Looking for details of Annie Reid/Thomas Ferris

[InaG]

I am trying to find out details re my mother's parents Annie Reid and Thomas Ferris.
My mother was born in 1910 and her birth is registered in the Govan District of Glasgow. Her parents never married and she was brought up by Agnes and Patrick Strain. We were told (but it was never verified) that Agnes Strain was the sister of Thomas Ferris.
thanks anyone who can help or at least give me some clues where to look.

[joette]

HI your best starting point is Scotlands People which is the official site to search for Scottish BMD online.
I would start with the 1901 Census to find out where her parents were.This may give you details of the grandparents names/locations & off course their ages.From that you should be able to trace their Birth records which are aviable to view online for a fee but which give Parents names,maiden name of Mother,place of birth & occupation of father & date,place of marriage.
Her Birth details would have to be obtained from New Register House as the Birth is less than 100 years.

[InaG]

Thanks Joette.
I have sent for my mum's birth certificate which should give me more details of her parents. Then I will search on Scotlands people to see what I can find. I have the difficulty of not knowing very much (ie ages/place of birth etc) for my grandparents so it makes it a bit harder.
Thanks again
Ina

[DebbieAnn]

I took a quick look on Scotlands People to see if I could find a marriage for Agnes Ferris to (male) Strain. There were 7 Agnes Ferris marriages (6 in the Glasgow area) but none to a man named Strain.

Then I looked for a marriage for Thomas Ferris, hoping to find perhaps a later one to Annie Reid. There were a number of Thomas Ferris marriages, bit none to your Annie (well, it was worth a shot).

Then I ran out of credits. What you might want to do is search the 1891 census (when both Agnes and Thomas would probably have been living in the same household) to find them and discover his parents' names. You could then search the 1901 census, first for Thomas Ferris and then for Agnes Ferris or Agnes Strain. Annie Reid is a much more common name in the area, and will be harder to identify, especially if you know of no one else in her household. You may have to wait for the 1911 census to come out in order to find your mother and the household she was living in when she was a year old. Perhaps she lived with her mother for a time before she went to be raised by Agnes? Do you know why her mother or her mother's people didn't raise her? Did she die in childbirth?

Debbie

[InaG]

Hi Debbie
Thanks for looking. As far as we were told my mother's parents never married. We understood that Annie Reid had died due to childbirth but, when I spoke to the young man at the Register Office, the only Annie Reid he could find that seemed a possibility died a year later of TB. The other Annie Reid deaths he found for that year did not seem to fit the bill due to age and cause of death. I think I am going to be really confused with this as so much of what we were told appears to be untrue and, we also think that the Ferris family originated from Ireland. Gulp, not sure what I have started here. I will see what info I can get from my mum's birth certificate and then register on the sites.
Thanks again for looking.
Ina
x

[InaG]

I have managed to trace my grandparents. Thomas Ferris was born in Glasgow 1887 and his parents were William and Bridget (nee Welsh) Ferris, My adoptive grandparents were Patrick and Agnes (nee Welsh) Strain so it is possible that Agnes was either Thomas's Aunt or sister (if Bridget gave birth before marriage) will have to look into that (but need more credits)
Annie Reid died in 1911 and her parents were Robert and Jane/Janet (nee Cameron). she was 22 when she died.
so at least I have a bit more info to go on but the sites eat your credits up very quickly.
thanks to everyone for their help and if anyone knows anything else, all info gratefully received.
thanks
InaG

[DebbieAnn]

Patrick Strain and Agnes Welsh were married on 19 May 1911 at St. Luke's Church, Glasgow (Roman Catholic). He, age 29, a Carter and she, age 26, a Hair Factory Worker, were listed as living at the same address: 184 Rose Street, South Glasgow. Her parents, both deceased, were: Thomas (occ: Mason's Laborer) and Mary (maiden name McGuire) Welsh. His mother is listed as Ellen Strain (so he may have been born out of wedlock). Ellen's two husbands are listed as: Edward Con*** (unreadable), a shipyard laborer, and 2nd Francis Cairns, occ: ***(unreadable) machine factory worker. Witnesses were Patrick McArdle and Helen Cruickshank. Registered in Hutchesontown, Glasgow.

Now, if you have Bridget's parents, you can compare...

Debbie

[DebbieAnn]

OK, here's something really strange that may be a completely different family, but the similarities are striking:

Ann Ferris, nee Welsh, widow of Thomas Ferris a dock laborer, died 17 Apr 1918 in Barnhill Poorhouse, Glasgow. Her usual residence was 72 Clyde Street, Anderston, Glasgow. She was age 71, and died of chronic nephritis (more than 105 days). Her parents, both deceased, were: Henry Welsh, a bell hanger, and Eliza (nee Leonard) Welsh. Her son, James Ferris of her usual address, signed the death certificate. Registered in Garngadhill, Glasgow.

Anyway, I found it interesting...

Debbie

[DebbieAnn]

FOUND IT!!!!!!

Checked the 1891 census for Thomas Ferris age 3 or 4 in the Glasgow area, and found Thomas Ferries living with parents William (occ: Carter) and Bridget at 28, Hallride Street, Hutchesontown, Glasgow.

Then looked for death of Bridget Ferries. She died on 13 July 1894 in Cathcart, Renfrew. She was wife to William Ferries, Carter. She was 28 years old at death, and her parents were: Thomas Welsh (deceased), a mason's laborer, and Mary Welsh, maiden name McGuire. Bridget's cause of death is listed as Acute Rhumatism, Failure of Heart, 7 days. Makes you wonder if she had Rheumatic Fever... Her husband William signed the certificate. Interestingly, her mother IS NOT listed as deceased, so if you find HER death certificate (btwn 1894 and 1911) you can go back another generation!

Bridget (22) and William Ferries (23) were married on 8 Apr 1887 in Gorbals, Glasgow (Church of Scotland). Elizabeth Welsh was a witness (another sister?). His father is George Ferries, his mother is Ann (Henderson) Ferries, deceased.

So, Agnes was the sister of William Ferries' wife!

Debbie

[DebbieAnn]

Found Thomas Ferris' death certificate!!

He died on 2 May 1953 at the Royal Infirmary, Glasgow at the age of 65 years. It states he was formerly a seaman in the Merchant Service, and was the widower of Annie Reid!! The death is registered in Townhead, Glasgow. Parents, both deceased, were William and Bridget (Welsh) Ferris. Thomas died of a fractured skull, as the result of an accident. His daughter, Augusta V. Lilly, of 21 Playfair Street, Leeds, signed the certificate.

So, he had considered himself married to Annie, whether or not there was a formal wedding ceremony, and after she died (in childbirth?) his mother's sister took in the child (his own mother having already died) while he went (back?) to sea in the Merchant Navy, and he NEVER REMARRIED!

Do you know when Annie's mother Jane/Janet died?

Debbie