James Waddell, Ayrshire *completed*

[mayoevie]

The story in my family is that my great-grandfather James Waddell met his wife, Margaret Brady in London. James was Presbyterian, from Ayrshire, and Margaret was a Catholic from Dublin. James was a dispatch rider in the Scots Guards, and Margaret was a professional cook. James became a Catholic and his family in Scotland disowned him.
There is no record of their marriage in Ireland, and if they were married in London I can't find it.
All their children were born in Dublin, Ireland, the eldest about early 1880
James died in Dublin in 1891 aged 36, which puts his birth date about 1855
I have no idea who were the parents of either James or Margaret.
Margaret appears in the 1911 census in Dublin as a widow aged 57, with 4 of her 5 children, and a grandson.
Margaret later moved to London and died there at about 90 years old.
Can any kind person help me to find the parents of James?

[CaroleW]

Hi and welcome to Rootschat

www.familysearch.org has this entry which suggests he was illegitimate (if it's the right entry)

JAMES WADDLE   Birth:  14 FEB 1857   Auchinleck, Ayr
 
Mother:  GRACE WADDLE

[CaroleW]

Did you get Margaret's maiden name from one of the children's birth certs?

There is an 1878 marriage on freebmd for James Waddle in Greater London and one of the females is Margaret Henderson.  There is no James and Margaret Waddle on the 1881 census

[mayoevie]

Hello CaloleW

Thanks for your reply
 
I don't think my great-grandfather is Graces' son. My sister searched ScotlandsPeople and she says he appears in the 1881 census in Auchinleck with the name Kerr.

 My James was in Dublin at that time.

My grandfather was the second child of James and Margaret, also called James, born in Dublin July 1881, fathers name James Waddell, farmer, mothers name Margaret Brady.

However, there is a slight possibility that the marriage you mention could be theirs. My aunt told me that Margaret was a young widow when she met James, but she doesn't know the name of her first husband. I think her first marriage was in Dublin, and Henderson is an Irish name. She could have been married to James using the name of her first husband, and put her maiden name on the birth registrations of her children.

Thank you for that. I searched a lot of marriage records and couldn't find them anywhere in Britain.

I live in Ireland, and now I will try to find the marriage of Margaret Brady with a Henderson.

I wrote to the archives of the Scots Guards and got the record of a James Waddle from Mauchline, whose dates are correct for my James, but it does not contain his address or next-of-kin,

If you have any other suggestions I will be very grateful

Mayoevei

[MonicaL]

Hi Mayoevei

I can't see a James Wad* with a Mauchline birth place in the 1861 census nor a birth showing between 1855-7 on Scotlands People  Do you know the name of all of James and Margaret's children and in order of birth? Maybe some possible clues there (specially if any middle surnames used).

Carol's marriage find looks a good possibility 

Monica

[MonicaL]

There is a James Waddell showing in Mauchline in 1861 but born in Ireland and with an earlier birth year:

William Waddle 39, quarrier, b. Ireland
Ann Waddle 34, b Ireland
Mary Waddle 13, b. Ireland
James Waddle 11, box checker b. Ireland
William Waddle 9, b. Mauchline
Agnes Waddle 6, b. Mauchline
Elizabeth Waddle 3, b. Mauchline
Ann Waddle 1, b. Mauchline

Address: Townhead, Mauchline

Added: He shows at home with parents William and Jane (possible second marriage for father?) in 1871, occupation Turner, but cannot easily see him after this year in the censuses.

Monica

[mayoevie]

Hi Monica
Thanks for reply.
 The only birth for a James around 1855 in Ayrshire is to Grace.
There are several in Lanark, and it is possible that he was born in Lanark and moved to Ayr as a child and regarded that as his birthplace.
I have the names of all the children of James and Margaret
Mary Ann (Molly)
James (born 1881)
William
Thomas
Margaret (Maggie)
Only the 2 eldest married, in Dublin, and the 3 younger moved to London with Margaret sometime after 1911 and all died there, the last, Maggie, in May 1963

[CaroleW]

Hi

Re: the marriage.  If she was widowed - she would have re-married as Henderson.  However - all children born to that marriage will have Brady as her maiden name on their birth certs as that was her true maiden name.

Sometimes you get lucky and they declare the previous marriage to the registrar and he puts both names - but it's rare!!

[mayoevie]

Thanks for that Carole.  I will write to the Irish Records Office and hope they will find such a marriage.
Do you know the first name of Henderson?