Hi Mandy,
Good to hear from you, sorry for the delay in replying but I have been away in Asia on a Cruise and just got back on-line. I would love to compare your family tree with the partial one I have and fill in some blanks.
I have a copy of one of the letters Barney sent from Canada to a Mr Lowry dated June 1913 (38 pages long) which I got from the Public Records Office in Belfast. I think this is the one you refer to. I am aware, however, of another letter Barney sent around the same time. My Grandfather was able to show me a copy of this way back in the early 60's but unfortunately it has gone astray. The letters make fascinating reading.
You may also be aware of an article written by a well known Ulster writer John or William Boyd-Bell? not sure of the name, and I can't find the copies of the Ulster Tattler where it appeared (around the 70's or 80's I think). I know I have the issues of the Tattler somewhere. This article reproduces much of Barneys letters, particularly his early days as a Post Boy to the Cleland family who lived in the original Stormont Castle so I suspect Boyd-Bell must have had copies of Barney's letters as well.
I'm not sure what our exact relationship is, perhaps you can work it out. My great grand parents appear to be the same as yours (William Tedford/Ellen Newell), one of their sons Joseph (brother to your grandmother Sarah Newell) married Agnes Taylor (my grandparents)and they lived for most of their lives around Strandtown/Upper Newtownards Road area in Belfast. One of their sons Joseph Newell Tedford married Elizabeth Dorothy Mollan, my parents. I am the second of 3 children and the only male. My full name is Joseph Desmond Tedford and I married Eleanor McKibbin. We have two children Wendy Ellen and Willian Joseph Stuart and we all emigrated from Bangor to NZ in 1975. we now have 6 grand children, 4 girls and 2 boys, three in NZ and three in Australia.
Regarding your grandmother Sarah Ellen Tedford, I have also found in an old family bible, reference to another Sarah who would have been a sister to your grandmother and died at the age of 5 years in 1891. Do you have any record of this or do you think there has been a mistake or perhaps your grandmother was born and named after her dead sister.
All very interesting. Hope to hear from you soon and would love to get a full copy of the family tree.
Kindest Regards
Des