Mathewson Belfast area

[CarolH215]

Looking for information on the parents of John (Neil?) Mathewson.  Supposedly he was born in Belfast on 12 July 1809.  Family story has it that he came to the United States as a young boy.  I am trying to find the names of his parents and maybe discover if they came with him or not.  Thank you for any help on this family.

Carol Sherman Houghton

[Christopher]

Hi Carol,

Lets go the family story route for John. This should mean he travelled to the States sometime between 1809 and 1821. Later than 1821 would put him into his teens - most lads in their teens would not like to be called a young boy as they realize they are about to become young men in the near future. Have you looked at passenger lists for this period. You will have to come forwards to go backwards - a bit like driving a car - if you are driving a car and reversing into an awkward position you do exactly the same thing. I have looked at two sites for you - http://scripts.ireland.com/ancestor/surname/index.cfm and found five families by the name of Matthewson in Ireland at the time of Griffiths Valuation (1848 to 64) A search of http://www.failteromhat.com/griffiths.php shows Matthewson families in the Shankill Parish of Belfast.

Best Wishes, Chris 

[Anthony]

Hi


                                                       

[Christopher]

Carol,

I presume you have traced the family history from the present date to John, this being the point at which you have hit a brickwall. Are there any Christian names that look like surnames that may help to move further?

Best Wishes, Chris

[CarolH215]

John evidently came from Ireland to New York which is where he met his wife Eliza Johnson, daughter of William and Jemima (Post) Johnson. They were married in Staten Island in 1833.  They had the following children:

Samuel F, Jane Eliza, John Jacob, Margaret M, George Courtland, William, Martha, Hannah J., Sylvester, Joseph T., and Adelbert T.

I have searched passenger lists and have not found his name yet.  I do not know if his parents came with him or if possibly they had died and he came on his own as a child.  Someone I have communicated with had in her records that he immigrated in 1822.  He would have been about 13 years old.  His first four children were born in New York and then he moved his wife and children to Illinois where the remaining children were born and he lived the rest of his life. 

Thank you for any help you can give me.

[Christopher]

Hi Carol,

I found a James and a William Mathewson at Templepatrick, Co. Antrim in 1861-62 when Griffiths Valuation was conducted in the area.
http://www.failteromhat.com/griffiths.php

Surname Search reveals 26 families named Mathewson in Ireland during 1848-1864 http://scripts.ireland.com/ancestor/surname/index.cfm
2   Antrim
3   Derry
1   Down
18 Tyrone
1   Wexford
1   Westmeath

[CarolH215]

 

Thank you for your help.  I am going to try to do some more searching to see if I can find any more clues to John Matthewson's parents on this end.  I have found one person that I am trying to contact that says his middle name is Neil.

Thank you again.

Carol H