2. Catherine JONES (Robert William ) was born about 1798 in Co. Kerry. She died on 4 Feb 1874 in 7 Holland St., Kensington, London. She was buried on 10 Feb 1874 in Brompton Cemetery, London.

It appears that Catherine and her husband, Michael Devine, emigrated from Ireland (probably from Kerry) to England in the 1820s with at least one child (Daniel). At least three more children were born in the parish of St. Giles-in-the-Fields in London prior to the family's move to Kensington in the late 1830s. They were living at 19 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. The 1961 census tells us that a widowed Catherine was still at 2 Market Court and living with her unmarried sons, Michael and John, and Michael, the 10-year-old son of her other son, Daniel who had probably died by that time. Catherine's occupation at the time of the 1861 census was "Small Shop Keeper". Given the approximately seven-year gap below between the births of the first and second of their children listed below, I think it likely that Catherine and Michael had more children between 1822 and 1829.     

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 is possible that Young St. too was a slum. There was a high concentration of Irish people living at this time in the slums of Kensington, 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.

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. Catherine died just a little over two months after her son Michael. She is buried with him in a private grave in Brompton Cemetery. Her son John would be buried in the same grave in 1877. Family members who had died before them were also buried in Brompton but in a common grave.

Catherine married Michael DEVINE, son of 'unknown' DEVINE and 'UNKNOWN', about 1820 in Ireland. Michael was born about 1797 in Co. Kerry. He died on 28 Jun 1851 in 2 Market Court, Kensington, London. He was buried on 6 Jul 1851 in Brompton Cemetery, London.

Michael was a shoemaker. On the birth certificate of his daughter Elizabeth Michael has signed his name with an 'X' indicating that he was unable to read or write.

Michael's death certificate tells us he died of bronchitis, the duration of which was three weeks.

3. Elizabeth JONES (caution: not verified) (Robert William ) was born about 1802 in probably Co. Kerry. She died in possibly 29 Aug 1876 in possibly Marylebone Workhouse, London.

We know of Elizabeth's existence from the 1871 census of England. She is listed as a member of the household of her nephew Michael Devine who lived at 7 Holland St., Kensington. According to the census return, Elizabeth, a 68-year-old widow, was born in Ireland and was a retired laundress. As we could not tell from the census whether Elizabeth was an aunt from Michael's mother's or father's side, a search was carried out on the FreeBMD website for marriages between an Elizabeth Devine and a Mr. Bellinger and an Elizabeth Jones (Michael's mother's surname was Jones) and a Mr. Bellinger. No Devine/Bellinger marriage record was located but I came across a marriage in the right time frame between an Elizabeth Jones and a Charles Bellinger in Marylebone, Middlesex in 1839. Because there is nothing on the marriage certificate, nor on any other documents located for Elizabeth or her family, that proves that this Elizabeth was indeed an aunt of Michael Devine, I have added cautions alongside their names in the family tree. Any assistance in establishing a definite connection, or even help in proving they are not connected at all, would be most welcome. If you can help, please contact Helen@HelensFamilyTrees.com.

An 1841 census return has been located for the household of Charles and Elizabeth. However, this states that Elizabeth was born in Middlesex, whereas our Elizabeth appears to have been born in Ireland (from 1871 census, as mentioned above). In case the place of birth was written incorrectly on the census form, here are the full census details:

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 eight 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 (near Marylebone)

This Elizabeth appears to be the same Elizabeth who married Charles Bellinger as both had daughters named Agnes born roughly around the same time. As to whether she is our Elizabeth who was the aunt of Michael Devine it is hard to say. The Elizabeth in the 1861 census was aged 40 whereas our Elizabeth would have been about 58 years of age at the time of the 1861 census. Note that although the 14 George St. had about 30 lodgers listed, Elizabeth herself had two lodgers listed as part of her household.

Our information on Elizabeth's death comes from the death certificate of an Elizabeth Bellinger who died aged 71 in the Marylebone Workhouse in August 1876. The certificate reveals that this Elizabeth, a charwoman, had died of "apoplexy". Marylebone Workhouse records were then checked and they tell us that an Elizabeth Bellinger - probably the same Elizabeth - spent time there at least three times in the years prior to 1876:

Admitted, aged 35, from either 25 or 55 Stratford St. on 23 June 1851 (whereabouts of this street in London is unknown but presumably it was in Marylebone) with her children Charles (aged 8¾), Jane Agnes (6) and Catherine Elizabeth (3) - but without her other children, i.e. Agnes Jane (who could be the same child as Agnes Jane) and James William (perhaps he had died) and discharged at her own request on 12 July 1851;
Admitted, aged 57, from 14 George St. (address is the same as that of the Elizabeth Bellinger from the 1861 census above) on 14 July 1864 and discharged at her own request on 24 December 1864 (she is described as having "weak sight"). An Elizabeth Bellinger, aged 50 and suffering from catarrh, was admitted on 14 April 1864 from 5 Blackey's Court, Ball St. in Marylebone and discharged as "cured" on 7 May 1864, but this address does not tie in with the George's St. address above so this may be a different Elizabeth Bellinger;    
Admitted, aged 63, on 2 September 1865 and discharged at her own request on 7 April 1866.
Unfortunately there is no evidence here to prove any connection to Michael Devine.

Elizabeth married Charles BELLINGER (caution: not verified), son of Thomas BELLINGER, on 9 Dec 1839 in Trinity Church, Marylebone, London. Charles died before 23 Jun 1851 in probably Marylebone, London.

Charles is descibed as a carpenter on his marriage certificate (1839) and on the baptismal certificates of his children Agnes (1840), Charles (1842) and James (1847). However, he is described as a waiter on the birth certificate of his daughter Catherine (1848) and the marriage certificate of his daughter Agnes (1874).

Marriage Notes:

According to their marriage certificate, the address for both Elizabeth and Charles at the time was 6 Grotto Passage, Marylebone. Charles's late father, Thomas Bellenger (sic), was a carpenter and Elizabeth's father, Robert William, was a  "Gent'n" (presumably meaning "Gentleman"). Witnesses to the marriage were John Bellenger (sic) and Emma Bellenger (sic), with both Elizabeth and Emma signing the certificate with an 'X', indicating that they could not read or write.