Helen's Family Trees - Jones

Descendants of Catherine JONES

First Generation

1. Catherine JONES was born about 1798 in Co. Kerry. She died 4 Feb 1874 in 7 Holland St., Kensington, London.

Unfortunately nothing is known about the Jones family apart from the fact that they came from Co. Kerry. What is known is that Catherine emigrated from Kerry to England as a young woman. She married Kerry-born Michael Devine but it's not known if they married in Ireland or in London.

The older children of Catherine and Michael were born in the parish of St. Giles-in-the-Fields in London in the late 1820s and early 1830s, prior to the family's move to Kensington in the late 1830s. They were living on Young St. in Kensington in 1839 when their daughter Elizabeth was born; and according to the 1851 census they were living at 2 Market Court, also in Kensington.
Built in the 1770s, Market Court, no longer in existence, was one of a number of slums or 'rookeries' located off the south side of Kensington High St. Young St. is also located off the south side of Kensington High St. and very close to Market Court so it's possible that Young St. too was a slum. There was a high concentration of Irish people living in these Kensington slums, most of which, Market Court included, were eventually demolished in the late 1860s.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, St Giles, where Catherine, Michael and their family lived before they moved to Kensington, became one of the main areas of Irish settlement in London. One of London's most notorious rookeries was located there and was known as 'Little Dublin' and 'The Holy Land' because of the large number of Irish who lived there. Given that the Devine family lived in a slum in Kensington after their move from St. Giles, it seems likely they lived in the rookeries when they lived in St. Giles.

The Jones surname in Ireland comes from settlers who came from Britain especially in the 16th and 17th centuries. The name is common throughout Ireland.
Griffiths Valuation (1847-1864) for Co. Kerry was checked to see where the highest concentration of land occupation by Jones families might have been at the time, thus giving us an idea of where in Kerry Catherine's family might have originated. Sixty two plots of land rented by individuals by the name of Jones are recorded but they're spread quite widely throughout the county in the following parishes:
Listowel area: Listowel, Aghavallen, Duagh, Dysert, Finuge, Kilfeighny, Knockanure
Tralee area: Tralee, Ballincuslane, Ballymacelligott, Castleisland, O'Brennan, Ratass
Dingle area: Ballinvoher,
Killarney area: Kilcolman, Killeentierna, Killorglin
Caherciveen or Killarney area: Glanbehy
Caherciveen, Killarney or Kenmare area: Knockane
Kenmare area: Kilcrohane, Templenoe, Tuosist
Valencia Island.
Most of the above parishes are in north Kerry indicating that Catherine's family may have come from the northern part of the county.

According to her death certificate Catherine died of bronchitis and senile decay. The certificate shows the informant to have been an Ellen Cummins of 7 Holland St. Could Ellen have been a relative?

Catherine married Michael DEVINE, son of 'unknown' DEVINE. Michael was born about 1797 in Co. Kerry. He died 28 Jun 1851 in 2 Market Court, Kensington, London.

According to the birth certificate of his daughter Elizabeth (born 1839) and according to the 1851 census of England, Michael was a shoemaker. On Elizabeth's birth certificate Michael has signed his name with an 'X' indicating that he was unable to read or write.

According to his death certificate Michael died from bronchitis, the duration of which was three weeks.

They had the following children:

2 M i

Michael DEVINE was born about 1829 in St. Giles, London. He died 28 Nov 1873 in 7 Holland St., Kensington, London.

Michael was a shoemaker, like his father.

From the 1871 census of England we know that Michael, aged 40, was unmarried and living at 7 Holland St., Kensington. He was a shoemaker. Listed with him in the census return are his widowed mother, his unmarried brother John, and a widowed aunt, Irish-born Elizabeth Bellinger, 68-year-old retired laundress.

According to his death certificate Michael died from "sudden syncope, natural causes", the word "syncope" meaning a fainting spell, usually related to a temporary insufficient blood flow to the brain, most often occurring when the blood pressure is too low and the heart doesn't pump a normal supply of oxygen to the brain. The certificate states that an inquest was held on 1 December 1873. Michael was only 44 years of age when he died.

In my search for further information on Michael's aunt, Elizabeth Bellinger, I was unsuccessful in determining if she was a sister of Michael's father or his mother but I did come across a General Register Office (GRO) record of a marriage in 1839 of a Charles Bellinger and an Elizabeth Jones (Jones was the maiden name of Michael's mother). There's no information on the record, details of which follow, to suggest that the Elizabeth who married Charles Bellinger was Michael's aunt:

Date of marriage: 9 December 1839
Location: Trinity Church, Marylebone
Ages of bride and groom: "full age"
Profession of groom: carpenter
Residence at time of marriage: 6 Grotto Passage, Marylebone
Groom's father: Thomas Bellenger (sic)
Groom's father's occupation: Carpenter (deceased)
Bride's father: Robert William Jones
Bride's father's occupation: "Gent'n" (meaning "Gentleman"?)
Witnesses: John Bellenger(sic) and Emma Bellenger (sic)

1841 census records have been located for the household of a Charles and Elizabeth Bellenger (sic) in Marylebone - possibly our GRO Charles and Elizabeth - which state that Elizabeth was born in Middlesex, so it's likely the GRO Elizabeth is NOT our Elizabeth Bellinger. For Bellinger/Bellenger researchers here is the full census information:

Address: Little Chesterfield St., Marylebone (no house number provided)
Charles Bellenger, aged 25, occupation "Porter", born in England but not in Middlesex
Elizabeth Bellinger, aged 25, born in Middlesex
Agnes Bellenger, daughter, aged 8 months, born in Middlesex

Interestingly 1861 census records were located for an Elizabeth Bellenger, living in Marylebone and born in Ireland. Full details are:

Address: 14 George St., Marylebone (a "lodging house")
Elizabeth Bellenger, aged 40, widow, occupation "Charwoman", born in Ireland
Agnes Bellenger, daughter, aged 15, servant, born in Marylebone
Catherine Bellenger, daughter, aged 10, scholar, born in Paddington

Although the 14 George St. had about 30 lodgers listed, Elizabeth herself had two lodgers listed as part of her household. This Elizabeth is unlikely to have been our Elizabeth who would have been about 58 years of age at the time of the 1861 census.

Note: The GRO was also checked for marriages between brides by the name of Elizabeth DEVINE and grooms by the name of Bellinger or Bellenger but nothing was found.

+ 3 F ii Agnes DEVINE was born about 1834 and died after 1900.
4 M iii

John DEVINE was born about 1835 in St. Giles, London. He died 27 Oct 1877 in 96 High St., Kensington, London.

According to the 1851 census of England 15-year-old John was a shoemaker. At the time of the 1871 census he was a letter-carrier, unmarried, and appeared to be living with his elder brother Michael at 7 Holland St., Kensington. According to his death certificate John died in 1877 at 96 High St., Kensington which, because we know his sister Agnes moved to this address with her husband sometime between 1871 and 1881, indicates he may have moved in with his sister's family towards the end of his life. John, whose occupation is given on his death certificate as "post office pensioner" died of liver disease and toxaemia. He was only 42 years of age.

5 F iv

Elizabeth DEVINE was born 3 Mar 1839 in 19 Young St., Kensington, London.

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