Share This:

I am searching for the parents of Alithea Maria Ferguson nee Brownrigg (1764 to 1843). She married James Ferguson in 1782 in Dublin. Her obituary in the Bible Christian says she had a brother Major John Boyle Brownrigg who died in 1804 in India.

Elizabeth Boyle who died in Dublin in 1779 named her beneficiaries as nephew John Boyle Brownrigg and niece Alithea Maria Brownrigg.

Roots web says there was a deed dated 1782 agreeing that James Ferguson would pay John Boyle Brownrigg £400 if Alithea Maria Brownrigg was to die before the age of 22. Wheaton Bradish is named as one of the executors of Elizabeth Boyle’s will.

The consensus in Ancestry and on other sites is that my Alithea Maria Brownrigg is the daughter of Alithea Maria Brownrigg nee Hill 1706 to 1777 and Henry Brownrigg but for a number of reasons they cannot be the parents. I need an extra generation!

Any idea where I might look for a birth records for Alithea Maria Brownrigg or John Boyle Brownrigg, a Boyle Brownrigg marriage, a Brownrigg will naming AMB and JBB as beneficiaries or anything else that might help?

Many Thanks

 

Sworddancer

Tuesday 8th Aug 2023, 02:37PM

Message Board Replies

  • I did not find any records for Brownrigg, but did find a church baptism record for James Ferguson on the paid site Roots Ireland. It shows 13 Jun 1761, parish - Rosemary St. Presbyterian, Belfast, Co. Antrim. Only the father is listed..David Ferguson. From the transcription of his burial monument by his son William on Ancestry, it states that he was a member of the Presbyterian congregation of Ballyclare and lived in Whitepark...that is in Co. Antrim.

    As he died in 1834, he would have been 73 IF that is his birth record. Not too sure this is the same family.

    Regards,

    Carolyn

    Tuesday 8th Aug 2023, 08:46PM
  • Hi Carolyn,

    Thanks for your reply. By coincidence we visited the First Presbyterian church on Rosemary street as part of a Peace Walls and Bridges political walk in Belfast earlier this year and only realised when we got back to England that James Ferguson and Alithea Maria Brownrigg had been members there. (In our defence we were researching Mackeys at the time).

    We also visited the Presbyterian church at Ballyclare but the graveyard had been tidied so that there was no trace of the memorial put up by William. 

    I have James Ferguson's birth date as 1757 and that seems to be the consensus on Ancestry. Not that that means very much!

    I see that James and Alithea married in St Michan's church in Dublin. Assuming that was her family church does anyone know if there might be baptismal records for the years around 1764? Or Boyles in the graveyard?

    Peter

    Sworddancer

    Thursday 10th Aug 2023, 02:40PM
  • Peter,

    The paid subscription site Roots Ireland shows that there are no records for baptisms back that early - 1764.

    I am unclear what your question is about "Boyles"....is that simply John's middle name or is that a surname for someone?

    Given that James and Alithea were members of that church on Rosemary St., and that record I shared for James Ferguson's baptism in the same parish...it might be a match. I do not trust many Ancestry dates because many folks just take what others have posted without proof. 

    Interesting that a number of Ancestry trees do not have Alithea's brother John on them given that obituary notice for her.

    How wonderful your went to the peace march!

    Regards,

     

    Carolyn

    Thursday 10th Aug 2023, 07:03PM
  • Good Morning Carolyn,

    I have attached a copy of Elizabeth Boyle's will where the beneficiaries are named as nephew John Boyle Brownrigg and niece Alithea Brownrigg also a transcript of a deed between the trustees of Elizabeth Boyle's estate and James Ferguson, saying that and James Ferguson he would pay John Boyle Brownrigg £400 if after the marriage Alithea dies before the age of 22.

    I think it may be significant that Wheaton Bradish is one of the executors. He was married to Isabella Lyndon a grand daughter of Henry Brownrigg of Wingfield. Can you see my Ancestry tree? It is called Mackey Hilliard.

    I am sorry for the confusion we went on a tourist walking tour of Belfast lead by an Arthur Magee talking about the peace walls and the troubles. We had to walk quickly but not a march!

    Peter

    Sworddancer

    Friday 11th Aug 2023, 07:21AM
  • Hi Peter,

    Yes, I saw your Ancestry tree as well as numerous others. Have you ever reached out to Mary Tusa (Tusa Family Tree) on Ancestry to get her input...she has Henry Brownwigg as Alithea's father, but no record. Also, her tree does not have the info. on John Boyle and Elizabeth Boyle like yours does....probably why you have Boyle for her mother while she has Hill.  

    Have you uploaded your DNA kit number to gedmatch.com yet? That will give you DNA matches to people all over the world who have also uploaded their kit number. It's very easy to do. 

    Also, on that transcript of the marriage deed, at the bottom it says John Brumrigg's (1729-1792) Jamaican will...is that just a typo?

    Regards,

    Carolyn

    Friday 11th Aug 2023, 10:48PM
  • Attached Files

    Hi Carolyn,

    The frustration with Ancestry and the copy and paste culture. (I do have to be careful here as I do this myself when adding siblings and searching around my tree!).

    Alithea Maria Hill (1710 - 1777) is not the mother of Alithea Maria Brownrigg (1764-1843).

    • AMH an heiress married Phineas Bowles 1724 and after marries Henry Brownrigg in 1757
    • AMB’s dates 1764-1843 are confirmed by her obituary in the Bible Christian and by the inscription on a monument in Ballyclare erected by William Bruce Ferguson.
    • The obituary in the Bible Christian refers to her Brother Major John Boyle Brownrigg who died in 1804 in India.
    • Pg 42 of the Betham documents confirm that AMB and JBB are the niece and nephew of one Elizabeth Boyle Spinster who died in Dublin in 1778. The implication being that AMB and JBB’s mother was a Boyle.
    • Assuming that AMH dates are correct she would have been 14 years old when she married Phineas Bowles and an unlikely 54 when AMB was born. I am not certain of JBBs dates.
    • The Cases in Chancery says that when AMH died in October 1777. Richard Bowles was her only surviving son.
    • Henry Brownrigg’s will (per Bowles of Canada and their Roots) leaves his estate to Richard Bowles (above) and Thomas Brownrigg the son of John Brownrigg his brother.

    There is a John Brownrigg  1729-1792 whose Jamaica will mentions Wheaton Bradish who happens to be one of the Executors of Elizabeth Boyle's will. I attach a transcript.

    My bet is that AMB was named for AMH an aunt but how it hangs together I need a paper evidence, a will, a Brownrigg Boyle marriage, or a baptism for AMB or her brother JBB.

    Thanks again for your help

    Peter

     

    Sworddancer

    Sunday 13th Aug 2023, 09:58AM

Post Reply