Hawkers in Ireland & Scotland

[Ann Baker]

Hi

I think this could be a lost cause but worth a try. I am trying to trace a Lawrence McGovern who was a hawker and was born in ireland in the early 1800s. I don't know where in Ireland - first problem.

He married a Catherine Campbell who was also Irish. They had a son Peter who was also born in Ireland. Peter at some point came to Scotland. He was also a Hawker. He married a Jane Liddell (surname spellings vary).

I am also trying to trace Peter's birth and marriage certificates. Peter sadly died in the poorhouse in Glasgow in 1880. I have his death cert which says he was a widower but in fact his wife outlived him for some years. She lived in Paisley with her children.

These chaps are my gt gt granfather's father and grandfather and I'd love to find out more about them.

Peter definitely settled in Falkirk for a while because all the children were born there . They came to Paisley because of work in the thread mills.

If anyone can give me any pointers or even find them I would be very grateful.

Thanks

Ann

[RonnieG]

Ann,

Ok, this is only a pointer but it might be of some use.

I had a look at Griffiths Valuation on Origins and when I search for the name of McGovern I get 1186 hits.

However, when I ask for Laurence McGovern I only get 7 and these are all in Cavan or Leitrim, two counties which border each other.

Furthermore, because of repetitions of the Lessors name I think there are probably only 3 or 4 individuals involved.

I don't think that any of these are your Laurence but this seems to be the region of Ireland where Laurence is a given name in the McGovern family.

RonnieG

[RonnieG]

Ann,

A little more information for you. These are the places where the Laurence McGovern's had their land.

County, Parish, Townland

Cavan,Killinagh,Cordressogagh
Cavan,Killinagh,Dowra
Cavan,Templeport,Curraghbweehan
Leitrim,Clone,Anskert
Leitrim,Killarga,Dergvone

I would not be surprised if these locations are quite near to each other.

RonnieG

[Ann Baker]

Hi Ronnie

Thanks I'll get me map out but I think they are quite close from recollection. I did check Griffiths but I don't think those ones are mine iether but if I can pin down a county is a good start.

Thanks

Ann

[Christopher]

Hello Ann,

Cavan is on the Co. Fermanagh border. Leitrim is not too far away from Cavan. There were a reasonable number of McGoverns there at the time of Griffith's Valuation in the County. As he was a hawker he may not have been a householder. He could have been living with a relative.

The surnames McGovern and Campbell were found in the following parishes during the Primary Valuation property survey of 1848-64. Antrim, Armagh, Belfast city, Cavan, Derry, Donegal, Down, Dublin, Dublin city, Fermanagh, Galway, Laois, Leitrim, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Roscommon, Sligo, Tyrone and Westmeath

Chris

[Ann Baker]

Hi Chris

Thanks. Think is going to be an interesting search!

Ann

[Ninatoo]

Hello Ann,

Do you know if Peter and his wife had any children born in Scotland?  If you can find a birth certificate, it should give you the parents' place of marriage.  I have found the place of origin for many of my Irish ancestors this way.

Nina

[Ann Baker]

Hi Nina

yes they did have children born in Scotland but for some I haven't got the birth certs. For those I have the parents place of marriage is not recorded.

The other problem I have with this family is that the surname spelling has varied with even their children using different spellings. My gt gran for example has a different spelling of her surnamne on her birth cert, marriage cert and death cert.

Makes life interesting!

But undaunted will keep searching

Ann

[Ninatoo]

Hi Ann,

If there were children born after 1864 there should be details of the marriage on the birth certificates of the children.  If you tell me the names and approximate dates of birth that you don't have, I will try to help you find at least one of them.

Nina