The Hayes Family History Site

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On Sunday we attended the first  “Beattie Mini-Reunion” in Manhasset, NY at the home of Patricia Celmency, my third cousin.  Myself, my wife Colleen, Philip Jr, Kevin, my brother Jerry and mother Jeanne all headed down to Pat’s house which is just 50 minutes away from mothers house in Katonah, NY.  We arrived at 1 PM and were warmly greeted at the door by Patricia and the rest of her side of the family. In attendance from the John Beattie side of the family were my Moms second cousins Regina Haffey and Angela Dolores Hughes; my third cousins Patricia Clemency, Anne Haffey and Regina O’Connell;  as well as Philip and Kevin’s fourth cousin Kevin Clemency.

It was the most incredible experience.  Although we had never met before, we all started in conversation as if we had known each other since we were born.  It it a very hard experience to describe in writing, but all who were there, agreed that the bloodline must have something to do with it.

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Recently received Marraige Certificates reveal some missing information from the Beattie’s who move to the Birkenhead area.

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This letter has been handed down through the generations and wound up in my mother’s possession.  The envelope that the letter was in was addressed to a Mrs William Russell of Miami, Florida.  Across the top of the envelope, it had “Record of Beattie Family from Edith” written on it.  I don’t know who she is yet, but suspect that she is a descendant of one of the Edith Beattie’s born in Birkenhead.  She also wrote her own notes on the original letter.

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I found a nice map of Historic High Street in Kircudbright, Scotland.

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Finding distant cousin’s most certainly has it’s advantages in genealogy.  After a brief introduction, my newest found Beattie cousin (John, of Toronto, Canada) sent me one of the most exciting things I have seen in quite some time!  Pictures of the gravestone for Eliza Gordon, Robert Bettie and…. drum roll please….David Beattie.  The gravestone overlooks beautiful Kirkcudbright and the River Dee.

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The other day I was contacted by a John Beattie who responded to my online inquiry about Beattie’s in and around the Birkenhead area of England. He confirmed that his grandfather was John Beattie, son of Charles Belford Beattie of Kirkudbright. Charles had moved to Birkenhead, England along with the many of his siblings (see: The Great Beattie Migration to Birkenhead and Liverpool, England). According to English Census records, John was living with Charles in 1901 and was listed as a dock labourer.

Today, John followed up with some very exciting information about the Beattie’s, including pictures of the gravestone belonging to Elizabeth and Robert Beattie in Kirkcudbright I’ll post them separately. The picture also explains another mystery which I will explain when I post those pictures.

John Beattie (b. 1884 in Birkenhead), son of Charles, had three sons; Jack, William, Edward (b. Dec 28 1910); and three daughters; daughters Peggy, Ann and Ivy. All are now deceased. Edward was this John’s father.

This John was born in 1951 in Birkenhead and emigrated to Toronto after he was married in December of 1976. John and his wife Gill had two sons who are living in Toronto also.

The Beattie family keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger.  How exciting!

On March 13, 1954, a Lewis was born…

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I did this photo to movie for Mother’s Day last year using the tools built into my Macintosh.  I have since acquired some new software that allows me even more flexibility to create nice presentations.

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I began researching the Beattie name in depth several months ago.  Since then, there have been several major breakthroughs.  But just today, I put the pieces together that clearly indicate that after the deaths of their parents,  the children of Robert and Eliza Beattie made a mass migration to the Liverpool / Birkenhead area in England.  In the 1911 England Census, there are just over 100 Beattie’s living in Birkenhead.

Below are the details that we know, of as of today. So the Beattie’s of Kirkcudbright are now the Beattie’s of Kirkcudbright, Liverpool and Birkenhead.

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