Family
John with fiancée, Margaret Jane Campbell
John & Maggie Walsh - wedding 1920
Notes from Gill Jones (granddaughter of John Frederick Walsh) added 10th June 2020
John (Jack) Frederick Walsh was born in 1896 in Stockport, Cheshire to John and Laura Kate
Walsh and was the third child of 7 children. John Snr's occupation - Bricklayer.
In the 1901 Census, John was aged 4 living at 44 Derby Range Heaton Moor, Stockport and his
mother's parents, George and Mary Curtis lived nearby at 4 Derby Range. By the 1911 census John
is still living in Derby Range, but now at No 17, aged 14 and employed as a Milkboy, working for
Thomas Thompson, also of Derby Range.
He meets my grandmother when (?) Margaret Jane Campbell, known as Maggie and they marry in
August 1920 in Fivemiletown Church, County Tyrone and had 4 children. Maggie and her family
were born in Co Fermanagh and lived in Fivemiletown, County Tyrone. Maggie was one of nine
children, her father being a farmer in the district.
After they married they moved back to Stockport and lived with John's parents at 6 Derby Range
until in March 1924 they emigrate to Canada, where Maggie's sister May and brother John lived
(emigrating in 1914) Maggie's brothers Fred and Sam, (Sam was killed in the Dieppe in 1942) also
emigrated in 1924. By this time Jack and Maggie had two children, my Dad, John Campbell Walsh,
aged 3 and Margaret aged 15 months, with their third child, James being born in December of 1924.
They settled in Winnipeg until sadly just before James turned four he died of pneumonia and by
the end of 1927 the family were back in the UK.
John Frederick and Maggie returned to the UK and had another daughter Dorothy, born in 1931 and
according to the 1939 Register were living in Spark Road Manchester, John Frederick being
employed as aTextile Warehouse Worker. They travelled back to Fivemiletown many times with
my late Auntie Margaret remembering them having long summer holidays in Ireland.
John Frederick died of cancer in 1959, aged 63. Maggie enjoyed a long life, living back in Ireland
for a time, but returned to Stockport to be closer to her daughters and lived there until 1992 where
she died aged 96. All their children are now deceased, but their grandchildren and great
grandchildren live in the UK and all around the Globe, in New Zealand, Hong Kong, Indonesia and
Dubai, as well as having many relatives in Canada.
(My Dad, John (also known as Jack) Campbell Walsh emigrated to New Zealand with my eldest
brother in 1963 and my mother, brother and I followed in 1964, being known then as 10 pound
poms. My parents, welcomed the new opportunities New Zealand offered them, but never really
settled in NZ and were fortunate to holiday back in the UK, visiting family many times. My mum
died in 2010 and Dad died 7 months later in February 2011. They made their final trip “home” in
2015 when I brought their ashes back.
I don't really remember much of my grandfather because he died when I was aged 6 and to my
greatest regret now, never questioned my father about our family history. With emigrating to New
Zealand, we missed out on contact with aunts, uncles etc and never got to hear any of the family
stories. We weren't able to take many possessions with us to New Zealand and sadly I have hardly
any photos and it was just amazing my cousin had those photos.
It's fantastic to see Grandpa on the DLOY page, thank you so much John. While my daughter and
granddaughter aren't interested in genealogy now, one day they may be and Grandpa is there forever, never to be forgotten. Gill Jones