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Joan & Peter's Genealogical Odyssey

Capt John Spotswood

Captain John Spotswood
1785 - 1859



This site is dedicated to the memory of John George Moore Spotswood, who died in 1996. Through his good-humoured persistence, John was almost single-handedly responsible for searching out the details of about 2000 descendants in Australia of Joan's ancestor, Captain John Spotswood, and his family.

Our search for the genealogy of Spotswoods/Spottswoods/Spottiswoodes in Ireland has led us to compile extracts from the Irish Civil Registers births, deaths, and marriages.  In 2006 made contact with descendants of Jane Elizabeth Spotswood and John Jones living in Canada.  Have a look at Jane's will, and a testimonial given to John Jones when he departed from Melbourne in 1852. More recently we found in the Irish National Archives a copy of the will of Walter Stewart , John Spotswood's maternal grandfather.

(Scroll down to see material on the Boyles of Carlingford and the Hands of Cavan)


Carsluith Castle

Carsluith Castle
Kirkcudbrightshire


Peter is descended from Alexander Brown (1735-1820) of Cumston, Parish of Twynholm, Kirkcudbrightshire. Check out Alexander's 'will'. Family legend has it there were connections with the Browns of Carsluith Castle

Through Alexander's daughter-in-law Margaret Brown (wife of Robert), the family also has connections with Borgue. Margaret's father William Brown was buried in Senwick churchyard. Margaret's mother, Jean Henry was born in Sproat's Plunton.

James, son of Margaret and Robert Brown, married Jane Welsh Montgomery, granddaughter of Andrew Montgomery of Urr.

For some Castle Douglas names, circa 1841 see   Charles Gordon Inventory


The Coatbridge Gaelic Connection
Sunderland 1897

Peter's grandparents, Peter Boyle and Ann Hand grew up and married in Coatbridge. Coatbridge was home to a large Irish community which had migrated there in search of a livelihood given the upheavals in Ireland in the 1870s. Peter Boyle became a professional soccer player, starting his career with Coatbridge Gaelic. He then played for Sunderland in 1897, before being traded to Sheffield United.  The photo shows Sunderland in 1897. He played as an international for Ireland from 1901 to 1904. The Boyle family  came from Carlingford in Co Louth;  Peter Boyle's mother was Julia Donnelly - see Julia's family    Ann's family were from Cootehill in Co Cavan - the Hands - her maternal grandmother was Mary Crosson        

We have been collecting information on Boyles in the Dundalk Registration District from the Irish Civil Records- this is 'work in progress' - the files are not complete. See where we got to Boyle Carlingford Deaths 1864-70  Boyle Marriages 1864-1870 - Boyle Carlingford Births 1864-1878

Some links to other sites -

For the family of  Isabel Jane Lovett, see Paul Matthews Family History

If you have Wreford connections, have a look at John Wreford's site

If you have other roots in Kirkcudbrightshire, the Dumfries and Galloway FHS and the Old Kirkcudbright sites are well worth a visit.

If you have roots in Carlingford, visit Carlingford People

And a link to  our blog

Joan and Peter Brown - Coolum Beach, Queensland, Australia
- email -pandjbemail-web@yahoo.com.au

  Amended: 11 December 2012 -

Visitors - since September 2010