The Mainland Family

[MAPS]

Hi there,

Is there anybody out there, especially originally from Rousay and Wyre,Orkney Isles, who has info about the George Mainland/ Giles Harrold family from Testaquoy and Bu farms on Wyre, Rousay. Early 1700's.
George MAINLAND II (grandson of George and Giles) b. 1773 is by a process of elimination the best candidate to be my ancestor. I want to connect him with the master mariner George from Stepney. (see below)
ENGLAND
 He was a Master Mariner and settled in Stepney, Hamlet of Ratcliffe sometime between 1790 and 1810. At St.Georges-in-the-East, Middlesex, in 1810, GEORGE MAINLAND Master Mariner married a MARY HALCRO(W). They had a son George b.1811 who also became a master mariner.
In 1820 after sailing to Quebec, with pioneers from Yorkshire, and when on the journey home he with his crew and ship were lost in a storm at the entrance of Galway Bay, Ireland. The ship was named the “Knapton”.
I'm looking for a document from his life in England that gives me either a date of birth, parents name or place of birth. I've searched the usual, Insurance, poll tax etc. (Not Kew).

Does anybody have any ideas of where I can find more docs ?
MAPS

[Jolee]

You could try the navy museums at greenwich

[MAPS]

Thanks Jolee,
I have actually tried there but couldn't seem to find a way in.   I shall make another attempt. Thanks again,

MAPS

[amondg]

Newspaper (Findmypast)
Public Ledger and Advertiser London dated 6 March 1820
 advertising they will take passengers to Montreal on the fast sailing Brig LUNA George Mainland Commander.

I expect you have this his widow Mary applied for probate 15 October 1821 stating that her husband George late of White Horse Street Stepney died at sea aboard the Knapton January last (1821) intestate.

Have you looked into the Halcrow family they may have snippets of information.
George Mainland' widow Mary married John Edward Foster both being widowed by license 2 April 1825 at St George's in the East. witness was Thomas Halcrow and Jane Linah

[MAPS]

Thanks amondg for your help.
Your newspaper advert., from 6th March 1820, was quite poignant for me to read.
Yes, I do have the probate docu.
Funny you should say that as I'm just about to go back to do a new Halcro/Halcrow search as the last time I looked was years ago.
The remarriage of Mary Mainland with J.E.Foster I did know about. But what I don't know is when she died. John E Foster remarried a third time in c.1835. He actually had a fourth wife after this !
 Thanks again,
MAPS

[crimea1854]

I don't know if you've seen this, but there are admission papers for Greenwich Hospital School for your possible relative: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14519625. Not available to download, but you could request a quote from the National Archives. These papers are sometimes accompanied by family and career details.

Martin

[MAPS]

Great news Martin, I will get onto this straight away. I thought I'd looked for him in the Admission papers at Greenwich but obviously I was at the wrong place. It definately is the son of the George Mainland that I was looking for so here's hoping there'll be more info in the papers.
Thank you very much,
MAPS

[amondg]

Mary Foster- nee Halcrow-Mainland possible death record and why I would look here first.
The children were all baptized at the Scottish Church St Vincent Street (non conformist)
George Thomas Mainland  born 5 November 1811 (father Captain George Mainland)
William Halcrow Mainland born 18 January 1813 buried age 22 months at St Anne Limehouse on 7 November 1814
John Mainland born circa 13/15 September 1814 died aged 5 days buried 20 September 1814 St Anne Limehouse. He died age 5 days not necessarily from date of burial which is usually 2 days after death.

1829 Mary Foster non conformist Church Stepney
This is on Findmypast I don't have a subscription at the moment so maybe a kind soul will look it up for you.

[amondg]

I just noticed that George Thomas Mainland married his step sister Maria Jane Foster 16 July 1839 at St Anne Limehouse daughter of John Edward Foster who in 1825 had married his mother Mary Mainland.

The site National Maritime Museum Greenwich has a contact us feature scroll all the way down, its on  the lower left hand side.
There is also one on the right hand side at the bottom of the page it seems to be for comments only.