Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 25
  1. #1
    p.mca
    Guest

    Question Paternal line brickwall

    I have a wonderful tree built over the past five years but with a major brickwall at my paternal great grandfather. I have his birth certificate; born Thomas Archibald Johnston 28 March 1871 in Barmouth, Wales. The birth was registered in Ireland a month later. His mother's history is reasonably well know to me; Mary Johnston nee Davidson b 1853 in Stevenston, Ayrshire. His father is noted on the birth cert to be Thomas Johnston, Builder, residing in Barmouth. The informant is Jessie Davidson, who I presume is Mary's mother Janet. I can find no records to establish the identity of Thomas Johnston senior. There is no marriage record for Mary and Thomas I can find; she is know in successive Scottish census' as Mary Davidson and listed as unmarried, though poorhouse records for her mother in 1898 note her as 'Mary Johnston". I cannot find English, Welsh or Scottish census records for 1871 for any of the parties above, so presume they may have already been in Ireland, or were travelling and somehow missed the census enumerators. There seems an element of cloak and dagger in Mary travelling away from Scotland to Wales to give birth and then on to Ireland. Mary had one other child in 1874, a female who is listed as illegitimate on her birth cert in Armadale, Scotland. Both Thomas Jnr and his sister were bought up by their uncle and took his name at some stage, to become Thomas Johnston McArthur and Polly Johnston McArthur. On each of their marriage and death certificates they refer to their father as John Johnston McArthur.
    As this is my direct paternal line (I am a McArthur myself of course) I would love to be able to identify Thomas Johnston senior, any help most gratefully appreciated.

  2. #2
    Nicolina
    Guest

    Default

    several things caught my eye:
    If Polly Johnston was listed as illegitimate, three years after the birth of her brother, have you considered that Thomas was also illegitimate? (That could be the reason why the birth was registered, by Mary's mother, in Ireland a month later. (They were trying to make him look legitimate.))
    Doesn't it seem strange that his mother was from Scotland and his "reputed" father was from so far away?
    Why were the children raised by their uncle? Had their mother died, or is there a marriage after 1874?
    What did it say about Mary Johnston/Davidson on her daughter's birth certificate? Married, widow or single?

  3. #3
    p.mca
    Guest

    Default

    I have certainly wondered if Thomas Jnr was illegitimate. My understanding as that such things were not particularly frowned upon in those times, so not sure why they would have gone to the effort, but certainly possible. The reupted father being so far away is indeed odd. I have looked for the name around Stevenston in earlier records to no avail.
    In the 1881 Scottish Census Mary is living with her two children (both recorded as Johnston) while she is Mary Davidson, unmarried. Also in the house her sister Margaret and husband Henry Kelly McArthur, and their daughter. Henry died in 1889 and in 1893 Margaret, her daughter Jessie, Thomas Jnr and his sister Polly travelled to Australia on the Ormuz. Thomas Jnr and his sister and listed as "McArthur". Thomas attended Stewart Melville college and his nok is listed as Henry McArthur; perhaps he officially adopted him. Henry and Margaret had a son the same year THomas Jnr was born who died in infancy so I have supposed he became a surrogate replacement for that son.
    Marys daughter's birth cert shows Mary (later known as Polly) Davidson, illegitimate, mother Mary Davidson, dressmaker. No record of marriage state.

    Anyone know if there are trade registers through which I might find a record of Thomas Johnston Snr (if he actually existed?)

  4. #4
    p.mca
    Guest

    Default

    Mary Davidson census records; (born Stevenston, Ayrshire)

    1861 Kilbarchan, Renfrewshire with her parents and siblings, age 8, scholar
    1871 no record found
    1881 with the McArthurs as noted above, age 28, unmarried dressmaker
    1891 Cook in the house of John Morgan, retired East India merchant. Unmarried, Mary Davidson age 34
    not found in 1901 census
    no death record found.
    Why did she not go to Australia with her children in 1890 (sorry not 1893 as noted above)? Who knows!
    Sister Margaret travelled back from Australia to Scotland 1n 1893 though in the poorhouse records for her mother in 1898 the notes say daughter Margaret somewhere in Australia- so daughter Margaret either didn't tell Mum she was back, or Mum had memory problems!

  5. #5
    Nicolina
    Guest

    Default

    I've tried looking for Thomas JOHNSTON (plus varients) and Thomas DAVIDSON on the 1871 Census but he's not in Wales as would be expected for a 1 week old baby. Unfortunately I no longer have access to A*** so cannot check the Scottish Census.

  6. #6
    p.mca
    Guest

    Default

    As Mary, Thomas jnr and Jessie are also not on the 1871 Welsh census ( how thoughtful being born so close to census night) I have presumed they may have all moved on to Ireland by census night where the record is of course lost. I have checked Scottish records to no avail.

  7. #7
    Nicolina
    Guest

    Default

    anyone who took a one week old child across the Irish sea, in April 1871, ought to be locked up. Even with modern transport it can be hair-raising.

  8. #8
    Nicolina
    Guest

    Default

    just tried looking for Irish Census records and found <quote> All that survives of the 1871 census records are transcriptions for the co. Meath parishes of Drumcondra and Loughbraclen. <unquote>
    So that's not good. Apparently the records were destroyed by the Government!!!!!!!

  9. #9
    p.mca
    Guest

    Default

    Ha ha no arguement here about the trip over the Irish sea...
    Seems like a lot of effort to go to; travelling from Ayrshire to Wales, then on to Ireland, then back in Stevenston Ayrshire for the 1881 Scottish census. The only other connection to Ireland is Mary Davidson's Grandfather Hugh Davidson was born somewhere in Ireland in

    I think I need another angle to attack this from, which is why I wondered about trade registers for Thomas Johnston Senior.

    Would I be correct in thinking that if Thomas Jnr was illegitimate they would have likely just registered the birth as such? Thomas Jnr even named his Oldest son Henry Johnston McArthur, so the name was at least that significant to him.

    I suspect these are just unanswerable questions, which is what brickwalls are all about I suppose....

  10. #10
    p.mca
    Guest

    Default

    Oops, sorry meant to read 'Hugh Davidson born somewhere in Ireland in 1791.'

Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Select a file: