William Richardson, mariner, and family of Liverpool and Belfast

[bibliotaphist]

I'm looking for any information about the following RICHARDSON family of Liverpool and Belfast, following the baptism of their youngest child in 1836. I'm particularly interested in anything I might find out about the origins and seafaring career of the father William Richardson.

William RICHARDSON, mariner, married Jane THOMPSON, 3 Oct 1827 at St Peter's, Liverpool. Both of that parish.

They had the following five children baptised at St Peter's in Liverpool:

• John, baptised 23 Jul 1828, parents William, mariner, and Jane, of Sparling Street
• Ann Jane, bapt. 2 May 1830, of New Bird Street
• James Thompson, bapt. 22 Apr 1832, of Blundell Street
• Hugh Thompson, bapt. 6 Jan 1835, of Jordan Street
• Diana Thompson, bapt. 13 Dec 1836, of Jordan Street

Later on:

Ann Jane Richardson, daughter of William Richardson, seaman, married William DUFF, engine fitter, son of Kennedy Duff, block printer, on 14 Jun 1855 at St Anne's Church, Belfast.

The groom William Duff was born 31 Jan 1832, Belleville, New Jersey, USA, and died 25 Nov 1874 in Dublin.

One of the witnesses at their wedding was the bride's brother Hugh Richardson.

Ann is in the 1901 census of Ireland, living with two of her grandchildren and a boarder, at Greenmount Street, Belfast, aged 73, born Liverpool. She died 3 Apr 1910 at 6, Kathleen Street, Belfast.

N.B. several Ancestry trees seem to have Ann Jane Richardson as the daughter of a William Richardson from Wilkes, Georgia, USA. I don't know what evidence this is based on.

Hugh Thompson Richardson, shipwright, son of William Thompson Richardson, mariner, married Agnes LEMMON, daughter of William Lemmon, shipwright, on 11 Apr 1862 at Belfast.

Hugh was a witness at his sister's marriage, as above.

Hugh Thompson Richardson, shipwright, died 3 Feb 1892 at 31, Spencer Street, Belfast.

His death was reported in the Belfast Newsletter and seems to refer to his being the son of a "Capt. Wm Richardson" - however the digitised page image appears to be missing/cut off (from Ancestry and the British Newspaper Archive) and I haven't been able to read the full entry.

[garstonite]

I don't want to cause you a quandry - but COULD William have become a Pub Landlord ?

same church as the marriage and baptisms

Baptism: 11 Feb 1845 St Peter, Liverpool, Lancashire, England
William Richardson - [Child] of William Richardson & Jane
    Abode: Lumber St
    Occupation: Victualler

looks a possible to me - can we find out the name of the Pub in Lumber Street ?

[gaffy]

From the PRONI Will Calendars: The Will of William Richardson late of Fleet-street Belfast Master Mariner deceased who died 19 September 1873 at same place was proved at Belfast by the oaths of Elizabeth Richardson of Fleet-street Widow and Hugh Thompson Richardson of Spencer-street Shipwright both in Belfast the Executors.

You can read the will here:
https://apps.proni.gov.uk/WillsCalendar_IE/WillsSearch.aspx

Belfast Weekly News on 27 September 1873: RICHARDSON - Sept. 19, at his residence, 40, Fleet Street, Belfast, after a lingering illness, Captain William Richardson, aged 74 years.

Edited to add: Hugh's will has also been digitised on the same website.

[garstonite]

if he was a MASTER Mariner - a Captain - I doubt he would run a pub - so I would ignore that possible baptism I posted

[gaffy]

Not sure what you do or don't already know... but for now, note that daughter 'Dinah' married Samuel Wylie in Castlereagh Presbyterian Church on 31 December 1857 (note one of the witnesses):
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1857/09525/5452595.pdf

Also wondered about this marriage of a John Richardson to a Mary Ann Munro in St. Anne's Church of Ireland Belfast in 1853... father William a Seaman, Thompson witnesses... just a speculative possibility:
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1853/09444/5421564.pdf

[gaffy]

Not sure what you do or don't already know... but for now, note that daughter 'Dinah' married Samuel Wylie in Castlereagh Presbyterian Church on 31 December 1857 (note one of the witnesses):
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1857/09525/5452595.pdf

Belfast Newsletter, 10 October 1876: WYLIE - October 9, at her husband's residence, 199, York Street, Belfast, Dinah, the beloved wife of Samuel Wylie, and youngest daughter of the late Captain William Richardson. Her remains will be removed for interment in Castlereagh Burying-ground this (Tuesday) afternoon, at half past two o'clock.  Friends will please accept this intimation.

The image of the death registration hasn't yet been uploaded to the 'irishgenealogy' website, but it is indexed under the name Dinah Thompson Richardson Wylie.

The full Castlereagh graveyard inscription reads 'Erected by Samuel Wylie in memory of his father James Wylie who died 31st March 1869, aged 87 years, Also his mother Margery Wylie who died 19th February 1831, aged 47 years, Also his wife Dinah Wylie who died 9th October 1876, aged 38 years, Also his two children James and Margery who died in infancy, Also Samuel Wylie, husband of the above Dinah Wylie, who died l9th January 1898, aged 69 years, Samuel James Wylie, who died at Fishguard, Wales, 22nd June 1910, aged 45 years.'


Samuel Wylie's death registration:
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1898/05843/4655322.pdf

Again there's a will on the website I previously posted, it's very long, I only glanced at the opening paragraphs, in which there's mention of a daughter Jane Thompson Richardson Wylie.

[gaffy]

From the 1861 Belfast street directory for Stanley Place:
8  Samuel Wylie, engineer.
10  Wm. Richardson, master mariner.

Note these two notices within a few months of each other:

- Belfast Newsletter 'Deaths', 23 February 1864: Richardson - February 23, at 10, Stanley Place, Belfast, Jane, wife of Captain Richardson, aged 66 years.  Her remains will be removed from her late residence, for interment in the Malone Cemetery, on tomorrow (Wednesday) morning, at ten o'clock, of which friends will please take notice.

- Belfast Newsletter 'Births', 20 June 1864: Duff - June 15, at 10, Stanley Place, Belfast, Mrs. Wm. Duff, of a son.

Also this from a couple of years earlier:

- Belfast Newsletter 'Deaths', 17 June 1862: Wylie - June 12, of croup, James Richardson, only son of Mr. Samuel Wylie, of 8, Stanley Place, Belfast, aged 18 months.

Note this:
https://billiongraves.com/grave/William-Richardson/15804159

[gaffy]

There are many Belfast newspaper references to indicate that a William Richardson was the Captain of a iron steamer called the 'Pilot' for about 10 years (approx. 1853-63), the steamer was owned by a Robert Henderson and regularly sailed between Belfast and Bangor (County Down). But I have as yet found nothing to confirm if this is the same chap.

[bibliotaphist]

Thank you, all, for these excellent helpful and detailed replies.

garstonite - I too had spotted that 1845 baptism of William son of William, victualler. It's not impossible that William the father alternated a seagoing career with running a pub - I have plenty of other part-time publicans in my family tree... however, if William and Jane had children baptised in Liverpool either side of the 1841 census, I might have expected to find them in that census - nothing yet.

gaffy - thank you so much for the Proni wills link. I didn't know that site existed. And for the WYLIE marriage (which I did not already know about) and all the newspaper information - this is really excellent.

I now know of the fate of one more of William and Jane's children, and more importantly the dates of death and approximate birth years for William and Jane themselves. The link to the gravestone image is the icing on the cake.

I will investigate the Pilot steamer. Thank you again for all your searches. This has given me a lot more to go on.