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Messages - gendeam

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1
Ireland / Re: Pilkington, Riverville, Co. Galway
« on: Thursday 23 January 14 01:58 GMT (UK)  »
Thank you for your post.  I appreciate your interest.  I do not have the details of Reverend Michael Dillon Pilkington's burial, and it would be great if you could give me this information.  I have the details of the burial/headstone of his daughter Sarah  -  Sarah Dunbar Pilkington, daughter of the Reverend Michael Dillon Pilkington, late of Riverville, Co. Galway, and the loved and loving niece of George Dunbar of Woburn, county of Down, born Sept 21st 1825, died Oct 16th 1874.   But no burials for the rest of the family.

2
Ireland / Re: Pilkington, Riverville, Co. Galway
« on: Tuesday 14 January 14 02:27 GMT (UK)  »
Dear Carolyn
Thank you so much for the extra information on Reverend Michael Pilkington and his family.  I appreciate your interest.  You are the first person that I have come across who is actually related to this family! The family tree that you hold sounds quite fascinating.

I am not related to this family, but I am interested in the local history of Gundagai, NSW, Australia, and I have been fascinated for a long time with the intriguing mystery of the disappearance of George Dunbar Dillon Pilkington (son of Rev. Michael) and then the murder of his wife, Marion/Mary Ann Pilkington (nee Dugdale) at Gundagai.    A while ago I thought I would give it a go, to try and find out something about George's background.

George Dunbar Dillon Pilkington married Marian Dugdale at St Dunston in the West Church, London on 28 June, 1853.  Reverend Michael and his wife Anna had two children that I know of:-  1) Sarah Dunbar Pilkington, born 1825 and 2) George, born 1827.  Do you know if they had any other children?  Sarah died in 1874, and I found a reference to her headstone by Googling "Dunbar Pilkington".  If you go to the National Library of Australia website - www.anl.gov.au - you will find the Trove digitised newspapers which is free to search and find articles (like the British newspaper site, but the British site you have to pay, and Trove is entirely free).  If you search for "Pilkington" + "Gundagai", or "George Dunbar Dillon Pilkington", you will find many sensational articles in newspapers all over Australia about the mystery of George's disappearance and Marion's murder.  I think any murder or mystery such as this seemed to be picked up by newspapers everywhere, as the hot topic of the day.

Marion's father was William John Dugdale (as stated on the marriage certificate in 1853) but I know nothing else of this Dugdale family.  they were married in London, but there is nothing to say that is where Marion was born.  I thought I would have more luck tracing the Dugdales, as I thought that it was an uncommon surname, but I have not found out anything about Marion's family.

Thank you again, Caroline, and please check out the "Trove" newspapers.  As this is your family, I am sure that you will find all these various news items very interesting.
kind regards, Gendeam.

3
Ireland / Re: Pilkington, Riverville, Co. Galway
« on: Tuesday 19 November 13 05:14 GMT (UK)  »
Dear sakdolan
Thank you so much for all your interest in the Pilkington family. I was so thrilled to read your post!  I read and re-read your information a few times today, trying to take it all in.  I presume "EC" is Established Church (equivilant to the Church of England).  It seems from what you say, that part of Ireland was mainly Catholic?  You are talking about a website where you quote the Freeman Journal newspaper, but you don't give the name of the website.  Would it be the British Newspaper Site?  What is Ireland XO?  I have never used Facebook and am a bit reluctant to do so,  it seems to break all the rules of privacy, from what I have read.  Below I have a newspaper article about George Pilkington and his wife Marion (nee Dugdale).  This is from the National Library of Australia, which has the "Trove" digitised Australian newspapers online - www.nla.gov.au  -  The disappearance then murder of the Pilkingtons, seems to have been regarded as very sensational and first of all, an account was printed in the Gundagai newspaper - The Gundagai Times - then reprinted in various newspapers in other parts of Australia, in NSW, Victoria, Queensland etc.   The "Trove" newspapers are free, unlike the British newspaper website. If you do a search for say "Plkington + Gundagai" , also "Marion Pilkington" "George Dunbar Dillon Pilkington" etc. etc. you will pick up numerous news articles.   This article below is particularly flowery and extravagent, but it makes entertaining reading!  "Spring Creek" is really Spring Flat, and was a goldfield from the 1860s on the outskirts of Gundagai.
Warwick Argus and Tenterfield Chronicle, (Queensland) 31 August, 1876 - MYSTERY AND MURDER. -  THE Gundagai correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald says:-" Almost every old country town has some mysterious tale of woe or horror attached to it, and Gundagai is not an exception. Born years ago, an officer in one of the crack regiments in England had to sell out of the army because of a misalliance, he having become enamoured of a fair and a frail enchantress. - The officer's family was very aristocratic, and, to prevent a scandal, the newly married couple took ship and came to Australia.  The husband was a tall handsome man and it could be perceived at a glance that he was every inch a gentleman and a soldier, and the wife was exceedingly pretty.  They settled about one mile out of Gundagai, near Spring Creek, and in course of time became possessed of land, horses, cattle and money. Probably recollection of old times caused Mr. Pilkington to imbibe rather freely, but never in his fits of intemperance, did he lose the deportment of a gentleman.  One night, about four years since Mr Pilkington was in the township of Gundagai; it was a dark rainy night, and as he had been drinking very freely, some friends advised him not to go home, but he persisted, mounted his horse, and on his way called at an hotel and procured a bottle of brandy.  From that night up to the present time Mr. Pilkington has never been heard of.  His horse, with saddle and bridle, was discovered the following morning, and the bottle of brandy, which was identified afterwards, was found near the burial ground fence on the road to Mr. Pilkington's house. It is not known whether Mr. Pilkington was drowned in attempting to cross the creek, or whether lie was murdered, and the body thrown down one of the many abandoned shafts upon the Springfield diggings, through which he had to pass, on his way home. Such was the first act of this  dark tragedy ; and now comes the second and |equally mysterious affair. Mrs. Pilkington  took out letters of administration, but the bank refused to hand over the husband's deposits, simply because there was no certainty of Mr. Pilkington's death. A few days after the supposed death of Mr. Pilkington, the wife formed an illicit connexion with another man, and thus matters went on for three years, with no tidings of the missing husband.  Meanwhile everything had been disposed of by Mrs. Pilkington.  About a month since this woman informed her neighbors that the was going to the Palmer with some friends, but the evening before she intended to start, she was found murdered in a ditch on the highway with her skull battered in, and for his crime a man is now awaiting his trial in Wagga Wagga gaol. This woman's body was discovered almost a few yards of where it is suspected her husband was murdered four years previously. This ends another chapter of a tragedy shrouded in mystery that possibly will never be unraveled.

4
London & Middlesex Completed Lookup Requests / Re: Looking for a Will, died Brixton, London in 1891
« on: Sunday 20 January 13 04:17 GMT (UK)  »
Dear Valda
Thank you so much for searching for a Will for George.  I appreciate very much your interest.
At least I know now that he did not leave a Will.  Thanks again.

5
Sussex / Re: Need Info on locating a Will, died 1909 Kirdford, Sussex
« on: Sunday 20 January 13 04:08 GMT (UK)  »
Dear Rosie and Andy
Thank you for replying to my post re:  Sidney/Sydney James Butcher.  I should have mentioned that some records that I have found  say "Sidney" and some say "Sydney".  At least now I know that he did not leave a Will.  I have found him in all the English censuses.  In the 1881 census he was known as "James Butcher", living at Colney Hatch Lane, Hornsey, London, with 8 of his children (the eldest 2 were living away from home in 1881).  His first wife, Mary nee Boulton, had died only a few weeks before the 1881 census.  Sidney married again (to Sarah Ann "Annie" nee Gregory) in 1882 and had 3 more children with his second wife.  He and his family seemed to have a different address every census! (in various London suburbs).  His occupations included coal merchant, architect, accountant and builder-surveyor!  He apparently went broke, and a distant cousin has a story that he was diddled by a business partner (I found a notice of bankruptcy on the British newspaper website). Maybe he did not leave a Will because he had no assets to bequeth?  He then retired to Kirdfird where he became an artist in watercolour! (as per his death certificate and the 1911 census).  I have his death certificate and he died on 28 January, 1909, aged 70 years.  His obituary in the West Sussex Gazette said that he was a Parish Councillor and a Parliamentary Agent for the Liberal Party.   Most of his family then moved to Tunbridge Wells. I found his wife Annie boarding with a family in Tunbridge Wells in the 1911 census.  I have found Annie's death on the deceasedonline website, but have not yet got her death certificate.  Thank you so much for all your help.

6
London & Middlesex Completed Lookup Requests / Looking for a Will, died Brixton, London in 1891
« on: Thursday 17 January 13 22:24 GMT (UK)  »
Could a kind person tell me how I can locate a copy of Will for George Butcher, died 27 April, 1891, living at 12 Crowhurst Street, Brixton, London, aged 80 years.  I have a great deal of info on Georg but would now like to find if he left a Will and how I can get a copy of it.  Thanks in anticipation.

7
Sussex / Need Info on locating a Will, died 1909 Kirdford, Sussex
« on: Thursday 17 January 13 22:18 GMT (UK)  »
Could a kind person tell me how I can locate a copy of Will for Sidney James Butcher, died 28 January, 1909 at Kirdford (near Petworth) Sussex.  Sidney was an artist in watercolour and lived at Killips Cottage, Kirdford.  I have a great deal of info on Sidney but would now like to find if he left a Will and how I can get a copy of it.  Thanks in anticipation.

8
Ireland / Re: Pilkington, Riverville, Co. Galway
« on: Friday 26 October 12 09:08 BST (UK)  »
Thank you for replying to my post.  I appreciate your help.
kind regards

9
Ireland / Pilkington, Riverville, Co. Galway
« on: Wednesday 24 October 12 07:20 BST (UK)  »
I need help to find details on a Reverend Michael Dillon Pilkington who was living in Riverville, Co. Galway, Ireland, approximately 1820.  Reverend Michael’s wife was Anna Alexandra Orr.  Anna was the daughter of Sarah Dunbar and Alexander Orr of Landmore, Co. Londonderry, Ireland. Sarah Dunbar was the daughter of John Dunbar and Wilfrida Gilmore.  I have found a headstone inscription for Sarah Dunbar Pilkington, daughter of the Reverend Michael Dillon Pilkington, late of Riverville, Co. Galway, and the loved and loving niece of George Dunbar of Woburn, county of Down, born Sept 21st 1825, died Oct 16th 1874. Sarah’s uncle, George Dunbar Dunbar, (A barrister and Member of Parliament for Belfast, 1835-41) was born in 1800, the son of Alexander Orr and Sarah Dunbar. George changed his name from Orr to Dunbar so he could inherit the estates of an uncle, John Gilmore Dunbar. 

The person I am really interested in is the son of Reverend Michael and Anna.  He was George Dunbar Dillon Pilkington (date of birth unknown) who married Marian Dugdale at St Dunston in the West Church, London on 28 June, 1853.  The marriage certificate shows that Marion was the daughter of William John Dugdale.  George’s father was shown as Michael Dillon Pilkington.   I would like to know who the Reverend Michael’s parents were, and any details at all on his family.  I would also like to know who William John Dugdale was.  I know nothing of the Dugdale family.

I found the following (which I think could be Reverend Michaels family, but am not sure) at www.familysearch.org (noted that records submitted by a member of the LDS church)  - 1) Birth of Sarah Pilkington about 1817 at Urney, Offely, Ireland. Parents:  Michael Pilkington and Anna Orr.  2) Birth of Michael Pilkington, about 1790 at Uney, Offely, Ireland. father: Henry Pilkington.  3) birth of Henry Pilkington about 1766 at Urney, Offely, Ireland. Parents: Thomas Pilkington and Bridget Harper.

George Dunbar Dillon Pilkington came to Australia and was living in southern NSW. He was formerly an officer in the British Army (37th Regiment of Foot).  In 1872 he mysteriously disappeared then his wife Marion was murdered in 1876!  I am not related to George but am interested in the local history of the area where he was living when he disappeared.  I am very intrigued by this murder mystery!  Any help to find more info, (or any relatives) on this Dugdale-Pilkington-Dunbar family would be most appreciated.

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