Are we from Scotland?

[Jardiner]

I've been able to trace my family back to an undisputed date of 1752 when a 4x great grandfather married Ann Alkin in Whitehaven,Cumberland (just over the border from Scotland). I have an unconfirmed birth date for this gentleman but no birthplace and very little information on his whereabouts prior to the marriage. To add to the confusion I remember being told, many years ago, that a bust of Bishop King in St Annes Cathedral,Belfast was a relative.This has been very difficult to prove but research has revealed that, although born in Antrim, his parents were from Scotland. Could it therefore mean that my 4x great grandfather came from Scotland and if so how would I go about finding him? King (no surprise) is also a very common name North of the border.

MK

[Mike in Cumbria]

Well, for one thing, Whitehaven isn't "just across the border", although it is in Cumbria. It is around 50 miles from the border.

The Bishop King story is, at the moment, just a story isn't it? You haven't said where the name King fits into your family.

So far, there's nothing in what you have really that points to Scotland, but it could well be a possibility, of course.

[Br1gau]

Hi MK,

You haven't given the name of your 4x g grandfather to work with, was he ? King?  Have you seen the original Parish Register for his 1752 marriage, if so does it give any clues?   How old was he (of full age etc.), what was his occupation and abode, and were he or she 'from this parish'.

With the possible Bishop King connection, you say you have researched him.  Can you say where in Scotland his parents were from and who his parents were?

Sorry to bombard you with questions.

Regards

[Flattybasher9]

"Bishop King in St Annes Cathedral, Belfast"

Isn't that not Bishop Charles King Irwin ?

Ann Alkin married Michal King.

Regards

Malky

[Elwyn Soutter]

Charles King Irwin looks to have been born in Co Tyrone:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_King_Irwin

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Armagh/Armagh_Town/Vicars_Hill/1010653/

[aghadowey]

"Born on 30 March 1874 into an eminent ecclesiastical family,"
Irwin, the right reverend Charles King of Number 1A Tullybrannigan Road Newcastle county Down retired bishop of the Church of Ireland died 15 January 1960 Probate Belfast 7 March to Charles King Irwin chartered electrical engineer. Effects £1883 1s. 11d.

Probate of the Will of The Venerable Charles King Irwin late of Armagh D.D. Archdeacon who died 3 January 1915 at Benburb County Tyrone granted at Armagh to The Reverend Charles King Irwin Clerk and James C. Irwin Bank Auditor
Born Co.Armagh- www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Armagh/Armagh_North_Urban/Cathedral_Close/324307

The Will (with two Codicils) of the Reverend Charles King Irwin late of The Rectory Loughgilly County Armagh D.D. deceased who died 2 August 1883 at same place was proved at Armagh by the Reverend Charles King Irwin of the Rectory Madden County Armagh D.D. and and John King Irwin of Dublin Medical Officer of the Peter-street Dispensary two of the Executors.

Looks like this Irwin family's been in Ireland for a while.

[Jardiner]

I wish to thank everyone for the information posted and I will certainly respond to Bishop King when I've retrieved all the bits of paper I have about him. I would like to pick up on Mike in Cumbria's posting. You are of course right Whitehaven is not just over the border but when one has taken a car journey all the way from Belfast via ferry to Scotland it just appeared to be a hop,skip and jump once I left Scotland. You're also right that the Bishop King connection is only a story and nothing else but as I have no idea where they prior to the 1700's and I can't seem to get any definite proof that they are a pure Cumbrian family so I must just take stabs in the dark.

Kind rgards
MK

[Jardiner]

Hi Br1gau
 His name was Michael King and he Married Ann Alkin in Whitehaven on 27/10/1752. I have him residing in King Street, Whitehaven as a glass grinder. I also have partial birth and death dates ( 1713 + 1787). All this information has come via various on-line sites and I've not been able to view any church records. They have been cross-referenced with other data and I'm as certain as I can be that he is a relative. However, having a lack of confirmed documentation but having read in a book listing Cumbrian names and King is not among them, then I have to assume the family came from outside the area and so Scotland has been my chosen place.

regards
MK

[argyllshiregirl]

MK.

Y DNA testing might be something to consider, assuming you carry the KING name and are male. My Canadian husband has the frustratingly common surname of HARRIS and only knew that his great grandfather came from somewhere in England in the mid 1800s. It took me 10 years to formulate a theory that he belonged to a Buckingham, Buckinghamshire HARRIS family and Y DNA finally confirmed it.

Mary