Gabriel Stokes (1682-1768), was a Mathematical Instrument Maker, Deputy Surveyor General of Ireland and said to be a maker of accurate chronometers. He lived (or operated his business) at Dial, Essex Street, Dublin. His father was a "taylor within the White Lion," Dublin.
Gabriel Stokes published a scheme for the supply piped water to Dublin. It was based on hydrostatic balance and he quotes exensively from Issac Newton's work on Hydrostatics. It is also said that he designed Pigeon House Quay, a long mole in Dublin Bay. Here I am starting to collect details of his life.
Gabriel Stokes is my 5 greats grandfather.
Much of the interest in this family is focussed on the works of his great grand son Sir George Gabriel Stokes [link no longer works in 2013] who was a contemporary of Lord Kelvin and amongst other things was President of the Royal Society. My grandmother remembered her "Uncle George" living in Cambridge around 1900. He was not actually her Uncle but her first cousin twice removed. In March 2003 attended a scientific meeting at the Issac Newton Institute in Cambridge marking the centenary of George Gabriel Stokes death. Pembroke College put on a fine exhibition of the papers associate with his fellowship and mastership at the College. I was the closest living relative at the meeting, however, I know of closer relatives including direct descendants.
George Gabriel Stokes was born in Skreen, County, Sligo, Ireland on 13 August 1819, and to mark the bicentenary of his birth a new book was published by OUP in July 2019, George Gabriel Stokes: Life, Science and Faith To quote the publisher, this book:
- Brings together all aspects of Stokes's life and work for the first time, and considers the lasting effects of his scientific innovations
- Presents a detailed and unique look at the family life, distinguished relatives and religious views of Stokes
- Features in depth descriptions of Stokes's scientific work, written by active researchers in such a way as to be accessible to scientists in other fields of study
Another line from Gabriel Stokes produced several medical professors.
I have started collecting details of Gabriel's life and family genealogical data, which will be linked or placed here. Any contribution will be very welcome. When I launched this page on 2 August 2001 I had collected details of 343 descendants of Gabriel Stokes spread over 9 generations. Since then further details of descendants have been received from:
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Alan Nicholas Stokes on 23 August 2001 in the form of 4 charts made by his father Alan Geoffrey Stokes. In 1981 AGS deposited his manuscripts of research on the Stokes Family of Dublin in the library of Trinity College Dublin (call no: TCD MS 8933-8934 ). A copy of the AGS 1986 manuscript has now been placed on line by his son. As well as the Dublin Stokes, this contains a good account previous research on various ancient Stokes families in England. AGS was unable to make the connection between the Dublin Stokes and their forebears in England.
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Meyricke Serjeantson's web site was located on 23 August 2001 and this has contributed further descendants
- Jeremy and Janet Howat were contacted on 11 Jan 2003 and provided additional details of Janet's ancestors Griffins, Garbett - descended from Gabriel Stokes (1762-1834) Rector of Skreen.
- Professor David B Wilson, a scholar in the History of Science at the Iowa State University, who has studied the evolution of Victorian Physics and the role of George Gabriel Stokes has provided me with contacts for George Gabriel's descendants.
- Andrew Willis's website [link no longer works in 2013] was located on 21 April 2003 has contributed further descendants of William Stokes(1804-1878) including his wife Mary Whitehead
- Sylvia Wilkins (nee Stokes) contacted me on 20 November 2003 providing details of the Canadian descendants of Charles Blennerhassette Stokes (1885-1949), mainly in British Columbia. Her website [link no longer works in 2013] includes details of her Stokes relatives.
- Donald G Stokes, my second cousin once removed, who has a manuscript book of family memoirs written by his grandfather Rev Hudleston Stokes (1831-1904) in 1900.
- Teresa Stokes is my sixth cousin, and in August 2013 I found her large collection of Stokes relatives on ancestry.co.uk. We have been exchanging details, and soon we will undertake a merging of our family trees. This will require some work to iron out minor discrepancies in details of some relatives, but at least the main family lines closely agree having been derived from the same sources such as Burke's and the work of Alan Geoffrey Stokes, and various family papers.
- I have found a number of family trees on ancestry.co.uk which show an ancestral line for Gabriel Stokes extending back to Stokes in England. I have started a new page in order to analyse Gabriel Stokes Ancestors. (26 Sept 2013)
TO find out more about the 3 principal branches descending from Gabriel Stokes click the BLUE ARROWS below:
