Renfrewshire McGirles

[lawlargo]

Can anyone help me find the McGirles? Richard McGirle and his wife Ann (nee Livingstone) were living in Greenock, Renfrewshire in 1875 at the time of their daughter Amelia's marriage to Thomas Beckett.   

[stuizzy]

Hello, and welcome

The best thing to do is list what you know, and what exactly you want. By the way, have you tried www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk ? You have to pay, but you can get so much information, especially through birth, marriage and death certificates, that it's a worthwhile visit!

I looked on ancestry (which doesn't show the Scottish census images, so we have to deal with transcriptions) and there's a possible sighting of the family in 1871 - that is if Richard is a shoemaker. They've been transcribed as MARGARET, but that could have been read as Margt, which I could persuade myself could have been bad handwriting of McGirle

6 Hamilton St, Greenock
Richard  Margaret Head 54 Shoemaker Ireland
Ann             "        Wife   51                    Ireland
Maria           "        Daur  22                    Ireland
AMELIA        "        Daur  15                    Ireland
Samuel        "        Son    13                    Greenock
John <no last name> Son-in-law Labourer Ayrshire
Mary Janet  <no last name> Boarder                  Ireland
McCrnest               Son  11  Greenock
Albert McCrnest     Daur 5       " (Yes, it really does say daughter!!)
Elizabeth "             Servant 24   Ireland
Ellen        "             Daur      19   Greenock
Jane        "             Daur      10        "

I would say that this is definitely a census transcription that needs to be checked against the image!!

Do any of these names strike a chord?


Isobel

[stuizzy]

I think that I might have found them in 1861, again mistranscribed, but it is much closer to McGirle. Of course, I could have completely the wrong family!!

6 Watsons Lane, Greenock West
Richard McGarrell  Head 44 Shoemaker Ireland
Ann           "          Wife  40                        Ireland
Elisa Jane   "         Daur 23 Sower          Ireland
Mary Ann    "         Daur 15 Cotton Mill worker  Ireland
Maria          "         Daur  13 Scholar          Ireland
Amelia         "         Daur   6 Scholar          Ireland
Samuel       "          Son     3                      Greenock

Isobel

[lawlargo]

Hi Stuizzy

Many thanks for getting back to me. I had tried to find them many times without success on Scotlandspeople - when I keyed in Margaret instead of McGirle I got both the 1871 and 1861 censuses. I know now why I couldn't access their birth and marriage records as they were from Ireland. I've had no luck with other branches of the family who hail from Ireland. I've tried several Irish sites with little or no success - you don't know a more reliable site, do you? I'm a relative newcomer and still have an awful lot to learn.

Cheers!

[stuizzy]

Ireland is a notoriously difficult place from which to get family information. Why don't you try posting some specific questions on the Ireland boards here on rootschat. Have a read through some of them as well. I'm sure that there will be some useful information for you there.

Good luck
Isobel

[lawlargo]

Hi Isobel

Thanks for getting back to me. I've just discovered Rootschat so I didn't know there was an Ireland board - I'll check it out.

Cheers
Margaret

[lawlargo]

Hi Isobel

How do I access the Ireland board on Rootschat? 

[stuizzy]

Try out http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/board,50.0.html

Otherwise, go to the rootschat homepage, and have a rummage through the listed areas there. I'm sure that someone, somewhere will have an idea of where you can start and push you in the right direction anyway.

Good luck!
Isobel