RootsChat.Com
Independent Islands => Isle of Man => Isle of Man Lookup Requests => Topic started by: cdrathbone on Wednesday 30 March 22 06:52 BST (UK)
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My great great grandfather was John Quilliams. His daughter, my great grandmother, said that John was born on the Isle of Man and that she thought that he was illegitimate. He was born in 1806. I found a christening record for a John Quilliam that was born in 1806 and he was illegitimate. The mother was Elizabeth Mylchreest and the father was only listed as Quilliam. The church is not listed on the record, so I don't know where they lived on the Isle of Man. John would have migrated to the U.S. in the mid to late 1820s. I'm stuck at this point and can't go back any further. Does anyone have any ideas? Thank you.
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The Isle of Man has an Historical Society.
Book published 1955 "Manx Settlement in USA. by R H Kenvig.
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Thank you, I will check into the historical society.
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Are you registered on Family Search? It's free to register and access. This link is to an ecclesiastical court held at Patrick in 1806 and is good evidence of the identity of the parentage so it helps you to go further back with some certainty. Father: Thomas Quilliam of Marown, Mother: Elizabeth Mylchreest of German:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-899C-RD99?i=158&cat=2031034
Blue
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Link to the baptism record image the church was Kirk German:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6LT9-V6R?i=93
Blue
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Possibly, Elizabeth was subject to a Presentment for Fornication, before her vicar?
These are not online.
The Presentment was an ecclesiastical version of a Bastardy Order, enabling the parish to defray the costs of the child by getting the father to pay.
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Thank you very much, Blue70. The Family Search information supports my dna results. It also explains why my John named his oldest son, Thomas. KGarrard, you may be correct. From what I've been able to find out, the IOM was more lenient towards the rights of illegitimate children than other places. But, my ancestor's life would still have been difficult, as it would have been anywhere at that time. He was very closed mouth about his past because he couldn't have owned land in the U.S. either at that time. But, he left us a legacy of red hair that still appears after all those generations along with a farm and stream that bears his name. That is where I live today.
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Where in the USA did your John settle? I've been trying to find out what happened to Thomas Quilliam of Marown and found a Thomas Quilliam of Ballacallin, Marown who emigrated c1820s to Avon, Ohio. He died there in 1846 and his son Joseph petitioned the court at Marown in 1847 to sort out his estate. The son Joseph was baptised at Kirk German in 1826. I can see other baptisms for the family in Marown. This Thomas Quilliam married Carolina Catherine Clucas at Braddan in 1810 so just a few years after the birth of your John Quilliam. Here's a link to the documents for the 1847 probate case:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSNX-699V-3?i=510&cat=234410
Blue
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There could be some connection. My John eventually settled in the mountains of East Tennessee. But, he met his wife in Kentucky, up along the Ohio River. She was mixed Native American and white. Her father was an Indian trader. I don't know which tribe but I think it was Shawnee. I have very little in my dna. Her name was Polly Beesley. They followed her family down to a little town just above Chattanooga, Tn. At that time that area was controlled by ther Cherokee and the town was a trading town. When the removal started, they moved to the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee near Gatlinburg. There was a Guilliams/Quilliams family living there already but there is no relation and no Thomas. Your Thomas might have stayed in Kentucky/Ohio or he could have gone to Canada if he was connected to the Shawnee or other tribes at that time. Some Shawnee went to Canada. I have a lot of dna matches among the Native Americans in Canada.
Dean Rathbone
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KGarrard, you may be correct. From what I've been able to find out, the IOM was more lenient towards the rights of illegitimate children than other places.
That's not quite right. ;)
The church was determined that an illegitimate child would not be a burden on the parish.
So, the purpose of the "Presentment for Fornication" was to persuade the mother to name the father of her child, so that he could pay for the child.
Failure to name the father resulted in a fine of 2s 11d!
The Presentments are available at the Manx Museum Archives.
They are hand-written, and in pencil. There is no index!
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I'm finding it difficult finding your Quilliams in the USA on Family Search. I hoped I could find out more through the USA records but no luck. There are descendents in the USA of the Quilliam(s) family of Avon, Ohio if John's father did emigrate they would be of interest. One of the descendents Claire posted some information in this discussion below and there may be family trees out there. It would be interesting to see if they think their Thomas was your John's father:
http://www.isle-of-man.com/genealogy/messageboard/manx_archive_1.pl/md/read/id/15982
Good luck,
Blue
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I found a record where Thomas eventually married Elizabeth. They lived in Peel and he died in Peel. So, my John must have come alone or possibly as a soldier to Canada. I'm wondering whether my John ever became a citizen of the U.S. He never appeared on any voting lists.