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  • Military in Ireland

    Doing a tree for a family member, and have come across Irish research for the first time.

    Alexander Edwards b. 1815 in Dublin. By 1862 he is General Alexander Edwards, and appointed Deputy Commissary General. He is believed to have fought in the Crimean War, and is also thought to become Sir Alexander Edwards. I think he married in 1859 to Anne Harrison and died in 1872.

    Then his son, Colin MacKenzie Harrison Edwards, born in Dublin in 1866, again entered the army and fought in Boer and WWI - can't find his birth.

    Can someone help me to confirm the above details, and possibly find Alexanders parents.

    Thanks
    Linda


    My avatar is my Grandmother Carolina Meulenhoff 1896 - 1955

  • #2
    There's a WW1 Officers file for Colin at the National Archives. It should give details of his birth, if you can't find it by other means! It's not online, though - you'd have to go there or get someone to go for you

    WO 339/15514
    Description:

    Captain Colin Mackenzie Harrison EDWARDS.

    Royal Army Service Corps.
    The National Archives, Kew – Research Service Offered
    Contact me via PM on Family Tree Forum or via my personal website - www.militaryandfamilyresearch.co.uk

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by ozgirl View Post
      Doing a tree for a family member, and have come across Irish research for the first time.

      Alexander Edwards b. 1815 in Dublin. By 1862 he is General Alexander Edwards, and appointed Deputy Commissary General. He is believed to have fought in the Crimean War, and is also thought to become Sir Alexander Edwards. I think he married in 1859 to Anne Harrison and died in 1872.

      Then his son, Colin MacKenzie Harrison Edwards, born in Dublin in 1866, again entered the army and fought in Boer and WWI - can't find his birth.

      Can someone help me to confirm the above details, and possibly find Alexanders parents.

      Thanks
      Linda,
      Via familysearch Ireland Marriages, 1619-1898. You should be able to get a copy of this via the LDS photoduplication service. (More info here https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Photoduplication_Services - it can be a bit hit and miss in my experience, but just come back here if you have queries and I'm sure someone will give further advice.)

      Alexander Edwards, widower, married Anne Harrison, single, 29 June 1859, St Peter Dublin. According to this, his father's name was Rickard Edwards.

      https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FGCT-C47


      Children of Alexander Edwards and Anne Harrison:
      All via familysearch Ireland Births and Baptisms. You should be able to get copies of these (ie Ireland Births and Baptisms records but not the CRI record for Colin mentioned below) via the LDS photoduplication service
      Robert Edwards b 10 March 1864 Donnybrook, Dublin. (Suspect this child may have died as a infant as there is a later child (see further below) also named Robert https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F51C-B29

      Alexander Edwards also born 10 March 1864 Donnybrook, Dublin https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F51C-B5J

      Hilda Douglas Edwards b 15 SEP 1865 Donnybrook https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F51X-N2G

      Male Edwards - strongly suspect this may be your elusive Colin, born 7 Nov 1866, Donnybrook
      https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FG1G-5PJ

      Suspect this may be Colin's 1866 birth in the Civil Registration Indexes:
      https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FY5H-9YD
      There are a couple of other male Edwards births in 1866 but they are registered in Dublin North, whereas Donnybrook is on the south side of Dublin.

      Robert Alexander Edwards born 27 April 1868 Donnybrook
      https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F5DX-MMZ

      Mabel Edwards b 16 April 1870 Dublin
      https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FP1C-7Q2

      Alexander Edwards died 26 Aug 1872 at 6 Wilton-place, Dublin. Probate granted to Francis Dwyer of Belvedere, Lisburn. probate record here, bottom left:
      http://www.willcalendars.nationalarchives.ie/reels/cwa/005014890/005014890_00106.pdf

      I would think there are probably further children born between the 1859 marriage and the first 1864 Edwards/Harrison birth I found, but I can't find any in Ireland via the familysearch Ireland Births and Baptisms collection so perhaps they were born wherever Alexander was posted with the Army in those years???

      Regards,
      Christine
      Last edited by Karamazov; 09-10-14, 22:41.
      Researching:
      HOEY (Fermanagh, other Ulster counties and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) BANNIGAN and FOX (Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland and Portland, Maine, USA) REYNOLDS, McSHEA, PATTERSON and GOAN (Corker and Creevy, Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland) DYER (Belfast and Ballymacarrett) SLEVIN and TIMONEY (Fermanagh) BARNETT (Ballagh, Tyrone and Strangford, Down)

      Comment


      • #4
        Thanks for all that info Christine - a lot for me to get my teeth into.
        Last edited by ozgirl; 10-10-14, 09:17.
        Linda


        My avatar is my Grandmother Carolina Meulenhoff 1896 - 1955

        Comment


        • #5
          I also noticed that on one of the censuses Alexander gives his place of birth as New Brunswick (crossed out), Dublin. Did a little digging and found these 3 transcripts from a New Brunswick paper:

          http://archives.gnb.ca/Search/Newspa...5&r=1&ni=92613


          http://archives.gnb.ca/Search/Newspa...0&r=1&ni=92613




          all of which seem to tie in quite nicely. I wonder why she was in New York though?

          I have also found snippets placing him in Jamaica and St Lucia and in 1855 with the Eastern Army. Would that be in Crimea?
          Linda


          My avatar is my Grandmother Carolina Meulenhoff 1896 - 1955

          Comment


          • #6
            I'm assuming this is Alexander Edwards's first wife's father:
            MERRITT, NEHEMIAH, businessman and jp; b. 1 Dec. 1770 in Rye, N.Y., fifth son of Thomas Merritt and Amy Purdy; m. 29 Jan. 1802 Isabella Milby of Shelburne, N.S.; d. 25 May 1842 in Saint John, N.B.


            Do you know if there were any children of this first marriage? As she was only 29 when she died, there's always the possibility she could have died in childbirth...
            Researching:
            HOEY (Fermanagh, other Ulster counties and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) BANNIGAN and FOX (Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland and Portland, Maine, USA) REYNOLDS, McSHEA, PATTERSON and GOAN (Corker and Creevy, Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland) DYER (Belfast and Ballymacarrett) SLEVIN and TIMONEY (Fermanagh) BARNETT (Ballagh, Tyrone and Strangford, Down)

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by ozgirl View Post
              I also noticed that on one of the censuses Alexander gives his place of birth as New Brunswick (crossed out), Dublin.
              Which censuses are you referring to? I can get results on Ancestry for an Alex Edwards in 1842 Canada East census and 1851 but don't have an ancestry sub to view the records.
              Researching:
              HOEY (Fermanagh, other Ulster counties and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) BANNIGAN and FOX (Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland and Portland, Maine, USA) REYNOLDS, McSHEA, PATTERSON and GOAN (Corker and Creevy, Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland) DYER (Belfast and Ballymacarrett) SLEVIN and TIMONEY (Fermanagh) BARNETT (Ballagh, Tyrone and Strangford, Down)

              Comment


              • #8
                More on Nehemiah Merritt and his family here:

                It mentions Anne Merritt very briefly, along with 7 other children.
                Researching:
                HOEY (Fermanagh, other Ulster counties and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) BANNIGAN and FOX (Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland and Portland, Maine, USA) REYNOLDS, McSHEA, PATTERSON and GOAN (Corker and Creevy, Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland) DYER (Belfast and Ballymacarrett) SLEVIN and TIMONEY (Fermanagh) BARNETT (Ballagh, Tyrone and Strangford, Down)

                Comment


                • #9
                  Thank you Christine, that's wonderful information! The census I was referring to was 1871 England - by that time he had retired and was living in London with his sister. Not sure where his wife was then. I have spent the afternoon going through the Hart Army lists, tracking Alexanders progress.

                  He joined the Commissariat on 3 Oct 1834. Was promoted to Deputy Assistant Commissary General on 20/1/1837. On 25/4/1838 he arrives in New York (possibly on his way to Canada). He is in Canada until 1854, with a promotion to Assistant Commissary General on 29/12/1849., In 1855 and 1856 he is with the Eastern Army, cannot track him down in 1857, but in 1858 and 1859 he is on half-pay. In 1860 he is now in Dublin and receives his final promotion 1/5/1862 to Deputy Commissary General (equivalent to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the army), and is transferred to Jamaica in 1863.

                  Maybe he didn't like Jamaica because in 1864 he retires on full pay, and evidently goes to London where he dies in 1872.

                  Will try to find those Canadian census on Ancestry - I haven't seen them yet. At the moment I don't know if there were any children from the first marriage.

                  Nehemiah did well for himself though - £40,000 in 1842 was a fortune!
                  Linda


                  My avatar is my Grandmother Carolina Meulenhoff 1896 - 1955

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by ozgirl View Post

                    Maybe he didn't like Jamaica because in 1864 he retires on full pay, and evidently goes to London where he dies in 1872.
                    According to the probate record I posted above, he died at 6 Wilton-place Dublin and not in London. It might also be worth checking out England and Wales probate records to see if he left any estate in England.

                    His death registration details are here:
                    Discover your family history. Explore the world’s largest collection of free family trees, genealogy records and resources.


                    Christine.
                    Last edited by Karamazov; 10-10-14, 17:41.
                    Researching:
                    HOEY (Fermanagh, other Ulster counties and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) BANNIGAN and FOX (Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland and Portland, Maine, USA) REYNOLDS, McSHEA, PATTERSON and GOAN (Corker and Creevy, Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland) DYER (Belfast and Ballymacarrett) SLEVIN and TIMONEY (Fermanagh) BARNETT (Ballagh, Tyrone and Strangford, Down)

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Ooh I've just found that Rickard Edwards was also in the Commissariat, joining in 1814. Must be Alexander's father, there aren't that many Rickards about!
                      Linda


                      My avatar is my Grandmother Carolina Meulenhoff 1896 - 1955

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        I have now found an entry in the Irish papers on FMP which would seem to refer to Alexander Edwards marriage in Dublin. As it is a little garbled on the preview, could someone have a look to see the Bride's name and her fathers details.

                        (she is stated to have the name Nausole, though it should be Anne, and her father has the qualifications of Bbq!)

                        It is in the Freeman's Journal of Dublin, dated 2 July 1859.

                        Thanks
                        Linda


                        My avatar is my Grandmother Carolina Meulenhoff 1896 - 1955

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by ozgirl View Post
                          I have now found an entry in the Irish papers on FMP which would seem to refer to Alexander Edwards marriage in Dublin. As it is a little garbled on the preview, could someone have a look to see the Bride's name and her fathers details.

                          (she is stated to have the name Nausole, though it should be Anne, and her father has the qualifications of Bbq!)

                          It is in the Freeman's Journal of Dublin, dated 2 July 1859.

                          Thanks
                          Marriages
                          June 29 at Saint Peters Church, Alexander Edwards, Esq, Assistant Commissary General, to Nannie, daughter of the late Robert Harrison, Esq, MD, Professor of Anatomy, TCD.

                          TCD is Trinity College Dublin.

                          Christine
                          Last edited by Karamazov; 18-10-14, 09:56.
                          Researching:
                          HOEY (Fermanagh, other Ulster counties and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) BANNIGAN and FOX (Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland and Portland, Maine, USA) REYNOLDS, McSHEA, PATTERSON and GOAN (Corker and Creevy, Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland) DYER (Belfast and Ballymacarrett) SLEVIN and TIMONEY (Fermanagh) BARNETT (Ballagh, Tyrone and Strangford, Down)

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Thanks Christine - Nannie is obviously a nick-name for Anne - phew, it fits! Robert sounds as though he might have some details somewhere, being a Professor of Anatomy. Off for a Google.
                            Linda


                            My avatar is my Grandmother Carolina Meulenhoff 1896 - 1955

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by ozgirl View Post
                              Thanks Christine - Nannie is obviously a nick-name for Anne - phew, it fits! Robert sounds as though he might have some details somewhere, being a Professor of Anatomy. Off for a Google.
                              Hi again Linda,
                              I was just browsing through some Dublin church records in the hope of finding someone from my tree (a long shot and no luck so far) and thought I would have a go at some of yours. Instant success - found this for Alexader Edwards and Anne Harrison marriage:


                              Click on the brown link within it for some good info!
                              Last edited by Karamazov; 29-10-14, 10:57.
                              Researching:
                              HOEY (Fermanagh, other Ulster counties and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) BANNIGAN and FOX (Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland and Portland, Maine, USA) REYNOLDS, McSHEA, PATTERSON and GOAN (Corker and Creevy, Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland) DYER (Belfast and Ballymacarrett) SLEVIN and TIMONEY (Fermanagh) BARNETT (Ballagh, Tyrone and Strangford, Down)

                              Comment


                              • #16
                                Hi Linda,
                                On a roll here:
                                Colin's baptism


                                Another child, Florence, whom I don't think I had come across previously via familysearch:

                                http://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/details/5e212a0205611


                                Mabel's baptism
                                http://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/details/159a200011716


                                Robert Alexander Edwards
                                http://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/details/0ca65c0011655
                                And another one for Robert Alexander Edwards
                                http://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/details/fafb460207282


                                Another child, Eleanor, not previously found via familysearch
                                http://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/details/8b629b0205167


                                Alexander Edwards, the twin who I think died as an infant:
                                http://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/details/9fa5ae0212537


                                Robert Edwards, the other twin:
                                http://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/details/8153470212538

                                For most of the above links you can also click on a further link which takes you to a digitised image of the church register.
                                This is a more direct link to the Edwards/Harrison marriage.http://churchrecords.irishgenealogy..../fcf08d0574392
                                With the option to click through to the church register. I notice that one of the witnesses, Francis Dwyer is also mentioned in the probate for Alexander's will



                                You may well find more on the site re burials for Alexander, the father, plus the infant twin. I have to go out now so happy hunting!
                                Christine
                                sorry - not sure why some of the above are not showing as hyperlinks, and no time to rectify - gotta dash!
                                Last edited by Karamazov; 29-10-14, 11:41.
                                Researching:
                                HOEY (Fermanagh, other Ulster counties and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) BANNIGAN and FOX (Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland and Portland, Maine, USA) REYNOLDS, McSHEA, PATTERSON and GOAN (Corker and Creevy, Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland) DYER (Belfast and Ballymacarrett) SLEVIN and TIMONEY (Fermanagh) BARNETT (Ballagh, Tyrone and Strangford, Down)

                                Comment


                                • #17
                                  Thank you so much Christine - just yesterday I found out about Florence, but didn't know her date of birth. She married Hans Hendrick Hendrick-Aylmer in 1886. According to some sites on the web she is from Ballyhire in Co. Wexford, which is the home of an Edwards family. There are some intriguing similarities between the two families, so am trying to see if I can find a concrete connection. Thank you also for Eleanors details. I must bookmark that Irish site, as it is very helpful!

                                  Off for some more exploring.
                                  Linda


                                  My avatar is my Grandmother Carolina Meulenhoff 1896 - 1955

                                  Comment


                                  • #18
                                    Now this is interesting. Marriage between Elizabeth Edwards and Luke Norman in 1874. Brides father is Alexander Edwards, Deputy Commissioner General, so must be my bloke. Bride is of full age so born at least in 1853, therefore must be from first marriage - as Anne died in 1847, must be before then.

                                    Witness for the husband is Cad Edwards. The family from Ballyhire I referred to in my previous post have the name Cadwallader in many generations. Is this the link I was looking for?
                                    Linda


                                    My avatar is my Grandmother Carolina Meulenhoff 1896 - 1955

                                    Comment


                                    • #19
                                      Originally posted by ozgirl View Post
                                      Now this is interesting. Marriage between Elizabeth Edwards and Luke Norman in 1874. Brides father is Alexander Edwards, Deputy Commissioner General, so must be my bloke. Bride is of full age so born at least in 1853, therefore must be from first marriage - as Anne died in 1847, must be before then.

                                      Witness for the husband is Cad Edwards. The family from Ballyhire I referred to in my previous post have the name Cadwallader in many generations. Is this the link I was looking for?
                                      Two further marriages for you - Luke Norman is a witness for both:

                                      Marriage of Hans Hendrick Aylmer to Florence Edwards 1886



                                      Marriage of Weldon Charles Molony to Eleanor Anne Edwards 1883



                                      Both records include links to digitised images of the church register - yay!

                                      You're now getting closer to the 1901 and 1911 Irish censuses so do you want to carry on forward with any of these? It should be reasonably straightforward, given the unusual names, assuming they were still alive and in Ireland...

                                      A pretty productive day, I'd say - hope your family member is pleased with everything that's been discovered!

                                      Christine
                                      Last edited by Karamazov; 29-10-14, 21:09.
                                      Researching:
                                      HOEY (Fermanagh, other Ulster counties and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) BANNIGAN and FOX (Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland and Portland, Maine, USA) REYNOLDS, McSHEA, PATTERSON and GOAN (Corker and Creevy, Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland) DYER (Belfast and Ballymacarrett) SLEVIN and TIMONEY (Fermanagh) BARNETT (Ballagh, Tyrone and Strangford, Down)

                                      Comment

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