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Ireland (Historical Counties) => Ireland => Fermanagh => Topic started by: Jeanette Woods on Friday 13 February 15 02:38 GMT (UK)
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I am looking for information on my great grandfather, William Nixon (also known as William Butler and then William Butler-Nixon) before I travel to Ireland from Australia soon. He was born in Enniskillen about 1850 and emigrated to Australia, marrying Susan Crisp or Cript, and then Louisa Ross. His parents were Walter Butler and Mary Eileen Jamison of Enniskillen. Any information or suggestions?
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Unfortunately registration of births in Ireland didn't start until 1864 (deaths from 1864, Catholic marriages also 1864, non-Catholic marriages from 1845).
According to an online tree Walter Butler died 1891. Not sure where the date comes from as there in no death in Ireland for a Walter Butler that matches that year (or anything close near Fermanagh) but perhaps walter didn't die in Ireland. If this isn't your tree then it looks like a relative might also be working on the family history.
http://www.geni.com/people/Walter-Butler/6000000005913016339
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Welcome to Rootschat, just a quick question, what is the basis for the parents' names Walter Butler and Mary Eileen Jamison and the Enniskillen birth location for William, is it anecdotal, or records (eg. marriage, death)? How sound is the information?
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Thanks Aghadowey for your reply. It certainly is difficult without registration records. That online tree is by my niece (on Geni) but I think her source would be the same as mine.
Gaffy, it could be anecdotal although there are some records on a researched hard copy family tree I have. William Butler-Nixon's (or Nixon or Butler) marriage certificate says he was born in Enniskillen to Walter Butler, a draper, and Mary Jamison/Eamion or Tannon (!). Willie's death certificate in Australia is dated 12/10/1921, aged 70. He was noted as 41 at son William's birth in 1900, 39 at daughter's birth in 1897 (where it says he was born in Enniskillen) and 33 on marriage to second wife Louisa in 1981 (first marriage to Susan crisp in 1871 - mystery as to whether they separated in Australia or died in Ireland as Willie stated at his second marriage! My nana was a product of the second marriage and went by Butler-Nixon.
I plan to stay in Enniskillen a few days in April just to get the feel of where I come from, but it has been interesting to read up on the story.
The other side of my family descends from the Toomaths, but we only have Fermanagh as a general area of origin.
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I can't see any sign of a marriage for a Susan Crisp/Cris* in Ireland so any records are likely to be in Australia.
I also checked deaths (1864- ) for walter Butler or Nixon, since walter is a fairly uncommon first name, but can't see any matches- perhaps he died before 1864 or left Ireland.
Toomath is possibly a variation of the surname Tumath in Ireland.
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I spent a while this morning looking at this but I'm sorry to say that I've come up with a big fat zero for the combination of someone called Walter Butler, a draper, with wife Mary (let's say surname = something... BTW, where did "Mary Eileen" come from?), who had a son William in Enniskillen around the mid 1800s. I've chased all the usual sources - Griffiths, Tithe Applotment records, PRONI wills, various Irish directories and newspapers, BMD databases, Fermanagh Gold, etc. - but to no avail. There was even a 1956 will for a Walter Frederick 'Buttler' of Stratford-on-Avon referencing Northern Ireland, but I couldn't see a connection.
For that mid 1800s era, there are a number of Walter Butlers in other Irish counties (eg. Galway, Tipperary, Kilkenny, Dublin, Mayo), some well connected (in terms of peerage), but the forename / surname combination is really not a common name beyond those specific counties, and not in Fermanagh.
There are some contemporary Butlers and Nixons in Fermanagh, but no obvious connections to a Walter.
Maybe William got his Enniskillen birthplace wrong (do the marriage record and daughter's birth record clearly say Enniskillen or qualify it with County Fermanagh?).
Maybe he got it right and parents Walter and Mary were just temporarily in Enniskillen (passing through).
However, absence of evidence isn't evidence of absence, hopefully fresh eyes will find something for you.
BTW, do you have any thoughts about the differing Butler/Nixon naming? Some of the times I've encountered this, it was someone illegitimate, I'm not saying this is the case here ...
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Many thanks to both of you - amazing effort you have put in on my behalf! Willie Butler has always been the mystery man in the tree and it looks like he will continue to be. Unfortunately I never asked my nana or my mum anything about him! The "Eileen' is on a hard copy tree for Mary, but I don't think it is documented well. The distinctive thing about Willie is that he was a Salvation Army officer here in Australia, starting a interesting heritage. Both suggestions could be right - maybe they were temporarily in Enniskillen, and maybe there was an illegitimacy. We also suspect that he may have been a bigamist because he stated that Susan Crisp had died before he married Louisa, but there is evidence that she was living in Australia. Interesting for a Salvationist! Susan Crisp has descendants here but for obvious reasons I don't know them.
Anyway, we are booked to arrive in Dublin on 14 April and will stay a few days in Galway for my husband's roots in Ballynikill (near Woodford) and then head to Enniskillen. The Lakelands look beautiful enough to believe I came from there so we will enjoy our time, I am sure. Thanks again for your work.
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Found a photo of him. Here is also a little info I found. Don't know if it helps though.
Birth abt 1850 in Enniskillen Fermanagh Ireland
Death 12 Oct 1921 in Waverly, NSW, Australia
Parents- Walter Butler – 1891 & Mary Eileen Jamison – 1882
Will keep looking
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Thanks for the info Noy1818 - I think I have it but it is good to be confirmed. I also think I have seen the photo but don't have it, so that is wonderful and we will add it to our tree. I am going to attach a photo of my cousins, also the great grandchildren of Willie, and you might agree with me that there is a strong likelihood that the males (three on left) show a strong likeness!!
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Jeannette
William B-N may have ran into some "criminal charges" and insolvency issues between 1870 and 1880. I know that he left his wife and she applied for divorce on the grounds of absconding and adultery. My view has always been that he changed his name from William John Nixon to William Butler-Nixon to avoid his past.
Kelly
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Hi Kelly, thanks for that. Are you a descendant? I have been to Enniskillen in the last few weeks and it became evident that Nixon was the local name, not Butler. The name change was certainly for a reason. Do you have any sources for your thoughts?
Regards
Jeanette
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Hi Jeannette
My husband is related through Louisa's sister Jessie Louisa Ross, Jessie is my husband's great grandmother.
I did a search for Susannah Crisp in Trove and there are a number of articles re her application for divorce in 1879. There was an advertisement attempting to locate him. I have attached both of these articles.
William married Susannah as William John Nixon, one of the articles mentions that he was in trouble with the law and had absconded 4 years earlier (about 1875). I am not 100% of his father's name, whether its Butler or Nixon, but I can only presume that he was covering his history. I haven't seen his marriage certificate to Louisa so I have no idea if he has said widowed or divorcee.
On the 16/12/1873, insolvency proceedings were heard against a baker named William John Nixon. Not sure if its William B-N.
The criminal charge relates to one of theft of a horse and buggy, the property was located and he was arrested by Police. I will add this attachment to another reply due to attachment limits.
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Police Gazette
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http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/-donegal
come down the page to green box and type in Nixon of enniskillen
Deputy keepers report
Nixon family tital deed Proni 1709-1910 ref: D1024