{"id":1611,"date":"2014-01-20T17:51:58","date_gmt":"2014-01-20T17:51:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hibbittbarnes.uk\/blog\/?p=1611"},"modified":"2025-07-02T12:50:30","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T11:50:30","slug":"burgoyne-or-congdon-what-was-my-gr-gr-grandmothers-maiden-name","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hibbittbarnes.uk\/blog\/burgoyne-or-congdon-what-was-my-gr-gr-grandmothers-maiden-name","title":{"rendered":"Burgoyne Or Congdon! What Was My Gr-Gr-Grandmother’s Maiden Name?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Having recently sent away for some details about the children of John Gale Hellier and his wife, Mary Ann<\/a><\/strong>, I acquired by default a copy of the couple’s marriage certificate amongst some documents which had been submitted to a Bristol orphanage re two of their children. This marriage has been a stumbling block for me for a number of years but a mystery still exists.<\/p>\n

\"Marriage<\/a>

Marriage Certificate of John G Hellier and Mary Ann Burgoyne
(click to enlarge)<\/p><\/div>\n

My great-grandmother’s birth certificate shows her mother’s name as Mary Ann Hellyer formerly Congdon. However, the recently discovered marriage certificate states that her maiden name was Burgoyne. They married at Shanagolden Church in the parish of Shanagolden in the County of Limerick – family legend had supported an Irish connection. I am going to need to obtain further certificates to see what they give as Mary’s original surname.<\/p>\n

The ceremony took place on 15th February 1871 and, unusually, the couple’s first child wasn’t born until 1878. John was in the Navy and I will have to study his naval service record in greater detail but, on first glance, it would seem that he was based in Plymouth much of the time. This is where John and Mary settled and had their children but perhaps she didn’t come to this country immediately.<\/p>\n

[Update:<\/strong> more on the mystery of Mary Ann’s maiden name can be viewed here<\/a><\/strong> and here<\/a><\/strong>. Later research, backed up by DNA, revealed that Mary Ann was the daughter of James Condon\/Congdon and Louisa Reed. William George Henry Burgoyne was her step-father. More on this here.<\/a><\/strong>]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Having recently sent away for some details about the children of John Gale Hellier and his wife, Mary Ann, I acquired by default a copy of the couple’s marriage certificate amongst some documents which had been submitted to a Bristol … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1619,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3],"tags":[72,71,68,53,52],"class_list":["post-1611","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ancestors-corner","category-brick-walls","tag-burgoyne","tag-condon","tag-congdon","tag-hellier","tag-hellyer"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t