Eliza Sloan mid 1840s Belfast

[jilldel]

I have just discovered your fantastic forum and am amazed to have the chance to possibly push my research even further back in time.

My brick wall is Eliza(beth) Sloan(e)

she was born c1825

and her parents were Mary Sloan and James Sloan

The earliest ref I have is the 1851C Manchester, Ancoats area, showing Eliza, her sister Ann (formally Bridget Ann) (b1831), mother Mary Sloan (bc1797). Mary was a widow I think and I can't find James Sloan in England

ANY info I can gain about any of these people in terms of births and marriages would be fantastic but I am happy just to find out tiny bits of detail so would love it if someone could help - or even better - perhaps they already have a family link!

Anyway, Thanks very much for your time, I'll keep my fingers crossed!!

[jilldel]

I have obtained a copy of 'The great Hunger:Ireland 1845-9' by Cecil Woodham-Smith. Although dated now this is fascinating reading and is really making me think about why Eliza Sloan b c1825 in Belfast would have left to go to the slums of MAnchester in the mid 1840s.
I have my first sighting of her on the 1851 Census here, as Eliza Sloan, in a lodging house,   and a CD of baptisms from her local church. SHe married William McLoughlin (1861 C)who I think she must have met in Manchester.
However, was 25 in  1851 which leads me to wonder if she had had a family back in Belfast - the book suggests women tended to marry early. Perhaps they all died and she came across with her mother Mary Sloan and sister Bridget Ann. I've always thought of her as a spinster but now am beginning to question this. It may be Mary Sloan is her mother in law.  I doubt there will ever be an answer to this but has anyone else had experience of this aspect of family history who could perhaps shed light on it and maybe suggest where I can  go next , if anywhere?
Thanks, Jill

[aghadowey]

I've merged your two posts together to avoid duplication.

Just a few points to consider.
Eliza Sloan's marriage certificate should list her marital status (single, widowed, etc.) as well as her father's name and occupation. That should clear up your query as to whether Sloan might be her maiden or married name (in which case hopefully her father's name will then give you her maiden name).
Not all women married "early" so don't be surprised of the marriage to William McLoughlin shows her as a spinster.
Not everyone left Ireland due to the potato famine of the 1840s (Belfast was certainly less affected than communities in the rural West of Ireland for example).

[jilldel]

Thanks very much for your reply.
I haven't yet been able to find the correct marriage record - if there is one for Eliza Sloan and William McLoughlin as yet. I did manage to order one for her sister Bridget Ann Sloan which shows her father to be James Sloan. She is on the 1851C, Bck Pott St Ancoats, with her mother Mary and MAry's grandson Hugh Maloy (looks more like McLoy though). I have tracked addresses and matched with all to know that these 3 women are connected. However, an interesting turn this week when Mary Sloan's death cert showed she was widow of Hugh Sloan. So Hugh/James - I'm not so sure. Initially I thought I'd gone wrong but Eliza's illegitimate daughter Ellen Sloan's birth cert, 1853, also shows  Bck Pott St as her address. Ellen takes the McLoughlin name on 1861C and her marriage cert.

It would be great to push further back with this family if I can since what I know of them already has fascinated us - Old Eliza ends up in Strangeways prison for receiving stolen goods from her husband and sons after they do over a pawnbrokers. She eventually dies in Chorlton Union Workhouse in Manchester in 1881. Her son John McLoughlin ends up as an Irish Brigade bandit in South Africa. Ellen (our direct ancestor) gets away from it all and ends up marrying into a branch of the STalybridge Cotton Mill aristocracy.

I have a soft spot though for Old Eliza and feel she had a bit of a rough deal in life. Reading Andy Davies' book 'The Gangs of Manchester' helped me understand what her life would have been like with her sons being scuttlers.

The England Census returns for the Sloan sisters and mother state Belfast, Ireland as their place of birth but this may be where my trail ends!


I'm currently browsing through all the available info on your site and can't help noticing that there don't seem to be many Sloan's !!

Thanks again for your advice,
Jill

[aghadowey]

To find Irish connections to your Sloan family you'll need to know both the family's religion and where they lived (parish if not actual townland or, in the case of Belfast itself, street). There are lots of Sloans here but not all records survive and of the surviving records not all are online.

[jilldel]

Hi,
Unfortunately, so far all I know is that they are RC.

[tobyma123]

Hi all, my family are Sloane not all Sloane's are RC with E like mine they are Presbyterians descended from Scotland came over to Ireland in the Plantation it is worth searching the free Irish census 1901-1911  or any records in Ireland my family link is Toal or Tole anyone out there glad to hear from you,tobyma123

[aghadowey]

Toby, Jill is looking for Sloans who left Ireland (Belfast?) before 1851 so unfortunately the 1901 and 1911 census records won't be much help.

[tobyma123]

Hello aghadowey, i did not know where to post this reply to you i simply meant if any of the relatives were left behind when family left ireland it might be worth looking at census also i would like to point out that Sloane or Sloan is a difficult name to research because people often leave off the E as i said some are RC some are not the certs from Ireland are also expensive £14 that is a lot regards tobyma123