Sentimental Sunday!

Posted on October 19, 2014 by CJ Murdoch

A Short Life…

Born on 23 Jun 1906 in 41 Cherryville Street, Belfast I had always thought that my paternal grandmother, Lizzie Berry; was the youngest of seven children born to James Berry and Mary Agnes Scott.  It would seem I was wrong…

Berry Family

During my trip back home this summer I was lucky enough to get the burial records for Stoneyford Parish Church.  After hours of transcribing records I discovered a name… Annie Jane Berry!  Annie Jane was buried in the same grave as my paternal great grandparents and my great uncle Berry.  For many years I had known a child was buried in the grave.  Unfortunately no name was attached to previous records I had uncovered, and no living family knew of her .

Stoneyford Church Yard

Annie Jane had a very short life; she was born on 20 Apr 1908 in 41 Cherryville Street.  Records show that her mother was Mary Agnes Berry, formerly Scott; who signed the Registration of Birth with her mark, an “X”, and her father was James Berry, a plumber.

Birth Record - Annie Jane Berry

On 3 Jun 1910, at 41 Cherryville Street, Belfast, Annie Jane passed away just after she turned two.  With her older sister present at her death Annie Jane died from Meningitis (Tubercular).  She had been ill for twenty one days. Her death was registered on 4 May 1908 – this resonated with me as I was born on 4 May… just not 1908!

So, it would seem that Annie Jane was the youngest child of eight and the younger sister of my grandmother Lizzie.  She is interred in the Stoneyford Parish Churchyard with her parents and older brother William.

Berry Family Burials at Stoneyford

The sadness I feel for my great aunt Annie Jane Berry, someone I have never met, someone I didn’t know of until recently; is inexplicable!

“In the end, we’ll all become stories.” – Margaret Attwood

About CJ Murdoch

Looking For "Dead People"! My Journey Back In Time - Tracing my ancestors and researching the counties, cities and towns where they resided. Taking a “Glimpse” into their lives and stories and the times in which they lived; all in an effort to learn about their “Dash”! “I read of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of his friend. He referred to the dates on her tombstone from the beginning – to the end. He noted that first came the date of her birth and spoke of the second with tears, but he said that what mattered most of all was the dash between those years.” I have always been interested in researching my family tree and “hanging out” in cemeteries. Like most of us... I didn't ask enough questions when elderly family were still living. Oh, what I would give for 24 hours and a camera with my ancestors… just to sit and listen! I'm researching many family lines, including: Murdoch, Wilson, Berry, Love, Scott, Beattie/Beatty, Hendren, Sweeney, Robinson and Elvin; just to name a few. My families are predominantly from counties Antrim, Donegal and Londonderry. However, it seems that many of them, both maternal and paternal lines, originally hailed from Co. Donegal. I was born and raised in Northern Ireland and now live in Ottawa, Canada, making frequent trips back home to visit with my family. Of course those visits also include treks to the many burial grounds of my ancestors. My most recent trip back home was during the summer of 2019! Looking forward to August of 2020 when I will return. If you are interested in help tracing your ancestors I’d love to hear from you!
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5 Responses to Sentimental Sunday!

  1. Amy says:
    October 19, 2014 at 10:07 pm

    I think one of the things that has surprised me the most in doing genealogy is how much I feel for people I never knew and who lived so long ago. And the death of children is always upsetting to me.

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    • CJ Murdoch says:
      October 20, 2014 at 6:35 am

      Good morning Amy,
      I agree, when I started this “journey” I hadn’t expected to feel all the emotions that I do. Like you it is the deaths of young children that affect me the most. It seems that in the earlier 1800s it was even more prevalent; and in some of my families there were as many as six children died in the same family. So many of their deaths wouldn’t have happened in this day and age. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. Have a super day!

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  3. Gail Lynn says:
    January 18, 2017 at 3:39 pm

    Hi Amy, My relatives also lived on Cherryville # 13. William Meek & Elizabeth Wilson live there with 5 children, Thomas, Hugh, William, Mary Agnes, James Collins. Also living there was Williams brother Matthew Meek, and his sister Sarah Ann Scott. Sarah was a widow to we believe ,Alexander Scott. Maybe these families are related. I have to go back, but i believe another relative lived on Cherryville also. Gail

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