Wilkins (Wilkinson); Jeffers (Jeffares); Matier; Rice, Edwards

[HistoryTeam]

For some years I have been trying to reconcile some seemingly irreconcilable family data and would value some help.
Henry, Edgar, Knox, Wilkins, my Grandfather, was born 1882 Dungannon. His father was Henry, Edgar, Knox Wilkins was a Seaman and his mother was Sarah Jane Jeffers from Carlow. Despite extensive research I have been unable to discover a marriage between Henry & Sarah. Henry senior is absent from the 1901 & 1911 Census where Sarah describes herself as a Widow and uses the surname ‘Wilkinson’ (1901) and Wilkins (1911). In records Henry senior’s occupation is variously described as ‘a Seaman’; ‘an Army Colour Sgt; & a Staff Sgt Militia. A primary address for Sarah was 8 Palmerston Road, Belfast.
In Dundonald Cemetery, Belfast there is a family grave for Sarah above d1926, Violet Edith Edwards d1920, her mother Violet Sadie Edwards d1920 (nee Rice – father a Sea Captain) and Annie Wilkins d1916 (nee Matier) my Grandfather’s wife who, along with her family were associated with the Salvation Army, Dee Street, Belfast. A primary address for Wesley Edwards (m1906) and family was 2 Moorgate Street, Belfast.
Family tradition and some memorabilia inform me that the Wilkins & Rice families were related in some way – but how? I have discovered a Sarah Jane Jeffers married to a Thomas Rice 1871 in St Paul’s C of I, Dublin North but haven’t proved a connection with my family. Possibly this was a first marriage for Sarah Jane Jeffers?

[aghadowey]

Not sure why you've put commas in Henry, Edgar, Knox, Wilkins but you've already a few topics for this family 

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=252815.msg1402103#msg1402103
   "My wife's grandfather Henry Edgar Knox Wilkins..."
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=219662.msg1147525#msg1147525
   "my great grandmother Sarah Jane Jeffers ... married Henry Wilkins..."
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=152885.msg705689#msg705689
   "my Gt. Grandfather (Henry Wilkins married to Sarah, Jane Wilkins {nee Jeffers}..."
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=152900.msg705772#msg705772
   "... 2nd Daughter Annie (my grandmother) born Aug1888 died Feb 1916 married to Henry, Edgar, Knox, Wilkins. ..."

It helps to post links to the information you've already found to save us from having to search for the same information.

If Sarah Jane Jeffers marriage to Henry Wilkins was indeed her 2nd the marriage certificate should list her as widowed or divorced.

[dathai]

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01irx/

on the birth of Thomas Stewart Rice 1878 it states father deceased
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1878/02979/2091523.pdf

[BallyaltikilliganG]

difficult to follow so heres three pointers
1. from www.ancestryireland.com
RICE   VIOLET SADIE   1906   father THOMAS   Antrim
your Dublin marriage gave Thomas, so do we have Capt Thomas Rice to follow up?
he is not listed in http://www.irishmariners.ie/searchdatabase.php?
on ancestry. co.uk   All UK and Ireland, Masters and Mates Certificates, 1850-1927 there are four results for Thomas Rice, you need to be a member to look them up
2.  from http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/community/burialrecords/burialrecords.aspx
Henry Edgar Knox Wilkins b 1882 Dungannon.Co Tyrone C of I ,d buried Dundonald Cemetery 21 june 1949 last residence 6 Lisavon Parade Belfast before hospital his burial plot includes   
Thomas   Wilkins b ~1913....
Catherine Patton   Wilkins b 1914...
3. Henry Edgar Knox Wilkins b~ 1866 his army history and his travels and missing census need clarity the records might be among Findmypast British Army Service Records.  Did you end up with his time calendar

good luck onwards

[BallyaltikilliganG]

I left out that Thomas Wilkins b1913 burial gives his last residence as Lisavon Parade, because I didn’t wish to bring my offering to close to modern times, Its time you looked closely at all the connections living there.  (I picked up somewhere a Thomas Wilkins played for Belfast celtic in the 1930s

Today I have spotted you opening the same query on Rootsweb and maryoakes giving you details of 1912 marriage at Belmont Presbyterian church in where there maybe more records.  Her transcription says Henry Edgar Junior was a seaman. He should be in the irish mariners website

good luck onwards

[aghadowey]

There are lots of pieces in this puzzle missing/incorrect so it's not easy to make sense of the information that we have so far.

WILKINS
Missing marriage (to Sarah Jane presumably before 1882) & death for Henry Edgar Knox Wilkins

RICE
Death for Thomas Rice c1878- millwright & engineer
   Is this his death? Thomas Rice (age 28) died 27 June 1877 – 1 James St. https://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/details/ff05330351210
Birth Violet Sarah Rice c1881 Belfast
Violet Sarah Rice in 1901 census
Death for a Richard Rice, lunatic asylum superintendent
   Is this his death? Richard Rice (79) 1890 Dublin South https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/details-civil/35d82517667932

JEFFERS
Death for William Jeffers travelling agent
   Is this his death? William Jeffers (age 53) 1 Synott Place d.12 May 1877 https://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/details/bcac2a0351169

So, History Team, do you have any of the above details already?

I have found other bits that tie into the family but no point in posting until I know what you might already know

[HistoryTeam]

Thank you all for your interest and help.

As requested I’ve tried to briefly list some of the details I can be confident of.

I believe I have identified two main areas I need to resolve in my research:
1. Was there actually a marriage between HEK Wilkins (Sen) and SJ Jeffers? When? Where?
2. What is the Wilkins/Rice connection? Family tradition indicates there was a connection.

The only HEK Wilkins (Sen) details are from HEK Wilkins (Jun) birth record as in last post.

1901 Census - 27 Constance Street, Belfast – Sarah Jane Wilkinson (Widow, 50) (Co Carlow) & son Henry Edgar Wilkinson (Dungannon, 19).
1906 - According to her ‘Parchment Registration Certificate’& ‘Benefit Certificate’ from The Shipping Federation Belfast Registry Office on 8 Jan 1906, Violet Rice was 26, a Stewardess, b1880, and living 15 Victoria Gardens, Cave Hill Road, Belfast.
1906 - Marriage Certificate for Violet Sadie Rice & Wesley Edwards indicates her father to be Thomas Rice (Sea Captain). Marriage was from 14 Keatley Street, Belfast.
1907 - Belfast Street Directory indicates Sarah Wilkins as Householder at 14 Keatley Street, Belfast.
1911 Census – 8 Palmerston Road, Belfast – Sarah Jane Wilkins (Widow, 60) (Co Carlow) & son Henry Wilkins (Co Tyrone, 26)

I suspect Violet Sadie Rice was Sarah Jane Jeffer’s daughter to a previous marriage. However, the Thomas Rice/Sarah Jane Jeffers record discoveries I have made (Dublin area), though tantalizing, don’t seem to link reliably to either of my Wilkins or Rice. Details of Sarah Jane Jeffers’ movement from Co Carlow - (Dublin?) - Dungannon - Belfast seem illusive.

[dathai]

Any help ?
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01isg/

[aghadowey]

Still very much a work in progress but here's what I've got so far (before looking at links dathai just posted).

RICE
Starting with the marriage certificate, Thomas Rice is listed as millwright and engineer which may not mean he was a seaman as Violet Rice's records indicate (more about her later). His father Richard Rice, Superintendent Lunatic Department of South Dublin Union, is fairly easy to find.
Several newspaper articles mention him as a male attendant there (superintendent is maybe an exaggeration) with the latest one I found being when he was awarded a pension of £50/year after 20 years service there (Freeman's Journal, 8 Nov.1878).
Probable death: Richard Rice (79) 1890 Dublin South https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/details-civil/35d82517667932
Hopefully will soon be viewable online.

Thomas Rice
possible death: Thomas Rice (age 28) died 27 June 1877 – 1 James St. https://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/details/ff05330351210
(remember this address when I get to Jeffers family)

Thomas Rice and Sarah Jeffers had at least 3 children together-
Marriage https://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/details/1e1f010565311
1. Sarah Jane Rice (May 1874 Dublin)
     Birth: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGCK-PZG
2. Thomas Benjamin Rice (Apr.1876 Rathdown-Jan.1877 Rathdown)
     Birth: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FPT8-39M
     Burial https://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/details/be8a9e0351211
3. Thomas Stuart Rice (Jan.1878 Dublin)- more on him later as he'll need a separate post!
     Birth: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FG24-KYD

So, if Thomas Rice died June 1877 (while Sarah Jane was pregnant with Thomas Stuart), then Violet Rice (born c1880) is, if her child, likely illegitimate. I can't find a birth anywhere in Ireland for her under Rice, Jeffers or Wilkins. Violet's marriage says her father was Thomas Rice, captain, but perhaps she thought Thomas Rice was her father and got his occupation confused with that of Henry Wilkins.

continued...