Missing birth and marriage records for Hannah

[susan67]

I have searched thoroughly for great great grandma Hannah Meara's birth record to no avail.The 1881 census (Church Lancs) states she was born in Ireland,the 1891 census (Accrington Lancs) states born Gosport Lancashire and 1901 census shows born Gosport Hampshire. Her maiden name could be MURN and she was born 1833. Somehow she met Irish man Michael Meara b.1824 while he was serving with the British Army in India (East Indies) and 4 of their children were born there. British India Office (Find my Past) have records of 2 of the baptisms but mother's maiden name isn't shown and I couldn't find record of their marriage either. On Michael's discharge the family moved to Ireland and in 1870 Michael junior was born and Irish birth records show mum's maiden name MURN. They all moved to Lancashire in 1874 and in 1875 Agnes was born (maiden name MORTON) lastly John was born in 1878 (maiden name MURN). Hannah died in 1903 and was buried in Accrington but her birth and marriage are a mystery.I don't know where to look next and wonder how,if born in Gosport, she came to be in India to meet Michael who was there from his enlistment at age 18 in 1842. Any pointers gratefully received.

[Megan Roberts]

The 1891 Census you are referring to has the references piece 3357 folio 153 page 56. I have looked at the original and whilst it does indeed appear to give Hannah’s place of birth as “Gosport” in Lancashire, to my knowledge there is no such place. I have been wracking my brains to think where else it might be but haven’t come up with anything, except that as it says in the 1901 census the county of birth was Hampshire in my view the probability is that the county written down in 1891 is an error.

Having done a little more searching I have found them in the 1881 census in Church, Blackburn (Piece 4200 folio 63 page 62). Michael, an annuitant (pensioner) aged 57, born in Ireland, Hannah aged 48, Mary Ellen aged 20 a cotton winder born East Indies, Catherine L aged 17 a cotton weaver born East Indies, Mary aged 13 an apprentice dressmaker born East Indies, Michael aged 10 in school born in Ireland, Agnes aged 5, and John aged 2.

If Hannah was born in Gosport Hampshire, she may have been the daughter of an army man, and may well have gone with him to India and met Michael and married him out there.

[almach]

British India Office (Find my Past) have records of 2 of the baptisms

Are you referring to Mary Ellen 1861 Secunderabad Madras, and Mary Ann 1867 Bellary Madras? Odd that two daughters were both named Mary! But, they are on the 1881 census as Mary Ellen 20yrs and Mary 13yrs.

Could this be another of Michael and (H)Anna's children
Anna Mara [sic] born Dec 1865, Cannanore, Madras dau of Michael (private 1st Royals) and Anna

[susan67]

Thank you Megan. I have all the information you quote and I did wonder myself about Hannah's possible military connection. The fact that her birth doesn't seem to be recorded is puzzling. MURN isn't common at all until you see the variations in spelling so I suppose the records could be hiding her under a different spelling. Will there be a record somewhere of baptisms in Hampshire around 1833? It is a pity that her parentage is missing from my Tree!

[susan67]

Yes Almach the two Mary's are my family but the missing India records are for Lawrence born around 1854 and Catherine (later known as Lucy) born around 1864. These two are also on the 1881 census. There were many Michael Mearas in the Army at that time and my Michael was a private in the 1st Royals this is likely to be him. Maybe the child didn't survive or they changed her name to Catherine later but there were four of them born in India and Lawrence turns up on the 1891 census. Their mother never appears as Anna on any of the Lancashire records so the India records are a bit "sloppy" in many ways. I wish I could find their marriage record there!!

[wimsey]

out of interest what became of Lawrence Meara ? I see him on the 1901 census at Henry Street, Church, Blackburn, boarding with other Mearas (mistranscribed O'Meara) - but what then ? is he the 1921 Hull death ?

[Megan Roberts]

I have a lady in my family tree who was born (birth certificate) as Anna Maria, but then routinely appears as Hannah. Finally came to the conclusion that probably it was a question of people writing down what they heard, how they interpreted accents, how literate they were, people did not carry ID as we do today, and maybe it was a pet name.

Hampshire baptisms
Try FreeReg or Online parish clerks or FamilySearch. I know Findmypast has them. If you don't have a sub, pop along to you library, they have a sub for them.

[wimsey]

Lucy Meara clearly marries Thomas Joseph Clayton in Haslingden, 1887. So she's on the 1891 census as Lucy Clayton.

and on the 1901 & 1911 censuses at Oswaldwistle.

[janbooth]

I don't know whether this will prove to be relevant to you at all, but when search census records of Gosport for a likely Hannah MURN, I found an Annie Mac MURN in the 1871 census of Alverstoke, Gosport (RG10/1151, folio 88, page 32) together with children born in India & Burma. Obviously not your Hannah but I did wonder whether there was a connection so looked through Family Search and came up with the baptism at Sealkote, Bengal of a John MEARN son of John & Anne MEARN (born 4 March 1856) on 20 March 1856.

If your Hannah was the daughter of an Army man serving in India, I wonder if this John MEARN could perhaps be a sibling? Very tenuous link certainly, but I cannot find any records for your Hannah, so far, prior to the 1881 census.

Janet

[wimsey]

Lawrence Meara, mistranscribed Lawrance Meard is with his sister Lucy Clayton on the 1911 census at Oswaldwistle - looks like he never married