THE CONNELL CONNECTION

After another night of searching the internet and trying to work out who's who! I finally satisfied my curiousity on the Connell Connection....... I've added a slide for ease but here's the hype.

I found marriage, death and census records for Robert Connell and Henry Connell and kept having to go back another generation until I finally established the connecting link in 1861 with Robert and Ann Connell.

Robert and Ann Connell (ms Steven) are on the 1861 Census living in Howie's Square. (see copy of original below).

Howie's Square was also known as Ironwork Square, Galston.

Robert and Ann show they have 2 sons, Henry 19 and Robert 15 and a daughter Mary, aged 9 years.

Henry goes on to marry Annie Grant and they had a son named Robert.

Robert married Susannah Gordon in 1892 in Galston. They settled in Ironwork Square. Susannah's mother was Ellen Batton and her grandfather was the patriach of our family, George Batton (b1807 d1872).

Note that Lizzie Batton is a witness of Susannah and Robert Connell's marriage.

Robert goes on to marry Agnes Brown and they had a son named Henry.

Henry married Lizzie Batton in 1895 in Galston. Lizzie was also a resident of Ironwork Square. Lizzie's father was Andrew Batton (our ancestor) and her grandfather was our patriach George Batton.

Note that Robert Connell is a witness of Henry & Lizzie Connell's marriage.

I think the Batton (and Connell) family lived in a close knit community in Ironwork Square. I'd like to do more research on the Galston area and in particular the mining community.

Our ancestor Andrew Batton moved away from Galston in 1901 - did the pit close? What made him move to Douglas, Lanark. I know Ian & Doreen will be able to let me know the answer since Andrew's son Robert was Doreen's father!

More Irish Batton information

Yes, I'm back. I've been digging around in the websites again and have managed to unearth more Batton information.

Ellen Batton, sister of our relative Andrew Batton, married James Gordon in Saintfield, Co. Down in 1867. They moved to Galston/Riccarton sometime between sons William John being born in Ireland in 1872 and Alexander being born 1876 in Galston.

As their father George Batton died in Newmilns in September 1872 perhaps this was one of the reasons Ellen and her family moved to Scotland. Her brother Samuel was resident in Burnhouse Cottages, Galston at the time of signing George Batton's death certificate. So we know the Batton family were living in the Galston area in September 1872. They don't appear in the Census in 1871.

On the Irish website I was able to find the birth/baptism records for Susannah and William John. They were registered in St Anne's Parish/District in Co. Antrim. Denomination is listed as Church of Ireland. Address for parents shows as Donaghmore, Shankill, Belfast, Co. Antrim.
James Gordon was also born in Ireland but it's a popular name so I need to do more research - his father was also James Gordon and his mother was Kate Hawthorn.

It is interesting to note the naming of the children of Ellen and James
Robert, Alexander, George are names we are associating with the Massey and Batton family.
Ellen's father was George Batton, her grandfather was Alexander Massey and a Robert Massey was a witness at Ellen's marriage. Perhaps Eliza Massey's brother! Still no sign of Eliza Massey. My quest goes on. The Batton family weren's difficult to find after they arrived in Scotland since most of them remained in and around the Galston/Riccarton area.

Ellen Batton and James Gordon had 3 children born in Ireland :-

Robert James Gordon was born on 22nd August 1868 (he died aged 9 years on 13th August 1878 at Muirhouse, Hurlford)
Susannah Gordon was born 19th October 1870 and baptised on 3rd March 1871 (she lived to the ripe old age of 94 and died in 1964). She married Robert Connell in Galston in 1892. Robert died in 1933 at 5 Gauchalland Row, Galston.
William John was born in 29th May 1872 and baptised on 5th July 1872. He was known as John as listed in later Census.

Their children born in Scotland :-

Alexander Gordon was born on 3rd March 1876 at Maxwood Cottages, Galston. (Alexander died on 5th September 1939 at the Infirmary, Kilmarnock, he was 63 years old). His widow was Mary White whom he married in 1901.
George Gordon was born 23rd June 1878 at Muirhouse (he died at 11 weeks old on 6th September 1878, less than a month after his brother Robert).
Robert George Gordon was born on 27th August 1879 at Muirhouse. Named in memory of his brothers Robert and George who had died the previous year.
James Gordon was born on 14th December 1884 at Muirhouse, Hurlford.
Ellen/Helen Gordon born circa 1887/8 - she shows in the 1891 Census living with her father and is 4 years old. In the 1901 Census she is living with her brother in law Robert Connell and sister Susannah at Ironwork Square. Helen is scholar, 13 years old.

1891 Census shows James Gordon living at 3 Ironwork Square with his children Susanna, John, Alexander, James, Ellen and George. Our ancestor Andrew Batton lives at 51 Ironwork Square at the time of the 1891 census. They are neighbours.

1901 Census shows James Gordon living at 19 Ironwork Square with his children James and John, daughter in law Rozina, grandchildren Nellie and James. Also living there is son in law Patrick McCormack. Our ancestor Andrew Batton lives at 10 Ironwork Square at the time of the 1901 census. They are still neighbours!

Ellen (Helen) Batton was only 42 years old when she died on 13th February 1891 at Wellwood, Dunfermline. James Gordon was a Brick Burner and Wellwood was a brickwork in Dunfermline, Fife. Cause of death was Phthisis (tuberculosis).
Ellen's widower James Gordon died of bronchitis on 11th January 1914 at New Portland Row, Hurlford. His death was registered by his son John.