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Transcribed by Wendy Jack, footnoted by Sharon Oddie Brown. December 17, 2003

Beechill Park Ave,
Belfast 8
1.11.1960

 

Dear Mr Wright [1] ,

                You are quite correct. Mrs Bradford [2] and Capt. Gillmer [3] were half-brother and sister. I once promised to send you a pedigree of Mrs Bradford's ancestors, and it is enclosed. It also shows how you are related to the Crozier [4] family.

                Through the Jackson and White [5] family you could also claim relationship with the Chichester-Clark [6] and Clark of Upperlands [7] families.

                An old manuscript in my possession states that William Breakey [8] was a member of the Drumskelt, Co. Monaghan, family. I have been unable to check this statement.

                I am still working on the pedigree, and if I can come across any new facts I will pass them on to you.

                I would be more than grateful if you could, at your leisure, make out a pedigree, giving dates of birth, marriage, and death of Mrs Bradford's descendants. My pedigree is woefully incomplete.

                Yours sincerely,

                                Aiken McClelland [9]

P.S. I can verify the enclosed, if required.


[1] James Francis Wright (1902-1979)
[2] Elizabeth Bradford née Breakey, daughter of William Breakey & Elizabeth Birch
[3] Capt. Gillmer is Eliezer Birch Gillmer (1763-1834) He was an officer in East India Company and fought at Seringapatam.
[4] The Crozier family connection is one I have yet to learn about.
[5] The White family connection, I also know nothing of - although it may be due to Jane WHITE, wife of Jackson CLARK..
[6] Chichester-Clark, ignorance on my part here too.
[7] Clark of Upperlands also signals another area for research - Jackson CLARK will likely be the link. Jackson Clark of Maghera, County Londonderry,was bornabt. 1698,and was a son of John Clark and Jane (nee White). He married in1720, and had 4 sons, 4 daughters. His will was dated 20 Nov 1754.
[8] William Breakey died before 1760
[9] Aiken McClelland. The archives at PRONI include the Aiken McClelland papers D/3815, T/1752, T/2362, T/2046, D/2108, T/2917) These papers include: "research undertaken by Aiken McClelland himself, the majority of which was of a genealogical nature. These include approximately 140 notebooks with information relating to William Johnston of Ballykilbeg, Co. Down, the prominent Orangeman and Conservative M.P. for Belfast, 1868-1878, the Rev. David Stewart, and research into the family trees and background of the Birch and Ledlie families. Other (slightly extraneous) items include: 12 title deeds, legal case papers and wills, dating from 1810 to 1925, relating to William Johnston and his property at Ballykilbeg; transcribed minute books of the Dublin Protestant Association, 1861-1864, of the Greyabbey Graveyard Committee, 1872-1893, and of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland, 1798; and a bundle of 25 typed essays by the writer, Cathal O'Byrne, 1965-1970."

 

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