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Messages - ernestjames

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1
Antrim / Re: Browne Islandmagee
« on: Wednesday 14 October 15 12:23 BST (UK)  »

Jim
I'm glad you got a match on irishmariners for Thomas and two of his sons, John and Samuel.

In my opinion its worth downloading the mercantile marine medal card for Thomas Higgins to see if it relates to your great grandfather. There may be additional useful information there.

best wishes
ernestjames

2
Antrim / Re: Browne Islandmagee
« on: Wednesday 14 October 15 09:43 BST (UK)  »

I looked at possible seaman matches for Thomas Higgins, born 1861,  using Islandmagee or Larne as his birthplace. I found the following:-

http://www.irishmariners.ie/searchdatabase.php?srch_surname=higgins&srch_forename=thomas&srch_identityno=&srch_yob=1861&submit=Search

"deceased" note appears to have been made in 1926. I checked the findmypast record.
There is a photo of this man in Southampton Archives.

There also appears to be a ww1 mercantile marine medal for the same man with a birth year of 1862 on the National Archives website which you will have to pay to download.

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_fn=thomas&_ln=higgins&_pl=larne&discoveryCustomSearch=true&_cr1=BT+351&_cr2=MT+9&_col=200&_dt=BW&_hb=tna

This looks a good match to me. What do you think? If you do download let me have the details as it may help in finding more information.

I have also located a Samuel Hagan born Larne 1900 who may be another son of Thomas

http://www.irishmariners.ie/searchdatabase.php?srch_surname=hagan&srch_forename=samuel&srch_identityno=&srch_yob=1900&submit=Search

What do you think? There is also a photo of this man in Southampton Archives.

ernestjames

3
Antrim / Re: Browne Islandmagee
« on: Tuesday 13 October 15 12:23 BST (UK)  »

It looks as if you have been checking for maritime record matches for your grandfather John Higgins/Hagan born Islandmagee  1899 and his older brother Thomas born ca 1884.

How about these possible matches for John

http://www.irishmariners.ie/searchdatabase.php?srch_surname=hagan&srch_forename=john&srch_identityno=&srch_yob=1899&submit=Search

and from the following 1915 crewlists

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14736719

I think that you need more information such as a birthplace to match Thomas Higgins with either the Tara or HMS Queen Mary. I suspect, for example, that the  Thomas Higgins on Tara was born on Anglesey. Tara was originally the railway steamer ss Hibernia which seems to have retained a significant number of  Anglesey men in the crew.

best wishes
ernestjames

4
Antrim / Re: Browne Islandmagee
« on: Monday 12 October 15 17:06 BST (UK)  »
Hi
I suggest you have a look at the 1901/1911 Census of ireland

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/search/

See if you can find any possible members of your family in County Antrim using the various surname variants.

One possible for Thomas Heggan  is

 http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Antrim/Island_Magee/Ballystrudder/188271/


What do you think?

best wishes
ernestjames

5
Armed Forces / Re: James Alexander MILNE - HMS Britannic
« on: Wednesday 12 September 12 16:19 BST (UK)  »
140,000 Royal Naval reserve records (BT377/7) covering period 1908-55, are now online on the National Archives Kew (TNA) website. I think it was done very recently with no press release.
I think following is a match
James Alexander MILNE, born Edinburgh, 1 June 1881, Number given SA310
It appears that he has added two years to his age, which was very common.
SA indicates that he was second hand on a trawler which is equivalent to a mate.
You can download a copy for about £3.50 but note that the original document was around A3 size,which TNA have then copied as a microfiche. The downloaded copy will be A4 which can make it difficult to read. The original card should be held at the Fleet Air Arm museum at Yeovilton and they can produce an A3 copy which is more expensive but much easier to read. They will also give you a price quote before you order.
I hope this helps you
best wishes
ernestjames

6
Antrim / Re: Browne Islandmagee
« on: Saturday 30 June 12 20:30 BST (UK)  »
My brother now owns the Browne house known as Bay View, Islandmagee.
We have organised an exhibition featuring  100 Islandmagee seamen photographs from identity cards from the Great War period. It will open next Saturday 7 July at 3pm and will be available for viewing by appointment after that for the rest of the summer. Come along and tell us what we've got wrong.
Surnames include Armour, Baird, Boyd, Browne, Busby, Cameron, Chism, Connolly, Dick, Donald, English, Ferguson, Ford, Gray, Hamilton, Hanvey, Hawthorne, Heddles, Heggen, Henderson, Hill, Hunter, Jackson, Kane (8 ), Kerr, Mann, McCallion, McCalmont, McIlwain, Niblock, Ross, Templeton, Wilson, Woodside and Wright.
If you want to come along please ring him, Andrew *, on * (within Northern Ireland) or contact me
ernestjames

* personal details removed in accordance with Posting Guidelines

7
Armed Forces / Re: WW1 NAVAL GRAVES
« on: Thursday 22 March 12 12:18 GMT (UK)  »
Hi
You should be able to get a copy of his Royal Naval Reserve record from the Fleet Air Arm Museum, RNAS Yeovilton, Ilchester. Google for their website and email address. They charge around £20 for a copy for an individual.
Where was Thomas Kiely born?
Hope this helps
best wishes
ernestjames

8
Antrim / Re: Browne Islandmagee
« on: Thursday 23 February 12 08:59 GMT (UK)  »
Hi Aghadowey
I thought it looked like Stewart when I looked at the original image, but I didnt report the transcription error.
ernestjames

9
Antrim / Re: Browne Islandmagee
« on: Thursday 23 February 12 06:20 GMT (UK)  »
Hi Tommy
Thanks for your email. I've been working on a searchable database of Irish merchant seamen from the 1918-21 period. I  found around 300 from the Islandmagee area which is a large number for the population at the time. Heggan is a very distinct surname which seems to be only found in Islandmagee. I found a steward?  Heggan on the 1911 census at Gransha and his father was a sailor. No sign of an Edward though.
best wishes
ernestjames   

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