WALKER BOYLE connections- Karen Dobbie
This page is dedicated to my cousin Karen Dobbie who we first met in 2011 when she visited Edinburgh. Karen and I share the same line back to the Walker/Boyle/Pinkerton/Thomson lines who had settled in Ayrshire. Both Boyles and Pinkertons can be found in various locations of Ireland as well as Scotland and the Walkers are also a clan who were plentiful in the Green Isle but were mostly Ulster Scots. We are actually 3rd cousins and once removed
In 1838 Dromore, in the Parish and Barony of Omagh, was described as a poor town in hilly and bleak country which stretched far around, yet the arable lands were for the most part good. The population of the town was 480 in 1831, and 551 in 1841.
The town was originally built in 1757 when the then Lord of the manor, William Hamilton, of Aughlish House gave a grant of the Townland of Mullinacross, now called Dromore, to two families – Stewart and Humphreys. The town at that time consisted of only four houses. The original name of the townland is derived from an ancient stone cross which formerly stood on the top of the hill overlooking the town, and near to where the Cistercian Abbey was located. This abbey which was destroyed by a fire in 1690 is said to have been built on the site of a nunnery founded by Saint Patrick for Saint Cettumbria, the first Irish female who received the veil from his hands. In the village, still to be seen, are the ivy-clad remains of a Protestant church built in 1694.
Luke Boyle and Betsey McLachlin were married in Paisley, Renfrewshire, on 3rd December 1820. They had a Roman Catholic Ceremony. Luke’s death has remained a mystery. He was last documented in the 1851 Scottish Census. His wife Elizabeth in the 1861 Scottish Census. To date no recorded death of Luke in Scotland. However this death below was found in Ireland and it is a possible match. Still under review
Elizabeth Boyle, She married Henry Brown in Lanark on 15th March 1867.
Henry’s parents were William Brown and Margaret, maiden surname unknown. The Brown family can be traced back another couple of generations to Henry born c 1790 in Lanark.
The 1851 Scottish census finds the Brown family resident in the village of Newarthill in Bothwell, Lanarkshire, Scotland.
By 1861 the Brown family had moved on and now residing in a coal mining community in Hamilton Road, Bothwell, in Lanarkshire. The census tells us that William and his three of his sons, Walter, age 12, George age 14 and Henry age 16 were all employed as coal miners in the colliery. Such a harsh life for all that us living today cannot envisage.http://scottishmining.co.uk/142.html.
William was still mining in 1881 and now at 17 Springbank Row in Shotts in Lanark. His wife Margaret was also with him, but the children had all moved on.
Karen’s line was Barbara Brown. Barbara was born on 14th January 1878 Graystonelee in Dykehead in Shotts in Lanarkshire. She emigrated with her family to Australia when she was just 4 years old. It was on 18th November 1893 that she married Thomas Evans in the town of Katoomba in New South Wales in Australia. They had a son Thomas born 1894, who took on the name of Dobbie after their marriage split up
The Brown\Boyle family left for Australia and arrived in New South Wales where their children would have a chance hopefully that their descendants would find work in other industries and perhaps their lives would not be as harsh as in Scotland with the cold damp weather and very poor living conditions which the working classes had to endure at this time. For this particular branch of the family this was indeed the case.
For whatever reason, unknown to us today Barbara’s marriage failed and she then met the love of her life, Karen’s great-grandfather, James W. Dobbie and they had another three children Jessie 1898, Doris, 1904 and Walter Henry 1908.
Walter Henry born 1908-1978 was our Karen’s grandfather. He married Mary Molly Frances May Talbot 1910-2004.
Their son John William Dobbie was born on 2nd April 1933 Karen also had a brother Scott 1965-1986
The couple married then moved to Australia in 1841 where their large family came along
We now know Elise and she has worked very hard and is self employed in the teaching industry. She resides in Hong Kong and enjoys her hobby, genealogy, with a great passion. Now in 2020 retired back to sydney.
It has enhanced my own life to have met her and to think that we share the same roots. From humble beginnings……
I am actually going tomorrow to visit the location where the Browns all lived in 1841. I have been doing some research which ahs lead me to conclude that Henry Browns grandparents were Henry Brown and Margaret mackie
Hello John and thanks for your three comments, I suppose then that we will also be third cousins. I take the opportunity to welcome you into the family and would love to include you line in the website. I will e.mail you directly.
Helen i am a direct line from Henry and Elizabeth, my dad George erected the plaque at Joadja. Always learning little by little, Robie Walker was a great help. Patricia
Elizabeth Brown is my second great grandmother on my maternal line Her daughter Margaret was my granny’s…Mary Carmichaels mother seeing the name Mackie helps explain why granny had some birth certificates in that name .I am not sure who in the family has them now. Margaret had 5 children…Margaret..Elizabeth..James..Janet and Mary . Janet and Mary were born in Outtrim Victoria..the others in joadja .or woollongong area. I never new of granny having any cousins so it is wonderful to know Elizabeth and Henry had quite a large family.