Joseph Oliver and Ellen Tubb

We know that Mary Ellen Oliver (Mrs. John Peacock) was the eldest child of Joseph Oliver and Ellen **Tubb (**from M.E.'s death certificate), and that she was born in Markham, Ontario on February 9, 1858 when her mother was not quite twenty-four years old. Joseph's age fluctuates over the years. In the 1861 census, he stated that he was 4 years older than his wife. By 1891, the age difference was 11 years. Ellen's age was consistent in the census records.

And Mrs. Peacock's obituary states that her parents returned to England after her birth, probably about 1860 before the birth of George. They returned to Canada before the 1871 census was taken in Muskoka, as the family appears as Joseph and Ellen and five children. The census records confirm that all the Oliver children were born in England except Mary Ellen, the eldest, and John, the youngest son who was born May, 1874, and Grace Louise, the youngest daughter who was born in 1880.

Mary Ellen was baptised in England:

Mary Ellen Oliver, daughter of Joseph and Ellen
Born 9 Feb 1858
Baptised - 9 Sept 1860, Inkpen, Berkshire, England
Source: IGI

The 1861 Census for Inkpen, Berkshire provides the following important information:

Address: Great Common - 1 house
Joseph Oliver, head, married, 31, agricultural labourer
b. Calston(e), Wiltshire
Ellen Oliver, wife, 27, born Kintbury, Berkshire
Mary Oliver, daughter, 3, born Canada
George Oliver, son, 8 months, born Inkpen, Berkshire

Joseph and Ellen's third child, Ada Matilda, was baptised in Amesbury, Wiltshire (this is close to Stonehenge). The family probably lived in Wiltshire until they returned to Canada before 1874. The other baptisms in England have not been found.

Ada Matilda Oliver, daughter of Joseph and Ellen
Born 14 Jan 1864
Baptised - 1864 Amesbury, Wiltshire, England
Source: IGI

The TUBB Family
Ellen Tubb (Mrs. Joseph Oliver) was the daugher of George Tubb and Arabella Rosier who were married in Kintbury, Berkshire February 14, 1831. Ellen was baptised in Kintbury on March 16, 1834.

George Tubb was the son of John Tubb and Mary Golding who were married in Kintbury on June 6, 1796. George was baptised in the same place on September 28, 1796.

Arabella Rosier was the daughter of Thomas and Mary Rosier. She was baptised in Kintbury, Berkshire November 2, 1794.

The English Oliver Family
Although we have a place of birth for Joseph Oliver, I have been unable to find his baptism or any other Olivers who might be relatives. It is quite possible that he came with siblings from England. We are not sure if he and Ellen Tubb were married in England or in Canada.

Mary Ellen Peacock - Later Years

John Peacock, the husband of Mary Ellen Oliver, died of heart failure on March 15th, 1914. Mary Ellen had just turned 56 years of age. John had been suffering from cancer for six months. His death was reported by his son, George Peacock.

It is not known if Mary Ellen remained on the farm after her husband's death; however, my mother recalls that she lived on James Street in Bracebridge for awhile, and that some of the daughters had a shop on the main street of the town close to Chancery Lane. Her death certificate states that she lived in Orillia for 19 years before her death in 1935. From this we can estimate that she moved to Orillia about 1916. The farm was not sold until August, 1919.

Mary Ellen's eldest son, Fred, and his wife, Vietta, died in November of 1918 probably as a result of the Spanish flu pandemic. They were survived by three children. The youngest child was under ten at the time of their death. It is not known whose care they were in after 1918.

Mary Ellen would also have been living in Orillia when her brother-in-law, Fred Peacock drowned in April of 1921. His body was identified by Mary Ellen's son, Joseph Peacock of Orillia. It is thought that her daughters Grace McIntyre and Violet Moore were also residents of Orillia.

Death Record for M. Ellen Peacock
(This is the way her names appears in the index)
Province of Ontario, County/District of Simcoe
Residence - 139 Mississauga Street, Orillia
Female, Canadian, Widowed, English origin
Born - February 9, 1858, Markham, Ontario
19 years in Orillia - 77 years in Canada
Died - November 11, 1935 - 77 years, 9 months, 2 days
Housewife, last worked in 1934,
Father - Joseph Oliver, born England
Mother - Mary Ellen Tubb(s), born England
Informant- Joseph Peacock, 230 Harvey St., Orillia
Buried - Falkenburg November 13, 1935
Undertaker - Doolittle, Orillia

Doctor attended April 24th to November 11, 1935
Immediate cause of death - chronic *osteomyelitis of femur
Other morbid condition - anorexia
Surgical Operation - May 4, 1934
Findings - culture _____, hamolytic staphylococcus aureus
No autopsy
Signed - Dr. H.G. Sw_ck, 39 Peter Street N, Orillia


4 Peacock Generations - Mary Ellen Oliver Peacock with her son "Jack" and
his son and grandson.

Possible Thomas PEACOCK

THOMAS PEACOCK
Ballyrashane, CountyLondonderry;
Poor Law Union: Coleraine;
DED: Knockantern.

VAL/12B/30/14A-F.

BOOK 14A – 1860-63.

PLOT - NAME -Immed.Lessor - Descr. Of Holding -Ttl

9j-Thomas Peacock-Andrew Ferguson-House...........10s

BOOK 14B – 1864-80.

9j.........(Thomas Peacock).........Andrew Ferguson
4A+B.....James Stirling...............Andrew Ferguson
9j...........James Stirling...............Andrew Ferguson

(This book was a nightmare to transcribe. Thomas is stroked out of book 14B, and his name is not replaced. He is not listed anywhere else in this book. The holding of 9j is transferred to beside holding 4A+B, and all these are now rented to James Stirling. The enumerator amends this in red pen, dated 1876. Again, this is when he notes the change, not when the change actually happens. )


BOOK 14C – F
The rest of the books state that holding 9j is with 4A+B, and is rented out now to John, Thomas and Andrew Stirling. No further sign of Thomas or any other Peacock in this townland.

Again, this is inconclusive as we know Thomas has lost the holding by 1876, and we see no further sign of him in this townland. Could he have moved to another townland or emigrated.

-Researched by Sandie B./ 2008__________________________________________________

Griffith’s Valuation: Fergusons of County Londonderry
July 16, 1859
Ballyrashane, County Derry
Occupier.................Lessor....................Townland........Parish
Benjamin Stirling.........James Ferguson.....Articrunaght..N. Ballyrashane
William Ferguson........Samuel Laurence....Articrunaght..N. Ballyrashane
Joseph Anderson........William Ferguson....Articrunaght, N. Ballyrashane
Mary Jane Ferguson..Samuel Laurence....Articrunaght,...S. Ballyrashane
Benjamin Stirling........James Ferguson......Articrunaght,.. S. Ballyrashane
Andrew Ferguson.......Mrs. Boyle...............Knocknakeeragh,Ballyrashane
And.Ferguson/John Simpson-Mrs. Boyle-Knocknakeeragh,Ballyrashane
James M'Vetrick........Andrew Ferguson....Knocknakeeragh,Ballyrashane
Thomas Peacock..Andrew Ferguson...Knocknakeeragh,Ballyrashane

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~colin/FergusonsOfIreland/Derry/Griffiths.htm

Provinces of Ireland and Northern Ireland

The Four Provinces
In ancient times, Ireland was divided into provinces, each ruled by a King. These provinces were dynamic and their borders changed all the time. Today, when Irish talk about the provinces of Ireland, they mean Leinster, Ulster, Munster and Connaught. However, historically there were more than 4 provinces: others included Breifne [between Ulster and Connaught], Oriel [around county Armagh] and Meath [the northern half of Leinster]. The map above shows the 4 provinces of Ireland as they currently exist. The borders of these provinces coincide exactly with the county boundaries

Click on title for more information

Modern Map of Derry and Antrim

***************Bartholomew Map of NE Ireland***********
Click on Map to Enlarge
The border between Derry to the west and Antrim to the East is shown with a gray vertical line between Port Rush and Lough Neagh. The River Bann is west of this line.

Griffith's Valuation

"In order to produce the accurate information necessary for local taxation, the Tenement Act of 1842 provided for a uniform valuation of all property in Ireland, to be based on the productive capacity of land and the potential rent of buildings. The man appointed Commissioner of Valuation was Richard Griffith, a Dublin geologist, and the results of his great survey, the Primary Valuation of Ireland, were published between 1848 and 1864." (http://www.failteromhat.com/)

(We have no idea where our Peacock ancestors originated except County Antrim and possibly Derry (side by side). I have 'bolded' the names that are in our Peacock families because it is possible that our Thomas was living on his parent's property.)

Peacocks in Antrim:
*Chesnut, Park, Armoy
Alice, Carnanee, Ballylinny
*Samuel, Roseyards, Ballymoney
Anne, Whiteabbey, Carnmoney
Robert, Moylarg, Craigs
William, Loughmagarry, Craigs (NW of Ballymena)
Mary, Loughmagarry, Craigs
James, Loghmagarry, Craigs
William, Tullaghgarley, Craigs
Samuel, Carnlea, Kirkinriola (NE of Ballymena)
Archibald. Craigywarren, Kirkinriola
Stephen, Craigywarren, Kirkinriola
Henry, Crosshill, Killead
Alexander, Ballyrobin, Killead
Ellen, Ballynadrentagh, Killead
Henry, Ballynadrentagh, Killead
*Hugh, Drumnafivey, Loughguile (E of Ballymoney, S of Armoy)
James, Lisnacrogher, Skerry
Agnes, (Peacocke with an ‘e’)St. Ann’s Ward,Townparks Haldane Street, Shankill
Rebecca, Cromac, Townparks SussexPlace, Shankill
* thought to be three sons of Thomas died 1834

Peacocks in Derry:
William, Highland Row,Coleraine, Coleraine
Samuel, Gateside, Coleraine
John, Gateside, Coleraine
John, Blagh, Coleraine
John Knockantern, Coleraine
Francis, (with an e)Brooke St.,Coleraine, Coleraine
Wiliam, Killure,Macosquin
Thomas, Ballymacilcurr, Maghera
Thomas, (with an e)Ballymacilcurr, Maghera
Oliver, Charity St.,Magherafelt, Magherafelt,
John, Charity St.,Magherafelt, Magherafelt, (SW of Ballymena)
James, Kirkistown, Ballyrashane
Mary, Kirkistown, Ballyrashane
Margaret, Articrunaght South, Ballyrashane
Samuel, Articrunaght South, Ballyrashane
Thomas, Knocknakeeragh, Ballyrashane

Griffith's Valuation 1848–1864

Primary Valuation of Tenements 1848–1864
(click title for source of information)

Of the Irish records available to the genealogical researcher, one of the most useful is the Primary Valuation of Tenements carried out between 1848 and 1864. This listed every property holder in the country, with details of their houses, outbuildings, fields and gardens. The purpose of the vast survey was financial; to estimate the net annual value of every property in Ireland and determine the local taxation rate payable by each householder.

The survey is commonly known as Griffith's Valuation after Sir Richard Griffith who oversaw the work. Griffith, by training an engineer and geologist, was an administrator of exceptional energy.....The Valuation was compiled on a barony basis and further subdivided according to townlands, civil parishes and the electoral divisions of Poor Law Unions.

In the printed version the first column heading is number and letters of reference to map which refers to the location of the tenement on the 6’’ to the mile townland maps. Under the column description of tenement, land and buildings are included, and under the column net annual value, the annual rent expected, including maintenance and taxes and excluding the tithe rent, is given.The basis of Griffith's survey is the townland, the smallest unit of civil administration in the country. Ireland is the only country to have townlands; their origin dates back at least to Anglo-Norman times.

Within each townland is listed the full name of each person holding land with the exact area given in acres, rod, and perches. One rod is equal to a quarter acre which is equal to forty perches. People with land in more than one townland are listed in each and the townlands are arranged alphabetically within their civil parish. Parishes are arranged within their baronies, and baronies are arranged by county.

Of course, with the passage of time, landowners died or bought and sold properties, even during the decade and a half that the survey lasted. In order to keep up with these changes the taxation officials kept manuscript copies of the original valuation books and entered new details as appropriate. They used different colors of ink and tried to preserve them as neatly as possible. Inevitably the books became rather confusing and difficult to read. When the finished books were published the information was as up to date as possible while the old "cancelled" books for individual districts were kept together in bound volumes in the Valuation Office.

Griffith’s Valuation provides detailed information about land tenure, names of lessors and occupiers, their land and buildings. It records the occupier’s name, the extent of his holding, and the immediate landlord who is not necessarily the owner. However, one must bear in mind that it does not carry names of married sons or daughters for example, who may also occupy the dwelling.

The information on towns is equally important, as the individual tenements were arranged according to streets. It is the only general assessment of land values in Ireland.The Valuation represents an impressive undertaking in terms of land survey and the amassing of valuable social and economic data. Its value to those seeking information on their ancestors is obvious, although it goes further by providing a detailed snapshot of Ireland in the years following the Great Famine. In this sense it can be regarded as more than just a taxation survey; it serves also as a census of Ireland during the 1850s, a period of social change when emigration was at prevalent, especially in the west and southwest.

The population of Ireland, which had numbered over eight million in the 1841 census, had been reduced by two million between 1845 and 1850, by a combination of emigration and deaths from starvation and disease.

In succeeding decades this outflow of people continued as landlords cleared people from their estates and more efficient large-scale grazing operations replaced intensive cropping of small holdings. By 1911, the population was just under 4.5 million, a little over half that of 1845. There are many complementary genealogical sources, including church registers, census returns, and tithe applotment books, but Griffith's Valuation retains a special place in the estimation of most researchers, perhaps attributable to its all-Ireland basis.