Since researching my Hillsborough Royal Brew experience I have loved researching genealogy but needed a little push to advertise it! I offer private tours and family research so contact me!
I got lucky. Peggy searched ‘Women Owned Tours’ and found Walk It Off NI. After reading about the Threads and Breads Experience. Peggy reached out to me from Connecticut, USA to see if I would help her.
Her cruise ship, The Regal Princess, arrived on a non-tour day so I created her a Private Tour. I based it on my Threads & Breads experience and what she wanted to discover. I charged an advance fee for a couple of hours research. On the understanding that I would do more if needed.
She had done quite a lot of research herself. I managed to find out a lot more which I sent on to her. Her husband died last October and she felt compelled to find his roots. I helped connect them.
When she arrived, I collected her from Belfast and we started the tour in Edenderry Village. Her family had lived in several of the village houses. We toured the village and the area first, taking lots of photos. It is a beautiful village. A couple of my friends were home. Peggy was invited in to see the actual houses her family would have inhabited.
10 people in half a house. Peggy could not believe how tiny the houses are. She was very touched by how friendly and welcoming everyone is here. We sat in the village centre, table laid with my family linens and we ate like queens on the picnic I provided. We chatted about Peggy’s mill and linen heritage as well as her Edenderry family.
She was thrilled with what I found out but her big wish was to find the burial ground for her husband’s ancestors. Baptist Mill workers from Edenderry. I struggled with this one. At that time, Baptists did not have their own burial grounds and most churches keep their own records. But I was sure I would find it.
The search was also hampered. As the mill workers were low paid they had no way to afford a stone to mark their plots. Luckily, I had another friend who came up trumps! She connected me with the church where the burials were likely to have taken place. The church was incredibly helpful and the site was found (in the nick of time!)
We were invited to visit the church, helped to note more information about the family from the church records. Then: Visit the Steeple! How amazing!
Peggy was overwhelmed by all she saw and heard. Thrilled to return to America and share all the news with her extended family.
She really wanted to have the information to pass on to their grandchildren. Now she plans to bring them over to visit here themselves.
You can contact me directly for Private Tours and Family Research.
