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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: lmfamilyresearch on Sunday 27 March 22 13:43 BST (UK)
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Good morning,
I'm hoping that some light can be shed on a question of mine. I have an indirect ancestor James McMurchy (b. 1831 in Southend (or Campbeltown) Argyll, Scotland) to his mother Margaret McShenoig who was not married to his father (Donald McMurchy). In an obituary for James, it said he moved with his parents to Canada at aged 2 (in 1833). Now, I know that James' father Donald McMurchy didn't move because he went on to marry and have other children in Southend after 1832 and he died in Southend in 1836. So, Margaret McShenoig obviously married (or partnered) with someone else and moved to Canada. James' obituary also indicated that he moved with his parents to the USA at age 16 and that he has a sister in Joliet, Illinois (no name was given). So, how is it possible that James went by his surname (birth surname) for all the records that I can find in the USA (I can't find any records in Canada)? James apparently stayed with his mother but never seemed to go by his stepfather's surname even though he would have been a baby when the stepfather came into his life.
Thanks.
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I have an indirect ancestor James McMurchy (b. 1831 in Southend (or Campbeltown) Argyll, Scotland) to his mother Margaret McShenoig who was not married to his father (Donald McMurchy). In an obituary for James, it said he moved with his parents to Canada at aged 2 (in 1833). Now, I know that James' father Donald McMurchy didn't move because he went on to marry and have other children in Southend after 1832 and he died in Southend in 1836. So, Margaret McShenoig obviously married (or partnered) with someone else and moved to Canada. James' obituary also indicated that he moved with his parents to the USA at age 16 and that he has a sister in Joliet, Illinois (no name was given). So, how is it possible that James went by his surname (birth surname) for all the records that I can find in the USA (I can't find any records in Canada)? James apparently stayed with his mother but never seemed to go by his stepfather's surname even though he would have been a baby when the stepfather came into his life.
The only mention of possible stepfather/mother's partner in your post is from James' obituary where it mentioned he came to Canada with his parents. It's not uncommon for their to be errors in obituaries and if James was 16 when he arrived in Canada he was even old enough to come on his own.
Have you found any sign of James' mother in Canada or U.S.?
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A child does not have to take his step-father's name, no matter how young he was when the step-father entered his life.
Have you traced his mother's marriage? Have you traced his entry to Canada and who he travelled with ? His mother may well not have met & married his step-father until much later in his life than the obituary suggests
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Unfortunately I can't find anything on his mother. The only reason I know his mother's name is because it's on his birth entry in the Old Parish Records. I don't even know if he actually stayed with his birth mother or if he was raised by another family. I've often wondered if it was possible for him to have been given to another family to raise, maybe one of his father's siblings/cousins/aunts...?
I have no clue who his birth mother married, nor can I trace their entry into Canada. His mother Margaret McShenoig isn't in the Dictionary of Scottish Immigrants (to Canada Pre-Confederation), neither is James. I can only find one marriage entry for a Margaret McShenoig on Scotland's People but that marriage takes place in 1828 (before James birth) so the timing of things just seems very off. I just can't see Margaret getting married in 1828, having an affair and resulting in a boy in 1831 and her husband being happy about that. Plus, McShenoig is a very common name in Scotland (or so I've been told).
I do know that James was aware of his siblings on his father's side but they didn't appear to be in contact (or it was very minimal contact). This comes from some letters I've seen (where James questions which of his siblings the letter writer married).
This whole branch is a mystery. Unfortunately, James didn't have any children.
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There are only 41 births before official registration began and none after 1855 of the name Mcsheniog so wouldn't say it was a common name
Have you checked the Kirk Session records if they have survived
Another scenario to consider is Margaret died while James was young and possibly raised by a sibling of his father
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Margaret having died is not a scenario that I had considered. If that's the case, I'm wondering why James wouldn't have gone to his father. After all, he had children by two wives and James (who was the "natural" son of his father).
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Margaret may have died before Duncan married so he may not have been in a position to take care of James so maybe a older sibling or his mother may have looked after him
Have you traced all of Duncan's siblings to see if any of them emigrated to Canada and have a son James who would fit
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As Wendy mentions, the surname McShenoig was not that common really. I think by mid century it had become McShannon likely.
Have you considered this christening entry for Margaret:
MARGRAT MCSHENOIG
Father DUNCAN MCSHENOIG (mother not named)
16/06/1804
Ref 532/10 78
Southend
You will have this but just adding here James's death in 1905 in Iowa with father named as Alexander McMurchy www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP2F-S5G9
Monica
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There are some family researchers who have:
Alexander McShenoig
1795–1858
Birth 27 JUL 1795 North Carrine, Southend, Argyll, Scotland
Death 30 JUL 1858 Wawnosh, Huron County, Ontario, Canada
There is this family tree for him on A/try (you need a subs to view...) www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/person/tree/8258476/person/-849168638/facts
They have him as son of a Duncan McShenoig and Elizabeth McAlister from Southend, Argyll. From the births of his children on this tree, he looks to have left with his young family for Canada some time around the mid 1830s.
Could James (and Margaret?) have left with this Alexander around this time I wonder? This assumes of course that Margaret and Alexander were siblings of course ::)
Monica
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...I can only find one marriage entry for a Margaret McShenoig on Scotland's People but that marriage takes place in 1828 (before James birth) so the timing of things just seems very off. I just can't see Margaret getting married in 1828, having an affair and resulting in a boy in 1831 and her husband being happy about that...
Some family researchers have linked that 1804 christening I mentioned above, with father Duncan, to this Margaret. See this old post on another forum http://www.talkingscot.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=16704
Given the names of children for this couple, I think this Margaret was likely the daughter of a Donald McShenoig and his wife Barbara who were also having children in Southend around this time. See http://clark-debisschop.co.uk/tng/getperson.php?personID=I4563&tree=Clark
Monica
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These are all interesting and I'll definitely look in everything. James' baptism record says that Margaret is from Ballyvianan.
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Good evening,
Normally if parents divorce and mother remarries the children retain the fathers name as on their birth certificates. If the new husband legally adopts the children then they take his name. I don't know if the same applied as far back as the early 1800s.
John915
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You will have this but just adding here James's death in 1905 in Iowa with father named as Alexander McMurchy www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP2F-S5G9
Monica
Yes I do have this. I know that his father is listed as Alexander McMurchy but I'm not sure how m much I can trust this record given that the information was provided by and filled out by the undertaker and not James' wife. However, it is something to look into. Donald (James' father) did have a brother named Alexander.
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Good evening,
Normally if parents divorce and mother remarries the children retain the fathers name as on their birth certificates. If the new husband legally adopts the children then they take his name. I don't know if the same applied as far back as the early 1800s.
John915
Thanks. In this case, James' parents were not married as he's listed as the "natural son" (and not lawful son) on his baptism record.
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My mum's half brother (born to my grandmother before she married my grandfather) always went by his biological father's surname, even though my grandad brought him up. The biological father was named on his baptism in Scotland, and I wonder whether some sort of maintenance payment might have been established, although I don't think father & son kept in touch.
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My mum's half brother (born to my grandmother before she married my grandfather) always went by his biological father's surname, even though my grandad brought him up. The biological father was named on his baptism in Scotland, and I wonder whether some sort of maintenance payment might have been established, although I don't think father & son kept in touch.
I know of a similiar case where an illegitimate child was brought up by his mother & stepfather in a loving family home but kept the name of his biological father who had no contact/interest but in this case the father's mother supported the child and left them money in her Will.
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Thanks everyone for sharing information. I've got a lot to look into. Hopefully I can figure it out but this may simply remain of my family history mysteries.