The first record I have found of the Williscroft family in Ireland is in 1703 when William Williscroft married Jane Cowan at St. Peters Church of Ireland, Drogheda, Louth, Ireland. The family story is that William fought at the Battle of the Boyne and remained there afterwards. William’s known descendants emigrated in 1828 and settled in Canada. More
Painting of the Battle of the Boyne by Jan Wyck c. 1693
However, during my research I have found other references to Williscroft’s who have their roots in ireland.
Alexander Williscroft was born in 1789 at Shankill, Armagh, Ireland and died in Newfoundland. Alexanders grandson emigrated to Tasmania, Australia in 1878. His other descendants remain in England.
Isaac Benson Williscroft was born in Ireland or the West Indies in 1826 and died in Massachusetts, USA. He arrived in the USA via England and Canada. He was the son of Joseph Williscroft.
Mary Williscroft was born in Ireland about 1816. She married twice firstly to Samuel Abernethy in Armagh,Ireland and then James Coop in Manchester, England. She was the daughter of George Williscroft a ‘reeder’.
Elizabeth Williscroft was born about 1818 in St Hellier, Jersey or Ireland depending on which record you look at! She married her first husband George Keary in Ireland. She married her second husband Samuel Broadbent in 1866 in Lancashire, England. She was the daughter of George Williscroft an ‘agent’.
Jane Williscroft was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1793. She married her husband James Hall prior to arriving in England. She was the grandmother of Lewis Williscroft Hall.
I have one other record for a Williscroft in Ireland. In 1833 from a newspaper article published on the 1st May. The article describes an incident during a funeral at Meelick churchyard in the Longford Barony when four men well-armed entered the battery. They robbed the gunner who was called Williscroft. They escaped by climbing the roofs of both the Meelick and Keelogue batteries and spiking all the cannon. Meelick (Míleac in Irish) is a townland on the River Shannon in Ireland. It lies some 4 km southeast of Eyrecourt in County Galway. I have not been able to identify who the gunner was so far in my research. (The Scotsman, May 1, 1833).
If you would like to add information about your branch of the family or make a comment please get in touch.