Newfoundland's Grand Banks Message Board

Hi--I'm searching for possible information on my husband's Newfoundland Churchill ancestors.

His grandfather, William Churchill, was born in NL circa 1881. As an adult he emigrated to New York around 1899, married & had a son and daughter (my husband's mother) and died there.
On his death certificate it lists his parents as James Churchill and Selina Piccot, both born in NL.

Sadly I have no further info; family tradition says Grandfather "left the family farm because he felt it couldn't support so many"--he was supposed to have had around 10 siblings. I have no further names or locations.

I've searched online here at NGB extensively--census, vital records, wills, etc, wonderful info, but can't find James & Selina.
In the StonePics database I did find a Churchill burial plot [PLC06] with 2 Jameses (d.1919 and 1922) and 1 Selina (d. 1938)--of course, no idea of the birthdates--located in St. Peter's Anglican cemetery in Portugal Cove.

But I also read a message post by someone mentioning "the Portugal Cove church burned down in 1938" and they were frustrated at the loss of the records.No idea which church this was, but maybe it relates to my not finding these ancestors. I've had a subscription to Ancestry & hunted through FamilySearch, but found nothing.

If anyone has any information relating to these great grand-parents of my husband's, I would be very grateful for it. Thanks!

Rosalie Glemann

Don't despair. There are several other things to try. Someone out there may be kind enough to look up the name Churchill on the BDM CD for you. Just ask for help.

Also you can go here:

http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/search

Type the name Churchill in the Body and Subject areas and see what you find. Probably a lot of interesting infomation will appear and you will have to sift through it. Good luck. if I were still in Canada I could give you some other leads and names. However, I am in Mexico until year end and don't have all my research notes with me. There were many Churchills in Portugal Cove and I have a couple of ties over the years.

Also nl.canadagenweb.org has a message section and you can look there for the name Churchill

Keep me posted on any success.

Geoff Martin
Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico

Hello Rosalie,

I am descended from a Miriam Churchill born c 1844 daug of Robert Churchill and Elizabeth Jennings. I have been researching the Churchills. Churchwills, etc. off and on since 1979.

The Church of England Rectory burnt in 1929 at Portugal Cove destroying all the records. There are early records from the late 1700's and early 1800's at the Cathedral but that would only cover some of the family and not all the Church of England branch. The Methodist records were burnt when Gower Street Church was consumed in the 1892 fire that swept through that section of St. John's.

Below are a couple of references to a James & Selina:
1884 09 22 - b. George s. of James & Selina Churchill.VS26 CE
1878 03 05 b. HIBBS Florence May HIBBS James & Selina CHURCHILL St Johns bap Mar 31 1878 not given Md June 2 1876 St Marys Ang Ch.
James Churchill son of James and Selina, d. 1919 08 22, age 30.

James Churchill, in Memory of, who lost his life on the night of 1922 07 18, age 64, b.c. 1858. [ This could possibly be the husband of Selina!!--LAW].

Do you have any siblings of James????

Take Care,
Les Winsor

Thank you both, Geoff and Les, for your kind replies.

Geoff--the link you included works well-I have my work cut out for me; there are nearly 500 references to James Churchill. I hope to check them all, but it will take time. Also, as to others, i have exchanged a few emails with George Churchill & Timothy Churchill--both had excellent suggestions but their research doesn't coincide with my quest. Thanks again.

Les--I appreciate the more precise information on the records lost to fires. Thanks for the items you shared. The one about James "the son" who d.1919 fits with the StonePics item, as does the other James who d.1922. One suspects they may indeed be father & son, and since they're the only 2 Jameses in that Churchill burial ground, along with a single Selina (d.1938), perhaps these might be Grandfather's parents & sibling.

Where did you find the 1884 birth reference to George, the son of James & Selina? I don't know what VS25 means (though I suspect CE means Church of England). That's a rather significant reference for this search.

Regarding the Hibbs reference: I presume the parents are james & Selina Churchill HIBBS (If I read the document right; I returned to it on NGB). HOWEVER, there is a mysterious link between Hibbs & Churchill in Portugal Cove that I came across. In the 1921 census, under Portugal Cove West, in Northern Point, I find an Agnes Churchill "SIL widow" (not sure what that means) living with a Hibbs family, AND, 2 Churchill grandchildren living with ANOTHER Hibbs family. Makes me curious about the relationships...

Sorry, i have no other family names (regarding sibs of James).

Thanks so much. Hope to talk again sometime with you both.
Rosalie