Thomas Bellingham

edenvale Tamas an Paula Bellingham Homestead Edenvale GV Culmore GV Map Culmore GV Modern Map Culmore GV Aerial View Culmore GVRBs Culmore Thomas Bellingham acquires Plt 5 Edenvale 1910

Thomas was born in 1839.

• Birth Notes

  1901 census = 1841 birth, 1911 census = 1839 birth!!!

Thomas' father was Thomas Bellingham and his mother was (Margaret or Mary) Jane McCart.  His paternal grandparents were Thomas Bellingham and ???? ????. He had three brothers and five sisters, named Francis, John, Robert, Fannie, Hester, Margaret, Mary and Elizabeth.  He was the second youngest of the nine children.  He died at the age of 78 in 1917.

• Death Notes

  AL: I do not recall ever finding the grave of Thomas Bellingham (1917). I do know that his father, Thomas (c. 1794 – 1877) was buried in the churchyard at St Patrick’s, Kilrea but that there is no memorial stone and no records where in the yard he was interred (discussion with rector Oct 2001). I checked all the stones at the Rasharkin C of I and found no Bellingham’s and only Francis’ stone at the Finvoy C of I.
  
  I could find no death record at any of RootsIreland, IrishGenealogy or GRONI.  Nor could I find a death notice at BNA, nor any will at PRONI.
  
  

• General Notes

  Married Georgina McKay on 3rd Sep 1877.  Farmer of Culmore, in the parish of Rasharkin in County Antrim. 
  
  He held Plot 4 in the GV, which at 22 acres was the farm known as Culmore Hill.  Al Luce says he bought Edenvale Farm in 1910 having sold land in the neighbouring townland of Ballymaconnelly.  Edenvale was Plot 5 in the GV, comprising 36/2/25 arps, and the GVRBs show Thomas Bellingham acquiring it ftom John May in 1910.  The GVRBs also show that the farm in Ballymaconnelley, comprising 19/3/20 arps, was only acquired by Thomas Bellingham in 1894 from a William McCook, and then passed to a William Moore in 1910.  Both plots were still held by Thomas Bellingham when the final book ended in 1929, even though Thomas died in 1917.
  
  The GVRBs for Ballaghbeddy show:
  Book 1 - 1864-1866 - no change
  Book 2 - 1867-1885 - In 1884, James Boyd is scored out and is replaced by a Thomas Bellingham (yep!).  There can be little doubt that this is my great grand father.  He would have been the husband of James Boyd's sister's daughter, Rachel Georgina McKay.  Oddly, the house on this plot is scored out and described as "down" in 1883.
  Book 3 - 1884-1897 - Once again, in 1884, James Boyd is scored out and replaced with Thomas Bellingham.  In 1893, Thomas Bellingham is scored out and replaced by Wm Cunningham.  (It is only land in this book, the housd having vanished - we know it was pulled down by 1883, anyway.)
  Book 5 - William Cunningham built a house on the plot in 1900 and it passed to Maria Cunningham.
  
  There are NO Bellinghams in the TAB for Ballymaconnelly. 
  
  1901 Census:
  Residents of a house 4 in Culmore (Killoquin Lower, Antrim)
  Surname    Forename    Age    Sex    Relation to head    Religion    Birthplace    Occupation    Literacy    Irish Language    Marital Status    Specified Illnesses
  Bellingham    Margaret A    18    Female    Daughter    Church of Ireland    Co Antrim    Farmer's Daughter    Read and write    -    Not Married    -
  Bellingham    Lizzie A    13    Female    Daughter    Church of Ireland    Co Antrim    Scholar    Read and write    -    Not Married    -
  Bellingham    Thomas    60    Male    Head of Family    Church of Ireland    Co Antrim    Farmer    Read and write    -    Married    -
  Bellingham    Frank H    2    Male    Son    Church of Ireland    Co Antrim    -    Cannot read    -    Not Married    -
  Bellingham    Hugh A    5    Male    Son    Church of Ireland    Co Antrim    -    Cannot read    -    Not Married    -
  Bellingham    John    9    Male    Son    Church of Ireland    Co Antrim    Scholar    Read and write    -    Not Married    -
  Bellingham    Thomas M    16    Male    Son    Church of Ireland    Co Antrim    Farmer's Son    Read and write    -    Not Married    -
  Bellingham    William J    14    Male    Son    Church of Ireland    Co Antrim    Farmer's Son    Read and write    -    Not Married    -
  Bellingham    Georgina    48    Female    Wife    Church of Ireland    Co Antrim    House Keeper    Read and write    -    Married    -
  
  1911 Census:
  Residents of a house 8 in Culmore (Killoquin, Antrim)
  Surname    Forename    Age    Sex    Relation to head    Religion    Birthplace    Occupation    Literacy    Irish Language    Marital Status    Specified Illnesses    Years Married    Children Born    Children Living
  Bellingham    Thomas    72    Male    Head of Family    Church of Ireland    Co Antrim    Farmer    Read and write    English    Widower    -    -    -    -
  Bellingham    John    19    Male    Son    Church of Ireland    Co Antrim    Farmers Son    Read and write    English    Single    -    -    -    -
  Bellingham    Alexander    15    Male    Son    Church of Ireland    Co Antrim    Farmers Son    Read and write    English    Single    -    -    -    -
  Bellingham    Herbert    11    Male    Son    Church of Ireland    Co Antrim    Scholar    Read and write    English    Single    -    -    -    -
  Bellingham    Elizabeth    23    Female    Daughter    Church of Ireland    Co Antrim    -    Read and write    English    Single    -
  
  In the 1911 census, Edenvale, where Thomas was then living, is described as having 8 outbuildings, including 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 calf house, 1 piggery, 1 fowl house, 1 barn, 1 private house and 1 shed,, a 1st class house with brick walls, slate roof, 7-9 rooms and 7 front windows.
  
  Census shows him as Church of Ireland.
  
  Norman Bellingham's wife, Florrie, insisted in conversation with me at their home in Coleraine on 14/10/2007, in Norman's presence, that Norman's Bellinghams were related to the Bellinghams of Castle Bellingham because Thomas Bellingham, Norman's grandfather, once visited Castle Bellingham and had it pointed out to him that a painting on the wall was the image of him.  It is now family lore that Thomas Bellingham's grandfather (called Thomas Belgium in the TAB) had an affair with a maid and was bought the farm in Culmore so that he could leave the family home.  

Details of Thomas' family with Rachel Georgina [Lisheegan] MacKay