Find Ancestors

Queens University Cork recently sent me details on G T Macfarlane who studied there in 1860-61. One detail was the George T had a Guardian named Alexander Jack who was the Professor of Engineering at Queens College at that time. I am interested to know if there is a legal document detailing when the Guardianship came into effect, and why, and where if possible I can access it?

As this was a Guardianship was there a family connection between the Macfarlane/McFarland and the Jacks?

My understanding is George T father died in January 1840 at Adhere but his mother Maria survived until 1866 dying in South Dublin.

The other interesting piece of information from Queens College was that Alexander Jack was scotish born however I have his father address George Augusta Jack at Bloom Hill, County Tyrone Northern Ireland in 1856. Perhaps he moved from scotland prior to 1856. Can someone confirm if Alexander Jack was born in Scotland? :-)

This is a follow-on to Gordon's other thread - although this new one's really about Alexander Jack rather than George, in spite of the title:

https://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards/board/ancestors/thread/1371441

According to the Report of the President of Queen's college for 1889-90 (a pdf file on Google), alexander Jack was still teaching engineering there at that time.

Alexander Jack, M.A., D.Sc, EX R.U.I.

Scotlands People shows a number of Alexander Jacks born in Scotland with father named George - but no mention of Augusta (Augustus ?) to narrow it down.

No record of any George A Jack on SP, pre 1854.

On Ancestry:


George Augustus Jack
in the Dublin, Ireland, Probate Record and Marriage License Index, 1270-1858
Name: George Augustus Jack
Spouse: Phoebe Duff
Document Year: 1829
Record Type: Marriage Licence


George Augustus Jack
in the Ireland, Civil Registration Deaths Index, 1864-1958
Name: George Augustus Jack
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1803
Date of Registration: 1871
Death Age: 68
Registration district: Dublin South
Volume: 2
Page: 605
FHL Film Number: 101585


There are records of one child, Richard:

Richard G. Jack
in the Ireland, Select Marriages, 1619-1898
Name: Richard G. Jack
Gender: Male
Marital Status: Single
Marriage Date: 17 Nov 1859
Marriage Place: St. Thomas, Dub, Ireland
Father: George Augustus Jack
Spouse: Mary Rynd
FHL Film Number: 101406
Reference ID: 138

Aha!


Alexander Jack
in the Ireland, Select Marriages, 1619-1898
Name: Alexander Jack
Gender: Male
Marital Status: Single
Marriage Date: 19 Jun 1856
Marriage Place: St George, Dub, Ireland
Father: George Augustus Jack
Spouse: Georgina Maria Goldfrapp
FHL Film Number: 101376
Reference ID: 64

None of the births of Alexander Jacks with father George (on SP) has mother Phoebe.

Phoebe Jack
in the Web: Ireland, Calendar of Wills and Administrations, 1858-1920
Name: Phoebe Jack
Death Date: 7 Aug 1875
Death Place: Cork
Primary Beneficiary: Alexander Jack

The Will (with one codicil) of Phoebe Jack, late of Summerhill, Cork, widow, deceased, who died 7th August 1875 at Blackrock Road, Cork, was proved at Cork by the oath of Alexander Jack of Summerhill, Professor of Engineering, the surviving executor

Alexander Jack
in the Ireland, Civil Registration Deaths Index, 1864-1958
Name: Alexander Jack
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1830
Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1908
Death Age: 78
Registration district: Cork
Volume: 5
Page: 81
FHL Film Number: 0101604


Alexander Jack
in the Web: Ireland, Census, 1901
Name: Alexander Jack
Gender: Male
Age: 70
Birth Year: abt 1831
Relation to Head: Head
Residence Date: 31 Mar 1901
Townland/Street: Queens College
District: Cork Urban No. 5
County: Cork
Household Members:
Name Age
Alexander Jack 70 - birthplace Dublin City, Ireland - Professor of engineering, Queens College, Cork

Georgina Maria Jack 74 - Bombay, India
Sophia Smart 84 - wife's sister, Sligo
Charlotte Anne Baxter 33 - nurse
Margaret Whitley 62 - servant
Mary Burke 22 - servant
Elizabett Cahill 46 - servant

Area - DUBLIN (COI) , Parish/Church/Congregation - ST. GEORGE

Baptism of ALEXANDER JACK of N/R on 23 August 1830

Name ALEXANDER JACK
Date of Birth 7 August 1830
Address N/R
Father GEORGE AUGUSTUS JACK
Mother PHEOBE JACK
Father Occupation ESQR

It looks as if the Mcfarlane and Jack families may just have been friends, living in the Cork area.

The guardianship may have come into being after George's father's death in 1840, when George was just a baby.
His mother was still alive, but maybe it was felt she could do with support in bringing him up.

Perhaps George's father had requested it in his Will (if any).

EDIT:

On second thoughts, that's rubbish - Alexander was only 10 in 1840.

So the guardianship couldn't have been before 1851, by which time George was 12.

Maybe something to do with when he started studying at Queens College?
We know he was there 1860-61, but we don't know when he started.
If he was still under 21, maybe a guardian was thought desirable?
His mother died in 1866 - maybe she was already unwell, or otherwise unable to be responsible for him?

Saw below for that 1908 Death...

Chris :)

17 October 1908 - Irish Times - Dublin, Dublin, Republic of Ireland

PROFESSOR ALEXANDER JACK, D.Sc.
The death occurred yesterday, at his residence, Cork, of Mr, Alexander Jack, M.A., D.Sc., at the age of 78 years. By his death an interesting link with the early work of Queen's College, Cork has been broken. He had been connected with that institution, during practically the whole of it's existence, and saw many changes in that time. He was appointed Professor of Engineering in 1855, Registrar in 1876, and both these offices he held until 1906, when he resigned. He had a distinguished career at Trinity College, Dublin.

Hi ArgyllGran
Thanks for your input. Actually George T started at Queens College in 1859. Queens College lists his Matriculation Date as 18.10.1859 and his Graduation Date as 1861. From the "Report on the Condition and Progress on the Queen's University in Ireland 1 Sept 1860 to 1 Dec 1861" I read George T is awarded the Diploma in Civil Engineering. From my reading so far on Queens College I believe the Diploma was a 2 year course so I expect he finished in Sept/Oct 1861. I understand the beginning and end of the Education year in Britian is Oct to Sept the following year.which is very close to the dates provided by Queens College.

From your input and my own exploration it looks like Queens College Alexander Jack was born in 1830/31 and married Georgina Maria Goldfrapp June 1856. So assuming Guardianship was taken out at some point after June 1856 Alexander Jack would have only been 26 and George Thomas born 1839 would have been 17 there is only a difference of 9 years between them. To my mind it seems at 26 taking on a Guardianship was a huge responsibility when Alexander had no kids of his own or experience with.

This is the reason I am seeking a document that deals with Guardianship I am assuming there would need to have been a document drawn up specifying rights & responsibilities of the consenting parties. Maybe there is a document but I am not sure where to go with British or Irish records, would they even bother to scan such documents. :-)

Does the information you have found about the guardianship sound as if it was guardianship in the sense of "in loco parentis" ?

Perhaps it was a less official thing, like a mentor while at college?

Or if indeed in loco parentis, perhaps it was more of a nominal legal appointment than an actual hands-on day-to-day parenting role.

I have no idea where you might find documentation, I'm afraid.

Perhaps Cork City Archives could advise you:

http://www.corkarchives.ie/genealogy/otherrecordsoffamilyhistoryinterest/

Queens College sent me a table with headings and the information listed underneath it. eg Table Heading, Name of Guardian
Information Row Alexander Jack, Professor of Civil Engineering.

May be I have read it to literely maybe it has a internal University meaning.
I can go back to Queens College an check what exactly the column means. :-)

Was there a Will for Alexander Jack?...

Chris :)

Edits (looks to be below 1908)

https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/#calendar

His effects in England as posted by Chris. - £104.

In Ireland:

http://www.willcalendars.nationalarchives.ie/search/cwa/details.jsp?id=1639231539
Effects: £2901 16s 11d

Gordon. Just adding a few bits relating to the "Jack" family its a little complicated !

Some backround....

The "Jack" family were of Huguenot descent and probably came to Ireland in the 1600's..The Huguenots mostly settled in Cork and Dublin....
The earliest ref. I find in the Dioces of Cloyne County Cork are the marriages of a Sara Jaquis and Augustin Hicks. 1641
Mary Jaques and Adrian Spratt 1708.

Fast forward to the late 1700s'...

Alexander J Jack married Prudence Halloran 1772...from what I can work out they had one son named George Augustus Jack who was admitted to Greys Inn (London) on 7/2/1825
.The Admissions Register states only son of Alex.J Jack late of the Co Cork it does not show when he was Called to the Bar but he was back in Cork as a practising Barrister (Attorney) in the late 1820s.

Taken from Freemen of the City of Cork. (By Birth or by Right)

George Jack Attorney 20/6/1792. South Mall.
Alex.Jack .....2/1/1799
George Augustus Jack Esq. ...no date given for admission on Freemen Roll

The Jack Family all seemed to be Notaries /Attorney's......

Thanks Argy, Chris and Eringobraugh for your input it helped me build a parallel picture of the 2 families, Macfarlane & Jack's I am sure there is a relationship there as Alexander Jack was guardian for George Thomas Macfarlane in the late 1850s. George Thomas lost his father when he was about 6 weeks old.
I suspect George Thomas mother Maria Heacock and Phoebe Duff wife of George Augustus Jack may have been good friends. Maria H died 15.02.1866 and Phoebe D died on 7.08.1875. As yet I have not located birth dates for either women. But Maria is reported being 59 at time of death.

Thanks Argy, Chris and Eringobraugh for your input it helped me build a parallel picture of the 2 families, Macfarlane & Jack's I am sure there is a relationship there as Alexander Jack was guardian for George Thomas Macfarlane in the late 1850s. George Thomas lost his father when he was about 6 weeks old.
I suspect George Thomas mother Maria Heacock and Phoebe Duff wife of George Augustus Jack may have been good friends. Maria H died 15.02.1866 and Phoebe D died on 7.08.1875. As yet I have not located birth dates for either women. But Maria is reported being 59 at time of death.