1851 Census Lookup, MCGOWAN

[mrrudd]

Can anyone help me find my gggrandparents in the 1851 Census for Lanarkshire??

Per the 1861 Census, my ggranfather, Samuel McGowan, was born in 1846 in Aridrie, Lanarkshire to Joseph McGowan and Charlotte Sinclair. By 1861, Joseph was a widower.

thanks,
Mamie

[RJ_Paton]

I've checked the 1851 index for Lanarkshire County .... there is no Samuel listed and the only Joseph McGowan's are aged 20 and 2


there is a 60 yr old Charlotte Sinclair listed (born in Ireland)

No trace of any of them in the 1851 index for Glasgow either, sorry.

[mrrudd]

Thanks for looking! Samuel was born in Airdrie, but he & Joseph lived in Stevenston in 1861.
Charlotte's name on his death certificate is spelled Scharlotte??
Maybe they never married, or maybe Charlotte died in childbirth??

I am a brick wall here, and my family know nothing because my grandfather married a Catholic, and there was a big rift in the family.

Mamie

[RJ_Paton]

It's possible that they moved to Ayrshire soon after Samuels birth hence the disappearance from Lanarkshire.

Unfortunately I tried just using a search where "char" formed part of the forename without any success .... there are two Joseph's - a  20 yr old and a 2 yr old  both born in Airdrie.

The 20 yr old appears to be on his own and the 2 yr old is the son of Robert and Margaret both listed as born in Ireland.

Re the religion causing a rift ... there are certain parts of Lanarkshire where if they could they would have orange grass.

[MonicaL]

Hi Mamie

I don't know if I raise more questions than answers for you here.  There is an Old Parish Register entry on Scotlands People for the marriage of a Joseph MacGown and Charlotte Sinclair on 19 July 1846 in Glasgow (no image available).  There is also another OPR marriage entry on 10 April 1843 for Samuel McGown and Sophia Sinclair in Gorbals.  There isn't an OPR entry for the birth of Samuel in 1846-50 to a Joseph/Charlotte.

The reason I've included Samuel above, other than he also married a Sinclair, is that when I searched the 1861 census in Stevenston,  Ayr for all M*cgow*n, there were only 9 entries:

Joseph McGowan/ age 30/ collier/ born Ireland
Samuel McGowan/age 14/collier/ born Airdrie

Samuel McGown/age 37/collier/born Ireland
Sophia McGown/age38/born Inverness, Inverness-shire
Mary McGown/age 12/born Glasgow
Margaret McGown/age 4/born Stevenston, Ayr
Sophia McGown/age 0/born Stevenston, Ayr

Ann McGowan/age 78

Sarah McGown/age 77

I haven't viewed the entries for Ann/Sarah.

It might be that Joseph and Samuel were brothers, came over from Ireland together, were both colliers and could they possible have married sisters/close Sinclair relatives.

Sadly, with Charlotte's death probably before 1855 (I can't find one, like you, on SP) and also I can't find likely death entries in Scotland for Joseph/Samuel /Sophia, it's hard to confirm anything.

It's frustrating isn't it!

Regards.

Monica 

PS: Falkyrn's find of a Joseph age 20 in the 1851 index could be Samuel's father. If Charlotte died around the time of Samuel's birth or shortly after, Joseph was very young (born around 1830, married around age 16 in 1846) - I wonder if somebody looked after Samuel in his early years until Joseph was in a position to look after him himself, which he did by 1861?

[MonicaL]

Hi Mamie

I had a final thought, Joseph probably remarried given his age when widowed. Just checked on SP and he did, in 1863 in Stevenston. He remarried Ann McIntyre, age 22.  His parents are James McGown (deceased) and Margaret Scottx (spl?).

Two witnesses at his wedding included Samuel McGown! In respect of Joseph's mother's name, Samuel and Sophia's second daughter was also called Margaret (first born Mary maybe after Sophia's mother?).

Regards.

Monica

[mrrudd]

Wow! Am I glad I joined this  roots chat!

Monica, How did you get the info on the witnesses?? I was on SP, and I didn't find that info.

The info on Sam & Joseph being brothers is interesting, as well as the info on his parents. Now, I wish I could find some info on Charlotte. Did she die in childbirth, I wonder?

thanks again,
Mamie