Pre registration records

[David McGimpsey]

Hello Sandy. Eliza Gunning I had also come across in my search for details on My G-G Grandfather Robert McGimpsey. It is very difficult to find any details that can be confirmed on him but it appears he married three times & I think Eliza was wife No.2 Do you have any more details?
Note: In most search sites Roberts surname is spelt Mcjimpsey. It became McGimpsey with his son David,s family.
Cheers, David McGimpsey

[sandyjose]

Hi David,Eliza Gunning and Robert McGimpsey married in 1848,Eliza was 38 so she could have been his last wife as she lived until 1904. I don't know if there were any children between them or who Robert was married to before.I will try and find out.Eliza was my great x2 grandad,William's sister.
  Do you know if they stayed in Ireland or came to Glasgow as at least 2 of Eliza's brothers did?
  I'll get back to you with whatever I find.
          Take care Susan

[kingskerswell]

Hi,
   Not sure if this helps but I can find the marriage of Robert McGimpsey to Elizabeth GUNNION in St. Marks Church of Ireland, Newtownards on 4 Nov 1848. The fathers' names were Thomas McGimpsey and James Gunnion.

Regards

[sandyjose]

Thanks that shows the exact date of the marriage.Gunning often gets mispelt,I will see what I can find,been answering e-mails but finished now.

[sandyjose]

Hi David,I've been looking for Robert McGimpsey and so far I have found that Robert was born abt 1826,that would make Eliza older than I thought as I don't think there would be 16 years difference in their ages.They married in 1848,as you said.I next have Robert on the 1911 census,in Co Down(need to look again to see where)he is a widower,living with 4 children,William 32,Andrew 24,Charlotte 22 and Hugh 19. Seems he died in 1912,aged 84.
  I can't find Robert and Eliza on the 1901 census,which is strange as Eliza died in 1904.I'll keep looking,maybe they were on their  hols when the census was taken!!!
  What was your father's name and your grandad? Sometimes it's easier to work backwards.Where abouts in the world are you? I'm in Glasgow,I've found some relatives though the males in my tree but not through a female but sadly most of them died in childbirth as happened with Eliza's 2 sisters Agnes and Sarah.
   Will get back to you soon Susan


.

[David McGimpsey]

Good morning Susan. So great to get your reply. There are a lot of Robert Mcjimpsey (McGimpsey) recorded in Northern Ireland. I am sure there was a lot of drifting back & forth between there & Scotland. I live in New Zealand. Born & raised here.
Father:--Samuel Robert. Born in New Zealand.
Grandfather:-- Robert John. Born 17/02/1871. Came to New Zealand from Donaghadee Northern Ireland with his sister Eleanor & brother David. Another sister Sarah stayed behind.
Great Grandfather:-- David John born 1838. Married Catherine Copland 12/11/1859. Settled in Donaghadee.
Great Great Grandfather:-- Robert Mcjimpsey (McGimpsey) of Drumawhey Northern Ireland
The family church was Ballyblack 1st Presbyterian.
Cheers,
David 

[sandyjose]

Hi,It seems that New Zealand attracted a couple of my ancestors.Eliza's father was James Gunning a farmer. There ware 3 girls,Eliza,Agnes and Sarah,both the later died in childbirth.There were 4 boys,Samuel,James Andrew and William.William was my great x2 grandad.He had 5 sons and 1 daughter who also died in childbirth.Drumawhey is where William lived,he was a shoemaker.His son James 1854-1912,married in Glasgow then went to New Zealand where he also worked as a shoe maker,He had about 10 children,My great grandad,Thomas 1856-1925,also a shoe maker,was a bit of a character.His wife had 3 children before they married in 1877,by 1881 the family were living in Glasgow,minus 1 child that I don't know what happened to .Thomas,also went to New Zealand,leaving his family behind in Scotland.I think it would have been sometime in the 1880s as he's on the censuses for Dunedin and also on the Glasgow census but I think his wife said he was there to"save face".In 1901 he married again,he died in 1925.
 I found Robert on the 1911 census for Ireland with 4 of his children,he was a widower.I can't find him on the 1901 census which is strange.He was a farmer near Donaghadee.As far as I can see he only married once,the dates for Eliza must be wrong,another thing I'll check.
  There's a possibility that Eliza wasn't James' daughter but the daughter of another Gunning.I had the name McGimpsey for her long before I knew about you.
  I've made a note of your relatives,if thre's anything I can help with researching just let me know.
 Where in NZ are you? Keep in touch.
                     Take care Susan

[David McGimpsey]

Wow. Interesting stuff. Here is some info for you:--
Thomas Begg Gunning
Age 70
Died 3rd August 1925
Last address 48 Bay View Road Dunedin
Cemetery Andersons Bay
Block 97 plot 51
Native of Ireland--Years in New Zealand 36
Buried in same plot:-- Mary Gunning  Age 85  Died 8th July 1948

As you say we still don't know for sure if Eliza and my g-g Robert were married. This info I have sent you may be of help to find the answer.
Cheers, David

I live in Christchurch.

[sandyjose]

Thanks David for the info,it's a pity the grave doesn't have a headstone.I think Thomas' wife Mary,had a daughter from a previous marriage,might be an idea to try and trace her family.Would be just out of interest as they are not related at all.
   Robert and Eliza were married in 1848 at a Church of Ireland Church,don't know why there as they were Presbyterians? I'll see if I can find anything else of interest.
                     Susan