Please help with lost Irish relatives

[Jude_the_obscure]

Hello, I'm trying to trace an Irish family who are present on the 1901 Irish census but have vanished by 1911. They are Robert (42) and Mary Speers (40) of 4 Clarendon Street, Londonderry with children John (17), Robert (15), Caroline (12) and David Benjamin (10). (However, the ages of the parents may be incorrectly entered on the census by as much as 8 years). I can't find the family after this but when Robert and Mary's neice marries in Haverton Hill, Durham, England in 1904 a Caroline Speers has signed the witness box on the marriage certificate which may well be her as I can find no evidence of another Caroline Speers in the area. If this is her, they disappear completely after this. I've had my son put their information into his ancestry account but no joy there either. Is there anyone who can help us find them? It has been suggested to me they might have emigrated but I don't know where to start to find out about that. Can anyone help?
Many thanks,
Judith

[Maggie1895]

Were Robert and Mary born in County Armagh, and could Robert have been a coal miner?    If so I think they may have moved to Sunderland.

[Jude_the_obscure]

Robert was a writing clerk when he got married and a 'shirt factory manager' in 1901, I don't know about mining. Is it possible he had a total change in career? Thanks for looking. Robert was Donegal, Mary lived in Tyrone, Londonderry and Armagh so could put either, the rest of her family did.
Judith.

[Maggie1895]

Judith, I've just seen your other posting with the photograph.   It certainly fits with the positions Robert held in Ireland, and  I think it extremely unlikely that Robert and Mary surfaced a few years later in a mining community in Sunderland!   I did send you a PM (personal message) about that.    If you look on the top right of your screen when logged on to Rootschat it should tell you you have a message.     Lovely picture.    Maggie

[aghadowey]

Ancestry have very few Irish records so it's not surprising that your son wasn't able to find anything useful there.

For reference here's the family you are tracing in the 1901 census-
www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Londonderry/Londonderry_Urban_No__1/Clarendon_Street/1530362

Civil registration index shows Caroline Mary Speers Oct./Dec.1888 Londonderry district (volume 2 page 193) so Caoline's age in 1901 census looks accurate.
Also David Benjamin Speers Jan./Mar.1891 Londonderry district (volume 2 page 206). Robert Workman Speers Jan./Mar.1886 Londonderry district (volume 2 page 214). So, that's the 3 Derry-born children with ages correct on 1901 census.

There's a death for a Martha Speers - Jan./March 1915 Londonderry district (volume 2 page 184)- age 84- who could be Robert's mother. Can't locate this Martha Speers in 1911 census yet.

[Jude_the_obscure]

All this sounds right, Mary Speers father was called Benjamin Workman so the son being Robert Workman Speers would fit. I had a look on the 1911 Irish census and failed to find any of them which is why I'm feeling a bit stuck. Thanks for the help and the children's dates of registration. I think they must have emigrated as a family.
Judith.

[Maggie1895]

Do you have the birth certificate for John, the one born in Scotland?   It is on Scotlands People ( 644/04 1239 )  October 31st, 1883, in Glasgow.   Confirms Mary Speers maiden surname was Workman, and gives a marriage date for Robert and Mary as Jan 2nd 1883 in County Derry

[Jude_the_obscure]

No I didn't, thanks very much for the details! No idea how to research Scotland's records. My son is quite good at English ones and showed me the Irish census website. I've got him researching his dad's family history so I can do a bit of mine myself. I bought a transcript of the marriage from a family history website, it gave the same date Jan 2nd 1883 at Glendermott, County Derry. Mary was described as being from Glendermott Rectory and her husband from Waterside. Thanks for the extra information, does the Scotland's People give an occupation for Robert? I'm curious why they appear in Glasgow before returning to Ireland. Thanks for your help, much appreciated.
Judith.

[aghadowey]

It wasn't uncommon to find people moving between Ulster and the west coast of Scotland- if no family connections then probably for employment reasons.

Scottish vital records are available (pay per view only) on Scotland's People website www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

The residence of bride and groom from marriage record are where they are living at the time of the marriage and may not be where their families lived.