Born on Board Ship

[dibeau]

Hi, Can anyone help me I have found an ancestor Mary Ann Robertson she was born in 1809.  The 1851 census states 'British subject born Spain'. The 1861 census states 'born Bay of Biscay on board  Paraguay. Here mother and father were Ann and William Robertson both born in Scotland. Mary Ann's brother John was born 1814 in Edinburgh so they must have been on there way home.
What I would like to find out if possible have I got enough information to find a passenger list and where could they have been coming from and why did they go.

Regards Dibeau

[Viktoria]

I only have experience of a baby born during the voyage to Australia.
She was listed  in the ship`s log as was another baby who died.
On reaching Sydney the newborn was baptised there and presumably registered there.The family were on their way to Bathurst and Sofala where gold had been discovered so they did not wait to get there to have the baby baptised.It would have been quite a long journey in those days.
Put in Passenger Ships and the name Paraguay and you may be lucky.
It is possible your rellies disembarked at Leith as they lived in Edinburgh, its worth a try, and also
trying to locate her baptism and registration of her birth which may give more info.
 I`m not sure when birth registration a  became legal  obligation in Scotland .                   
    Best of luck.Viktoria.

[dibeau]

Hi Viktoria Thanks for your reply I will try searching for Mary Ann's birth and baptism. Looking at the census again I am wondering if perhaps Paraguay isn't the name of a ship as I have had no luck searching for it  but actually the country Paraguay don't know if this will make my search more difficult. Thanks again.

Regards Dibeau

[Viktoria]

I`ve just done a quick whizz through and your best bet seems to be The National Archives at Kew.
They have records of births at sea from 1797.
I`m sure they don`t come free but at least you can enquire, I put in  Births, Marriages and Deaths at sea.
Would the parents by any chance be a returning military family sailing back from India?
Not sure when wives were allowed out there.
Hope you get a break through.
                                                   Viktoria.

[dibeau]

Hi Viktoria Thanks for that I will definitely try the National archives,  I did wonder if maybe Mary Ann's father William was in a regiment but have know idea how to research this, tried ancestry but nothing coming up as yet. thanks again.

Regards Dibeau

[jorose]

What do later records (census, marriages of children, etc) say about William's occupation? e.g. was it anything to do with shipping - which could suggest a marine/navy link, is he ever listed as "pensioner".

Also, do you know when/where William was born? That might help find him in any military records (I can certainly see quite a few Scottish born William Robertsons in the NA records who would be possibles).

[dibeau]

Hi I know absolutely nothing about William but he must have been born in the seventeen hundreds I only found him via someone else's tree and am just stuck as to where to go now. His son John was born 1814 in St. Cuthberts Edinburgh and was a cabinet maker. I am thinking that they were on the way home to Edinburgh when Mary Ann was born so maybe William was Born in Edinburgh.

Regards Diane