Louth Mariners

[Joney]

My McGuirk family line goes back to Baltray, but while investigating McGuirks, I have come across dozens of merchant seamen from Baltray and Drogheda who are in ports on the west coast of England and Wales when the census is taken.
For example, in 1911 there is a ship called 'Colleen Bawne'  in Collingwood Dock, Liverpool and also a tug called 'Warrior", both (from memory) I think entirely crewed by men born in County Louth.  If you can't find your Louth merchant seamen at home on census night, don't just assume they're in mid-Atlantic as I once did.

As another example, there is a small  craft at Neath, Glamorgan on the 1871 census for Wales. It's called  the Erin and is so small it has a mate, not a master mariner in command. The mate is James Owens ,38,born Baltray, next two are Thomas Livis(?), 23, and Patrick King ,18, both born in Drogheda and the last is my ggfather (mistranscribed as McGuire). The writing is awful,
so I can understand the problem. I can only find this last one on FindMyPast .

If you've got a seaman somewhere in your line, it's worth a try.

Joney

[dathai]

some McGuirk and Owens here
http://www.irishmariners.ie/searchdatabase.php?srch_surname=owens&srch_forename=james&srch_identityno=&srch_yob=&submit=Search

[Joney]

Yes, thank you, dathai. I just thought it was worth pointing out that there was a lot of what was termed 'coastal trade' which was used to describe craft crossing from Ireland to England and the reverse,for the benefit of anyone else who has 'mariner' as an occupation in their tree.
I've found 18 mariners born in Baltray so far, in addition to a Thomas Boylan, described as '1st class pilot on the Boyne' when he's mentioned in newspaper reports as saving lives in 1852. 
This could become a serious project !
Joney

[bainin]

Hi-I have found reference to a Michael "McGourk" of Baltray on Find my past, petty sessions records for 1860 in Drogheda when searching for my own mariner ancestor.I think he may have been employed by Michael. My ancestor seems to have sailed all around UK ports but later to South America from the port of Swansea.

[Joney]

Thank you for your reply. I'll check this one out myself. I've found a Thomas Magourk who is a master mariner applying for a British Board of Trade certificate when they become necessary in 1853 /4. He claims to be born in Drogheda and to have  been involved in foreign trade to Norway and North America. That's also on FindMyPast and you can download the documents, not just view transcriptions as is the case with some of their info.

 As usual, the variable spelling of surnames is a nuisance !

   What I could really do with is a seaman called Thomas Maguirk (or some variation on this) born in Baltray in about 1815 - 1820 (?) who is not a master mariner.
The spelling on Griffiths' Valuation is 'Maguirke' most of the time.
Petty sessions next stop.
Joney

[bainin]

A search of this site with keyword Baltray or Drogheda might be worth a try:http://mariners.records.nsw.gov.au/

[Joney]

Thanks for the suggestion, bainin,  but I think I've found my man !
I've found a Thomas McGuirk, born in Baltray, Co. Louth in 1819. He's a seaman not a master mariner, height 5 ft 5 ins, hair brown, eyes black, can't write, first went to sea as apprentice in 1834. That fits all my clues exactly.

I never seriously expected to find him, but I think that's got to be my gg grandfather.
That's  the furthest I've ever got back on any Irish line.  Trouble is, there's a shortage of parish registers and nothing for Termonfeckin Catholic  baptisms that far back. I'm still thrilled though.  I've even got a possible for his father, but don't expect I'll  ever be able to prove it or otherwise.  FindMyPast is definitely worth it on this occasion.
Best of luck chasing your sailor !
Joney

[Son of Lugh]

Hello Joney

Was interested to read your finds from searches of ships in the Census records.  I myself am interested in seafaring ancestors from Drogheda.  I wonder did you come across any McGee or Foster from Drogheda (pre 1900) in ships berthed along the West coast of Britain?

Good luck with your searches

Seán.

[Joney]

Thanks for the good wishes. I'll check my notes and plan to keep looking, so I'll let you know if I come across Fosters or McGees from Drogheda in port censuses in future.

Joney