Week 1 2023 - I would like to meet....

 WEEK 1 – I would like to meet

Over the years there has been many ancestors who have had the “I would like to meet them” comment linked to something I have heard, read or found online about them. However, the main 2 people (I can’t pick 1 as they were a couple) that have always had this comment are Robert Lackey and his wife Mary Jane Jackson – they were my 2nd great grandparents on my paternal line. I have managed to find so much information linked to them over the years but never been able to find a photo.

Robert and Mary are my Irish ancestors. I have Robert with his family in 1851 Ireland, this lists most of his siblings and parents on a census. His parents were James Lackey and Jane Thompson, listed siblings are William, James, George, John, Alexander, Francis and Jane. I can’t locate the 1851 census with Mary on.

I have their marriage certificate of 1866 in Saintfield, and a photo of the church where they were married, and it also believed that the older 2 children who were Irish born were also baptised in the church. I have a photo of the house that Mary and her family lived in in the 1800’s and part of the Jackson linage still live in and own it today. There is also a Bible with names and dates of which the living relative said would send me a copy of but never did - I may re-contact them.

They moved from Ireland to Durham UK in the late 1860’s, the reason for this is not clear or known but many of Roberts brothers and their families also moved to the UK about the same time.

I have them on the 1871 census living at Pittington, Durham, with 3 children, Robert is listed as Boot & Shoemaker. From here they moved to 6 South Street, West Rainton, Durham. This address was the family home until the 1960’s and was known as Lackey’s Yard.

On the 1881 census they are at Lackey’s Yard, 6 South Street, West Rainton with 8 children and 2 nephews – 1 of which was listed as boot & shoe maker. On the 1891 census they are at Lackey’s yard with 9 children with 2 sons as boot & shoe makers. On the 1901 census they are at Lackey’s Yard with 5 children, 1 grandchild and a nephew, 2 sons listed as boot & shoemakers. On the 1911 census they are at a house in Fence houses West Rainton (but other documents state South Street was Fencehouses), with 1 son and 2 grandchildren.  This census caused me some problems as it listed that Robert & Mary had 12 children, this was 2 more than I was aware of. SO I had to set about hunting for births and deaths of children in between census records, which I found.

 I have been and visited the house at West Rainton and had photos sent to me. The house had a huge garden (I have photos of the children playing tennis in it) and part of the yard was used as the workshop for the males of the family under Robert’s supervision as boot & shoe makers. Robert was a master boot & shoe maker and he would have apprentices.

All of the children born in West Rainton were baptised at St Mary’s Church West Rainton, where Robert was a sidesman linked to the church. Robert died 6th November 1917 at his home address, I have a copy of his will and obituary and Mary died at the home address 22 February 1921, both of them are buried in the church yard and I have visited the grave and took the photo attached.  Theirs was in immaculate condition, clean and no weeds and flowers laid on it. I spoke to the vicar of the church and asked who was tending to it as no relatives live nearby. Apparently, Robert left money to the church when he died and it was a condition that the grave was looked after, the rest in the area were dirty and overgrown with weeds.

I have done much research on boot & shoemakers so I have information linked to Robert’s occupation. I have also posted in local forums about the family and many people replied with comments of “I remember my mam/dad taking shoes to them to be repaired” or “they were a lovely family and very well to-do but always had time to speak.”

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