Gillan Family

[Forfarian]

Quarrying at Bonawe was big business in the 19th century. See
http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=65548256

 

[ev]

FreeCEN 1851 Census transcription has a Margaret Toppin age 11 with a Gillan family in Lanarkshire ,
the wife is Margaret Gillan 



ev

[Chezza84]

Thanks you for your help, i have now got the death, woohoo.

but why would she have registered the marriage and her maiden name of Gillan on the kids birth? she also has her father listed as deceased in 1857 when her marriage took place (see attachment), Arthur Gillan was listed as a Stone (something?) . So unless her mothers maiden name was Gillan, and she was illegitimate and just listed them both as Gillan, and she was estranged from her father as she listed him as dead. It just doesnt add up.

My Auntie when she asked my grandfather before he passed away always thought her maiden name was Toppin, but then all evidence i had found suggested Gillan. other than the middle name of Toppin listed on their sons memorial.

Guess we need to find out more. Maybe finding her in the census's might help, to find out a place of birth, or finding out who she was living with prior to her marraige.

[Chezza84]

FreeCEN 1851 Census transcription has a Margaret Toppin age 11 with a Gillan family in Lanarkshire ,
the wife is Margaret Gillan 

ev

That has her birth as ireland, everything else is pointed to her being born in scotland

[buckhyne]

Arthur's occupation in the marriage certificate is Stone Hewer.

[Forfarian]

but why would she have registered the marriage and her maiden name of Gillan on the kids birth?

She might not have wanted to let on that she was illegitimate. Or maybe the Registrar misinterpreted what she told him. As for the births, did she register them in person or was it her husband? He may have believed that her maiden surname was Gillan.

she also has her father listed as deceased in 1857 when her marriage took place (see attachment)

Maybe her mother or her grandmother had told her that her father was dead to prevent awkward questions?

Arthur Gillan was listed as a Stone (something?)

Stone Hewer

So unless her mothers maiden name was Gillan, and she was illegitimate and just listed them both as Gillan, and she was estranged from her father as she listed him as dead.

That's perfectly possible, though it doesn't explain why she was listed as Toppin in 1851 and why her death certificate seems to have got it right.

Stranger things have happened!

[Chezza84]

i dont think the above census is correct, as it has her born in ireland, or are u looking at a diff census

Her husband registered the births, but that wouldve been because she got married under that name.

[loobylooayr]

Hi -

The family headed by Larry Gillan on the 1851 Census are in Scotland on the 1841 at West Side of Millwyne , Rutherglen.
GILLON   Lawrence   M   30   Labourer    Ireland       
GILLON   Margret (Mrs)   F   28       Ireland       
GILLON   John   M   9       Ireland       
GILLON   Peter   M   5       Ireland       
GILLON   Cathrine   F   3       Ireland       
GILLON   Margret   F   1       Ireland     

Margret (as transcribed) is recorded as born in Ireland and is called Gillon. No relationships between the household are recorded on 1841 Census , so we can only guess that the children all belong to the couple. However with Margaret listed as Toppin on the 1851 and her relationship to the householder noted as Servant ? .......I wonder if either of these people are Margaret's natural parents? 
Looby
   

[Chezza84]

There is an Arthur Toppin b Ireland 1816 in Glasgow in 1841 and then in 1851, 61, 71 in Ardchattan, Argyll (transcription of ages varies -1871 says born Belfast) working as a quarryman and latterly manager. 1881 surname transcribed as Topping. (wife Elizabeth )

Possible entry in confirmations calendar d 6 Feb 1891 - confirmation 12 March to Elizabeth Topping 19 Ann Street Glasgow.  He died intestate.

William

So if Arthur was born in Ireland i wonder if he is related to the Gillon Family, maybe Margaret is his sister? and she took in child margaret after the mother died? or maybe Lawrence is the brother of the child Margaret, so child margaret was born illigatimatly?

so many questions, lol