Adairs of Derry 1901 census?

[kingskerswell]

Hi,
   My apologies. The War Memorial bit was a precis of your earlier posting, the relevant part is that William and Matilda were probably not his parents but his brother and sister-in-law.

Regards

[cbrad]

Re the Adairs of Governor Road.
I do not think they are linked. I have a contact who has a link to these people and I think they were in a slightly higher social class than my relatives - at least I have not been able to make a link unless it is further back in generations. It is tempting to link them as family names of men are similar. 
I have found via a geneology connection, a John Adair  b1834 in  Londonderry, son of John/James Adair from Dublin (farmer and miller)and  brother of William Adair b 1836 (farmer and miller)  John   possibly had a daughter Jeannie Adair b around 1860 (she was I think, present as a witness to some legal papers). This lady could be a sister to John Adair b 1860 (there were actually twins in the family as Ellen Adair his daughter b 1892, was a surviving twin though her brother who died may not have ever been registered).
I am still hopeful that someone will recognise something here!
Thanks everyone.
CB

[aghadowey]

No need to apologise, Kingskerswell, the problem seems to be that there's too much posted that doesn't quite add up here.
Have spent quite a while going back to the start of the thread checking details. Here's a basic family tree according to what Cbrad has posted-
John ADAIR born 1863/c1869 Co.Londonderry married c1881 Strabane/Omagh district to Matilda (possibly Jenkins?) who was born 1858/c1855 Co.Tyrone. 1911 - 47 Chapel Rd, 1912 (Matilda) 4 Clifton St., Waterside; moved to England. The family were Presbyterian. Children (not in order)-
1. Annie born 25 May 1885 Co. Tyrone [m.1912 William John Myers]
2. Jenny/Jeanne born 1881-1888
3. Tilly/Matilda b.1895 Co.Tyrone
4. Eleanor/Nell born 1892 Co.Tyrone
5. John killed WWI Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, born Omagh
6. William/Billy moved to US then to England, from Donedheady nr. Strabane

It all sounds logical and there certainly are ways to verify at least some of the information.
1) birth certificates for any of the children will list not only exact date and place of birth but also mother's maiden name which should then enable the correct marriage certificate to be found
2) church records would hopefully lists baptisms of these children (and possibly others who didn't survive/are as yet unknown)- may also give mother's maiden name and residence at the time

WWI soldiers who died are usually much easier to trace than those that survived. So, concentrating on John Adair-
1) most likely soldier found so far is John Adair #14849 died 1 July 1916 Ypres
2) does not seem to be listed on Londonderry War Memorial (not uncommon for this to happen) but is not listed on any Presbyterian Roll of Honour for any churches in Omagh or Strabane Presbyteries. You can check further but I stopped at those 2 Presbyteries.
Added- only Adair mention found was Urney & Sion (Strabane Presbytery) for 3 Adairs from Church Square
3) it's possible that John's dead would be listed in local newspaper but as there were so many killed 1st July the paper might have just printed lists of names from those killed or missing without family details.

The 1911 census entry for the family is very interesting. John is listed as having 8 children (6 living) while Matilda says 6/6- perhaps just a mistake but keep in mind John might have been married previously (John and Matilda's marriage certificate should say wether he was widowed or single). Ellen is listed as Ellen J. and sister is Tillie. The census also confirms that the family were Presbyterian.

More to follow...

[aghadowey]

Marriage certificate for John Adair and Matilda ? should find her maiden name and since marriage usually take place in bride's church it might also lead to further relatives of Matilda's being found. However, details of children's births from the civil index would also help locate where in Co. Tyrone they were from.
1) searched for Adair births in Co, Tyrone 1880-1899 and only one that might match the 6 children we have is for a William Adair birth Jan./Mar.1893 Strabane registration district.
2) searched for Ellen Adair birth 1890-1899 (all Ireland)- nothing near Tyrone or Derry for those dates.
3) searched for Matilda Adair born 1890-1899 (again all Ireland)- nothing for 1895 Co. Tyrone but there was a Matilda Adair birth July/Sept.1891 Londonderry registration district.
4) searched Annie Adair born 1880-1889 Tyrone or Derry and only 1 possible result- Ann Jane birth Jan./Mar.1885 Londonderry registration district. Note: if Annie was born 25 May 1885 this couldn't be her.
5) searched for John Adair born Co.Tyrone- only 4 results- 1851, 1909, 1877 Cookstown district, 1879 Armagh district.
6) searched for marriage of John Adair- nothing for approx. date given in 1911 census

It's very strange (and unusual) that so many births, and the marriage can't be found in the civil index.

[kingskerswell]

Hi,
   The John Adair who died on 1 July 1916 was born in Omagh but resident in Belfast. I think that this means he enlisted in Belfast. He was a private in the 11 Bn of the Royal Inniskillen Fusiliers, number 14849. No other information is given in CWGC site or in the Military section of Ancestry.

Regards

[aghadowey]

None of the John Adairs or William Adairs in 1911 Irish census listed their birthplace as Co. Tyrone.

[cbrad]

Well thank you again for your efforts and I am trying to piece everything together that I have, compared to what you have found. I have trawled through all  and found the following-
I think there could be mistakes on the census or else death documents recorded ages wrongly. Firstly I went back and checked and John Adair is recorded on his burial papers as being 63 and he died in 1932 (buried April). This would make his birth 1869 and not 1860 as the census suggests - one of them is wrong!  However, Annie Myers, my grandmother is recorded as being 88 years when she died in 1973 and her birth date of 25th May 1885 is also printed on her death certificate. This date agrees with the 1911 census age of 25 as it was taken in April before her 26th birthday in May.
I have the British Army Pension record for son William Adair which estimates his birth as 1891 and he joined the army age 17 with a birth parish of Donedheady, Tyrone. I believe you confirmed this one. His brother John died 01.07 1916 in Ypres pvt 14849 RIF. Details correct as we have original details and plaque from WW1. Ireland Memorial records 'Casualties of War'  list him as born in Omagh. I do not know his exact birth year but assumed he was older than William who was born abt 1891 so I am working on 1888/89.
The daughter Eleanor/Ellen Jenkins Adair  married Leonard Froude in December 1912. She died, according to her burial cert, age 68 in 1962 - making a range of 1892-4 as a possible birth year depending on months of census etc.

I never heard that my grandmother Annie had a second name
so Anne Jane is not the one.
One last thing, my grandmother spent the early years of her life on a farm, until she was at least six or seven years old.
I think the family might have moved around a lot and  I only guessed at Jeannie's birth year.
Regards, CB

[cbrad]

A little more!
William Adair, found in Strathbane area 1893 is possibly the correct one because I know that the husband of Eleanor Adair joined the army at 14 years old - he lied about his age so it is possible that William Adair did the same and joined up at fifteen. Also Tilly Adair signed the Declaration in 1912? Should she have been 21 in order to sign? If so she lied about her age too.
CB

[aghadowey]

Do you mean Strabane? I know of quite a few teenagers who signed the Covenant/Declaration in 1912 so Tillie might easily have done so.