Looking for Peter and Emma McDONALD after 1851

[bibliotaphist]

Hello,

I'm looking for any clues as to the whereabouts of Peter McDONALD and his wife Emma née HAN(D)COCK late CORR after the 1851 census; in particular anything that might help me narrow down a number of possible death records.

Any suggestions gratefully received!

Peter McDONALD

• 1813 (approx.) born in Ireland.
• 1839 Sep Qtr married Emma CORR née HAN(D)COCK in Wangford Registration District, Suffolk.
• 1840 (approx.) birth of son Michael McDONALD in Saffron Walden, Essex.
• 1841 census "hawker" at Hythe, Maldon, Essex.
• 1851 census "hawker" at Black Swan Inn, West Street, Brickendon, Hertfordshire.

...and this may or may not be Peter ten years later:

• 1861 census "traveller in clock trade", widower, born Dundalk, Ireland, lodger at White Hart Inn, Crouch Street, Colchester, Essex.

Emma HAN(D)COCK

• 1814 (approx.) born in Goldenhill, Wolstanton, Staffordshire.
• 1814 22nd May probable baptism at St James' Church, Newchapel, Wolstanton, Staffs to Benjamin HANCOCK and Margaret.
• 1834 married Felix CORR at St Mary at the Quay Church, Ipswich, Suffolk.
• 1834 (approx.) birth of son Felix CORR in St Neots, Huntingdonshire.***
• 1838 20th May burial of first husband Felix CORR in Ipswich, Suffolk.
• 1839 Sep Qtr married Peter McDONALD in Wangford Registration District, Suffolk.
• 1840 (approx.) birth of son Michael McDONALD in Saffron Walden, Essex.
• 1841 census "hawker" at Hythe, Maldon, Essex.
• 1851 census "hawker" at Black Swan Inn, West Street, Brickendon, Hertfordshire.

**** When Felix Corr junior married in 1852, his father's name was recorded as "Peter Corr" which I and others believe was an amalgam of his father's and stepfather's names. "Peter Corr" was recorded as deceased: this probably refers to Felix Corr senior but could mean Peter McDonald...

[bibliotaphist]

Trying to narrow this one down a bit and bump my topic back on to the front page!

I'm going on the assumption for now that Emma's is the death registered in June Qtr 1860 in Romford Registration District...

...and that it is indeed Peter McDonald, widowed "traveller in clock trade" at the White Hart Inn, Crouch Street, Colchester in the 1861 census.

I'm still looking for candidates for Peter's own death/burial.

Also now trying to locate Peter and Emma's son Michael McDONALD (born about 1840 in Saffron Walden, Essex) in the 1861 and 1871 censuses. By 1881 he was a railway porter in Birmingham and married to Emma WELCH/WALCH, and I have him up to 1911 and his death in 1913.

Very many thanks to anyone who can turn a fresh pair of eyes to this one.

[Milliepede]

1861 there's a Michael McDonald 21 in Colchester infantry barracks - birthplace down as Ireland as are most of the others on the page but possible - did he have any military background that you know of?

Where did Michael and Emma get married?

[Milliepede]

Has Michael got another wife by 1911? 

[bibliotaphist]

Hi Milliepede. Yes, Michael was remarried by 1901/1911 (see below).

Good spot in 1861. The Ireland birthplace for every single person [edit: at least, all those with the rank of Private!] on that page does smack of oversimplification on the part of the person filling in the original barracks census return... "Now you're all Irish, aren't you lads?"... it could be him.

I don't have any other evidence for a military background for Michael.

It's entirely possible that Michael was married before he married Emma Welch.

He married Emma Welch on 20th July 1874 at Bishop Ryder Church, Birmingham. (I believe that before she married Michael McDonald she was living as the wife of Michael's half-brother Felix Corr, although they probably never actually married.) They are together on the 1881 and 1891 censuses.  Emma died in 1896.

Michael married Ann Whitehouse née Davies on 3rd January 1897 in Birmingham. They are together on the 1901 and 1911 censuses.

[amondg]

On freebmd, January quarter 1863 Deaths Colchester- Michael McDonald
Who is this Michael?

[bibliotaphist]

On freebmd, January quarter 1863 Deaths Colchester- Michael McDonald
Who is this Michael?

I don't know. He could be the soldier in Colchester barracks in 1861.

I'm building a list of Essex events and I'm going to pay for 24 hours' access to Seax and see how many I can find.

I'll add this Michael's burial to the list. 

[bibliotaphist]

Using the new GRO index to deaths which includes the age at death even for pre-1865 records, the most likely candidate for the death of Emma McDonald née Hancock would seem to be:

Emma MacDonald, Mar Q 1859, Cambridge, 03B/343 - aged 44 (b. abt 1815)