I am trying to find the parents or any family of my 5th great grandfather, Richard Bel(l)shaw. According to this record https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C10380140, he was born on Shank(h)ill, Lurgan about 1771. I have the records. He was discharged from the Army in 1809. He immediately left Ireland for London, England where he joined the English Army. In London in 1815 he married Margaret Walker from Ireland (a brick wall). They both died in London in 1855. The census records are consistent with him being born in about 1771, but his death record suggests he was born about 1760. On his Irish discharge papers, his occupation was listed as a Weaver. There is a family story that the family was of Huguenot descent, but there is no concrete evidence of this. We are descended from Richard’s grandson who immigrated to New Zealand in 1874.
I would be most grateful if anyone could provide me with any details of Richard's parents or where I could find this information.
JCatley
Thursday 5th Jan 2023, 11:39AMMessage Board Replies
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The parish of Shankill near Lurgan has Church of Ireland records from 1681 onwards so you might find a baptism record there. There’s a copy in PRONI in Belfast and some years are in the rootsireland site (subscription).
Belshaw is not listed in MacLysaght’s The Surnames of Ireland so that suggests it’s an incomer name. The family are therefore probably descended from settlers who arrived in Ireland in the 1600s, mainly from England, Wales & Sctlland but there were certainly Huguenots refugees too in the late 1600s. No individual records exist of them though.
Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘
Thursday 5th Jan 2023, 12:57PM