North Street, Newry, County Down

North Street, Newry, County Down
North Street, Newry, County Down

Saturday 29 September 2018

Francis Waller Biddulph [1810-1886] in Canada


Francis Waller Biddulph [1810-1886], was the younger brother of Richard Biddulph [1809-1888], sons of Francis Biddulph of Mount Oliver and Mary Steele.  Both emigrated to Canada. A third brother, Nicholas Biddulph, who was born in 1803 and was the eldest son, inherited Fortal and remained in Ireland. Anne, and Elizabeth, their sisters, also remained in Ireland. Anne married Hugh Boyd Wray in 1823. They had one son, Jackson, who died in the Crimea. Elizabeth died unmarried, aged 75.
His aunt, Elizabeth Biddulph, had married Robert Waller of Newport, County Tipperary, in 1806. This would appear to be the origin of his second name.
Francis married Elizabeth Shore [1813-1862].
They had two children, Mary Elizabeth Biddulph born in 1847, and Richard Francis Steele Biddulph born in 1850. Both were born in Canada.

Richard Francis Steele Biddulph married Gertrude Lucy Howell, daughter of Thomas Jones Howell, in London in 1886.
They had four children,
1. Frances Catherine, born in 1887 in Ontario, Canada.
2. Richard Herbert Howell, born on the 14th of October, 1889 in Ontario, Canada, and registered as Richard Allan Biddulph in the Canadian records.  B.Sc., 1912, McGill University, Montreal. He was a chemical engineer. He died at Avion, France, age 27, on the 5th July 1917. [Service No: 487521 Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (Eastern Ontario Regiment) No. 2 Coy.]
He is buried in La Targette British Cemetery, Neuville-Saint-Vaast, Departement du Pas-de-Calais, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France. Plot I.E.3. A photograph of his grave can be found on findagrave.
3. Hubert Waller Steele was born in 1892 in Colborne Street, London, Ontario, Canada, according to a document signed by his sister Frances Catherine Biddulph in Bath, Somerset, England, in 1935.
4. Gertrude Mary, was born in 1895, in Reading, England. Gertrude and one of her brothers travelled to Canada in 1921. In 1935 she was living in Wormley Lodge, Broxbourne, Herefordshire, England.  Gertrude Mary never married. She died in 1992.
Richard and Gertrude had returned to England to live in 10 Castle Crescent, St. Mary’s, Reading, Berkshire, before her birth.  In the 1901 census, Richard was living on his own means.

Francis Waller Biddulph died in Canada in 1886. He is buried in Christ Church Anglican Cemetery, 3424 Glanworth Drive, Glanworth, Westminster Township [Concession 7, lot 18], Middlesex County, Ontario, Canada, together with his wife Elizabeth who died in 1862. The grave stone bears the name Waller Biddulph. 

Richard Biddulph [1809-1888] in Canada


Richard Biddulph [1809-1888] and Francis Waller Biddulph [1810-1886] were brothers, sons of Francis Biddulph of Mount Oliver and Mary Steele.  Both emigrated to Canada. A third brother, Nicholas Biddulph, who was born in 1803 and was the eldest son, inherited Fortal and remained in Ireland. Anne, and Elizabeth, their sisters, also remained in Ireland. Anne married Hugh Boyd Wray in 1823. They had one son, Jackson, who died in the Crimea. Elizabeth died unmarried aged 75.

Ciaran Joseph Reilly[1] describes the difficulties in Ireland at that time:
King’s County was no different than anywhere else on the eve of the Famine in that there was a huge dichotomy between rich and poor, landless and landlord.

Many landlords, for a variety of reasons, were on the verge of bankruptcy even before the Famine. Some estates suffered from the spendthrift nature of their owners or heirs. The Biddulph estate was broken up in 1824 following a litigation case with Robert Waller of Annaghmore which cost over £18,000 and almost bankrupt the latter. The Bernards of Kinnitty, who were much more financially astute, working from an annual rental of over £10,000, purchased the Biddulph’s house at Rathrobin during a time when it was said they “feathered their nests nicely‟. But they still ran into financial difficulty a decade later when they invested heavily in the building of Castlebernard at Kinnitty in 1833.

 The tenants of various es-tates at Ballyboy, gathered in hundreds outside the residences of Mr Biddulph of Rathrobin, Mr Dunne and other gentlemen and then went to Johnstone Stoney in Frankford seeking employment. Amongst their chief concerns was finding employment, threatening that they would “take food by force‟ if their demands were not met.

Richard Biddulph married Catherine Matilda Bates of Northumberland. They had four children, Selina Elizabeth born in 1839, Amelia Maria born in 1843, Richard also born in 1843, was most probably a twin and may have died young, and Catherine Matilda born in 1845.
Richard’s youngest daughter, Catherine Matilda, married John Labatt in St. Paul’s Cathedral. Huron, in 1866. The Labatts had come from Ireland, from Mount Mellick, in County Laois, and were a Huguenot family. They were brewers and Labatt later became the biggest brewery in Canada. Sadly, Catherine died from measles, leaving three very young daughters. John Labatt married again, Elizabeth Lynch, who was Irish and Catholic. They had nine children.
Many of the Labatt family are buried at Woodland, London Cemetery, Middlesex, Ontario including Catherine Matilda. Her grandson John Labatt Scatcherd is buried in France. He died in 1918 and was awarded the Military Cross and Bar.

Richard Biddulph died in Canada in 1888.
On 17th September, at his residence, Wortley House, London, Canada, Richard Steele Buddulph, Esq., JP, younger brother of late Nicholas Biddulph, JP, Congor House, Borrisokane. [Nenagh Guardian 1888]

[1] Land Agents and Estate Management  in King’s County During the  Great  Famine, 1838-53,
by Ciaran Joseph Reilly. Thesis for the degree of PhD., Department of History, NUI, Maynooth.

Wednesday 26 September 2018

John Biddulph [abt 1730 - aft 1773] and Alice Scott [1733 - aft 1773]

 John Biddulph was one of five children of John Biddulph [abt1700 - abt 1739] who had been born in Rathrobin which his brother Francis inherited. He died in 1739, when his children were still minors. 
John is believed to have been in the Army.
Lieutenant John Biddulph to be Captain, vice Don resigned.[1]
He married Alice Scott, the widow of his cousin Nicholas Biddulph, in 1769.
Married. In Limerick, John Biddulph, of this City, Esq., to Mrs Biddulph, relict of Nicholas Biddulph, late of Castle Biddulph, King's County, Esq.[2]
Alice Scott was the daughter of Angel Scott of Cahircon, County Clare, and his wife Katherine Babington. She had married Nicholas Biddulph of Rathrobin and Fortal, the widower of Patience Colley of Stradbally, in 1754. 
Killaloe, Biddulph Nicholas 1754 Scott Alice
Diocesan and Prerogative Marriage License Bonds, 1623-1866.[3]
They had one son, Angel Biddulph, who died in 1769 while still a child. His father, Nicholas, had died previously on the 11th June 1762.
The marriage between John Biddulph and Alice Scott did not last long. They separated in 1773.
Deed of separation of John Bedulph and Alice Scott. 1773.[4]



[1] Hibernian Journal, or Chronicle of Liberty, 24 Jan 1781
[2] Freeman's Journal, Dec 02, 1769
[3] NAI
[4] Registry of Deeds: 296 568 198298

Tuesday 25 September 2018

Mary Anne Biddulph [1769-], Vicarstown, Queen’s County


Mary Anne Biddulph was the second daughter of Francis Biddulph [1727-1806] of Vicarstown, Queen’s County, and Eliza Harrison.
She married John Scott  of Graiguenaskerry, Queen's County, also known as Fisherstown.
He appears as John Scott in the Stradbally Register for 1784.
Married Miss Mary Anne Biddulph, 27 December 1784, Stradbally Parish.[1]
However he is named as William Scott in the Freeman’s Journal of the following month.
Married. At Vicarstown, Queen's-county, William Scott, of Fisherstown, Esq., to Miss Mary Anne Biddulph.[2]




[1] Stradbally Register 1, Leighlin, Queen's County. RCBL
[2] Freeman's Journal, Thur Jan 06, 1785

Monday 24 September 2018

Patience Biddulph [1773 -], Vicarstown, Queen’s County


Patience Biddulph [1773-] was the third surviving daughter of Francis Biddulph [1727-1806] of Vicarstown, Queen’s County, and his wife Eliza Harrison of Leeds. She can be found as Patience Bedulph.[1]
An earlier daughter born in 1771 was also christened Patience, but she died as an infant in 1772. Another daughter, Frances Margaret Sarah Biddulph [1772- 1775] born in 1772, died as a child in 1775.
Patience married Henry Warner Esq., of Kells, in 1801.[2]  Henry Warner is listed as one of the directors of the Grand Canal and River Boyne Companies in The Treble Almanac in 1802 along with Robert Waller, Esq. Robert Waller  married Elizabeth Biddulph in 1806. Elizabeth and Patience were first cousins.
In 1803 Henry Warner is listed in The Treble Almanac as a Barrack Master for the District of Kells by the Ordnance Civil Branch, Barrack Board, Barrack Department Office 22 Merrion Street, Dublin.
Patience and Henry Warner had six children.
Eliza Warner [Abt 1804-1850]. Eliza married the Rev. Edward Nangle [1800-1883], of the Achill Mission, where she spent many difficult years. They had eleven children, five of whom survived. She died in 1850, and is buried near Dugort on Achill Island, County Mayo with six of her children.  Edward Nangle is buried in Deansgrange Cemetery, County Dublin, with his second wife Sarah.
Matilda Patience Warner [1807-1976]. Matilda married the Reverend Thomas Atkinson.
Eleanor Harriet Warner [Abt 1809 - 1830].  Eleanor married John Malam of Norfolk. She died in 1830 and is buried in St. Brigid’s Cemetery, Stillorgan, County Dublin.
In memory of Eleanor Harriet wife the wife of John Malam of the county of Norfolk Esq and daughter of Henry Warner of Merrion Square Esq who died October 4th 1830 in the 21st year of her age.
Patience Grace Warner [1815-1890], who was known as Grace Warner, never married. She died on Achill Island, County Mayo, aged 75. The unnamed beneficiary of Grace's will may have been George Nangle, youngest son of her sister Eliza. George lived for many years in Denbigh Asylum, Wales, where he died in 1895.
Henry Biddulph Warner married Amelia Solomon in Edgbaston, Warwick, in 1832.
 Amelia died in 1847 and is buried in Mount Jerome Cemetery, Dublin.
 Sacred  to the Memory  of  Amelia  wife of  Henry Biddulph Warner Esq  of Dawson Court, County Meath  by birth and by faith a daughter of faithful Abraham  on the 21st of Dec. 1847 aged 40  She departed to be with Christ which is far better  "Come Lord Jesus (-) Amen
Henry subsequently married Ann Cooke, widow of Charles Bradford Lane.
Biddulph Warner.  Biddulph Warner became a writer. One of his novels The Coquette, is still available. Biddulph Warner dedicated it to his cousin Richard Grattan, of Drummin, County Kildare, son of his aunt Elizabeth Biddulph.  Healthy mushrooms: a review of "Checkmate, a Tale; The Coquette" by Biddulph Warner, can be found in The Irish Quarterly Review, Vol. VIII, pp.1421-1440, January 1859.


[1] Betham Genealogical Abstracts.
[2] Prerogative court Patience Biddulph 1801 Warner Henry
Diocesan and Prerogative Marriage License Bonds, 1623-1866. [NAI]