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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Northumberland => England => Northumberland Lookup Requests => Topic started by: gailio on Monday 22 June 09 21:18 BST (UK)

Title: margaret algar + edmund howard mcconnell
Post by: gailio on Monday 22 June 09 21:18 BST (UK)
Could anyone help me research the following people - margaret algar + edmund howard mcconnell. they are my great grand parents.
margaret algar is from the Ashington area. EH McConnell was born in n ireland and returned there after his marriage. in 1911 census he was sited as living in morpeth. i think they would have been married around 1900 - 1910. could anyone help me!!
thank you so much
Gail
Title: Re: margaret algar + edmund howard mcconnell
Post by: CaroleW on Monday 22 June 09 21:21 BST (UK)
Hi

Margaret and Edmund married in the December qtr 1907 ref Morpeth Volume 10B Page 710
Title: Re: margaret algar + edmund howard mcconnell
Post by: CaroleW on Monday 22 June 09 21:25 BST (UK)
This is probably her in 1901 - all children b Ashington

Joseph Algar 35  b Hatfield Essex - Banksman above ground
Catherine 31  b Berwick on Tweed
Margaret J   12 
Emma 9 
Alice Mary   6 
Rose Maud 4 
Henry Joseph 1 
RG13 Piece 4835 Folio 87 Page 53.

How old is Edmund in 1911 and does it give any county in Ireland as his birthplace
Title: Re: margaret algar + edmund howard mcconnell
Post by: gailio on Monday 22 June 09 21:28 BST (UK)
Gosh that was so quick! Thank you so much, you dont know how much this means to me! Very hard searching from across the pond.
GAil ;D
Title: Re: margaret algar + edmund howard mcconnell
Post by: c-side on Monday 22 June 09 21:29 BST (UK)
There's also a birth on freebmd which could be Margaret

Margaret Jane Algar Mar 1889 Morpeth 10b 342

There are a couple of others but too young to be married in 1907

Christine
Title: Re: margaret algar + edmund howard mcconnell
Post by: CaroleW on Monday 22 June 09 21:30 BST (UK)
Hi

I had just added this bit to my reply above so you probably haven't seen it

Quote
How old is Edmund in 1911 and does it give any county in Ireland as his birthplace


I'll check the 1901 for Edmund
Title: Re: margaret algar + edmund howard mcconnell
Post by: gailio on Monday 22 June 09 21:33 BST (UK)
carole my ggrandfather would have been 24/25 in 1911 - it is a long story he was an abandoned child born approx 1886/87 - have found a registry of his birth in n ireland (lurgan) - just have to apply for a birth cert now - to see if there are any details of his parent or wether he is listed as illegitimate. so exciting!
Title: Re: margaret algar + edmund howard mcconnell
Post by: gailio on Monday 22 June 09 21:34 BST (UK)
christine - thank you so much for researching this for me - that sounds very like my great grandmother. do you have any further details?
Cheers Gail ;D
Title: Re: margaret algar + edmund howard mcconnell
Post by: CaroleW on Monday 22 June 09 21:36 BST (UK)
Hi

Why not post a request for a 1901 Irish census lookup on the Armagh board of Rootschat - you may get lucky

He wasn't in England in 1901

Re: the birth ref posted by Christine - it is the same Margaret I have shown on 1901 census
Title: Re: margaret algar + edmund howard mcconnell
Post by: CaroleW on Monday 22 June 09 21:38 BST (UK)
This is the marriage reference for Margaret's parents

Marriages September qtr 1888 
 
Joseph ALGAR       Morpeth  10b 463   
Catherine Robertson      Morpeth  10b 463
Title: Re: margaret algar + edmund howard mcconnell
Post by: gailio on Monday 22 June 09 22:11 BST (UK)
was just talking to my dad he remembers hearing of great uncles called alfie algar david algar and a girl called lily algar - any word of them in a census or birth records. thanks again guys!!
Title: Re: margaret algar + edmund howard mcconnell
Post by: CaroleW on Monday 22 June 09 22:20 BST (UK)
I suspect David may be Margarets brother as the 1911 free index shows a David Robertson Algar b 1905 living in Morpeth and mum Catherine's maiden name was Robertson

There is also a Lilian Algar b 1908 in Morpeth and a Janey b 1907 plus Margaret 1901!!

The 1911 is on a strictly pay per view basis so you would need to buy credits to see who their parents were

No Alfred in Morpeth in 1911 but this could be why

Births September qtr 1912 
 
Alfred ALGAR mothers maiden name  Robertson  Morpeth  10b 928

http://www.1911census.co.uk/search/tnaform.aspx?4
Title: Re: margaret algar + edmund howard mcconnell
Post by: c-side on Monday 22 June 09 22:47 BST (UK)
Just a thought on all these references to Morpeth, Gail, as you're not from the area.  Morpeth was registration district for quite a wide area so these people may not have been living in that town for all/any of the events.

The Northumberland section of Genuki is particularly good and gives links to, among other things, which places were covered by registration districts.

http://www.genuki.bpears.org.uk/NBL/

Christine
Title: Re: margaret algar + edmund howard mcconnell
Post by: CaroleW on Monday 22 June 09 22:56 BST (UK)
Hi

This is a follow on to your post on the Irish board but which relates to English births.  As you will see - Henry J was b 1911 not 1907

Births June qtr 1908 
 
James Edmund  McConnell  Morpeth  10b 514

Births December qtr 1911 
 
Henry J McConnell mothers maiden name  Algar  Morpeth  10b 866
Title: Re: margaret algar + edmund howard mcconnell
Post by: Michael Dixon on Monday 22 June 09 23:45 BST (UK)


 Following on from Christine's note that Morpeth was the name of a Registration District with main office in Morpeth town and sub-district offices in Bedlington and relatively young Ashington.

 On 1911 census there are 16 Algar folk "within" the Census District of Morpeth, but all 16 of then were living in Ashington, as were the McConnell family.

The Surname Profiler site shows the surname Algar to have been centred in East Anglia ( around Ipswich) and a bit in Cornwall/Devon

The site   communities.northumberland.gov.uk    enter the "Ashington" section, choose Ordnance Maps.... see the fledgling Ashington growing through the years... See Eleventh and Tenth Rows on the maps... use 25" versions.


 When I was a kid, Ashington was proud of been regarded as the largest mining village in the world.

Bad News bit.

Death at Ashington Colliery
31 Oct 1912 Henry Joseph Algar, screenboy, aged 13.
He worked on the surface screening ( grading) coal. The screens were like conveyor belts raised above the ground, through which the coal progressed. Henry fell off to the ground.
(Source www.dmm.org.uk)

Michael Dixon
Title: Re: margaret algar + edmund howard mcconnell
Post by: CaroleW on Monday 22 June 09 23:51 BST (UK)
Hi Michael

It's info like the above that puts "meat" on the bones of family history and makes it more interesting than just names on a census return
Title: Re: margaret algar + edmund howard mcconnell
Post by: Michael Dixon on Monday 22 June 09 23:57 BST (UK)
 Thank you Carole. I do it partly cos I hope some day i will receive info that might provide me with the thousand unanswered questions I have about my lot ( and partly cos I like it ! )

MD
Title: Re: margaret algar + edmund howard mcconnell
Post by: gailio on Tuesday 23 June 09 00:30 BST (UK)
Thanks Micheal - so sad young boy working down the pits and lost his life - my family tree is defineately getting meat on it's bones
Gail
Title: Re: margaret algar + edmund howard mcconnell
Post by: Michael Dixon on Tuesday 23 June 09 00:49 BST (UK)


 Gail,

 Although in an earlier era he would have worked below ground, but he met his death on the surface, in the pit yard or pithead. His father in 1901 also worked on the surface - a Banksman ( on "Bank" meant the surface)

 Michael Dixon
Title: Re: margaret algar + edmund howard mcconnell
Post by: gailio on Tuesday 23 June 09 00:59 BST (UK)
very interesting - had to google banksman earlier to find out what it meant! henry's father orginally came from essex his father had been an agricultural labourer, so i wonder how he came to be so many miles from there in Ashington. his father in law was also a coalminer by the name of Robertson who lived in and around tweedmouth, so that was 3 generations of coaminers! As my partner said  i am a coalminers great great grandaughter! Will have to research what the conditions were like. The maps of Ashington are fantastic i would not like to have lived in row 10 or 11
Title: Re: margaret algar + edmund howard mcconnell
Post by: CaroleW on Tuesday 23 June 09 01:02 BST (UK)
Just for info and to save any duplication of efforts - I have exchanged pm's with Gail and given her 1871 info on Joseph Algar and 1861/1871 on Catherine Robertson
Title: Re: margaret algar + edmund howard mcconnell
Post by: winston on Tuesday 23 June 09 07:14 BST (UK)
Hi

Just to say there is a WW1 Pension record for your man E H Mcconnell.  If you dont have access to A******y then I could send them on to you if you send me a Personal Message and within it include your email addy

Wendy
Title: Re: margaret algar + edmund howard mcconnell
Post by: Michael Dixon on Tuesday 23 June 09 08:11 BST (UK)


 Adding to what Wendy found on his WW1 record, his WW1 Medal Record card is registered under the name of Howard Edmund McConnell.

From Wendy's pension papers, I notice he reached the rank of WO11
( Warrant Officer class 2) a Sergeant Major.

MD
Title: Re: margaret algar + edmund howard mcconnell
Post by: gailio on Tuesday 23 June 09 10:15 BST (UK)
Thanks Wendy and Michael - all these new facts to take in, Keeping my brain active if anything!
Gail
Title: Re: margaret algar + edmund howard mcconnell
Post by: Michael Dixon on Tuesday 23 June 09 11:35 BST (UK)


 Gail,

Also consider the fact that although all those deep dark holes in the ground were dangerous, they provided employment, attracting folk from all over
( Irish famines, harvest failures in East Anglia etc...) Browsing censuses in Northumberland and County Durham will show all the in-comers.

Trivia Angle on Ashington
A silly doggerel of yesteryear went something like this...

 "We're going to Ashington tomorrow"      Response  " Hurrah"
" But there are no buses"                                "               " Boo"
"so we'll go by train"         H
" But there is only one pub in Ashington"    B
" But there are 29 drinking clubs"                H
" But there are no barmen                            B
" Only buxom barmaids"                                H
"But they don't serve beer in pints"                          B
" They serve it in buckets  "                               H

and so on.

The "one pub" story or fact was supposedly connected to the local "Lord of the Manor" , the Duke of Portland, refusing to grant alcohol licenses, to protect his own ventures ( The first page on Ashington in the Northumberland Communities site alludes to this)

MD
Title: Re: margaret algar + edmund howard mcconnell
Post by: gailio on Wednesday 24 June 09 19:02 BST (UK)
Great information Wendy  - Thanks again- have read through everything cropped and enlarged!! the only thing i want to query, if anyone can help, is that my ggrandfather was hospitalised in ?? woodhall spa - does anyone have any info on it and is it in lincolnshire?
gail
Title: Re: margaret algar + edmund howard mcconnell
Post by: KennyJ on Monday 07 September 09 00:37 BST (UK)
Gail,

I came across your enquiry by accident today and thought you might like a little more information on how your Algar ancestors came to be in Ashington. One of your other contacts mentioned that poor harvests caused Essex agricultural labourers to migrate to other places where they could get work. That is certainly the case. Migration of this sort had been going on in Essex from the 1830's. Changes in the Poor Law encouraged parishes and others to promote the migration of surplus labourers rather than bear the cost of providing for them in the workhouses. By the 1870's migration was a popular movement. The newly formed National Agricultural Labourers Union and non-conformist preachers, both increasingly influential in Essex, supported it. A 'lock-out' in 1874, when farmers refused to employ labourers demanding a pay increase, caused distress and discontent to spread and led to a surge of outward migration from the mid 1870's onwards. I think your ancestor was caught up in this movement, as was one of mine.

Your Algar ancestor family lived in Hatfield Peverel, as did one of mine - the Everett's (or Everet). The Everett's moved to Bothal Demesne (Ashington) sometime between late 1874 and early 1875. The 1881 Census for Bothal shows several families, including Algar and Everett, that had migrated from Essex.

The research I've done so far suggests that a small group of four or five families moved together from Hatfield to Bothal. My guess is that they travelled as a group on a coal boat that was returning to the north-east after unloading at Heybridge Basin near Maldon. Coal companies had agents who would tour the East Anglian villages recruiting workers. Living conditions in East Anglia were dire and the offer of plentiful work and a house to go with the job, plus free passage to the coalfield must have been pretty persuasive at the time.

The Foxearth & District Local History Society (www.foxearth.org.uk) has published a couple good of articles that cover this subject. They are 'The Song of the Emigrant Ship' and 'The Charismatic Charles Jay' and they can be read or downloaded from the website.

Hope this helps.

kennyJ
Title: Re: margaret algar + edmund howard mcconnell
Post by: gailio on Monday 07 September 09 14:23 BST (UK)
Hi  KennyJ - that was so interesting to read - i had an idea that they would have moved because of hardship/lack of work. Fellow rootschats members have been so helpful, and indeed uncovered the fact that one of my ancestors had been killed at the age of 13 working in the mine in Ashington. I will look up the site u mentioned to give me more insight. Thanks so much
Gail