Family of Thomas Edward Angus Allan Shaw, Durham

[barryd]

Finlay Shaw was a Cadet prior to being promoted to 2nd Lt. Royal Flying Corps, 1 OCT 1917. Supplement to London Gazette, page 11024, 26 October 1917. On 1 APR 1918. Finlay Shaw and all of the others in the RFC were transferred to the new RAF. However for a short time after the formation of the RAF, pre-RAF ranks such as Lieutenant, Captain and Major continued to exist, a practice which officially ended on 15 September 1919. Wikipedia. This explains how he was a 2nd Lt. when he left the RAF even though that was not officially a RAF rank.

[Villagemaid]

Hi there!  Hoping you are still active on this site!

I am researching my family tree - and am stuck finding information on Flora McNeil (my great-great-great grandmother) who was married to a John Jackson who had the following children:

Margaret (my great-great grandmother who married Peter McCallum
George
Janet
Finlay
Flora
John
Mary
Jannet
Flory

We're connected somewhere...lol....

[Doddie]

Hi Villagemaid, I am indeed still alive and kicking. Can I just check something. You state in your post that  your g.g.g. grandmother was Flora McNeil. Is this a typo? I presume the surname should be McNair. I recognise the other information. Your list of children is, if it is the same family as mine, sligtly wrong. I haven't got my notes with me at this very moment but there should at least be a James and Allan in that list. Also 'Flory' should read 'Flora'. Can I check that 'your' family comes from the Argyll area of Scotland - probaly 'Glassary' or 'Ardrishiag'/'Lochgilphead'. My family line comes down from George, a fisherman. Flora married John Jackson (a shoemaker) c. 1832. I have not been able to find a marriage cert. Flora died in 1884 in the Durham area probably while visiting her daughter (Mary) and Son-in-law (Thomas Shaw) -  please refer to my original posting.

I am more than happy to share information in order to clarify whether we are related somewhere along the line. When I have been able to check my material at home I will be in a better situation to help you.

Regards

Doddie

[Villagemaid]

Gosh...yes, I meant McNair - I am always putting McNeill when I mean McNAIR....lol...no wonder I get stumped with my research!!!!

As I am going through my research, the 1841 census has only Margaret and George has the children.  There is another census after that (but I didn't write down the year) that shows the other children.  With records being at the mercy of the record taker, names could be altered - I'm sure Flory is Flora.  You could also be looking at a census that is after the census I have and therefore the names James and Allen might be added.

The record of the marriage on May 28th, 1867 of Peter McCallum and Margaret Jackson (my great-great grandmother) says that Margaret's father was John Jackson (shoemaker).  It has Margaret's mother as "Margaret McNair".....but the only wife I can find of a John Jackson (shoemaker) is the 1841 census saying his wife was Flora with a daughter Margaret.  But the Margaret that married Peter has a death certificate that has her mother as Flora McNair Jackson.

So, I may be "barking up the wrong tree" with the names Flora and Margaret.

When you are able to get to your records it would be wonderful to cross-reference!  Thank you!

[Doddie]

The following is some of the basic information I have about our Jackson relatives.

John Jackson (approx. 1812-1880) Shoemaker
Flora McNair (approx. 1812-1884)

Children

Margaret (1838-1911)
George (1840-1926). Fisherman. My g.g. grandfather. Married Isabella McAlpine in 1866.
Janet or Jessie (1842-1899)
Allan (1844-1874)
James (1845-1944). Fisherman. Known to the family by the name Yame. Quite a character apparently. Went blind in later life.
Coll (1847-1928). Coal merchant
John (1849-1850)
Finlay  (1851-?). See below.
Mary (1853-1909). Married and settled down in Durham, England
Flora (1857-1915)

Finlay is a bit of a mystery. He last appears in the 1871 census, listed as a fisherman aged 19 and living with his parents. I have searched high and low for him but have found no further trace of him in Scotland or England (though I am not 100% sure of the English records). He may have gone abroad but again I have not come across any definite traces.

I have a copy of Margaret and Peter's marriage cert. from 1867. I am sure that the reference to her mother being Margaret is just a clerical error or some verbal confusion during the writing of the certificate. Please let me know if you want any more information and I will do my best to help.

Regards

Doddie

[Villagemaid]

That's great!  Your g-g grandfather George was a brother to my g-g grandmother Margaret!

I believe (altho cannot confirm) that Flora McNair may have been born around 1816 as the census record from 1841 has her age as 25 (and John Jackson was 35).  Margaret was 3 and George was 1.  And be darn'ed if I know the area of the census!  The page that I printed off doesn't have the area and  the only thing I see is chicken scratch so can't read it!

I am wondering if they came from the Isle of Gigha, as Margaret and her husband (Peter McCallum) lived there at some point.

Just trying to get information on Flora McNair Jackson!!!  But it's so tough!  I am planning a trip to Scotland in August and hope to do some investigating! 

[Doddie]

Margaret and Peter may well have lived on Gigha at some point in later life but Margaret and her siblings were born and brought up on the mainland in the county of Argyllshire on the west coast of Scotland. In the 1700s and up to roughly the early/mid 1800s (and perhaps later) the distict of Argyllshire in which they lived was referred to as Glassary. The main villages (though still relatively small at the time) would have been Lochgilphead, Ardrishaig and Tarbert. If you take a look at a map of the area, these places can be found by the banks of Loch Fyne. This location expains why fishing was for such a long period one of the primary industries in the area.

Regards

Doddie

[Villagemaid]

Thank you for that information!