"Bresa",
Beechill Park Ave,
Newtownbreda,
Belfast.
6/6/'59

Dear Mr Wright [1] ,

            Last summer you kindly allowed me to copy a pedigree of the Birch family. I am still continuing my researches into the family history, and have been lucky enough to acquire a collection of Birch and Gillmer legal documents and the Gillmer family bible.

            The information from a study of these documents sometimes contradicts your pedigree. For example, the "Wright" pedigree states that James Birch Gillmer [2] married a Miss Sibthorpe [3] in 1810 and died 4 July 1863. The Gillmer family bible states –

            James Birch Gillmer died on the China Sea on the 12th of Febr 1804 aged 32 years.

            I remember you told me that you have no interest in pedigrees, and that what you showed me had been compiled by your mother [4] . Do you know where she collected her information? Presumably she drew on family papers or a family bible. If so, do you know where they are now? I would be very grateful if I could see them. Your mother's pedigree is the only reference I have seen to the fact that John Birch [5] was twice married, and that his only child by his first wife, Elizabeth [6] , who later married Alexander Gillmer [7] , was formerly married to William Breakey [8] .

            Incidently, as you are a direct descendant, you may like to add to the typescript pedigree, that the above Elizabeth was born 16th October 1733 and died 28th June 1812.

            Yours sincerely,

            Aiken McClelland [9]