This is another post about Williams families of Dublin as part of my ongoing search for the father of our great-great grandfather, Richard Williams of 17 Eden Quay and Dundrum. John Williams had died by the time of Richard's wedding in 1847, and nothing further is known about him.
In this post, I'm concentrating on Thomas Williams (1779 - 1858) of Sackville Street who was initially in business with a John Williams.
http://alison-stewart.blogspot.ie/2011/08/richard-williams-and-geraldine-omoore.html
Most of the Williams who contributed in 1827 to the early capital of the fledgling City of Dublin Steam Packet Company were members of the Williams family who founded the company.
The original founder, Charles Wye Williams, paid in £8000, while his brother, Richard Williams of Drumcondra Castle, paid in £8700. Their father was Thomas Williams of Hampton Lodge, Drumcondra, who paid in £5000.
Thomas William's cousin was a London lawyer, John Jeffery Williams whose three eldest sons moved from Holborn to Dublin in the early 19th century, and these three were also listed as shareholders in 1827 - John Dignam Williams, a merchant of Eustace Street, paid in £300; his brother, the banker of Dame Street, Thomas Hutchins Williams, paid £4400, and lawyer William Williams of College Green, who was the youngest of the three brothers, paid in £200.
Their father, John Jeffery Williams, had a second younger family by his second wife, Mary Oliver, one of whom was born in 1812, three years before John Jeffery's premature death, and who was named as Richard - this may or may not be our great-grandfather, who lived at the CDSPCo's Dublin headquarters at 17 Eden Quay, where he worked as the company's bookkeeper. In 1815, the year of his death, John Jeffery Williams had a son, Henry Jeffery Williams, who also worked as a bookkeeper, but I know little more about this man. Our great-great grandfather, the bookkeeper Richard Williams (1812 - 1885) of Eden Quay, married our great-great grandmother, Geraldine O'Moore Creighton (1811 - 1888), in 1847, and named his deceased father as a gentleman named John Williams, who has so far proved elusive.
http://alison-stewart.blogspot.ie/2011/11/john-jeffery-williams-father-of-richard.html
Another of the 1827 shareholders was Thomas Williams of 50 Lower Sackville Street who contributed £200 of capital to the CDSPCo, and who had a circumstantial link to our Richard Williams through his wife.
Our Richard Williams, widower, married spinster Geraldine O'Moore Creighton in the Registrar's Office, Dublin, on 15th June 1847. He was an officer to a public company, ie, CDSPCo, living at 17 Eden Quay, the son of a deceased gentleman, John Williams. Geraldine O'Moore Creighton was the daughter of presbyterian minister, Rev. David Hill Creighton, and was living at 5 Harcourt Terrace. This was the address of her maternal aunt, Louisa Willis (1795 - 1866) , who had married the printer George Allen Proctor (1778 -1848) in St. Peter's, Dublin, on 26th May 1825. Geraldine O'Moore Creighton's mother was Louisa Proctor's sister, Eliza Willis, both Louisa and Eliza being the daughters of the Portarlington schoolmaster, Thomas Willis.
Geraldine's father, Rev. David Hill Creighton, was associated with the Scots Church of Mary Street and with the Presbyterian Church in Bray, just south of Dublin. Both he, and his daughters, also ran a Ladies' Academy in a variety of locations around Dublin, which, following his death in 1866, his three unmarried daughters continued to run in North Great Georges Street.
'Saunders News-Letter' of 2nd March 1835 noted that Mr. Creighton and his daughters were running a Ladies' Academy at 50 Lower Sackville Street, having lately removed from 14 Upper Gardiner Street. 50 Lower Sackville Street was the business premises of Thomas Williams.
Later, the edition of 6th April 1835 advertised the Ladies' Academy at 50 Lower Sackville Street and added that Mr. Creighton had been requested by some ladies to open a summer school in Kingstown, and that enquiries for this could be made to himself, and references could be requested from Mrs. Roe of Sans Souci and Mrs. Ferrier of Willow Park. Both the Roes and the Ferriers were closely associated with the CDSPCo.
'Saunders News-Letter' of 29th August 1836 once again ran the advertisement for the Ladies' Academy of 50 Lower Sackville Street conducted by Mr. Creighton and his daughters. Later, on 11th September 1843, the paper noted that Mr. Creighton had moved his establishment to 9 Westland Row with his daughter.
Saunders of 10th April 1837 noted in an advert that Mr. Creighton and Mr. and Mrs. Newcombe were in attendance at the Ladies' Academy in 1, Foster Place, College Green.
James Ferrier 'of Willoe Park' was a proprietor of the CDSPCo at its inception in the 1820's, and was its chairman in 1840. He was also the treasurer of The Evangelical Society and was involved in fundraising for the 'Free Church of Scotland', the 'Dublin Observer' of 1st March 1834 noting that donations were needed to set up meetingplaces and that subscriptions had already been received from James Ferrier and George Allen Proctor who was Geraldine O'Moore Creighton's uncle and brother-in-law of Rev. David Hill Creighton.
'Saunders News-Letter' of February 1835 reported that a sermon was to be preached on behalf of the schools connected with the Scots Church on Marys Abbey (with an entrance at 132 Capel Street), this being the church associated with David Hill Creighton - in 1829 Rev. Creighton had been instrumental in taking over St. Mary's Abbey, Meetinghouse Lane off Capel Street, Dublin, for the Evangelical Society; his services were 'gratuitous', and he hoped to pay the £50 rent through donations.
As noted earlier, Rev. Creighton and his daughters ran a Ladies' Academy at 50 Lower Sackville Street in the 1830s. 50 Lower Sackville Street was the address of the woollen merchant, Thomas Williams, who had contributed £200 in capital to the fledgling City of Dublin Steam Packet Company. Given that one of the daughters of Rev. David HIll Creighton was Geraldine O' Moore Creighton, and given that she would, in 1847, marry Richard Williams of the CDSPCo, was our Richard Williams related somehow to the merchant Thomas Williams, or were they all merely connected via the Dublin Steam Packet Company or via the Presbyterian Church?
All that is know of the immediate family of our great-great grandfather, Richard Williams, is that he was the son of a John Williams, a gentleman who had died by 1847 when his son married Geraldine O'Moore Creighton in Dublin.
Thomas Williams of 50 Lower Sackville Street began his working life in Dublin alongside a John Williams, and I wondered if this might be the father of our Richard Williams. This is pure conjecture since I have found no definitive link to prove this, but I'll lay out what I know of Thomas (1779 - 1858) and John Williams (died 1813) here nonetheless.
From 'The Dublin Evening Packet and Correspondent' of 28th February 1828, an advertisement for Thomas Williams of 50 Lower Sackville Street confirmed that Thomas Williams was 'himself a native of Wales'. He had been born somewhere in Wales in about 1779, since his Mount Jerome headstone notes that he was 79 when he died at Burnett Avenue, Kingstown, on 14th February 1858.
Saunders Newletter of 20th February 1804 ran an advertisement for John and Thomas Williams, Linen Drapery Warehouse of No. 1 Church Lane, College Green. They held patterns for yeomanry uniforms which could be seen at 21 Little Strand Street; they also engaged in piano tuning and had shop, parlours and houses to let in different parts of Dublin.
Saunders Newsletter of 24th November 1804 announced that John and Thomas Williams were moving from Church Lane to Grafton Street on the corner of Nassau Street.
From 1806, John and Thomas Williams were noted in the street directories at 1, Grafton Street. The National Library in Kildare Street holds a publication of 1805 with an advertisement for them - 'The Welch flannel and linen drapery ware-house, John & Thomas Williams, No.1 Grafton-street, opposite Suffolk-street.'
The London and Country Directory' of 1811 has 'Williams, John and Thomas, linen drapers, flannel and blanket merchants, Grafton St.'
By 1811, Williams & Co. were operating at 1 Grafton Street and 30 Lower Sackville Street. Our Richard Williams was born at this time, in about 1812, although people weren't altogether accurate with their ages in this era. In 1811, Rev. David Hill Creighton was the assistant secretary of the Hibernian Sunday School Society - subscribers included Rev. Thomas Willis of Portarlington, who was Geraldine O'Moore Creighton's uncle, and John Williams of Grafton Street.
An 1811 Report by the Hibernian Sunday School Society again showed up John Williams of Grafton Street as a subscriber, along with Thomas Willis of Portarlington; D.H. Creighton was named as the assistant secretary.
The 'Chester Chronicle' of 26th March 1813 noted the death of this John Williams - 'In Dublin, on the 10th inst., Mr. John Williams of Grafton Street in that city. - He was a native of the Isle of Anglesey, and during a residence of twenty years in Dublin, acquired, by his affable, friendly and truly obliging disposition, the warm esteem and affectionate regard of a numerous circle of acquaintances, by whom he is sincerely and deservedly lamented.'
The above obituary notes that John, and presumably his partner (and relative?) Thomas Williams, arrived in Dublin in about 1793. It was about this time that the sons of lawyer, John Jeffery Williams, arrived in Dublin as merchants.
Following the death of his business partner, Thomas Williams sold off his stock at 1 Grafton Street (Saunders 4th May 1813) and set up in business alone at 30 Sackville Street. The old business had been named as 'Williams & Co'. At this stage he turned from the linen/flannel industry, and took up deliveries via the mailboats crossing the Irish sea.
By 1822, he was noted as 'Agent to the London and Holyhead Packet Parcel office'.
A typical advertisement for the business appeared in the Dublin Evening Mail of 27th February 1828. Thomas Williams would forward, twice daily, goods and parcels by the Holyhead Mail and regularly by the Liverpool, London and Bristol steam packets; parcels would also be delivered to and from the interior of Ireland by the Mail and Day Coaches. Obviously this business would bring him into daily contact with the Dublin Steam Packet Company.
Thomas Williams of 50 Lower Sackville Street, wrote a letter of complaint to the House of Commons in 1823 to highlight the unfair taxation of certain foreign goods imported from Great Britain into Ireland. (House of Commons Papers, Vol.18).
By 1828, Thomas Williams was operating at 50 Lower Sackville Street, where Rev. David Hill Creighton and his daughters would run their academy in the 1830's. It was in 1828 that Thomas Williams of 50 Lower Sackville Street paid in £200 to the CDSPCo.
Saunders Newletter noted in 1837 that Thomas Williams of 50 Lower Sackville Street operated a real Welch (sic) handspun flannel warehouse, the flannel being manufactured at Welch Pool, Wales.
The Dublin Morning Register of 11th October 1837 noted Thomas Williams as a contributor to the 'Suppression of Street Begging' organisation, and gave two addresses for him - along with 50 Lower Sackville Street, there was also 127 Lower Baggot Street.
By 1839 Thomas Williams was also the agent for the National Provident Institution, and, as well as being a wholesale flannel and woollen merchant, is noted as a Welsh flannel merchant.
By 1850, Thomas Williams was still working at 50 Lower Sackville Street but was living in the southern suburbs at 3 Belvidere Terrace, Sandymount Strand.
'Thomas Williams & Co., Parcel Agent to His Excellency the Lord Lieutenant, military and general agents per English and Irish railways, daily, and agents to Stanbury & Co, London.'
‘Williams, Thomas & Co., parcel agents to His Excellency Earl de Grey, military and general agents, and flannel and blanket merchants, 50 Sackville Street Lower.’
Thomas Williams, formerly of Sackville Street, late of Burdett-avenue, Kingstown, Dublin, died 14th February 1858 at Burdett-avenue, and his will was proved by his widow Mary Williams of 16 Burdett-avenue. Thomas Williams was buried in the family plot in Mount Jerome.
His wife, Mary Williams of Corrig Avenue, Kingstown, died 22nd May 1860 at the home of her son in Killucan (Dublin Medical Press of 30th May 1860) and her will was administered by him. Mary Williams (1793 - 1860) was buried in Mount Jerome Cemetery.
Children of Thomas and Mary Williams of Sackville Street:
Thomas Williams' son, the doctor John William Williams, can be seen in the Trinity admission records:
‘Williams, John William, Pen. (Luxembourg School) Oct. 18 1830, aged 14; son of Thomas, Mercator; born Dublin, BA Vern 1835, MA Vern, MB Aest 1839.’
It’s very interesting to see from the above that John William Williams was educated at the Luxembourg School - this was also known as the Feinaigle Institute, a liberal school which aimed to develop independent thinking in its young pupils, and which was supported by the CDSPCo Williams family - the sons of Richard Williams of Drumcondra Castle were educated here, and Richard was on the board of directors of the school.
On Griffiths Valuation of 1854, Thomas William’s son, Dr. John Williams, was leasing a house and land in Killucan; the Medical Bibliography of 1877 also shows up Dr. Thomas J. De Courcy Williams of Killucan, who was John William William’s son. Dr. John William Williams of Killucan died on the 31st dOctober 1889, and his will was administered by his children, John Almericus de Courcy Williams of Killucan, Rev. Sterling William S. de Courcy Williams of Rathconnell Rectory, Killucan, and Thomas John de Courcy Williams of Birmingham.
John William Williams married Emily Letitia de Courcy, the daughter of Rev. Michael de Courcey and Emily Smyth, in 1848 in Drumcree, Westmeath. Her birth on 18th June 1827 was recorded in the Drumcree Church register. She was sister to Michael William de Courcy born 29th September 1822, Nevison de Coury born 7th October 1835 and Anne Alice de Courcy born 16th April 1826.
The Honorable Emily Laetitia Williams, née de Courcy, wife of John William Williams of Killucan, died 29th February 1912, and her will was administered by her sons, John Almericus de Courcy Williams and Rev. Sterling William Sinclair de Courcy Williams.
The children of John William Williams, MD, and Emily Letitia de Courcy were all born in the parish of Killucan, West Meath, and were christened by Emily Letitia’s father, Rev. Michael De Courcey:
Anne Jane Georgina Sinclair Williams, born October 23rd 1863. The Belfast Newsletter of 26th October 1865 noted her death, aged 1 year and 11 months, on 21st October 1865 at Killucan, Westmeath. She was stated to be the eldest child of John William Williams, Fellow Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland.
Son Thomas John De Courcy Williams, born July 19th 1849, was also a surgeon who worked in Birmingham. He died at Christchurch, Hampshire in 1898. The Medical Bibliography of 1877 earlier showed up Dr. Thomas J. De Courcy Williams of Killucan.
Emily Anne de Courcy Williams, born September 5th 1850. She died unmarried in South Dublin in 1940.
John Almericus De Courcy Williams, born July 11th 1855. He married, at Ryde on the Isle of Wight, in 1892, Frideswide Catherine Emily Smyth, daughter of Robert Ralph Smyth of Portlick Castle, Westmeath. From Mount Jerome records online: 'J. A. De.C. WILLIAMS M.D. Killucan who died 21st January 1924, aged 68 years Also FRIDESWIDE his wife who died August 16th 1948 (1856 - 1924).'
Sterling William Sinclair de Courcey Williams, born October 10th 1858. A Church of Ireland minister, in 1901 he was living in Durrow, Tullamore, with his sister, Emily Anne De Courcy Williams. In 1889, he had been Rector of Rathconnell Rectory, Killucan.
Mary Frances Elizabeth de Courcey Williams - this daughter had been born in Westmeath in 1853.
Esther Eleanor Williams (1821 - 1864), daughter of Thomas and Mary Williams of Sackville Street:
On 26th May 1852, Thomas Williams' eldest daughter, Esther Eleanor Williams, married Michael William de Courcy/Courcey, the son of the Rev. Michael de Courcy of Kilcumney, Westmeath, in St. Mary’s, Dublin. The witnesses were Esther Eleanor’s father, Thomas Williams, and her brother, John William Williams. (Limerick and Clare Examiner of 29th May 1853, and Irish Genealogy website.) Rev. Michael de Courcy of Kilcumney, Westmeath, performed the ceremony.
From the Drumcree Church register, viewable on microfilm at the National archives in Bishop Street: 'Michael William, born to Michael and Emily de Coursy (sic), on September 29th 1822.'
(Note: Rev. Michael de Courcy married twice, first to Emily Smyth who died on 21st January 1830 at Gleniden, then in Edinburgh on 7th October 1833 to Mary Anne, second daughter of the late Robert Balgrie Esq., of Midgarty, Sutherlandshire. Mary Anne would die on 17th October 1847 in Kilcumney, Westmeath. Rev. Michael de Courcy died aged 72 in Kilcumney Glebe on 15th May 1860.)
The children of Esther Eleanor Williams and William de Courcy were baptised in the parish of Drumcree/Kilcumney, Co. Westmeath. Two of the births took place at 50 Lower Sackville Street - Saunders Newsletter of 7th March 1853 noted that the lady of Michael William de Courcy had had a stillborn son at 50 Lower Sackville Street, while the Dublin Evening Mail of 3rd March 1854 noted that she had had a daughter there. A son was also born on 4th November 1857 in Kingstown, Co. Dublin - this was wrongly printed by the papers of the day, since it was daughter Esther Emily Anne Jane de Courcy who was born here.
I went through the Kilcumney/Killucan Parish Register in the Archives office on Bishop Street.
Constantine de Courcey was born on May 8th 1855 to William de Courcy Esq. and Esther Eleanor of Kilcumney.
William Nevinson de Courcy was born on August 3rd 1855. (Which doesn't tally with the preceding baby born three months earlier...)
John Sinclair Emile de Courcy was born on November 4th 1857, but the register later records his death - he was buried on March 26th 1858
Esther Emily Anne Jane de Courcy was born on November 4th 1857.
The online archives of Mount Jerome cemetery confirm that Esther Eleanor, wife of M.W. De Courcy and youngest daughter of Thomas Williams, died aged 43 on 27th December 1864.
Anne Jane Williams, daughter of Thomas and Mary Williams of Sackville Street:
Another daughter of Thomas Williams, of 50 Lower Sackville Street, was Anne Jane Williams (1816 - 1843). She married, on 7th July 1835, Thomas Berry, the son of Sterling Berry and Dorothy Winslow of Eglish Castle, King's County.
Anne Jane Berry died at Rathgar, and her husband went on to marry Sarah Alicia Seymour. The children of Thomas Berry and Anne Jane Williams were:
Sterling Thomas Berry, 1837 - 1865, who was in the Mercantile Marine service and who died young in Calcutta.
Mary Frances Berry (1839 - 1907) who married Rev. Thomas Skipton, son of Pitt Skipton of Derry, in 1888. The wedding in Dublin was witnessed by Mary Frances Berry's first cousin, Mary Frances Eliza de Courcy Williams, the daughter of John William Williams MD and Emily Laetitia de Courcy, and by Mary Frances' brother, William Winslow Berry.
John Berry, born 1841.
William Winslow Berry, born 1842. He witnessed his sister's wedding in 1888. He married Zaldah Suzette Fannan, and the couple emigrated to Australia.
Mary Eliza Williams, possible daughter of Thomas and Mary Williams of Sackville Street:
I have isolated Mary Eliza Williams as a possible daughter of Thomas Williams. 'The Oxford Chronicle' of 12th March 1859 noted the marriage in Monkstown Church, Co. Dublin, on 5th March 1859, of Mary Eliza, second daughter of the late Thomas Williams of Dublin and of Connaught Place, Kingstown, to William Vallancy/Vallancey Drury MD of 3 The Crescent, Camden Villas, London. Another marriage notice in a second paper of the day named Mary Eliza as the second surviving daughter of the late Thomas Williams. This makes sense - her sister, Anne Jane Berry, had died in 1843, while her sister, Esther Eleanor de Courcy, wouldn't die until 1864.
William Vallancey Drury MD, later an early homeopathy exponent, and son of an army captain, Charles Chastage John Drury, had married Mary Eliza Williams as his second wife - earlier he had married to Maria Isabella Toomy by whom he had a daughter, Susanna Henrietta Drury, at 9 Lower Merrion Street on 6th April 1846.
Some other John Williams of Dublin:
Our great-great grandfather, Richard Williams, who married Geraldine O'Moore Creighton, at 17 Eden Quay in 1847, was the son of a deceased John Williams. I have found no definite link between our Richard and any other Williams family, other than circumstantial links to the Williams family of the Dublin Steam Packet Company, and to the business premises of the Welsh merchant, Thomas Williams of 50 Lower Sackville Street.
During my search for other John Williams of Dublin, who had died by 1847 when our great-great grandparents married, I came across two other interesting contenders, but have similarly failed to find any plausible link between them and Richard Williams of 17 Eden Quay.
On 8th October 1845, in Howth Church, Elizabeth Georgina Williams of Baldoyle (near Howth), the only daughter of the late John Williams, a merchant, married the Waterford architect, Abraham Denny, then living at Marino Crescent, Clontarf, son of the Waterford merchant, Henry Denny. This family were the ancestors of the present-day Denny meat company. The witnesses to the wedding were architect colleagues of Abraham Denny, William Murray, Henry Murray and John Mallet Williamson. There was also a member of the Williams family, but the signature on the certificate is so illegible that I got nowhere with it...it seems to be something along the lines of M.G. Williams. Given the name of the bride, 'Elizabeth Georgina', this M.G. could stand for George Williams.
Elizabeth Georgina died a few years after this and Abraham remarried.
Elizabeth Georgina's late father was noted as John Williams, formerly of Penrallt, North Wales, and late of this city, ie, Dublin. Penrallt is in Anglesey, so her father might be the John Williams who was the business partner and possible relation of Thomas Williams of 50 Lower Sackville Street. Or perhaps not!
I know of no relationship between our own Richard Williams of Eden Quay and the Denny family.
Another deceased John Williams was the late John Williams of Dublin whose eldest daughter, Anne Williams, married the Liverpool merchant Thomas Simmons in St. Peter's, Dublin, on 13th May 1841; the witnesses were Thomas and William Williams. Thomas Simmons was the son of the Liverpool shipbroker, Gwin Simmons and Mary Lawton or Lawson. Thomas and Annie Simmons were living at Wavertree, Liverpool, when their daughter, Annie Simmons, was baptised in Holy Trinity Church on 4th October 1842.
Following his father's death in July 1837, Thomas Simmons continued in his father's shipbroking business, operating under the name of Gwin and William Simmons, but he himself died on 13th May 1866 at The Elms, Prince's Park, Liverpool.
On 30th November 1866 at Byculla Church, Bombay, John William Orr married Annie, eldest daughter of Thomas Simmons of Liverpool.
On 12th October 1874 in the Cathedral at Bombay, Charles F. Farran of Middle Temple, barrister-at-law, thhird son of George Farran of Belcamp Park, Co. Dublin, married Ethel Kate, second daughter of the late Thomas Simmons of Liverpool.