Completed: No longer a mystery - McLusky - Glasgow??

[billnkempsey]

I'm trying to solve a long-standing family mystery. One of my gg-grandmothers is Ellen Jane Eliza McCluskey, at least that is the name on her marriage certificate dated 25 June 1868 (Echuca, Victoria, Aust). On that certificate her parents are Hugh McCluskey and Ann (??ison) and her birthplace is given as Glasgow. Her father's occupation is Stationer.

She died in 1873 (5 Aug, Barma NSW, just across the Murray River from Echuca). Her death certificate lists her parents as Hugh McLuskey and Ann Morrison and states she was born in Glasgow and 'has spent 7 years in NSW'.

Nobody has ever found any records of Ellen outside Australia, nor any hint of a Hugh McCluskey/McLuskey (Stationer) and Ann (Morrison) of Glasgow.

Does anyone have any information about such people?

Otherwise, does anyone have any hints about were I might search for such info.

Never found a shipping list with her on, but she may have arrived as a maid or similar.

Many thanks for reading this far!

[MonicaL]

Hi billnkempsey

From what you have for Ellen, what do you estimate her approx. birth year to be? It will help people trying to do any searches 

Monica

[MonicaL]

Depending on what her est. birth year was, these are the only census entries I am seeing at present:

1841:
Hugh McLusky 34, Cotton Spinner b. Ireland
Ann McLusky 34 b. Ireland
Mary McLusky 7
Ella McLusky 5
James McLusky 3
Hugh McLusky 6 Months

Address: Cowcaddens Street

1851:
Ann Mclusky 50 b. Ireland
Maryann Mclusky 17 Power Loom Weaver/cotton
Helen Mclusky 15 Power Loom Weaver/cotton
James Mclusky 13 Rope Maker (app)

Address: 39 Piccadilly St, Barony

Monica 

[MonicaL]

Just following through with these census entries for this family through to 1861:

Ann McLusky 61, formerly laundress b. Ireland
Ellen McLusky 24, Cotton (factory) Weaver b. Glasgow
Eliza Marrison 34, visitor b. Ireland...as transcribed, likely Morrison?

Address: 6 Piccadilly Street, Anderston, Glasgow Barony

There is a death showing on the official pay to view site www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk for an Ann Morrison/McLusky who died in the St Rollox area of Glasgow in 1883. This Ann shows a birth year c. 1807. A possibility for the Ann we have perhaps been seeing in the censuses above?

Monica

[MonicaL]

Sorry for the string of posts, billnkempsey  I am just posting as I find info (hope info makes sense!).

What was Ellen's religious denomination? From the site linked above, Scotlands People, there are four entries showing on the Roman Catholic Birth/Baptism database for the children of a Hugh McLusk(e)y and Ann(e) Morrison at Glasgow St Andrew's between 1830-1851.

Spellings are rigid on SP, so best to search with wildcards to pick up all variants. I have been searching for a Hugh McLusk* and an Ann* Morrison, this is bringing up the four entries.

Monica

[MonicaL]

Have you discounted this shipping entry:

Ellen McCluskey, 21, Scottish. Arrival in Melbourne from Liverpool on the 'Star of England' on 23 Jan. 1865

I know age seems light but people's ages varied enormously on all sort of records...

[billnkempsey]

Hi Monica,

How many posts? You have been busy!

Many thanks for the info and especially for the time taken.

Firstly the shipping. Where on earth did you find that! No matter where I've looked (online), her name hasn't appeared. Mind you, there's a division in the data at 1865, so maybe something isn't indexed correctly over here? (Yes, I'm clutching at straws there, the paper records are in Melbourne and I'm not down there very often.) At least I have a target date and ship now. Ta!

As for denomination? No information, although her marriage was conducted by a CoE minister, but that surely proves nothing in 1868 rural Australia. Sadly she died, following childbirth, 5 years later (presiding minister again CoE). As no child is recorded for 1873 this was a complete tradegy.

I suspect you have found the family, allowing for Ellen trimming a few years off her age when she married. Interestingly (suspiciously?) her age at marriage is the same as the groom! On my father's side we've just discovered a bride who also did that, plus ca change...! I'd always estimated the birth year as 1843, from the age of 25 given on the marriage cert in 1868, looks like it was really 1836 and a blushing bride of 32.

So Hugh either died or shot through between 1841 and 1851, I can't imagine that being a cotton spinner in Victorian Glasgow was a safe occupation. At least I have a date range now.

You're suggesting that going onto scotlandspeople would bring up some likely records? I haven't checked that site before because the information I had was so sketchy, guess its time to bite the bullet. (Speaking of which, I hope you have not had to pay for any of these searches, that would be service above and beyond.)

The bad news, as I understand it, is that now the search must now move to Ireland, where the records are sadly incomplete unless they're Northern Irish(?). Do you have any hints?

Again many thanks

Cheers

Bill

PS Just found the shipping record!

[MonicaL]

Hi Bill

That's great that you have found the shipping entry. Hope it includes additional info which is of use.

Some guides here on RootsChat that might help:

Where to start with Scottish Research www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,24468.0.html
Optimise Scotlandspeople searches www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,43916.0.html

As for Irish roots... ....what can I say, except for hard! If we do have the right family, haven't seen any reference as yet to where in Ireland parents may have originated from (sometimes census entries can include this). Hopefully you will be able to trace Ann Morrison/McCluskey's death entry which should include her parents names (if known to the informant). That's probably the next stage. Hugh will be a puzzle though, with his likely death before the start of official registration in Scotland from 1855.

Monica 

[sancti]

Catholic marriage records from SP

19/06/1831 MCCLUSKEY HUGH and ANN MORRISON at BARONY GLASGOW CITY CITY/LANARK 622/00 0160 0384