Mary Graham and Thomas Paisley origins

[chlanfamily]

I am looking for Mary Graham about 1830( or Mary Ann.)Married to Thomas Paisley in Gretna Green 1852

[grisel]

This couple seem to have married in Gretna Green (which is in Scotland) in 1852 ( from Ancestry list of Gretna Green marriages) but I think they may have had an official English marriage in the March quarter of 1853. A Thomas Paisley and a Mary Graham appear on the same page for that date in the FreeBMD index and it is likely (tho not certain)that they married each other. If it is your couple the certificate should give Mary's father's name and occupation if known. You can order this certificate from the GRO.

Having Mary's father's name may help with tracing her in earlier censuses and parish records.

[christanel]

As a starting point
1861 RG9 piece 3920 folio 10 page 13
20 Milburn Street, Caldewgate Carlisle
Thomas Paisley 30 Cotton warper
Mary Paisley 31
Hector Paisley 7
Thomas Paisley 5
James Paisley 3
Jane Paisley 7 months
All born Carlisle, Cumberland,

I see this family emigrated to Manitoba, Canada and are the census in Canada in 1871.

There is a tree on ancestry for this family which has quite a few resources and gives Mary's parents as Thomas Graham 1797 - 1864 and Sarah Douglas 1796 - 1864. Both born Bolton Cumberland.
1851 census HO107 piece 2392 folio 80 page 59
Thornley Durham
Thomas Graham 53 Bolton, Cumberland
Sarah Graham 55 Bolton, Cumberland
William D Graham 29 Bolton, Cumberland
Mary Graham 21 Bolton, Cumberland
Sarah Graham 19 St Helens
Thomas Graham 16 Merrington, Durham
Elizabeth Graham 14 Shildon, Durham,
Susannah Graham 12 Shildon, Durham,
Elizabeth Wearmouth 1 granddaughter Thornley
George Henderson 18 Other relative, Bolton Cumberland

The Gretna Green marriage image gives no indication of parents for either of them so as has been said to be certain of Mary Graham's parents you need to order the Marriage certificate.

Christina

[chlanfamily]

this is my Paisley family The Mary Paisley is Mary Graham possibly legally named Mary Ann

As a staring point
1861 RG9 piece 3920 folio 10 page 13
20 Milburn Street, Caldewgate Carlisle
Thomas Paisley 30 Cotton warper
Mary Paisley 31
Hector Paisley 7
Thomas Paisley 5
James Paisley 3
Jane Paisley 7 months
All born Carlisle, Cumberland,

I see this family emigrated to Canada in about 1864 and to Manitoba, Canada and are the census in Canada in 1871.
There may have been a church wedding but the family history only says that the eloped to Gretna Green
There are indications that her father was named Thomas and mother was Sarah Douglas but I cannot confirm this through sources. One Thomas Graham with a daughter Mary moved to Durham about 1851 this would be a year before my Mary eloped. It seems that there might be another Mary Graham married to a Thomas Paisley and her mother seems to be Sarah Douglas.

[christanel]

in the Ontario, Canada Births, 1832-1915
Another record giving Mary's maiden name as Graham
Name - Mary Graham
Spouse =Thomas Paisley
Child - Betsy Hannah Paisley

The above Mary Graham in Canada is named as Mary Anne on her Find A Grave entry and Thomas seems to have acquired the middle name George. This is the only recod I have seen so far where either of them have a middle name.
Mary Anne Paisley
Birth Date - 1831
Death Date - 14 Aug 1900
Burnside Cemetery
Burial or Cremation Place - Burnside, Portage la Prairie Census Division, Manitoba, Canada
Spouse - Thomas George Paisley
Children - Thomas Paisley and James Paisley

I can't find another Thomas Paisley marrying a Mary Graham. On FreeBMD without entering any start or finish dates the only marriage of a Thomas Paisley to a Mary Graham is the one for which grisel has already given you the details.
There are many marriages for men with the name Thomas Paisley and for women with the name Mary Graham but not on the same marriage registration.
Christina

[grisel]

I think you can discount the Mary Graham born Bolton, father Thomas, as she is with her family in Durham in 1861.
In any case Bolton is a long way from Carlisle. I would look first at Mary Grahams born Carlisle as that is where she gives as POB in 1861.
However without additional evidence you can go nowhere without the 1853 marriage cert.
Mind you, one of the possible baptisms gives a mother's name only - it is possible that Mary was illegitimate. In that case no father's name would be shown on the marriage cert (or else a made up name).

[grisel]

As often happens,a post can trigger some wider interest...This doesn't answer any questions but may be of interest.
The early 1860s was the time of the American civil war I think and the time of the Cotton famine in the UK. There was terrible poverty and starvation among the weavers in Carlisle and an Emigration Committee was formed to help weavers emigrate to Canada and New Zealand. Thomas Paisley probably was one of them. His son John George was born in September 1866 in Ontario. The Carlisle Journal June 26 1863 has a letter from emigrants John Prudhan and Thomas Paisley - possibly your Thomas? The letter stated they had travelled via Glasgow and had been well looked after. It said Ann Paisley is engaged in service and Thomas Paisley is going to Stumpings - (not sure where or what that may be).
Thomas's sister Ann did indeed emigrate to Canada and married a William Pell, so she could possibly be the Ann mentioned in the letter.

However even if this Thomas is a different one from your Thomas, I do think it is likely your Thomas travelled to Canada as part of the emigration scheme for weavers

[chlanfamily]

Thanks ..Yes I do know for certain that my Paisleys were the ones mentioned along with Pells and Thomas's widowed mother Ann Scott Paisley. The 2nd child born here was my great grandmother Mary Ann Paisley. They started out in Toronto and then went on to farm in Manitoba. Maybe that is what stumping was ? Mary Graham Paisley always said that she was born in Bolton but I haven't found anything about that. Hope the marriage registration certificate will answer a few questions

[grisel]

Hope so. Please do let us know what the marriage certificate says when it arrives.

[chlanfamily]

Reply back was that it is not available. the marriage was registered in Carlisle. Mary always said that she was born in Bolton. Maybe she was but maybe the family moved to Carlisle?