Houghton family

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I assume that Mary Houghton was Church of Ireland. The records for the Church of Ireland parish in Carrigallen were destroyed in the 1922 fire at the Public Records Office and are not available.

Non-Catholic marriages were civilly registered starting in 1845. However, when I searched the free site www.irishgenealogy.ie there was no Mary Houghton marriage record which implies she married Mr. Wilson before 1845. 

The 1857 Griffiths Valuation head of household listing shows four Haughton records including a Charles. Three of the four lived in Cloonboygher townland and likely that is the home place for Mary Houghton.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Roger McDonnell

My grandmother was Elizabeth "Eliza" Houghton from Cloonboygher.    I've spent years researching the Houghton/Haughton families from Cloonboygher.   I am familiar with the family of George Houghton and Anne.   I did not know that they had a daughter named Mary, but I am familiar with other siblings you've listed plus a few more that also settled in Australia.   They also had two daughters, Ellen and Isabella who died in the tragic shipwreck of the Cataraqui while sailing to Australia as assisted immigrants.  You can find their names on the Cataraqui memorial.   My grandmother actually still spoke of this in her later life.  Although she was not alive when the Cataraqui sank, it made a lasting impression on her family.    I'm not sure of the rules in this group.   If you respond to this I'll see what I can do to direct you towards my tree.    

Thank you for writing.

What is the relationship of your grandmother Eliza Houghton to my branch of the Houghtons?

The information I’ve uncovered so far on my Houghton family is that David and Charles Houghton came to Sydney, Australia as Bounty immigrants in 1844; I think their brother, John, had arrived earlier but I haven’t been able to find any details of his arrival. Their two sisters, Eliza and Harriet, arrived in Sydney in 1855 on the Elba Brahe and were noted as general servants from Carrigallen, Co Leitrim, parents George and Anne Houghton deceased. Harriet was a witness at the marriage of her sister (my great great grandmother) Mary to Josiah Slater in Sydney.

I have been looking for many years but can find no details of these Houghtons in Ireland other than what was on Mary’s marriage and death certificates, and I can find no details of Mary’s arrival into Australia either. She was a widow when she married Josiah Slater, previously married to a Mr Wilson with whom she had a daughter but I can find no other details. Mary and Josiah had a son, George, my great grandfather. Mary died in 1876 and was buried at Camperdown cemetery in Sydney.

If you have any further information, I would love to hear from you again.

Greetings

John and David Houghton came to Sydney on the ship Briton in 1844. I haven’t found a shipping record for Charles Houghton that is conclusive. Their sister Jane Houghton and husband James Roberts & family from Ballinamore arrived in Sydney on the Fairlie in 1863. Is it possible that Mary’s daughter was called Arabella? If so, she married Henry Kellett in Sydney in 1870 and they had two surviving sons. One of them,  Harrie Wilson Kellett had an ongoing connection to the Roberts family.

is any more known of George and Ann (Bell) Houghton? Did any of this family stay in Ireland? Are there other siblings not mentioned in these posts?

Thanks 

Feh

Greetings Sue and Faye,

My third great grandfather, William, was one of the brothers of George Houghton.   That makes Mary Houghton my 1st cousin x4 removed.   

I was blessed with a great deal of research done on my branch of the  Houghton family by a relative.   We knew my grandmother was from Cloonboygher townland  as she wrote it in the New Testament given to her when she immigrated to the USA.    He worked with the Leitrim Genealogy Centre which provided him with a great foundation to establish our family in Co Leitrim.   Realistically, we've only been able to trace it back to the late 1700's.   DNA matches point to the Houghton's coming to Ireland from Lancashire, England most likely during the "planting" of Co Leitrim in the 16th century.    My family tree is definitely a work in progress and open to correction.   I have a public tree on Ancestry.com  "PHMLS" .  You are more than welcome to view it.   

What a great find linking your great great grandmother with her sister Harriet!   The treasures are in the details!    Thank you for your information!   I hope you enjoy researching your Houghton's in Cloonboygher.    (As you search in Ireland, you'll find that Houghton is also spelled Haughton, Howten, Hogton, etc.   Cloonboygher is also spelled Clonbeher, Clonboygher, etc.)

Faye, today I found that Arabella's father's name was confirmed in her death records as William Wilson!  Her mother was confirmed as Mary!    There were a few William Wilson's in Carriagllen parish in land records.   Faye, I love how the pieces are coming together!     

Regarding George and Anne; John's immigration records and Jane's wedding marriage records indicate George's death by at least 1844.   It's been a while since I've sorted through all of that but somewhere I believe Anne's death is noted as well as Sue alluded to.   

Anne could possibly be the daughter of George Bell, Cullies Townland, Carriagallen.    He is listed in the Tithe Applotment Books 1834. The only other Bell's were listed in Mohill, Co Leitrim/Co Longford).     George Houghton's parents are unknown to me.   

There are still Houghton/Haughton descendants living in Cloonboygher and 2 nearby townlands and here we are today!    

warmly,

Marylou 

Greetings Faye and Sue,

Have you seen this?   

https://irelandxo.com/ireland-xo/history-and-genealogy/ancestor-databas…

This is your George Houghton.  

Faye, this appears to answer the question about William.    (The only son who did not immigrate to Australia).   He married in and relocated to Mohill,  was a young widower, remarried and immigrated to the United States.   

I do think that his George Houghton's birth year would be better estimated at least 1790 as he would be too young to list in the 1815 tenement maps if born in 1800.  

Thanks for your replies. I’ve just gone back to my records which show the following:

The children of George and Anne Houghton:  Mary (born 1818), Charles (born ?), John (born1823), David (born 1815), Eliza (born 1837), and Harriet (born 1839). I’ll check out the other children mentioned above.

I can find no shipping record of Mary Houghton or Mary Wilson and daughter entering Australia. Mary Wilson (widow) married Josiah Slater (my great great grandfather) in June 1856 in Glebe. Their marriage certificate states that she was a widow from Ireland and her parents were George Houghton and Anne Bell. Harriet Houghton is named as a witness.

My grandmother seemed to think that Mary travelled to Australia with Bishop Barker and his wife who sailed with a contingent of clergy from London to Melbourne on the Mermaid in 1855 and then from Melbourne to Sydney on the Telegraph arriving in May 1855. Mrs Barker was accompanied by four servants, unnamed, so it’s possible Mary was among those.

I’ll also check out the records on Arabella Wilson.

Thank you all for this information. If anyone knows anything more about Mary Houghton / Wilson / Slater, I’d love to know.

Kind regards

sue

Greetings Sue,

I wouldn't be surprised to find that Mary Wilson made that long voyage in some sort of group.   Her sisters Harriet and Elizabeth immigrated together with their brother's residence as their destination.   Her sister's Ellen and Isabella tragically made their long voyage not only with each other, but also 2 other sisters plus another young woman from Carriagllen parish.   Given that Mary was a young widow with a child, one would hope she would have someone to make that long voyage with and would likely go into service when she arrived in Australia.   I hope this brick wall comes down for you soon!    

By the way, do you know anything more about the Barker's?   Maybe their life pre immigration would hold more clues.   

warmly from your distant cousin in the US,

Marylou

Thanks Marylou.  I’ve researched the Barkers’ lives, both pre- and post-immigration, but could find no information on any of their servants so still no confirmed details of Mary and her daughter’s arrival in Australia. But I’ve learned new information in the above posts and I’m thankful for that.

All the best

Sue