Brian Jacques

Post by **Blue70** » 18 Jul 2011 23:11

A cousin of my Grandad called Mary E Casey married a James A Jacques in 1929. She appears to have died in 1934. There is a marriage of a James A Jacques to Ellen Ryan in 1935. This James A Jacques was the father of author Brian Jacques. Does anyone know if Brian's father was a widower when he married Ellen Ryan I'm wondering if his father was married to my Grandad's cousin.

Blue

Post by **MaryA** » 18 Jul 2011 23:13

Interesting, but I don't know the answer. My kids used to love the Redwall books. Why don't you write and ask ? whoever is looking after the website may have connections to other members of the family.

http://www.redwall.org/contactus.html

Post by **juno** » 19 Jul 2011 05:27

Hi Blue 70/MaryA

Sadly Brian died 5 February this year.

There is a Biography for him on Wikipedia.

Fathers Name James, Mother Ellen.

Freebmd 1939Q3 Liverpool N 8b 697 Mothers maiden name Ryan.

Hope this helps.

Juno

Post by **MaryA** » 19 Jul 2011 09:10

How sad that had passed me by, sorry for the slip up, I've amended my post above.

Without making contact with other family members, I think the only way you will know is from the marriage certificate.

Post by **Blue70** » 19 Jul 2011 09:53

I liked Brian Jacques I used to enjoy listening to him on BBC Radio Merseyside. I never read any of his books but I was aware of his success. I was very sad when he died and paid him some tributes at the time. I think I'll be getting some certificates to prove this I'm pretty sure now that there's a connection. There was only one James Jacques in the Liverpool area on the 1911 Census. Two James A Jacques marriages 1929 and 1935. The first wife one of my Caseys died 1934 the burial record for Ford Cemetery has the address Sand Street where my people lived. It's a private grave their son also called James A died not long after Mary E and is buried in the same grave. Brian also had a brother called James A Jacques who unlike his namesake lived to adulthood.

Blue

Post by **MaryA** » 19 Jul 2011 09:57

Fingers crossed, I like it when we find connections to famous people, it makes a change once in a while.

Post by **Blue70** » 19 Jul 2011 19:57

The Ford Cemetery grave contains Brian's half brother, James A Jacques, Mary E Jacques (formerly Casey) and Mary E's parents Alexander and Ellen Casey (formerly Brady). I've ordered the certifcates to show how the Caseys are connected to the Jacques family.

Blue

Post by **Blue70** » 25 Jul 2011 15:21

The two marriage certificates show that James A Jacques was married to my Grandad's cousin and that he married Ellen Ryan after she died:-

James Alfred Jacques, Haulage Company's Motor Driver
Mary Elizabeth Casey, Tin Box Machinist
3rd August 1929
St Augustine's RC Church

James Alfred Jacques, Widower, Haulage Motor Driver
Ellen Ryan
14th September 1935
St Nicholas RC Church

Brian's birth was registered as follows:-

Name: James Brian Jacques
Born: 15 June 1939 at Walton Hospital
Parents: James Alfred Jacques & Ellen Jacques formerly Ryan
Father's Occupation: Haulage Contractor
Home Address: 152 Orwell Road Liverpool

Blue

Post by **MaryA** » 25 Jul 2011 20:45

A good result there, well done.

Post by **Blue70** » 25 Jul 2011 23:23

There's no sign of any recent French people on the Jacques side they came to Liverpool from the St Helens area in the 1890s. Brian's Great, Great Grandfather Thomas Jacques was born in Eccleston near St Helens in about 1806. There are lots of mentions of the surname Jacques in Lancashire parish records going back hundreds of years.

Ellen Ryan's father's Matthew came to Liverpool as a child with his family from Ireland in the 1870s. Ellen's mother's family had been in England for many years. Ellen's maternal Great Grandparents James & Ellen McGuinness and Michael & Elizabeth Long came to Liverpool from Ireland in the 1850s and 1860s.

Blue

Post by **Blue70** » 26 Jul 2011 23:06

Brian's Grandfather Thomas Jacques who came to Liverpool from St Helens was recorded as having been an Ostler on both marriage records for James Alfred Jacques. An Ostler was a stableman or groom specifically one looking after horses at an inn. The term is connected to the word hostelry.

Blue

Post by **Blue70** » 29 Jul 2011 17:27

This is my attempt at Brian Jacques' family tree. My connection was through his father's first marriage to Mary Casey. I was also interested in his McGuinness ancestry and possible French roots. My McGuinness people came from County Cavan while Brian's were from Derry so no relation there. Brian's paternal Jacques line turned out to be completely English there's no record of them having French roots:-

Blue

Post by **MaryA** » 29 Jul 2011 18:51

Just listing a couple of entries from my CD, although they may be absolutely no connection and rather early too
Wills preserved in the Probate Court, Chester
Jacques, Henry, of Offerton, yeoman 1705
Jaques, Thomas, of Offerton Admon with Inv 1711

Wills proved within the Archdeaconry of Richmond and now preserved at the Probate Court, Lancaster

Jacques, Margaret, of Lancaster, widow, A 1788

Marriage Licences granted within the Archdeaconry of Chester
17 Apr 1691 Thomas Jacques, of Midleton, co. Lanc., and Ann Sandiford, of Hopwood, co. aforesaid.

Baptism in the Register of the St Helens Chapel
16 Feb 1723 Mary d. John Jacques, E 14 Feb 1723

Register of Marriages at Rainford Chapel
21 Jul 1783 Matthew Plumbley, taylor, ba., & Ellen Jacques, sp., b.t.p. Wit. William Geakes, William Sephton

Burial in the Register of Rainford Chapel
04 May 1788 Samuel s. James & Jane Jacques, Eccleston
18 Jan 1797 Mary w. George Jacques, Eccleston

Burial in the Register of Ashton Under Lyne
Thomas c. of John Jacques de Duckenfeild 04 Apr 1684

Dyed and Buried from the Register of the parish of Middleton
Jonathan Jacques 15 Oct 1677

Burial from the Registers of Blackley & Pilling
James Jacques of Blakeley 03 Jul 1716

Post by **Blue70** » 29 Jul 2011 20:47

Thanks Mary. There are Jacques or Jaques on Family Search in Lancashire in the 1500s. The surname is so numerous around England that I think it's probable that the surname goes back to the middle ages.

Blue

Post by **Blue70** » 09 Aug 2011 20:32

There is a very good public member tree called "dimsnaz" on the Ancestry website that shows the Jacques paternal line. It confirms my own research and takes this line much further back.

Blue