James Blair (Born 1821 Ireland)

[Catherine Scott]

Hello, I've hit a brick wall with my gg grandparents. James Blair was born in Ireland approx 1821, his parents are John Blair and Sarah. I can find them on 1841 Census at Backhouse Walk, Carlisle, Cumberland England

Sarah Blair         Unknown   Female   50    Ireland
Sarah Blair         Unknown   Female   20    Ireland
James Blair        Unknown   Male      20    Ireland
Margaret Blair    Unknown   Female   15    Ireland
Hugh Blair          Unknown   Male       12   Ireland
William Morrison  Unknown  Male         2   Cumberland

Does anyone know where in Ireland they may have come from, they must have come to England between 1829 and 1838.

I believe  Sarah Blair (20) is the mother of William (still need to check his birth record). Sarah marries a Morrison in the same year.

Sarah (50) dies in Backhouse walk Carlisle in June 1847 says she is the widower of John and her son James was in attendance.

I have searched back through the Ireland records but can't seem to find this family anywhere in Ireland.  Any help or an idea of where I can look next would be appreciated.

[CaroleW]

Have you followed all of them through all of the censuses in case one of them shows an actual location in Ireland? 

Sarah is shown as aged 50 in 1841 but was 64 when she died in 1847

[Catherine Scott]

Maybe I need to try and trace Margaret as I have traced both Sarah's and James, Hugh is a mystery as I can't find him, so I need to look into deaths, he doesn't seem to still be in the local area

I was hoping there maybe a 1831 census in Ireland

[Elwyn Soutter]

I have searched back through the Ireland records but can't seem to find this family anywhere in Ireland.  Any help or an idea of where I can look next would be appreciated.

You are probably looking at somewhere like Co. Down. Lots of folk from that county moved to Cumberland for work in the 1800s. By way of example, here’s some from Ros Davies’ Co Down website:

https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~rosdavies/genealogy/SURNAMES/B/Bl.htm

Birth registration didn’t start in Ireland till 1864, so to trace the family you really need to know their townland/parish and their precise denomination.

Possibly DNA testing may be a way of matching with others who have additional information about where the family originate. Family Tree DNA reportedly has more people with Ulster roots than any other company. That obviously increases the chances of finding a match. You might want to try them or, if you have already tested, you can transfer your results to them for no fee.

The North of Ireland Family History Society is running an Ulster DNA project in conjunction with FTDNA.  http://www.nifhs.org (Go to DNA project on the website).

[Catherine Scott]

Thanks Elwyn, I will have a look at this.  I have tested my dna and we seem to all be in the same boat, we can't get any further back than John and Sarah. I will keep looking hopefully I will have a breakthrough.

[CaroleW]

Here's the link to the Irish 1821 & 1831 census.  Tap on 1911 to open earlier years

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/search/

[Ladyhawk]

I can find them on 1841 Census at Backhouse Walk, Carlisle, Cumberland England

Sarah Blair         Unknown   Female   50    Ireland
Sarah Blair         Unknown   Female   20    Ireland
James Blair        Unknown   Male      20    Ireland
Margaret Blair    Unknown   Female   15    Ireland
Hugh Blair          Unknown   Male       12   Ireland
William Morrison  Unknown  Male         2   Cumberland

Sarah (50) dies in Backhouse walk Carlisle in June 1847 says she is the widower of John and her son James was in attendance.

Is this William on 1851 census same address as 1841 census

Backhouses Walk, Carlisle, Cumberland, England
Sarah   Morrison   Head   Married 32 Factory   Ireland
William   Morrison   Son   12 Errand boy Carlisle, Cumberland
John   Blair   Nephew   9 Carlisle, Cumberland

Is this his birth entry?

MORRISON, WILLIAM  MORRISON     mmn IRVING 
GRO Reference: 1837  S Quarter in CARLISLE  Volume 25  Page 39
Digital image available cost £3

Edit

If he was Sarah illegimate son perhaps this birth entry

BLAIR, WILLIAM       - 
GRO Reference: 1839  M Quarter in CARLISLE  Volume 25  Page 42

[aghadowey]

The first complete census for Ireland is 1901. Only fragments of earlier ones for a few areas survive but the details may be limited. For example, 1831 census for Co. Londonderry survives but only lists head of household and number of males and females and their religion.

[Catherine Scott]

Thank you everyone for all your help, started this research a few years ago and put it to one side but decided I will give it another try to find the area in Ireland the family were from.

This is the correct Sarah and William in the 1851 census. I will look into the birth certificates later.

I've since got Sarah Morrison (nee Blair) death certificate and she died in 1865, moved to Duke Street, Carlisle aged 46 present at the death was a William Morrison as yet still need to work out whether that was son or husband.

My direct descendant is James Blair who married Mary Gillion in 1841 and they are living in Carlisle on the 1851 census. James goes on to marry again after Mary dies (i have Mary's death certificate). My g grandmother was Nancy their (second Nancy) who married a Mitchellhill and moved to Workington.