John Gordon or McGunigall or McGurnen?!

[originQuest]

Hi there,

Not sure which board to post this on.  My family from this branch are called Gordon.  It seems as though my relative John Gordon was killed in a boiler explosion at the Dundyvan Ironworks near Coatbridge, near Glasgow, Scotland.  He was living at 76 Buchannan Street, Coatbridge.  His wife was Mary Burns, both Irish by birth.

However, for the first time, I discover that instead of his name being John Gordon, the newspapers record him as being John Gordon otherwise McGunigall.  He is described as being either 53 or 55.

However, his death certificate records his name as GORDON, aged 72 the son William Gordon and Bridget McKean.

I've heard from another source that the name might be McGurnen from another, annoyingly, unsoursed document.

Anyway of helping me work this out would be most appreciated.

[iluleah]

My advice would be to take notice of primary records although a death cert is only primary on the date/place of death  not the names of his parents as that is secondary/informed information and based only on what the person was told or thought they knew. Newspapers or other sources are not primary records....however of course keep the information.

It can be difficult when researching when ancestors use different names or change their names as in the past ( and still now) it was not required to do it legally although it is now much easier with the internet to search for people who have name changed and find them

[CaroleW]

You haven't given any details of his birthyear or year of death. 

If he died pre-1911 - what surname does he use on census records?

What surname were his childrens births registered under?

Did he marry in Scotland - if so under what surname?

[originQuest]

Thank you for your replies.

He died in 1860 aged either 53 or 72 ... on the Census his wife and children are GORDON and marry using that name.

His children were born in Ireland (one son records County Down on a later census) before civil registration and even though the family was Romania Catholic I can find no relevant baptisms.

I have looked on the Scottish census fir 1851 but can't find him so perhaps he is still in Ireland?

Sorry does this help move further?

[originQuest]

Also as this is looking at Irish origins it shouldn't have been moved to the Scotland page!!!!!



Moved to Ireland.

[originQuest]

It shouldn't have been moved there either ... this straddles Ireland and Scotland which is why it was put on a generic board.