible and online records I have been able to piece together quite a number of their descendants, including William, who was a Ship Chandler and Shipowner in Tynemouth.
If you and cyrox0748 would like to contact me by personal message, I would love to share what I have with you. I'm a real Scottish Downie but probably not related. I have another Downie friend whose ancestors came from Glenisla, but we can't link your line with hers (yet?).
Ian Downie, Aberdeen
-
:)Hi Ian this is a very welcome reply indeed, this has caused me a great deal of thought for about two years,Downie was my grandmothers maiden name, My link ended at Downie/Mary lisle, I have just joined Roots so Iam unsure how to send a PM, Iwould be very interested in any info you are able to share, the shipping info is of particular interest. I know the Downie side was a shipping family I think for at least a generation. Look forward to your reply.
Many thanks
cyrox
-
To send a personal message to anyone on RootsChat, the simplest way is to click on the member name in a message. That will take you to the member's profile page where there is a link to send a PM.
There are two other ways - see Help/Send a Personal Message (PM).
I've sent you a PM with my email address so we can pass information in a way which is easier to track - anyone else who is interested, please PM me for my email address.
As you are interested in the shipping connection, you may like to know about this death notice, if you have not already seen it:
The Brisbane Courier Friday 24 January 1890 page 4
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3509282
DEATHS.
DOWNIE.- On the 23rd January, at High-street, Toowong, suddenly, of heart disease. James Downie, tailor and shipowner, late of Newbiggln by the Sea, Northumberland, England, aged 71 years, [Home papers please copy.]
The descendants of John Downie and Mary Lisle seem to have mostly been tailors in Newbiggin and nearby towns but to have then branched out into owning ships. I'm reasonably confident (without having found his birth) that this James was the son of John and Mary's son George Downie and his wife Maria, and that he married Sarah Isabella Robson on 28 May 1864 at St Paul, Elswick. George has a similar occupation to James in the 1861 Census but in the two earlier ones his occupation is Tailor (all in Newbiggin).
I have nothing at all after the 1881 Census, when the James who was the husband of Sarah Isabella Robson was listed as a Clothier Tailor. It may be possibly to obtain his death certificate from Queensland - Australian certificates I have seen have shown parents' names like those from Scotland (plus even more information) but these were from other states.
Ian