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William Watton
Early 1820s - ????
William was Calum's and Jamie's great great great great great grandfather.
Little is currently known of William. There is a possibility that he may be the
son of an Alexander Watton, who died in the barony of Coleraine on Thursday, November 3rd 1859, at Carnglass,
aged 79. This has yet to be proven.
In his son William's wedding entry in the Coleraine register of 1867, William
senior is listed as a weaver. It is assumed that he was from Coleraine in County Derry, Ireland, but that is solely based
on this being the location of his son in 1867. If William junior was still living at home by the time of his wedding, this
would mean that his father was living in the Castletoodry district of the town.
Although the 1841 to 1891 census records for Ireland by and large no longer exist, we are extremely
lucky in that a fragment of the 1831 census for Ireland, covering the Barony of Coleraine does exist, and is held at the Public
Records Office for Northern Ireland, on microfilms MIC/5A/5 and MIC/5A/6. Not only that, but this census actually listed individual
male members of the community, not the norm for the UK census at that time. Having checked the roll at PRONI for Watton members
in Coleraine, Ballysally, Killowen, Ballyrashane and Ballyaughran, and other districts on MIC/5A/6 in February 2006, not a
single member of the Watton family could be found. Due to a lack of time, the other roll has yet to be checked, in particular
for the area of Ballymoney, where it is known that another major grouping of Wattons was based in the second half of
the 19th Century. But it would certainly seem at this stage that our branch of the Wattons did not reach Coleraine until
after 1831.
William married prior to 1846, although his wife's name is not as yet known. One
very strong possibility is that he may be the William Watton whose wife Elizabeth died on March 6th 1859,
at Ballyboggy, as noted in the Coleraine Chronicle on the 26th. This Elizabeth was 47 years of age at death, placing her birth
in approximately 1812. The same William seems to have remarried at Ballyrashane Presbyterian Church on March 1st 1861, to
a Miss Elizabeth Shaw, with both parties originating from Ballyboggie (sic), and married by the Reverend
John Alexander. Again, the event was recorded in the Coleraine Chronicle on the 9th. William is noted here as William, senior
- obviously indicating a William junior!!! This would certainly tie in with what we already know.
Equally of interest is the presence of a spirit dealer called William Watton in Coleraine's Society
Street, as noted in the 1846 Slater's Commercial Directory for Ireland. Could this be the same William Watton later noted
as a weaver?
However, all that is conclusively known for definite is that William and his
wife had at least three children:
CHILDREN of WILLIAM WATTON and (UNKNOWN):
William Watton
b: 1846 approx
William was Calum's and Jamie's great great great great grandfather - see
below.
Sarah Watton
b: 18??
All that is currently known about Sarah is that she was from Coleraine
and that she sadly died of facial cancer, as recalled by her great niece, Georgina Watton.
(Unknown) Watton
b: 18??
This sister of William emigrated at some stage to Canada, and was able to put up her great niece Martha
Watton when she also emigrated to Canada at a later date (again as recalled by Georgina Watton).
Mary Jane Watton - unconfirmed
b: 18??
This Mary Jane Watton was married in Coleraine Civil Registar's Office on Dec 4th 1873 to Isaih
Leighton (Emerald Ancestors website). The fact that William Watton, born 1846, named one of his
daughetrs Mary Jane Watton suggests that this Mary Jane was his sister, but for the moment this fact remains unconfirmed.
William Watton
1846 approx - 1947 approx
William Watton was Calum's and Jamie's great
great great great grandfather.
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| William's signature from September 1868 |
It is known that William was from the town of
Coleraine in County Londonderry, Ireland, from the Castletoodry district in the parish of Killowen. It
is not yet known when he was born, as his wedding certificate entry simply lists him as being of full age. At the time
of his wedding, his wife was listed as 20 years of age, and if he was close to her age, that would place his birth in 1846
approximately. It is believed that William was Church of Ireland by religion.
William married 20 year old servant, Elizabeth (Eliza)
Jane McLaughlin, on December 7th 1867, in the registry office of Coleraine. Eliza was from the same parish, but from the town's
Waterside district. Because Eliza was under the age of 21, she had to obtain a special license for the wedding from the registrar,
William Young. The witnesses to the marriage were William McLaughlin (a relative of Eliza) and Robert Mitchell. At the time
of the wedding, William was working as a labourer.
No sooner had the couple married than they decided
to cross the Irish Sea and make their way to Greenock, in Renfrewshire, Scotland, where William took up work as a railway
labourer. Greenock had one of the highest concentrations of immigrant Irish labour in Scotland at that time, and was
crying out for cheap labour due to the rapid expansion of the Scottish rail network. In September 1868, the couple's first
child, John Watten, was born in the town at their home of 25 Charles Street, but tragedy befell them when
only seven weeks later, John died of bronchitis.
Perhaps traumatised by the death of their first child,
William and his wife did not remain in Scotland long, and by December 21st 1869, they are to be found back in Coleraine,
Co. Londonderry, Ireland, where their second child, Anne, was born. At this stage, William was still a labourer,
and the family were resident in Balinteer, in the Articlave district of the town.
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| Agherton St John the Baptist Church of Ireland |
The family continued to expand with the further addition
of William, Cochrane, Helena and Eliza. By 1877, the family were living
in nearby Portstewart, Co. Londonderry, just a couple of miles from Coleraine. They attended Agherton Church of Ireland, where all the children were subsequently baptised.
It seems that William was a jack of all trades, as
by 1872, he is listed in his son Cochrane's birth entry as a servant, but when Cochrane himself got married in 1900, William
was at this stage listed as a gardener. He would appear to have moved to Belfast in approximately 1898, as the Belfast and
Ulster Street Directories for 1899 and 1900 list him as living at 8 Ilchester Street in the city, with his occupation again
noted as a gardener. In his daughter Eliza's wedding register entry in September 1903, William is further listed as a coachman.
The most curious thing about William is that he appears to have changed his suname to STEEN during
his lifetime, and then just prior to his death legally changed it back. The following article in the Belfast Gazette outlines
the latter, dated 25 FEB 1944 (p.3):
TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN
I, WILLIAM WATTON, now of 18 Joseph Street, in the County of the City of
Belfast, Press Operator, formerly residing at 124 McTier Street, in the said County of the City of Belfast, and
commonly known and called by the name of William Steen, hereby give notice that I intend to resume as from the date hereof
my correct legal name of William Watton, and henceforth upon all occasions and at all times and in all deeds and documents,
writings and correspondenceto sign, use and be called and known by the name of William Watton instead of my present name of
William Steen and that in future my proper address will be William Watton and that of my wife will be Eliza Jane Watton. In
witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed by correct legal name of William Watton this twenty fifth day of January, One thousand
nine hundred and forty-four,
Signed by the said William Watton in presence of:-
Anthony Lunn, Solr.,
137 Victoria Street, Belfast
WILLIAM WATTON
Quite why William went by the name STEEN, and for how long, is a mystery just
now.
According to William's granddaughter Georgina Watton, William
eventually died at the age of 101, placing this at approximately 1947, give or take a year. It is not yet known whether
there were any further children.
CHILDREN of WILLIAM WATTON and ELIZABETH McLAUGHLIN:
{1} John Watten
b: 27/9/1868 d: 14/11/1868
John was born at 6am on September 27th 1868 at 25 Charles Street, Greenock,
Renfrewshire, Scotland. His father was listed as present at the birth, and he informed the Greenock registrar, Robert A. Baird, on
the following day. John's mother was listed as Elizabeth on the birth entry (GROS:1868/564/03/938).
Sadly, John never made it into childhood. Just seven weeks after he was born, he contracted
bronchitis, from which he died at 2.30am on November 14th 1868, at 25 Charles Street, Greenock. His father, who informed the
registrar on the same day, was again listed as a railway labourer, whilst his mother's name was erroneously spelt as Elizabeth
McLachlan (GROS:1868/564/03/747).
{2} Anne Watten
b: 21/12/1869 d: ????
Anne was born in Balinteer in the district of Articlave, Coleraine, Co.
Londonderry, Ireland, on December 21st 1869. Her father, incorrectly spelt as William Watten, informed the registrar
on the 30th (GRONI:Articlave, Coleraine, Bk 2,#326).
{3} William Watton
b: 16/12/1871
William was born in Co. Londonderry, Ireland. It is believed that he may
have died in infancy, as a brother, also called William, was later born in 1883.
{4} Cochrane McLaughlin Watton
b: 13/11/1872 d: 19??
Calum's and Jamie's great great great grandfather - see
below.
{5} Eliza Watton
b: 1875 d: 1946
Eliza was born in Coleraine, Co.Londonderry, Ireland, in
1875.
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| Alfred Christie, husband to Eliza Watton |
At the turn of the 20th century Eliza moved to Scotland, and on September
2nd 1903 married 29 year old Alfred Christie, an ironmonger's assistant, in Victoria Cafe,
Nairn, Nairnshire. Alfred was the son of George Christie, a quarrier, and his wife Ann Airth.
At the time of the wedding, Eliza was living at 3 St Ninian's Road in Nairn, whilst Alfred resided at Burnside Cottage in
nearby Forres. The witnesses to the wedding were Annie Christie and A.H.W.Inuaro (?), with
the minister being the Reverend William Pirie, from Nairn parish. The marriage was registered the following day (GROS:1903/123/00/22).
At the death of their son Alfred in 1911 Eliza and Alfred were listed
as living at 23 Urquhart Street in Forres - the couple in fact stayed their whole lives in Forres.
Alfred predeceased Eliza, who died herself in
her home, Barbies Cottage, Forres, on March 22nd 1946, at 7.35am. The cause of her death was a combination of heart and
gall bladder problems, and was registered at Forres three days later by her son (GROS:1946/137/0/23).
CHILDREN of ELIZA WATTON and ALFRED CHRISTIE:
Annie Watton Christie
b: 23/11/1903 d: 6/5/1966
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| Alfred, Annie, Alexander and Molly, circa 1910 |
Annie was born on November 23rd 1903 at 10.20pm at 1 Tulloch Park in Forres (GROS: 1903/137/120),
with the birth registered on December 8th.
Annie emigrated to Canada and married Charles Kirk, son
of Charles Kidd and Ethel Kirk, in Toronto. From his granddaughter Angela Kirk's website,
the following info on Charles is recorded:
Charles was born to a young single woman who
worked as a servant. Charles had an older sister Jessie and a younger sister Mildred. He was given to the Barnardos Homes
at age 4. He was admitted January 5, 1914. The notes that were taken during his admittance were obtained from the Barnardos
homes and give a brief desciption of Charles family situation at the time. Charles emigrated from England when he was 11 and
was indentured to an Ontario farmer. A book and movie entitled "Little Immigrants" has been written describing the life of
these children. When Charles was an adult he moved to Toronto where he met and married Annie Christie. Together they raised
three children, and the writer (until age 5) who was their grandaughter until Annie's death.
In Toronto, Eliza settled and raised a family with Charles. She eventually passed away on May 6th 1966 in the city, whilst Charles eventually died in 1987.
CHILDREN of ANNIE WATTON CHRISTIE and CHARLES KIRK:
Gerald Kirk
b: 19??
Gerald was born in Toronto, Canada.
Wallace Kirk
b: 19??
Wallace was born in Toronto, Canada.
Joyce Kirk
b: 19??
Joyce was born in Toronto, Canada. She married Roy Powell
at some stage prior to 1959, and had at least one daughter.
CHILDREN of JOYCE KIRK and ROY POWELL:
Angela M. Kirk
b: 8/9/1959
Angela was born in Toronto and was raised by her grandparents Annie and Charles.
She married someone by the surname of Wiebe, and has three children. She currently lives in Salt Spring Island
in British Columbia, Canada.
Through Angela, much has been discovered on the descendants of Eliza Watton,
and for this I am extremely grateful. Angela can be contacted by e-mail at AngelaMKirk@hotmail.com:
CHILDREN of ANGELA KIRK and (UNKNOWN) WIEBE:
Steven Wiebe
b: 19??
Elizabeth Wiebe
b: 19??
Ben Wiebe
b: 19??
Alexander Airth ('Sandy') Christie
b: 26/12/1905
Alexander was born at 23 Urquhart Street in Forres, on December 26th 1905, at
5.45am (GROS: 1906/137/4), with the birth registered on January 12th 1906.
On July 5th 1940, Alexander married Sheila MacDonald, a "motor
omnibus conductress" living at 17 Caroline Street in Bishopmill, Elgin. Sheila was the daughter of Peter MacDonald, a wood
contractor, and Mary Green. The registrar was William Hustwick, and the witnesses were Alex's brother Wilfred (still resident
at Berbice Cottage) and Sheila's sister Norah MacDonald (GROS: 1940/168/2/526).
Eileen Christie
b: 25/10/1911
Eileen was born at 23 Urquhart Street in Forres, on October 25th 1911 at 1.00am,
with the birth registered on the 30th.
Mary ('Molly') Christie
b: 29/7/1907
Mary was born on July 29th 1907 at 5.30am at 23 Urquhart Street in Forres, with
the birth registered on August 15th 1907.
Winnifred Christie & Wilfred Christie (twins)
b: 3/2/1914
Winnifred and Wilfred were born on February 3rd 1914 at Berbice Cottage in Forres.
Winnifred arrived fisrt at 4.15am, with her brother arriving at 5.00am (GROS: 1914/137/17&18).
Little is yet known of Winnifred, but the following has been worked out about
her brother. Wilfred was present at his father's
death on October 28th 1939, and informed the registrar on the 30th (GROS: 1939/137/47).
On July 5th 1940, Wilfred was still living at the family home
of Berbice Cottage in Forres, where he witnessed his brother Alexander's marriage to Sheila MacDonald.
In the following year, it was Wilfred's turn, when he married 29 year old
clerkess Katharine Gallon Reid on August 29th, at Airlie Manse in Forres, with the service being Church
of Scotland in nature. Katharine was the daughter of Daniel Reid, a gardener, and Annie McHardy. At this point, Wilfred is
listed as having been an aero engineer, but he was to eventually become a gas fitter.
Wilfred died at 6.00am on March 30th 1969, at Leanchole Hospital in Forres. He
was 55 years of age, and at the time of his death had been resident at 48 MacDonald Drive in the town.
Wilfred's wife Katharine survived for a further 33 years, eventually passing
away in 2002 in Elgin (GROS: 2002/280/49).
Margaret Christie
b: 24/8/1916
Margaret was born on August 24th 1916 at 6pm, at Berbice Cottage in Forres (GROS:
1916/137/66). The birth was registered on September 5th by her father.
Alfred Christie
b: Jan 1910 d:19/4/1911
Alfred died at 7.30pm on April 19th 1911, in infancy, at the age of 15 months.
He had suffered teething convulsions and pneumonia for four days, as certified by Dr John Adam. His father, Alfred,
informed the registrar in Forres the following day (GROS: 1911/137/0/34).
I have recently found a genealogy website created by Annie Watton Christie's
granddaughter, Angie Kirk, and I am currently trying to contact her for more information. Angie's website
is the Kirk Family History page.
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{6} William Thomas Watton
b: 6/6/1877
Still to be corroborated, but this William is listed on the IGI as having been
born in the parish of Agherton, Coleraine, County Londonderry, and as the son of William Watton and Elizabeth Watton McLoughlin
- obviously miswritten. Believed to have died in infancy.
{7} Helena Watton
b: 21/7/1879
Helena (listed as Lena in the IGI online entry) was born in Atherton, Co. Londonderry,
Ireland. In the 1901 census, she was recorded as staying with her brother Cochrane Watton at 54 Groomsport
Street, Belfast.
In the census, Helena is described as being a member of the Church of Ireland,
able to read and write, and as working in a factory. Her age was incorrectly listed as 20.
On March 27th 1919, Helena married James Murray at the Mariners
Church of Ireland, Shankill, Belfast. From a conversation with Helena's niece, Margaret Payne (nee Watton),
it is known that Murray was a Scotsman from the Seaforth Highlanders. It is also believed that Helena had at
least one son.
Nothing further is as yet known of Helena.
CHILDREN of HELENA WATTON and (UNKNOWN) MURRAY:
(Unknown) Murray
b: 19??
{8} Mary Jane Watton
b: 14/11/1881
Mary Jane was baptised in Agherton Parish Church, Coleraine, County Londonderry.
In 1912, Mary Jane signed the Declaration of Loyalty to the British Crown in Megain Lecture Hall,
in the Pottinger district of east Belfast. At the time, Mary was resident at 44 Chadolly Street (also resident at this address
were a Susan Bulla and an Annie Wightman.)
Mary Jane may have married Hugh Moore on March 19th 1913 at Saint Anne's Church of
Ireland, Shankill, Belfast, as recorded in the index on the Emerald Ancestors website, but for the moment it remains unconfirmed
as to whether this is our Mary Jane.
{9} William Reid Watton
b: 20/12/1883
William was born on December 12th 1883 and then baptised in Agherton Parish Church,
Coleraine, County Londonderry.
In his youth, William moved to England to become an apprentice jockey at Marshs,
Newmarket, whilst the future King Edward VII was still just the Prince of Wales. From a letter written by William
in 1897, at Newmarket, it is known that he won his first Derby by riding a horse called "Perinnions". It is also known that
William used to exercise horses, and that he was known to famous jockeys such as Steve Donahue, Todd Sloan and Fred Archer.
William returned to Ireland shortly after and was refused leave to return to
England by his parents, for reasons unknown. He recalled in 1898 going to see a play in the Old Royal Victoria Theatre on
Arthur Street, Castle Lane, Belfast, entitled "The Diver's Luck" (first published on 17 Sept 1888 in Dublin), about the sinking
of the Great Eastern Steamship, at that time in Belfast.
William also noted that an attempt had been made to poison a group of Enniskillen
Dragoons stationed in Percy Street, Belfast. Riots broke out between Protestant and Catholic gangs in the aftermath.
He also recalled the presence of the old sailing ships in Belfast, and recalled
being told of the ship "Knockommnis" which had sunk at Black Rock, Portstewart in December 1883, the year of his birth.
At some stage between 1906 and 1909, William married Ballymoney girl Maggie
McCollum (13/6/1887 - 8/7/1975), daughter of Robert and Ellen McCollum. it is believed
in Belfast.
William took up work as young man at the Harland and Wolfe shipyard, and worked
on the Titanic with his brother Cochrane, though unlike Cochrane, who was a painter, William worked
as a riveter. The ship launched in 1912, and William must have been devastated to learn of the ship's fate upon her maiden
voyage to New York.
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| William's signature in 1912 |
On September 28th 1912, aka "Ulster Day", both William and Maggie pledged
their loyalty to the British Crown. William signed the Ulster Covenant at York Street Lecture Hall, whilst Maggie
signed the Declaration of Loyalty at York Street Presbyterian Church.
At the time of the event, both William and Maggie were living at 4 Ambrose Street in east Belfast.
The purpose of the Covenant and Declaration was to show unionist contempt for the Liberal idea of a Home Rule government which
would potentially weaken the position of the Protestant Ascendancy. Protestants were the minority religious grouping
in Ireland, although by far the majority in the province of Ulster. Their fear was of a self governing country with Roman
Catholicism imposed as the state religion - "Home Rule is Rome Rule" was the slogan. Little did William and Maggie realise
that their loyalty to the Crown and nationalist opposition to remaining in the United Kingdom would lead to the island of
Ireland being torn apart by partition some ten years later...
William's daughter Margaret recalls about her father that he couldn't hold his drink if his life
depended on it, with one bottle of Guinness able to put him out! And William's
grandson Trevor Rowan also recalls how his grandfather was was nicknamed "Wee Willy Watton" as he was only 5'3", although
very strong, and that he was a dead ringer for the cartoon character Popeye, who also smoked a pipe!
William eventually died on June 6th 1972, in Belfast. In his later years
he looked after a river for the council at Sunnyhill, near Cavehill in the city. after he passed away, his widow Maggie
survived for three more years, eventually passing away herself in Belfast on July 8th 1975.
CHILDREN of WILLIAM WATTON and MAGGIE McCOLLUM:
(1) William Reid Watton
b: 29/6/1909
William married Louisa and had two sons. The couple later
divorced, and it is not yet known with whom the children went, although it was most likely Louisa.
William remarried to Hannah Caughey on April 1st, 1929,
at St. Stephen's Church, Belfast. Hannah had previously had a son, Jimmy, by a local youth who
had succumbed to cancer before they where able to marry. William appears to have taken Jimmy in for a while, and the couple
went on to have their own daughter, Margaret, known colloquially as Peggy.
The marriage was not to last however, the couple having separated by 1936. Hannah
struck up a relationship with a gentleman called Francis Walker, and in 1936 had her first child with him,
Robert Walker. She then went on to have a further twelve children with Francis - these were Edward
and Elizabeth (1937); Jane (1939); Alice (1940); Sarah (1942);
Daniel and Dennis (1945); Alan (1948); Roy (1949); Gordon
and Geoffrey (1951), and Annie (1955). Hannah eventually married Francis Walker on July
24th 1981 at Stranraer Registry Office in Scotland.
She eventually passed away in Belfast on January 6th 1997.
[Many thanks to Annie Walker's daughter Tracy Davidson, nee
Tully, for providing the above information in December 2005.]
It is not yet known what became of William, or when he died.
CHILDREN of WILLIAM WATTON and LOUISA (UNKNOWN):
(Unknown) Watton
b: 19??
(Unknown) Watton
b: 19??
CHILDREN of WILLIAM WATTON and HANNAH CAUGHEY:
Margaret (Peggy) Watton
b: 18/6/1930
Margaret married Robert Owen on October 6th 1951, and
went on to have two children with him.
Margaret remarried on April 10th 1982 in Toronto, Canada, to Sidney
Arthur Young.
Margaret has since passed away, after having suffered for some time with motor neurone disease.
The date of her death is not yet known.
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