Glennan in County Mayo

[Sue G]

Can anyone offer me some advice about how to go about finding information about my greatx2 grandmother, (Bridget) Mary (nee Glennan), born 1829/30 in County Mayo? She married George Watson in Londonderry and they went to live in Manchester in the 1840s . I found her in censuses, living in Ardwick in 1881 and in Rochdale in 1901 (then aged 73);

[uksearch]

Hi there,

If you post the 1881 Census details,I then may be able to trace them on a earlier Census.No promises:)

UK

[Sue G]

Many thanks for your offer. This is what I know - or think I know!!

George Watson was born in 1811 in Londonderry, N. Ireland. He was a gamekeeper and later a cabinet maker. He married Bridget Mary Glennan probably in the 1840s probably in Londonderry. He was a Presbyterian and Bridget Mary was a Roman Catholic. He was a widower with three children when he met Bridget Mary. He was 20 years older than her. They left Londonderry for Manchester about 1845-6.

Their 13 children were all born in Manchester
• Margaret (?b 1847) m Harper -> William (clerk -> Eric solicitor)
• Thomas (b 1849) (painter) (killed during building of London Road Station, Manchester)
• Daniel 1858-1929 m Clara Hocking in Cornwall (they were my great grandparents) (Daniel joined the naval training ship HMS Ganges which was based in Cornwall - it took boys from workhouses and poverty stricken families)
• Fanny m Seddon –> James newsagent, John killed in Boer war, Peter killed at Gallipoli, Frances m Enoch Mellor, saddler – lived on Isle of Man
• Alicia
• Ellen (Nellie) b 1860/61 m ? Cunningham (Secretary of Licensed Victuallers Association)
• James b 1862/3 (miner) -> George, James and four other sons (?Yorkshire)
• Benjamin b 1864/5 (mariner) -> Edward, William and six other children
• Mary/Polly b 1868 (m Pickering)
• Annie b 1870 (m William Johnston) -> David, Elizabeth Ellen, William
• Henry and two others died young

She was 43 when he died in 1875 (in Manchester), left with several children to rear.

In the 1871 census, they were living at 32 Worsley Street in Manchester with Ellen, James, Benjamin, Mary and Annie. In the 1881 census, she was living in Ardwick with her two youngest daughters, Polly and Annie (aged 13 and 11). She was a washerwoman. In the 1901 census, she was living in Rochdale with her youngest daughter, Annie (then 30), her son-in-law, William, and three grandchildren.

[uksearch]

Hi there,

As yet I am not having much luck with this one.I can't find them in 1861 so I guess that they were still living in lodgings as he doesn't appear in any of the Trade Directories.Do you know if the panlids were brought up in the RC Church? I can maybe (when I gets some time) ,have a look for their baptisms.It makes it a lot easier if I know which faith they were.We might get lucky and find an address.One thing that I can tell you is that in 1851 they were probaly not living in the St Andrew's ED (as per 1871 Census).That particular district was part of the unfilmed section of the Manchester 1851 Census,however some years ago M&LFHS produced microfiche and a surname index of these returns and there is only one Watson in the area and he is not yours. The reason why these returns were not filmed is that they were badly water damaged when they were being stored at Somerset House. M&LFHS viewed the original Census returns under ultra violet light and were able to "see" some of the information.There are some big gaps in these returns.


UK

[Sue G]

Thanks for your time in looking so far. The children were definitely brought up as Protestant. My grandfather (Daniel's son) wrote that Bridget Mary tried to send them to the priest for instruction but George prevented it.

[uksearch]

Thanks for your time in looking so far. The children were definitely brought up as Protestant. My grandfather (Daniel's son) wrote that Bridget Mary tried to send them to the priest for instruction but George prevented it.


I have not been able to find the baptisms of any of the children.they were not baptised at Man Cath, St Andrew's (where I expected to find them) and I have found nothing at St Jude's prior to 1862.I don't think that St James The Less was open before 1867.

UK