Seeking Crawford/ Taggart Information.

[clockmaker]

G'day all.

This is my first post with BG, and I am feeling lucky!

My GG/father John Taggart, son of David, born 1841, Bangor, Down married Jane Crawford b. 1844 at Trinity Belfast C of I, Shankill 2/11/1863 by Rev.T. Campbell. Jane's father was Skeffington Crawford (wife Jane) who, according to Griffiths Valuation was a tenant of William Girdwood, Upper Belfast, Old Park Townland, Mill Row, Parish Shankill. He was born 1822 at Ballymeather, and died July 1869. His parents were Robert & Jane Crawford.

John & Jane subsequently migrated here to Aus, arriving August 1864, became successful farmers & graziers, and raised a large family including my G/father James.

This is where my Brick Wall comes in!!! I cannot find any record further back on either the Taggart or
Crawford lines. There is nothing in our sparse family records of any siblings of either John or Jane, though I would imagine that there would have been some. Nor is there anything on David's wife other than that The Mormon site has him married to a Elizabeth Gray.

I have, only today, found a widow Mary Jane Crawford in the 1911 Irish census who may be of interest. She had a son Skeffington & her age puts her in John,s generation. Could be a sister as Skeffington is obviously a family name.

I would appreciate any suggestions as to where I go from here.

Kind regards, Nev. (clockmaker)

[Chisel]

I've just subscribed to Emerald Ancestors for a month and had about as much luck locating something for you as I did myself|banghead|

Anyway all I can report is that I found J Taggard & J Crawford marriage which is as you indicated. Nothing extra to report.

Good luck

[clockmaker]

G'day Chisel,

Thanks for trying. I will just keep on looking & hoping something will come up.

All the best & good luck to you, Nev.

[Marder]

Hello Clockmaker,
I have a bit of info related to the Crawford part of your topic but am having trouble posting it, so this is a trial. Could you let me know if you see this?
Thanks & regards
Marder

[grisel]

Hello there

Ulster Historical Foundation has 2 births shown to a Skeffington and Mary Crawford - Margaret b 1848 and Skeffington b 1852.

Hope this helps.

Ah just noticed that the original post was a long time ago.....

Your post is showing up Marder - hello and welcome. :smile5:

[clockmaker]

G'day Marder,
Many thanks for your efforts; every little helps. I have quite a lot of stuff on the Crawford side of the family, but cannot get anything on the Taggarts prior to David. Maybe they had something to hide!!! Anyway, will keep looking and hoping. What is your interest, in case I come across anything that could help you?

Kind regards, Neville.

[Marder]

Hello Neville,

I realise what I have to contribute is of only peripheral interest to you but, for what its worth, here it is. My interest in your previous post was triggered by the name "Skeffington". This name pops up continually among my recent ancestors. My uncle, the eldest of 8 siblings, was Edward Skeffington Crawford. His father, my grandfather, Thomas had a sibling Christopher Skeffington Crawford. Tom and Eddie were both born, married and died in SE Queensland. Tom's father was a John Crawford who died in Qld. I cannot find his marriage to Fanny Weir,Tom's mother, in Qld BMD so presumably they married in Belfast as family folklore had it that the first Crawford in my line came out to the Gympie goldfields in the 1860's. Indeed there is a family plot in the Gympie cemetry. John's parents, my great great grandparents were Skeffington Crawford and Jane Cook who presumably were born, married and died in Belfast.
I don't know what this Skeffington business is all about. It is an English name and has form in Ireland. Sir William Skeffington was sent to Ireland by Henry VIII, on whose behalf he went about "reducing" strongholds of the ghastly Irish and massacring their garrisons. He died shortly thereafter, well past the usual age of paternity. I don't know whether the Skeffingtons had any further association with Ireland. Maybe the name was used in recent times just to emphasise loyalist as opposed to republican sympathies.
Belfast seems to have been alive (still is?) with Crawfords. I met a British Army Colonel, name of Crawford, once. On hearing my name he asked, "Scottish or Irish Crawford?". I said I didn't know(as I then didn't). Probably just as well.

Cheers and best wishes

Marder (John)

[clockmaker]

G'day Marder (John,)

You have re-kindled my interest in the family tree,and I have been going through my Crawford branch. I have found out several items of interest. John Crawford b.1846 was son of Skeffington Crawford b.1822 & Mary Cooke. He migrated to Aus in 1864 with his sister Jane & her Husband Jim Taggart (my great Grandparents) on the "Mary Pleasants". John 18 Made his way to the Gympie goldfields where he met up with Fanny Weir, a servant/cook, who migrated in1868 They had a child Christopher Skeffington Crawford on 10th Feb. 1881
Chris went to the Palmer goldfield then to Kalgoorlie where he married Maude Pascoe 7/06/1908 They had 5 children, Christopher, Mabel Thomas, James, & Robert. Don't know the order. but the youngestwas born 8/12/1915 a week after Chris sailed to Egypt with the AIF. He was a Lance Corporal with 3rd Field Ambulance, 12th Reinforcement. A copy of his enlistment form is available on line from The National Archives site.
After the war he separated from Nellie in 1924. He lived out his life as a recluse in a bush humpy in a squatters settlement at Tarragindi, Brisbane. He died at the Rousemount War Vet. Hospital, October 1941.and he was cremated at Mt Thompson & his ashes scattered. Regards, Neville. Please send me your home email address.

[Marder]

Hello there Neville,
I found your most recent post very interesting. So our ancestral lines cross at John Crawford and his sister Jane. One of my great grandfathers was the brother of one of your great grandmothers. Interesting about Fanny Weir. I could not find any record of her marriage to John Crawford in Queensland though I did see, can't remember where, one indirect reference to Fanny Crawford. Seems possible (likely?) that they never married. I remember the Rousemount (Rosemount) repat hospital. I went by it a few thousand times going to school on the tram in the fifties. I have lived in Melb since the early sixties. re the Skeffington business, it seems there is (was) a family of that name who are(were) something of a big noise in Belfast or Co Antrim since the early 18th Cent, minor aristocracy in fact. Interesting how families preserve their one close approach to celebrity and abandon the army of nonentities. No more Weirs have appeared since dear Fanny!
Thanks you very much for all the info Neville. Made any progress with your research into the Taggart line?
My email address is krawfordz AT bigpond DOT com
Cheers
John

[judithK]

My grandmother Ada Lawson Matthewson emigrated from Melbourne in 1892 and married Robert Crawford in 1899 He was the son of Mary Jane Crawford and worked in the family firm of Thos Crawford and Son printers of silk cotton etc in Dunmurry. Roberts brother was called Skeffington I think the Skeffington you are referring to was their uncle I am trying to trace my grandmother in Australia but have no luck I think she might have been a relative of John and Jane Taggart as there were two Matthewsons came to Belfast during the 1890s