Comment by Richard Strathern on August 18, 2013 at 1:56pm

I got the black and white photo colorized. It brings out the detail.

Comment by Gerard Cappa on August 18, 2013 at 3:02pm

A marvellous photo. Do you know when it was taken, Richard?

Comment by Richard Strathern on August 18, 2013 at 9:53pm

Our best guess is either 1912 or 1913. My Dad is holding the horse's bridle and he was born in 1901.

 

Comment by Gerard Cappa on August 19, 2013 at 3:35am

My wife's father was an O'Neill from Culbane, Bellaghey, and she has a photo with a similar set up- the subjects outside their thatched cottage. She doesn't know the year but it could well have been around the same time.

I wonder was there a travelling photographer going around Bellaghey, and imagine the stories to be told if a series of photographs from 100 years ago could be reassembled.

Comment by Richard Strathern on August 19, 2013 at 12:51pm

I was told that in fact a famous photographer could have taken this photo and his work is featured in a Museum along with other photographers in Belfast. This was suggested on a website called  "Balllymaquigan Roots." I will find the name of the suggested photographer and send it to you.

Comment by Gerard Cappa on August 19, 2013 at 1:47pm

Richard

In that case it was probably Robert Welch. He indeed travelled around the north at that time and many of his photos are on display at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum at Cultra, outside Holywood, Co Down. Welch also took many of the photographs of the Titanic that people are familiar with.

Comment by Richard Strathern on August 20, 2013 at 11:30am

Gerald,

Thanks for the information.

Comment by Bit Devine on August 20, 2013 at 12:42pm

Richard, what a fantastic slice of Family and Irish history! All in their Sunday best!

Comment by Brian Nolan on August 26, 2013 at 5:18pm

The Letter From America; C. 1912. A real photo from the era, well fed, healthy looking family, a fine house, and the postman, delivering a telegram or a letter, with who knows what news from the outside world, though to judge by the expressions on everyone's face, the news is good, or the money welcome. Lady on left has the letter, I wonder what it said?

Comment by Richard Strathern on August 30, 2013 at 12:23am

Brian, the woman with the letter is a Mrs, Sampson, she was related to the American Admiral Sampson, who had the responsibility to set up the blockade of Cuba in the Spanish/American War so I am told. She was a border living with the Strathern Family. The women to her right is my great grandmother, Mary Kennedy, b.1842 in Derry and d. 1932 at the Killyberry Farm, outside of Bellaghy. She married my great grandfather, William Charles Strathern, b.1828 and d. 1904. He served in the 2nd Regiment, in the European Bengal Fusiliers, and participated in many Indian Campaigns. His military records are posted on my ancestry.com page. In 1922 the Strathern Homestead was searched by the British Military and my great grandfathers uniform was confiscated,  My father was a suspected member of the IRA during the Civil War and after the raid on the Bellaghy Police Station, his parents required that he leave home and country. He hide out in Liverpool England and immigrated in 1923 to America and to Cleveland, Ohio. My father never spoke of the Civil War to his six children because he did not want to continue the attitudes of the "troubles" in Northern Ireland. When I and my sister visited Bellaghy in 1979 we were to learn for the first time from my father's boyhood friend what a terrible and difficult time this was for my father. When I look at this photo I often wonder how things may have been different for him if those events did not happen. On the other hand  I would not be writing these comments has circumstances been different!

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