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Thomas Graham
b: abt.1820 - after 1881
Thomas was Calum's and Jamie's great great great great grandfather.
Thomas was from Ireland and was married to Eliza Taylor at some stage prior to 1862.
In an 1850 Belfast street directory, he was listed as a carding master,
and family tradition has it that he had originally been a reelmaster, before being made up to a carding master (a step up the ladder) because he was above average intelligence. He had also
done some teaching because he had appeared to be very clever.
From his daughter Wilhelmina's birth certificate in 1871 it is noted that he was a railing master
resident at 38 Ship Street in the Shankill District of Belfast, Ireland, and was Church of Ireland by religion.
It is known that Thomas, like his sons and grandsons in the shipping industry regularly
travelled across the Irish Sea to look for work in the Barrow in Furness, Liverpool and Belfast. From
the 1881 census for Barrow in Furness, Lancashire, England, Thomas was listed as a 60 year old clerk from Ireland, married
to a 50 year Eliza, also from Ireland. This would place his birth year in either 1820 or 1821.
There were three children present with him at his house at 82 Marsh Street, being Calum's 19 year
old great great great grandfather Edwin Graham, a shipwright, his 16 year old brother William
Graham, also a shipwright, and their 10 year old sister Wilhelmina Graham (RG11/4291/55/p.11).
Thomas and the family regularly worshipped in St. Pauls
Church of Ireland on the York Road, Belfast. It is known that they lived 206 York Street, Belfast 1905 and
possibly also at some point at Brougham Street, off York Road.
From a document now held by Thomas' grandson Brian, concerning a grave purchased by Thomas in 1871,
it is believed that there were further children before these three, and which are listed below. There are probably more, as
these graves obviously indicated just those children who did not survive their early years.
CHILDREN of THOMAS GRAHAM and ELIZA TAYLOR:
i) Albert Graham - unconfirmed
b: 1856 d: 2.12.1871
Albert is listed as a 15 year old child buried by Thomas at Belfast City Cemetery in 1871. Until
a death record is checked however, it is not possible to confirm him as Thomas' son, though it seems likely that he was.
ii) Edwin Graham
b: 1862 d: 1943
Calum's and Jamie's great great great grandfather - see below.
iii) William Graham
b: 18/11/1864 d: after 1881
According to the IGI, William was born at hospital in Belfast on November 11th 1864.
William worked in life as a shipwright, and is located at 82 Marsh Street in Barrow in Furness,
Lancashire, in the 1881 English census (RG11/4291/55/p.11).
iv) Wilhelmina Graham
b: 22/2/1871 d: after 1881
Wilhelmina was born at 38 Ship Street, Belfast, Ireland on February 22nd 1871, and christened
at St. Anne's Church of Ireland in the Shankill by the Reverend Henry Alexander Burrowes on March 31st just a few weeks later.
Her father was listed as Thomas Graham, a railing master, whilst her mother was Eliza Taylor.
Wilhelmina is located as a scholar at 82 Marsh Street in Barrow in Furness, Lancashire, in the
1881 English census (RG11/4291/55/p.11).
It may be that Wilhelmina was the only survivor of twins, as the Emerald Ancestors website lists a female unnamed Graham daughter to Thomas and Eliza born two days after Wilhelmina on the 24th. The fact she
is unnamed may imply that she was stillborn, and therefore not christened. Alternatively, this second child may be Alice
Graham (see below).
v) Alice Graham
b: 1871 d: 8.9.1872
Alice is listed as a 1 year old child buried by Thomas at Belfast City Cemetery in 1871. She
may be the Unnamed Graham listed on the Emerald Ancestors website as born on Feb 24th 1871 in Belfast to
Thomas Graham and Eliza Taylor.
Edwin Graham
1862 - 2/2/1943
Edwin was Calum's and Jamie's great great
great grandfather.
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| Edwin, aged 76, and second wife Sarah Ann, taken in Belfast 1939 at his son Brian's wedding. |
The earliest record discovered so far regarding Edwin is the 1881 census
for Barrow in Furness, England, where he was listed as a 19 year old shipwright living at 82 Marsh Street, the house of his
father Thomas and mother Eliza. Also present were his younger brother William
and sister Wilhelmina (see above).
From Edwin's granddaughter Renee Fisher, it is known
that he regularly travelled from one side of the Irish Sea to the other to take up shipbuilding work at both Belfast and Barrow-in-Furness.
At one stage in his life he also travelled to Boston in the US state of Massachussetts to find work in the shipyards, but
returned after an unknown period away.
Edwin married twice in his lifetime, the first time to Florence
Halliday, just prior to 1883, with whom he had eight sons, and at least one daughter, and possibly two. In 1890
Edwin is listed in the Belfast and Ulster Street Directory as residing at 12 Garden Street in Belfast. The 1892 and 1895 directories
record him at 44 Upper Canning Street, but by 1896 he had relocated with his family to 35 Upper Canning Street.
Family tradition states that Edwin temporarily worked in Maryhill,
Glasgow, in about 1900, and on the Clyde and other shipyards in Scotland, but it is not yet known when he arrived in
the country. He did return to Ireland by 1901, as he is listed in the
Irish census as living at 30 Upper Canning Street in Belfast. The family were still there by January 1905, as that address
was listed by the authorities for Edwin on his daughter Florence's death certificate, she having died tragically at the age
of ten from enteric fever. In 1907, Edwin is recorded as living back at 35 Upper Canning Street in the Belfast
Street Directory, but by the 1910 directory, Edwin is found to have
relocated to 67 Duncairn Gardens.
On September 18th 1911, Edwin's first wife Florence died, leaving him as
a widower. His great niece Renee has grave papers dated September 20th 1911 concerning Florence's burial
in the City Cemetery of Belfast. From Florence's death entry, it is known that the family were still at 67 Duncairn Gardens.
Edwin signed the Ulster Covenant on Saturday, September 28th 1912, also known as "Ulster Day". This
document was signed by almost a quarter of a million adult Protestant men, whilst a further quarter of a million women signed
an equivalent document, a declaration of loyalty to the Crown. Edwin signed the covenant at the North East Unionist Association
Rooms on Brougham Street, in the district of Duncairn. At this time, he was recorded as living at 70 Mountcollyer Street,
just off York Street in North Belfast. His son Ernest also signed the document(PRONI:D1327/3/4339).
The covenant stated:
Covenant:-
BEING CONVINCED in our conscience that Home Rule would be disastrous
to the material well-being of Ulster as well as of the whole of Ireland, subversive to our civil and religious freedom, destructive
of our citizenship, and perilous to the unity of the Empire, we, whose names are under-written, men of Ulster, loyal subjects
of His Gracious Majesty King George V, humbly relying on the God whom our fathers in days of stress and trial confidently
trusted, do hereby pledge ourselves in solemn Covenant, throughout this our time of threatened calamity, to stand by one another
in defending, for ourselves and our children, our cherished position of equal citizenship in the United Kingdom, and in using
all means which may be found necessary to defeat the present conspiracy to set up a Home Rule Parliament in Ireland. And in
the event of such a Parliament being forced upon us, we further solemnly and mutually pledge ourselves to refuse to recognise
its authority. In sure confidence that God will defend the right, we hereto subscribe our names.
And further, we individually declare that we have not already signed
this Covenant.
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| Mountcollyer Street, Belfast - Feb 2006 |
A further member of the Graham family also signed the women's
equivalent to the Covenant, the Declaration of Loyalty, and at the same premises and on the same day. This was Matilda
Graham, and it is believed that this might have been his daughter.
In the 1913 Belfast street directory, Edwin was again listed
at 70 Mountcollyer Street, with his job description given as a riveter, and was almost certainly working at Harland and Wolfe
at this point, like his son, and may therefore have worked in the previous years on the Titanic.
At some stage prior to 1914, Edwin went to Passage West shipyard
in Cork, Ireland, but by 1915 was most definitely living in England again, living at 7 Grey Street in Bootle. He remarried
to a widow and mother of two by the name of Sarah Ann Wilson. Her previous husband, James McLean
Stitt, had died in 1905 aged 29, just a month before her second child had been born. The couple had
married at Saint Patrick's Church of Ireland, Ballymacarrett, Knockbreda, Belfast, on July 6th 1902 (source: Emerald Ancestors website). At the time of James' death, Sarah-Ann was only 23, and was left to bring up her two young
children by herself for the next 10 years.
In 1915 Sarah-Ann sailed with her two small children aged 10 and
8 to Liverpool to be married to Edwin, and was fortunate to reach him alive. On the night
she sailed from Belfast to Liverpool in 1915, the Lusitania was sunk by German U-boats just off the south coast of Ireland
with a huge loss of life. The Lusitania had also been heading
for Liverpool docks.
After joining the Grahams (Edwin and the younger boys, the older boys
being at War) at 7 Grey Street, Bootle, Sarah Ann and Edwin were
married in Liverpool, and shortly after had three children in Bootle.
On July 2nd 1919, Edwin was again listed as a riveter on his son Ernest's
marriage entry in the Belfast register.
The family later returned
to Belfast in approximately 1923/1924, but at this point they were no longer Irish citizens, but Northern Irish citizens,
the island having been partitioned by the British just a couple of years prior to their return.
By this stage, Edwin and Sarah were heavily involved with the Ulster Christian Spiritualist Association, a highly controversial
body at the time with its beliefs in the power of mediums to contact the dead. It may well be that Edwin and Sarah became
interested in the discipline whilst living in England. The following article from the Irish Independent on Wednesday July
28th 1926 records a remarkable occurrence involving Edwin:
Wednesday, July 28th 1926
SPIRITUALISM IN BELFAST
Unusual scenes were witnessed at the Belfast city cemetery at a service
under the auspices Belfast Christian Spiritualists' Association. The service was held around the grave of Mrs M'Dermott, mother
of Mr John M'Dermott, medium of the Association, who died three weeks ago.
Upwards of a hundred Spiritualists were present. Some of them had cameras,
and photographs were taken, as an official stated, of the spirits of the departed friends of those around the grave. The service
was conducted by Mr M'Dermott, and consisted of prayers, singing, and an address.
Mr. Edwin Graham, secretary of the Association, said it was a very hard
thing to obtain spirit photographs, and he added that the plates would be developed in a day or two, and they would then see
if they had been successful. Mrs M'Dermott was a native of Glasgow, but had been in Belfast for the past year.
The story was also covered by Irish Times on the same day, in an almost word for word copy of the above:
Wednesday, July 28th 1926
PHOTOGRAPHING SPIRITS
Remarkable
Service in Belfast Cemetery
Our Belfast correspondent states that unusual scenes were witnessed at
a Service held yesterday at the City Cemetery under the auspices of the local Christian Spiritualists' Association. The Service
took place around the grave of Mrs McDermott, mother of Mr John McDermott, medium of the Association, who died about three
weeks ago. Upwards of a hundred spiritualists, some of them carrying cameras, wre present and during the singing photographs
were taken. Mr McDermott conducted the Service, which consisted of prayer, singing and an address.
Mr. Edwin Graham,
secretary of the Association, explained that the Service was purely evangelical, and that many photographs had been taken
with the object of photographing the spirits of departed friends of persons present at the grave. "It is a very hard thing,"
he added "to obtain spirit photographs". He added that when the photographs were developed, in a day or two, they would know
whether they had succeeded in their object. Mr Graham explained that a special Service for Mrs McDermott had been held previously
in the Hall. She was a native of Glasgow but had been in Belfast for the past year.
However, the Times also
followed up the story in August:
Wednesday 18th August 1926
PHOTOGRAPHS IN A CEMETERY
Belfast Spiritualists Claim
The photographs taken in Belfast City Cemetery during the burial of Mrs McDermaid, wife of
Mr John McDermaid, President of the Ulster Christian Spiritualist Association, with the object of recording the spirit forms
of relatives which were believed to be hovering over the grave, were produced in Belfast last night.
The photographs,
say our Belfast correspondent, are apparently out of focus. They show small white clouds over the people assembled round the
grave. Mr McDermaid claims that in the photographs he can see the spirit forms of three departed relatives. Mr Edwin Graham,
the Secretary of the Association, is convinced that he can see his brother. The Association invites inspection of the photographs.
It should be noted that in July 1926, John McDermott was also prosecuted in Belfast for fraud! The following
is to be found at the Glenravel Family History Project website's Belfast Timeline section:
John McDiarmad, of Ava Street, who is president of the Belfast Christian Spiritualist Association was
charged that he “did pretend to tell fortunes to deceive and impose on his Majesty’s subjects.” He was put
under bail of £10 for his future good behaviour.
Nr was tye story confined to Ireland! In the Manchester Guardian, on the 28th July 1926 (p.9), we get some more detail
about the extraordinary meeting:
SPIRIT PHOTOGRAPH IN CEMETERY
(From our Correspondent)
BELFAST, TUESDAY
The Belfast City Cemetery was the scene of a remarkable incident yesterday.
About one hundred members of the local branch of the Christian Spiritualists' Association gathered round the grave of one
of the members who died three weeks ago, and after a short service a dozen of the Spiritualists produced cameras for the purpose,
they said, of taking photographs of the spirits of the people interred in the graves around. While the cameras clicked hymns
were sung.
In the history section of the current Belfast Christian Spiritualist Association ( http://belfastspiritualistchurch.com/id18.html), the following brief summary is listed, with what is believed to be a reference to Edwin's wife Sarah:
Spiritualism in Northern Ireland started amid the furore of religious and
political activity surrounding the covenant of 1912. Although war was brewing in Europe, a few people in Belfast were quietly
but earnestly seeking another very important aspect of human expression much frowned upon, especially in the intense
atmosphere that prevailed in a country of such deep religious feelings.
In the area of the Custom House steps, renowned for many years as the Speakers
Corner of Belfast, various people gathered to discuss almost every subject under the sun, those few initial pioneers of the
Spiritualist movement - Mr Morrison, Mr Moore, Mr McCormick and Mr Skelton got together to discuss the many aspects surrounding
psychic matters.
They eventually rented a room in Victoria Street to study, practice and
investigate psychic phenomena, thus the Spiritualist movement was born in Belfast and Ireland.
Their little gatherings continued to grow as they merged with similar groups
to become known as the Belfast Spiritualist Alliance, holding regular Sunday meetings aswell as mid-week activities
in a top floor room at 39 High Street.
As interest in Spiritualism spread, they moved first to Chichester Street
and then to Central Hall in Rosemary Street where the group flourished until the property was bombed in the Easter Monday
air raid in 1941.
The Alliance then accepted an invitation from a group meeting at 45 May
Street which was functioning well under the leadership of a truly excellent Medium of high spiritual character, Sarah
Graham.
Edwin eventually died in Belfast on February 2nd 1943, aged 80 years of age, and was buried in the City Cemetery
at plot F2 Class 4, number 145. The plot was previously bought by Sarah Ann for her first husband's (Unknown
Stitt's) funeral on June 23rd 1905, and is shared also by her niece May Greer who died at the age
of just 17 hours. Sarah Ann survived in the city until her own death on November 4th 1967, aged 85, and was also later buried
in ther same plot.
CHILDREN of EDWIN GRAHAM and FLORENCE HALLIDAY:
Thomas Graham
b: 1883 d: 19??
Thomas, or Tom, as he was better known, was an enlisted soldier during
the First World War, and after 1919 is known to have made his way to the United States of America, it is believed to Illinois.
Edward Graham
b: 1885 d: ????
Edward, or Ned, as he was better known, was an enlisted
soldier during the First World War. After the war ended, he came back to Belfast and lived in the York Street and Docks
area. he married and had at least one son.
CHILDREN of EDWARD GRAHAM and UNKNOWN:
Edward Graham
b: 19??
All that is known of Edward is that he was known more colloquially as Eddie.
John Graham
b: 1887 d: 19??
John, or Jack, as he was better known, was an enlisted soldier during the First World
War, and after 1919 is known to have made his way to the United States of America, it is also believed to Illinois.
William Graham
b: 1889 d: 1958/60
Bill grew up to become a plater/boilermaker and worked at Harland and Wolfe.
His brother Brian recalls that he lived at Lilliput Street in Duncairn and was married and had one son, named after himself.
CHILDREN of WILLIAM GRAHAM and (UNKNOWN):
William Graham
b: 19??
William lived in the Braniel Estate in Castlereagh, Northern Ireland.
Ernest Graham
b: 1893 d: ????
Calum's and Jamie's great great grandfather -
see below.
Robert Graham
b: 1895 d: 1935
Robert was born in 1895 and died in 1935 aged 40 years. It is believed
that he married a girl by the name of Brown and that the couple had a daughter. He lived on Dock Street,
Belfast and worked in life as a copper print writing expert.
CHILDREN of ROBERT GRAHAM and (UNKNOWN) BROWN:
(Unknown) Graham
b: 19??
All that is known at present is that this child was female.
Gerald Graham
b: 11/3/1895 d: 19??
Gerald was born on March 11th 1895 in Belfast, County Antrim, Ireland.
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| Gerlad's first ship, HMS Blenheim |
On April 10th 1919 he joined the Royal Navy, spending an initial period
of training at HMS base Vivid II at Devonport, before taking ghis first assignment as a rating on board HMS Blenheim. On June
9th 1920 he was promoted to the role of stoker on board HMS Iron Duke, an occupation he maintained right through the
Second World War until the point when, according to family history, he was captured at Zeebrugge by the Germans
and spent the rest of the war as a POW.
The National Archives in England hold a service card for the first twelve
years of his service, and provide a wealth of information on Gerald's early naval career. He was described as being five foot
five inches in height, with a 35 inch chest, blonde hair and blue eyes, with a scar on his forehead above his nose, and faint
tattoo marks on his hands and arms.
A list of ships on which Gerald served is then listed:
HMS Vivid II base, Devonport - Apr 10th 1919 to May 28th 1919
HMS Egmont - May 29th 1919 to Jan 14th 1920
HMS Iron Duke - Jan 15th 1920 to Mar 8th 1921 (becoming a stoker on June 9th 1920)
HMS Vivid II base, Devonport - Mar 9th 1921 to Aug 14th 1921
HMS Blenheim (Torch) - Aug 15th 1921 to Sept 11th 1921
HMS Diligence - Sept 12th 1921 to Aug 31st 1922
HMS Egmont - Sept 1st 1922 to May 31st 1923
HMS Diligence - June 1st 1923 to June 30th 1923
HMS Egmont - July 1st 1923 to August 12th 1923
HMS Woolwich - Aug 23rd 1923 to Aug 29th 1923
HMS Vivid II base, Devonport - Aug 30th 1923 to Oct 23rd 1923
HMS Glorious (Dartmouth) - Oct 23rd 1923 to Jan 31st 1924
HMS Dartmouth - Feb 1st 1924 to May 27th 1924
HMS Thunderer - May 28th 1924 to Sept 26th 1924
HMS Vivid II base, Devonport - Sept 27th 1924 to Jan 5th 1925
HMS Carysfort - Jan 6th 1925 to Sept 7th 1925
HMS Cornus - Sept 5th 1925 to Jan 5th 1927
HMS Vivid II base, Devonport - Jan 6th 1927 to at least Jan 1st 1929 (when his record was transferred)
There are also listed annual appraisals for his character and ability, recorded on December 31st
of each year between 1919 and 1928. Every one of them records that he had very good character, and his ability from 1921 to
1925 was recorded as 'superior', with 'satisfactory' noted for the other years. He was also paid a war gratuity whilst on
board one of his two tours on HMS Egmont.
Gerald's brother Brian recalls meeting him when
his ship HMS Malaya docked in Bangor Bay in 1936.
Family tradition has it that Gerald married a woman called Ellen (Nellie) Yardley in Litherland on Merseyside, and then returned
to live in the Sydenham area of Belfast. It is not known yet if the couple had any children.
Harold Graham
b: 1903
Harold was born in approximately 1903 and was a member of the Royal
Scots Fusiliers in 1925/26.
From his Scottish death certificate in 1964, it is known that Harold eventually became an assistant
laboratory assistant to the Natural Coal Board and married Sarah Jane Boyd, though not in Scotland as a record
could not be found there for the event. He was resident in Old Cumnock and died at 64 Bryce Avenue at 0.30am on November 28th
1964. His father was listed as Edwin Graham, boilermaker (deceased), and Florence Halliday (deceased). No cause for his death
was listed. The informant to the Cumnock registrar on December 3rd was his daughter Florence Graham, residing
at 46 Bodney Road, Newport, Monmouthshire (GROS:1964/610/A/34).
CHILDREN of HAROLD GRAHAM and SARAH JANE BOYD:
Florence Graham
b: 19??
Florence was resident at 46 Bodney Road, Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales in November 1964, at which
point she visited Scotland to record her father's death in the Cumnock register.
Matilda Graham - unconfirmed
b: 18?? d: ????
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| Matilda Graham's signature in 1912 |
This Matilda Graham signed the Declaration of Loyalty in 1912, and was also resident at the Graham
household of 70 Mountcollyer Street at the same time. It is believed that she was his daughter,
but this remains unconfirmed at present.
CHILDREN of EDWIN GRAHAM and SARAH-ANN
WILSON:
Maureen Graham
b: 1916
Maureen is married to a gentleman by the surname of Cavan, and has two
children. She currenly lives in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
CHILDREN of MAUREEN and (UNKNOWN) CAVAN:
Patricia Cavan
b: 19??
Terence Cavan
b: 19??
Terence currently lives with his family in Carrickfergus, County Antrim, Northern Ireland.
Brian Graham
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