Results 1 to 7 of 7
  1. #1
    Tinker
    Guest

    Default McKeevers in Sunderland

    Can some kind soul with a sub to Ancestry tell me whether a Thomas McKeever appears in any of the censuses prior to 1881? He married a Sarah Thompson (born 1829, daughter of Richard Thompson and Mary nee Fisher) in Sep Q 1851, Sunderland, but I cannot find him in the censuses on FMP until 1881, when he is recently widowed with 3 teenage children, and living in Zion Street, Bishopwearmouth. I am trying to establish his approximate year of birth, and country of origin, as he may have been born in Ireland. The couple had a good few children who died in infancy or as toddlers, and 'Atkinson' pops up fairly frequently, either as a first or second name for the male offspring.

    Many Thanks

  2. #2
    Super Moderator Sue Mackay's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Rhoose Point, South Wales
    Posts
    6,540

    Default

    Haven't found Thomas prior to 1881 yet (the 1881 census you mention says he was born in Ireland and was 51) but is this Sarah? Would explain where the Atkinson Christian names came from.

    1841 census: Class: HO107; Piece: 321; Book: 9; Civil Parish: Sunderland; County: Durham; Enumeration District: 3a; Folio: 32; Page: 59

    Richard THOMPSON Keelman 55
    Mary 45
    William 16 Mason Ap
    Sarah 12
    John 4
    Atkinson 14
    All born in County

    1851 census: HO107; Piece: 2397; Folio: 423; Page: 71

    Richard THOMPSON 67 Mariner
    Mary 54
    William 25
    Atkinson 23
    Sarah 21
    All born Sunderland
    Sue Mackay
    Insanity is hereditary - you get it from your kids

  3. #3
    Tinker
    Guest

    Default

    Yes, that's her, Sue! Her mother's mother was Mary Fisher, nee Atkinson. One of Thomas's descendants contacted me recently as we're connected through the Thompson line: Sarah's oldest brother, Richard, had a daughter called Mary Isabella who married into my mum's Swinhoe line. Thomas's descendant says his father and aunt have reason to believe that one of the original McKeevers who settled in Sunderland was Irish-born, but we're not sure whether this is the Thomas who married Sarah, or perhaps Thomas's father. I don't know yet whether the descendant has ordered the couple's marriage cert or not, but if he hasn't, I think I will suggest he should.

  4. #4
    Coromandel
    Guest

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Tinker View Post
    I don't know yet whether the descendant has ordered the couple's marriage cert or not, but if he hasn't, I think I will suggest he should.
    Partial details from the marriage register are on FamilySearch: Thomas Mckeever was 22 when he married Sarah Thompson at Bishopwearmouth on 9 August 1851; his father was also called Thomas Mckeever. (This is from film no. 1514549, which the catalogue says is the parish register of Bishopwearmouth St Michael.)

    One way to try to proceed would be to order a birth certificate for a child born near a census date in the hope that this will lead you to the family in the census. They did have a son Richard born in 1861: Richardus Mckeever, son of Thomas Mckeever and Sara Thompson, was born 24 September 1861 and baptised 20 October 1861 at Sunderland St Mary, according to FamilySearch. Richard was born too late to appear on the 1861 census, but it would still be worth checking whatever address is on his birth certificate to see if the family were there when the census was taken a few months earlier.

    Baptism, marriage and death records for St Mary's R.C. Church, Sunderland, were deposited at Tyne and Wear Archives Service in 1995, according to the National Register of Archives:

    https://www.
    nationalarchives.gov.uk/accessions/1995/95digests/roman.htm

    Perhaps the Tyne & Wear Archive Service would copy the register entry? The baptism register may give an address too and this might be a cheaper option than getting a birth certificate.

    The difficulty in finding them before 1881 may be the sheer variety of possible spellings of their surname. Searching for Mc*v*r on FamilySearch brings up a great many different possible spelling variations such as

    McCaver
    Mcevor
    McGivor, Mcgeever, McGeiver
    Mcheaver
    Mcivor
    Mckevir, Mckiever, Mckeaver
    (and so on and on and on ... )

    To add even more to the permutations, the 'c' in Mc is sometimes written so small or just as a little apostrophe that Mc can be transcribed as just M or even W. So what looks like the same person in various FamilySearch transcripts is down as Barnard Mckever in 1841 and Bernard W. Keever in 1861.

    That's before we even get going on possible mis-transcriptions! Talking of mis-transcriptions, the 1881 census transcript has a Thomas 'McKeener' (27) at 12 1/2 Victor Street, Monkwearmouth Shore, with wife and family, including a 3 year old John W. 'McKeener' (presumably an error for McKeever). RG 11/5007, f.5007, p.85. Sadly it looks as if this little chap was the 5 year old John W. Mckeever who was one of the victims of the Victoria Hall disaster two years later:

    https://www.
    genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DUR/Sunderland/VictoriaHall.html

    I think little John W. may be the grandson of Thomas & Sarah. When I was at the library earlier I think I saw this Thomas (by then aged 37) in 1891, with his family plus Thomas senior, who was shown as born in Ireland and as 'G Father' of the head (though presumably he should just be father; perhaps one of the children filled in the form?). Sorry I didn't note down the full details or a reference.

  5. #5
    Tinker
    Guest

    Default

    Coromandel, you've given me plenty of food for thought! My contact had mentioned the baptism of a 'Richardus' which had made me wonder if they weren't Roman Catholic, and you've just confirmed it: that would tie in with the Irish descent, as most folk in that part of the world were C of E or Non-Conformist. I will pass on the info about the BMDs for St. Mary's to my contact, as he's not local to Sunderland and probably won't know about them.

    I had also seen the Thomas McKeever in the 1891 census with 'grandad,' and wondered about age creep. I've checked the original and Thomas senior's age has been correctly transcribed, but as you say, the family might have got it wrong. If he is the grandfather, he would be in his 80s, presumably, so more likely to have been born in 1809 than 1819. However it could equally be possible that they wrongly gave Thomas's father's age as 72 instead of 62. In the same census year is another Thomas McKeever, born 1835, Ireland, with wife Ann, who could easily be Sarah's husband remarried. Perhaps he adjusted his age downwards, as his wife was born in 1841! I will have to look for a possible re-marriage, to see if my hunch is right.

    You've also solved the mystery of why I couldn't locate the younger Thomas (whose middle name is Atkinson, by the way) and wife Elizabeth in 1881, who as you rightly deduced, is Thomas and Sarah's son. I saw what you meant about the 'c' in McKeever getting lost in transcription when I went to check on 72-year old Thomas. To the uninitiated eye the surname looks like M Keever, so maybe I should try searching for them under that variation.

  6. #6
    Valued member of Brit-Gen emmteeyess's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Sunderland
    Posts
    276

    Default

    Tinker -
    I know it's been 5 years but are you still researching these McKeevers?
    I have a copy of the marriage cert for Thomas McKeever and Sarah Thompson at St.Michaels 09/08/1851 and Sunderland local studies library has baptism registers on microfilm for St.Mary's RC and most other churches in the town. I can check these for you on my visits.

  7. #7

    Default mckeevers in sunderland

    the sunderland echo has some things on the family !!!!!


    The last sentence of the first gets me thinking - what was he doing in Brazil and 3 children - I only have found 2 by 1881.

    I cannot find him in the 1871 or 1881 cencus

    Derek

    --------------------------------------------------------------------

    Wednesday 08 June 1881 , Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette , Tyne and Wear, England


    SERIOUS AFFRAY IN HENDON
    ATTACK BY A FATHER.
    On Monday evening, between seven and o'clock, an affray took place in Zion-street,
    Hendon j during which Thomas McKeever, twenty-seven years of age,
    employed collector, and living at No 1, Houghton-street, Chester-road,
    was severely wounded by his father, who occupies a house No. 35, Zion-street.
    It appears that during the afternoon a pigeon-flying match had been held in which a
    man named Lincoln, brother-in-law to the injured man, was concerned, and the
    latter visited Hendon for the purpose participating in the amusement. At the hour named,
    the father, who was somewhat the worse for drink, and Thomas and another son were
    alone in the house in Zion-street, and shortly after entering disagreement
    in reference the pigeon match took place :
    the father thereupon attacked his eon with coalrake and poker,
    the former afterwards being found under the bed covered with clotted blood. As soon as what had taken place was discovered, the
    injured man was removed to the house of his sister, Mrs Lincoln, who lives in Milburn-street,
    in the same locality, and she washed
    his wounds, assisted by Mrs Maxwell. He lost an immense quantity of blood,
    which rendered him in a very weak condition
    and towards midnight it was feared that he was dying. Three doctors were sent for,
    but neither of them could attend, and he was thereupon removed
    the Infirmary. Here it was found
    that he was suffering from two wounds on his scalp, some wounds on his shoulder, and
    from contused ribs. [His temples were also badly cut

    He informed the house surgeon that he had been attacked both his father and brother.
    Although he is very much hurt, the medical staff at the Infirmary not apprehend any
    immediate danger. After the - removal of McKeever to his sisters house, the old man
    went into a public-house near, where he app ared very much agitated, and
    said that the wounded person had struck him, also alleging that he had been badlj kicked
    by him. Upon being asked why he had treated his son such manner, he said served
    him right. The brother denies having taken any part in the affray, which, he he says, was
    wholly the work of his father whilst in a drunken passion. Although some members of the
    McKeever family have led somewhat uneven lives, the man now lying at the Infirmary is spoken
    of as quiet demeanour. He is married and has three children, and recently returned from
    Brazil. ...


    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    416 of the 415 words in the article

    https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.c...ping%2bgazette
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Saturday 23 May 1874 , Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette birth of james ??Lincoln, Tyne and Wear, England


    POLICE INTELLIGENCE


    WONDERFUL CASE.

    Sarah M'Keever and her .son-in-law, Wm. Lincoln, appeared to answer adjourned summons for

    assaulting Jane A, Morrall. A summons against Lincoln's wife
    had previously been adjourned for three weeks, owing
    to her having blessed her leige lord with an addition their family.
    —Complainant alleged that in the course of a quarrel
    between herself and Lincoln's wife, she had been set upon by the male defendant
    and his mother-in-law; and had a large quantity
    of hair pulled from her head, which she produced in court, Aid. Kayll at. the
    same time suggestively enquiring
    it was the same colour as her own hair, as sometimes
    in cases of that sort, the hair produced did not harmonise in
    colour with that on complainants' heads. In defence, Mrs. McKeever alleged that complainant
    and five other women had set upon her daughter, .and their ill usage resulted in
    her being prematurely confined next day with a baby that had a black eye.-
    -Dr. Potts: And was the black eye the result of the blow which the mother received the
    previous day ? —Witness : Yes, sir.
    —Dr. Potts :
    Then it one of the most wonderful cases on record. Ultimately, the case waa dismissed.


    Type: Article Words: 909 Page: 4 Tags: none

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Wednesday 20 July 1898 , Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette , Tyne and Wear, England


    BOROUGH POLICE COURT. TUESDAY.
    Before Mr T. Steel aud Dr Lambert.


    A Husband's Delinquencies.
    —Thos. McKeever was charged with assaulting his wile, Ellen McKeever.
    Complniuaut was represented by Mr W. 11. Bell. Detendant was lined and and costs for au aggravated assault.
    Mrs McKeever then then applied for separation order, which was granted, tne defendant to
    contribute 8b a week toward* his wife's maintenance.]

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: