Ironsun
26-10-2007, 06:07 PM
Hi everyone,
I’m new to this forum and this is my first post. I have a bit of an old family mystery I’ve been attempting to solve, but my lack of knowledge and the vast amount of information available is pushing me up against a brick wall.
I recently discovered an old letter written to my great-grandmother from her sister-in-law. The letter, dated May 1909, give a bit of family history and discuss an old estate that supposedly was in the family at one time. The letter also discusses how my third great grandfather was orphaned, just after birth when his entire family drowned in an ill-fated ship disaster.
So here is a transcript of the letter, followed by facts I know and facts I’ve tried to find. Any help or clues as to where I could look would be greatly appreciated. I’ve added square bracketed comments to make things a little easier to follow, (I hope).
May 1909
Eastam, [probably Eastham], England, Mr. Whitehead's daughter married John Williams. Williams' daughter married Surgeon Cockburn, officer of the 91st regiment. They had 9 sons, no daughters. Father [John Williams] was youngest son, the regiment was ordered to India, where father [John Williams] was born. They returned to England and were again ordered to India. Took all sons but father [John Williams] and a young brother named James. They left them with an Aunt named Johnstone.
The ship sank with the regiment and all were drowned. Father [John Williams] and uncle James were farmers and I presume knew nothing about the estate. The last father [John Williams] heard about the estate was that a Squire was living on the estate and paying rent for it. Some years ago Father [John Williams] put it into a lawyer’s hands -- he got the will. Father [John Williams] had it and knew he was the heir. The lawyer wanted 300 hundred dollars to pay the expenses to go over and settle the will for us. When father [John Williams] died [11 Dec 1909] we knew that Emmanuel was the heir after Emmanuel comes your son Ned.
After father [John Williams] died Bill, my brother took the will and private papers, the marriages and births are registered in England and does not matter. It would be easy to find out about a British Surgeon of the 91st Regiment and also the fact about the drowning
[Address] Chancery Court for British heirs London, England A Suburb of London.
First, Sir & Lady Whitehead of Eastam, England had 2 daughters - both got married. One of the daughters married John Williams [This John Williams is the surgeons father] against her parents wishes and they cut her off the family estate with a shilling as was the custom in England in those days. Mrs. John Williams had a daughter who married Dr. Cockburn, a surgeon in the 91st Regiment of the British Army. My father was youngest son and was named John Williams after his grandfather. Uncle James was an Artist.
Father [John Williams] learned shoe making because the surgeon, Dr. Cockburn, his wife and other sons were drowned either going to or coming from India. The daughter to whom he left everything died without sons therefore according to English Law the other daughter, who married John Williams (against there wishes and was cut off the family) having a daughter inherited the estate and fortune and their daughter Mrs. Williams was my fathers mother – {unreadable passage} the parent being drowned the matter was allowed to drop and nothing was ever done but it is there.
Chancery will never look for the heirs and it is worth looking up because after one hundred years it must be a big fortune [The genealogical pot-of-gold] - once Uncle James spoke to father about claiming it then he said no let him keep his fortune and so there was no person to look after it. I hope I have made it plain. The estate fell to the last living son and his heirs and that was father [John Williams] so Emmanuel his eldest son comes first if he does not claim it before he dies then Bill will and it will pass into Bill's family and right out of Emmanuel’s. Father was born and baptized John Williams after his mother’s father, his mother was a Miss Williams a Welsh lady.
Your Affectionate
Sister Kate
John Williams Cockburn died 25th March, 1879 at age 71 years, 10 months and 18 days according to the newspaper obit I discovered. This would place his birthday at May 7, 1807, (If all information is factual). This would mean that the ship sank about a year or so later, 1808-1810 maybe.
I’ve not found any information about a Surgeon named Cockburn in the 91st regiment. (Could aunt Kate have remembered the wrong regiment?) I’ve not found any information about the 91st regiment, or any regiment, suffering such a great loss in this time period (1808-1810).
I do not have first name for the Surgeon Cockburn, or where they lived in Engand. The Obit states John Williams was from Yorkshire and two of his sons were born in Kirkdale, Liverpool England.
Ed R.
Ottawa, Canada
I’m new to this forum and this is my first post. I have a bit of an old family mystery I’ve been attempting to solve, but my lack of knowledge and the vast amount of information available is pushing me up against a brick wall.
I recently discovered an old letter written to my great-grandmother from her sister-in-law. The letter, dated May 1909, give a bit of family history and discuss an old estate that supposedly was in the family at one time. The letter also discusses how my third great grandfather was orphaned, just after birth when his entire family drowned in an ill-fated ship disaster.
So here is a transcript of the letter, followed by facts I know and facts I’ve tried to find. Any help or clues as to where I could look would be greatly appreciated. I’ve added square bracketed comments to make things a little easier to follow, (I hope).
May 1909
Eastam, [probably Eastham], England, Mr. Whitehead's daughter married John Williams. Williams' daughter married Surgeon Cockburn, officer of the 91st regiment. They had 9 sons, no daughters. Father [John Williams] was youngest son, the regiment was ordered to India, where father [John Williams] was born. They returned to England and were again ordered to India. Took all sons but father [John Williams] and a young brother named James. They left them with an Aunt named Johnstone.
The ship sank with the regiment and all were drowned. Father [John Williams] and uncle James were farmers and I presume knew nothing about the estate. The last father [John Williams] heard about the estate was that a Squire was living on the estate and paying rent for it. Some years ago Father [John Williams] put it into a lawyer’s hands -- he got the will. Father [John Williams] had it and knew he was the heir. The lawyer wanted 300 hundred dollars to pay the expenses to go over and settle the will for us. When father [John Williams] died [11 Dec 1909] we knew that Emmanuel was the heir after Emmanuel comes your son Ned.
After father [John Williams] died Bill, my brother took the will and private papers, the marriages and births are registered in England and does not matter. It would be easy to find out about a British Surgeon of the 91st Regiment and also the fact about the drowning
[Address] Chancery Court for British heirs London, England A Suburb of London.
First, Sir & Lady Whitehead of Eastam, England had 2 daughters - both got married. One of the daughters married John Williams [This John Williams is the surgeons father] against her parents wishes and they cut her off the family estate with a shilling as was the custom in England in those days. Mrs. John Williams had a daughter who married Dr. Cockburn, a surgeon in the 91st Regiment of the British Army. My father was youngest son and was named John Williams after his grandfather. Uncle James was an Artist.
Father [John Williams] learned shoe making because the surgeon, Dr. Cockburn, his wife and other sons were drowned either going to or coming from India. The daughter to whom he left everything died without sons therefore according to English Law the other daughter, who married John Williams (against there wishes and was cut off the family) having a daughter inherited the estate and fortune and their daughter Mrs. Williams was my fathers mother – {unreadable passage} the parent being drowned the matter was allowed to drop and nothing was ever done but it is there.
Chancery will never look for the heirs and it is worth looking up because after one hundred years it must be a big fortune [The genealogical pot-of-gold] - once Uncle James spoke to father about claiming it then he said no let him keep his fortune and so there was no person to look after it. I hope I have made it plain. The estate fell to the last living son and his heirs and that was father [John Williams] so Emmanuel his eldest son comes first if he does not claim it before he dies then Bill will and it will pass into Bill's family and right out of Emmanuel’s. Father was born and baptized John Williams after his mother’s father, his mother was a Miss Williams a Welsh lady.
Your Affectionate
Sister Kate
John Williams Cockburn died 25th March, 1879 at age 71 years, 10 months and 18 days according to the newspaper obit I discovered. This would place his birthday at May 7, 1807, (If all information is factual). This would mean that the ship sank about a year or so later, 1808-1810 maybe.
I’ve not found any information about a Surgeon named Cockburn in the 91st regiment. (Could aunt Kate have remembered the wrong regiment?) I’ve not found any information about the 91st regiment, or any regiment, suffering such a great loss in this time period (1808-1810).
I do not have first name for the Surgeon Cockburn, or where they lived in Engand. The Obit states John Williams was from Yorkshire and two of his sons were born in Kirkdale, Liverpool England.
Ed R.
Ottawa, Canada