McElwains

[RAYMAC]

HELP, HELP, HELP,

Can anyone find any McElwains before 1853.

I am stuck on my Great Grandfather who married Agnes Elizabeth Frew in 1853, He was a Tailor of Bloomsbury and she was a Tailoress

His Father's name was John, a Gardener

He married again (Bigamy?) in 1857 to Ann Pope

I have all the relatives listed from 1853 but would dearly love and desperately like to know where John was from and whether Alfred had any Brothers or Sisters


I have been trying for a year now, I am 71 and not at all expert with this new fangled technology.

I think the men in white coats will be coming to take me away soon , its driving me bonkers!!!!

The Old Geezer

Mac

[nanny jan]

Hi Mac,

Do you have a copy of the marriage cert for 1857?  How does he describe himself;  bachelor or widower?  Perhaps Agnes left him.

Do you know roughly when he was born? Can you find him on any census; does he give a place of birth?

Nanny Jan

[RAYMAC]

Hi Nanny Jan,

He was a Batchelor and his first wife Agnes Elizabeth was present at the death of the son William in 1858 so he definitely was not a widower
People tell me it was difficult to get divorces in those days, thats why I think that it could have been Bigamus..

Another thing is he disappeared to the 109th Regiment in India about 1858/9 as Alfred McDonald "Alias McElwain" his second & third Children to Ann Pope under this name but his 4th and 5th were under the name William McDonald.

He was back in the 1871 census still as William McDonald alledgedly born Edinburgh and still with the 109th Regt (he was Regimental Tailor)

In the 1881 census he was Alfred McElwain once more but it was mistranscribed as Meelwain

He died 1882 as Robert McElwain in the Brentford Union Workhouse infirmary at Isleworth, Middx.

Now you know why I said "The men in white coats"


Ying-tong-diddle-doo- bing-bong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They will be calling me MAD MAC

[RAYMAC]

Its me again,

In the 1881 census he states he was born in Liverpool but I cant find him anywhere

He may have been born any time between 1825 and 1834 but I have a feeling it was nearer 1834

I found a John McElwain married to Martha Aungier at St Peters, Church St Liverpool Jan 1828
and Alfred's secon daughter was called Martha but that is as close as I have got and nothing about them ever since

I also found a John & Martha MacElwain baptised a son William in Manchester Cathedral 1831,
I found it on the net somewhere and have not been able to re-find it since, again no sign of them since..

Mac

[CaroleW]

Hi

Before anybody gets too involved in searching - it may help to read this link on the Liverpool FHS website to prevent any possible duplication of effort

The McElwain post runs to 16 pages so you will have to decide for yourself!!

http://www.liverpool-genealogy.org.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3010

[RAYMAC]

Hello all,

I'm afraid you can't read the Liverpool forum thread because it has been lost.

the whole past forum is gone, including the 16 pages on McElwains

I put the request on here because in spite of the help from all the lovely people on the Liverpool site nobody has been able to get over my brick wall and so I was hoping that new helpers involved with London/Middlesex researches, Parish Records Etc. might re-kick start new info that would help me.

Mac

[RAYMAC]

Sorry folks,

Have just clicked on the link above and found you can still get it on here but not on the Liverpool site.

Mac

[mdenning]

Hi
Just found this thread and have hit the same brick wall in my family tree...

Alfred McElwain Jnr being my g.g.grandfather....before I dive into this a little more, wanted to know what info everyone has so far.

So far, I have not got past 1853 although I did not that the witness to the Agnes Frew wedding Elizabeth Dear was living at 6 Brownlow St in the 1851 Census and an Agnes Drew was living at 34 Brownlow St....

Mark

[RAYMAC]

Hi Mark,

What do do you want to know about the McElwains of our Line

Alfred McElwain (my Great Grandfather) Married in 1853 and again in 1857 (Bigamy?)
He then ran to India in the 109th Regiment as the Regimental Tailor (corporal), from 1858 to 1881

BUT, he was using the name Alfred McDonald alias McElwain until 1865 and then changed it to William McDonald, My Grandfather William was the last to be born on India in 1870

Get in touch and we can compare notes, I think his father John was married in Liverpool 1828 and I think the same John had a son baptised in Manchester Cathedral, William in 1831, this child may have been Alfred, there are various things that seem to bear this out

Mac