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again thank you MC

According to Wikipedia Maghera is a small town in Londonderry (pop 3711 in 2001 so I'd reckon it was more a large village back then).

The Maghera Genealogy website that I posted the link for above has an old photo of part of Main Street which was where both James Edwin O'Neill and Cecil Barton Carr lived.

Message duly posted on the facebook page, I'm hoping there is an actual village called maghera as it seems to cover a large area all with different place names.

Just thought I'd post that 1901 for James Edwin O'Neill:

O'Neill James Edwin 37 Male Head of Family Roman Catholic County Derry Chemist and General Mrcht. County of District Counciller Yes read and write Irish and English Married -
O'Neill Anna 45 Female Wife R Catholic County Derry - Yes read and write Irish and English Married -
O'Neill William 30 Male Servant R Catholic County Derry Grocers Assistant Yes read and write Irish and English Single -
Bradley Michael 25 Male Servant R Catholic County Derry Grocers Assistant Yes read and write Irish and English Single -
Diamond Patrick 19 Male Servant R Catholic Co Derry Grocers Apprentice Yes read and write Irish and English Single -
Parkenson George 20 Male Servant Presbyterian Co Derry Druggist Assistant Yes read and write English Single -
OHara Bridget 21 Female Servant R Catholic Co Leitrim Milliner Yes read and write Irish and English Single -
Relly Mary Anne 22 Female Servant R Catholic Co Derry Domestic Servant Yes read and write English Single -

I just realised that James and Annie had been married 15 years in 1911 but in 1901 the son is 30 so must be James' son from a previous marriage.

I've just got the feeling that it will only take one more step (well perhaps two or three) to get there.

You got me excited then MC...I would guess you may be right in James being a friend/neighbour, thank you.


Onwards and upwards....

Sue, you might find this Facebook page useful:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.296461030405005.95549.174884832562626&type=1#!/pages/Maghera-Genealogy-History/174884832562626

They also have a website http://magheragenealogy.org

Just can't help fiddling about and came across this. Might be a total red herring but thought it was interesting that there was a James E O'Neill in Maghera who was a merchant, very coincidental to the 1916 probate. The wife surely couldn't be? ...........

Residents of a house 23 in Main Street (Maghera, Londonderry)

Surname Forename Age Sex Relation to head Religion Birthplace Occupation Literacy Irish Language Marital Status Specified Illnesses Years Married Children Born Children Living

ONeill James Edwin 46 Male Head of Family R Catholic Londonderry J P Co C Merchant Read and write Married
ONeill Annie 55 Female Wife R Catholic Londonderry Grocer Druggest and Draper Read and write Married 15 years Paralytic
McKeagney Maggie 21 Female Servant R Catholic Londonderry Cook Read and write - Single - - - -
Kearney Bridget 25 Female Servant R Catholic Londonderry Domestic Servant Read and write - Single - - - -
McMahon Mary 23 Female - R Catholic Co Armagh Dressmaker and Milliner Read and write - Single - - - -
Simpson John 26 Male Shop Assistant Presbyterian Co Tyrone Druggests Assistant Read and write - Single - - - -

...... could she? No - they're together in 1901 and have a son. I strongly suspect that this is the right chap for the probate, they may well have been neighbours and that's why she made him executor.

As previously mentioned, Cecil Barton Carr's son died in WW1. The CWGC website gives his family address as Main Street, Maghera:

CARR, CECIL B.
Rank: Private
Service No: 28075
Date of Death: 01/04/1917
Age: 19
Regiment/Service: Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 2nd Bn.
Grave Reference A. 8.
Cemetery ROUPY COMMUNAL CEMETERY

Additional Information:
Son of Cecil and Annie Carr, of Main St., Maghera, Co. Derry

There are 124 Edward O'Niell's in Dublin on the 1911 Irish census (granted a large number of them would be far too young).

If you want to have a look through and see if any are merchants - http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie

Here's some for starters:
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Dublin/Pembroke_West/Northumberland_Road/9443/
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Dublin/South_Dock/Baggot_Street__Lower/79620/

EDIT: Reading again, I think probate was granted in Dublin and that wasn't necessarily where James E O'Neill was from. Anyhow, see below.

I've no idea how to get hold of an actual copy of an Irish will but I'm sure there's someone on here would know. It would be useful to see who the beneficiaries were. Someone might come along and tell us what to do next.

If you go to your first post on page one and click edit you can then alter the heading of this thread perhaps to reflect help needed with Irish wills or whatever.

Marie Celeste, just an update.

Amy left a Will ..

Wills and Admins
1916
Charlesworth Amy Singleworth of Maghera, Londonderry, married woman died 26 October 1915 Probate dublin to James E. O Niell, merchant. Effects £1381 14s 1d in England sealed London 4 august.

1934
Charlesworth Amy Singleton of maghera County, Londonderry married woman died 26th Oct 1915, administration (with will) limited Belfast to lawrence R. Hastings solicitor attorney of Amy Singleton Carr Wier Effects £791 0s 7d in england sealed 26 July London , former grant sealed London 4th August 1916

I don't know who the James O'Niell was ...the younger Amy Weir was Cecil barton Carr's daughter, died in Canada.

Sorry keyboard stuck, as I said I'll let you know if there is anything more, thank you.

I certianly will update if I get any further. I have found a reference to Cecil's descendants (I think) on gnforum but from 2010 so its worth shot emailing them.

I think it might be worth giving the National Archives a call or email, giving the divorce reference and asking what the problem is. I've never contacted them myself but have heard that they're helpful.

The co-respondent is the person named as the other party, i.e. Henry was divorcing Annie because she'd had an affair with someone called Baccarach. Shame there wasn't a first name for him. I've done a bit of searching on that surname but haven't found a likely culprit yet.

If Barton was from the Carr side of the family then that's interesting as Cecil was born in 1874 and the divorce petition was 1871. Perhaps he started proceedings but didn't complete them? I'm not sure how these things work and don't know if the records in NA only relate to divorces that were finalised.

Good luck and do keep us posted if you find out any more (I'm hooked on this one!).

Think my luck is out, the divorce papers request from archives are unavailable due to insufficient information, next..?.......

Wow, good at this are'nt you? what a find! could it be possible there's another divorce for Edmondson Charlesworth too ? possibly not as he still classes himself as married in 1901 when Amy is possibly a widow .

What is a co-respondent? just a witness?

The name Barton looks like it comes from Cecil's grandmother Susannah Barton married John Carr of Gosworth, Northumberland.

Yes I agree MC, I can't leave it there, requests will be on the way very soon. Thank you for all your time and help. :-)

To tidy up the loose ends I think you really need to order a copy of that Magherafelt death that Reggie provided the reference for, the information on there could be very useful.

I'd also be after a copy of Cecil Barton Carr's 1874 birth certificate to see who the father is supposed to be.

Just to note - it wasn't Annie's father-in-law that was a theatre manager per son Cecil's marriage record, it was her husband Henry George (unless you have some other info?)

As per the 1911 voyage to US, her age is way out but she was an actress, after all! This is that address per the 1911:

HUGHES, Alfred Head Married M 44 1867 Butter Private Service Winchfield Hants View
HUGHES, Elizabeth Ann Wife Married 12 years F 43 1868 Rugley Warwick
HUGHES, Evelyn May Daughter F 10 1901 School London
HUGHES, Lena Alias Daughter F 7 1904 School London Camberwell
HUGHES, Geoffrey Son M 4 1907 London Camberwell
MANSFORD, Leonard Boarder Married M 33 1878 School Master Portchalmers New Zealand Resident
MANSFORD, Helene Boarder Married 8 years F 30 1881 Nil Formerly A School Mistress London Kennington
NASH, Victor Albert Boarder M 26 1885 Managing Clerk London Chelsea
POWELL, Jefrey George Boarder M 25 1886 Brewers Clerk St Pancras Middlesex
NICOLLS, Edward Boarder Married M 33 1878 Electrical Sketch Proprietor And Comedian Meath Tullyard W Trime Resident
NICOLLS, Ada Boarder Married 11 years F 34 1877 Nil Cardiff

RG number: RG14 Piece: 2054 Reference: RG14PN2054 RG78PN72 RD25 SD4 ED5 SN394

Registration District: Lambeth
Sub District: Brixton
Enumeration District: 5
Parish: Lambeth

Address: 87 Camberwell New Road S E
County: London

No one there that really fits the bill, but I guess the occupants may have been quite transient.

There's also a record of actress Amy Singleton going to Canada, age 48 in 1913.

Maybe in 1901?

SINGLETON, Amy Widow Widow F 45 1856 Actress Clare Ireland

Piece: 72 Folio: 33 Page: 57 Registration District: 57
Civil Parish: Chelsea

Address: 272, Kings Road, Chelsea County: London

Ooohh!

Scope and content Divorce Court File: 1970.

Appellant: Henry George Carr.
Respondent: Annie Singleton Carr.
Co-respondent: [...] Baccarach.
Type: Husband's petition for divorce [hd].
Covering dates 1871 <<
Ref: J 77/113/1970

Held by The National Archives, Kew
Legal status Public Record(s)
Language English

So, if Annie and Henry divorced in 1871 then who was the father of Cecil b 1874? Is that middle name of Barton a clue? .....

This might go some way to explaining the cover story when she married Edmondson - it was probably a scandal then to be a divorcee, and if he was from a respectable family .......

I wouldn't be able to resist ordering a copy of the divorce papers from National Archives (or going to view the file at Kew), it might tidy up so many loose ends.

Just to give some background on Annie/Amy and her family's birthplaces:

1841:

HATCH, Robert M 35 1806 Ireland < Hatter
HATCH, Ann F 30 1811 Ireland
HATCH, Robert M 9 1832 Surrey
HATCH, Sarah F 7 1834 Surrey
HATCH, Samuel M 2 1839 Surrey

Piece: 1085 Book/Folio: 1/40 Page: 29 Registration District: 29
Civil Parish: St George
Municipal Borough: Southwark
Address: Adam's Place, St George, Kent Road, Southwark County: Surrey
_______________________________________________________________

1851:
HATCH, Annie Head Widow F 44 1807 Silk Hat Cover Sewer Ireland Armagh
HATCH, Robert Son Unmarried M 18 1833 Grocer (App) London Westminister
HATCH, Sarah Daughter Unmarried F 16 1835 Silk Hat Cover Sewer London Westminister
HATCH, Burgess Son Unmarried M 7 1844 Scholar Edinr Midlothian
HATCH, Ann Daughter Unmarried F 5 1846 Scholar Edinr Midlothian

Piece: 685 Folio: 29 Page: 17 Registration District: 17
Civil Parish: St Cuthbert's

Address: 53, Pleasance, Pleasance, St Cuthbert's County: Midlothian
_______________________________________________________________

1861:

HATCH, Annie Head Widow F 57 1804 Hat Trimmer B S Spain
HATCH, Annie Daughter Unmarried F 15 1846 Hat Trimmer Midlothian

Piece: 644 Folio: 5 Page: 15 Registration District: 15
Civil Parish: St Enoch

Address: Stockwell Place, St Enoch County: Lanarkshire
_______________________________________________________________

Note that when her mother is with her, Annie's true age is given. She must've knocked a few years off somewhere along the line. It's only on the 1871 that her birthplace is given as Ireland, and that might be that it was assumed to be the same as her mother who was with them.
By the 1881 she has started calling herself Amy, but birthplace is again Scotland.

Regarding Amy the actress, I found these notes....but I've no idea at all who the son she mentions is....it muddy's the waters a little as to whether she is my annie/Amy or not.

1912 Passenger lists - Port of Departure, Glasgow, Amy Singleton, date of arrival Sept 25 1911 - SS California dep 16 Sep 1911
Amy singelton, 50 , widow, actress read & write Y, British Scotch, last perm residence London, relative , son J. Singelton , 87 Camberwell New Rd, London going to NY, passage paid by self, in possession of $50 or more, not in US before, journey, theatrical engagement, 5ft 3