Thank you Peggy for your information-rich reply. Let me share with you where it takes me. Your First points are of information I already had and was using. You said:
I think David and Sarah are living in Carntall, Ballylinney in 1901 with 5 daughters, oldest being Maggie, age 21, so born abt. 1880. Looks like there may be older children, as marriage was 1874. They are in Mossbeg Town in 1911.
I found the birth of Maggie as Margaret McCauley Beggs on Jan 24, 1880 in Ballycor. Margaret McCauley is probably either the mother or grandmother of one of the parents.
Yes, there were two older children, Annie and James (named after grandfather?) Annie was born shortly after the wedding in 1874, James was born in 1877.
Now it gets even more interesting. You said: There is a Samuel Crawford who died in Ballyeaston Nov 10, 1874 and one of the witnesses to the will was Thomas Beggs,
Both James Beggs (1877) and Margaret McAuley Beggs (1880) were born in the Civil Parish of Ballycor (possibly Ballycor Townland), while Annie Beggs (1874) was born in the Civil Parish of Ballynure, the Parish adjacent to the Parish of Ballycor (on the south of it). Moreover, both the bride and groom and their fathers were resident in the Townland of Ballyalbanagh in the Parish Ballycor at the time of the marriage. So this Samuel Crawford appears to have lived, farmed, in the Townland of Ballyeaston in the Parish of Ballycor. I'd say we have he right Crawford and Beggs fathers here. Witness Thomas Beggs likely is a relative to follow up.
Your comment and insight here regarding the Bamfords are possible a real breakthrough for me to follow up. You said:
Interesting that wedding witnesses were Sanderson Bamford and Eliza Bamford.
I found a John Banford Beggs born in Liverpool, England on Oct 8, 1860 to David Beggs and Sarah, which must be a different couple but noticed the middle name. Maybe a connection somehow.
My father told me that when he was a young child, he and his parents went and stayed with relatives in Liverpool during the First WW. He never told me who the relatives were but apparently his grandmother went with them. His grandmother was Sarah (Crawford) Beggs, widow of David Beggs, who died in 1916. My surmise is they went not long after David's death. Since my father's father was overseas throughout the war, both mother and daughter must have been much on their own at that time, and went to stay with (close) relatives who could accommodate them.
Thanks for so much food for thought and follow up.
Willim