Mary McQuilter

[MonicaL]

There are these 3 births indexed on FS to mother Mary McQuilter in the Refrewshire area:

Elizabeth 1861 https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FQZG-3HY
Martha 1863 https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FQZG-35M
David 1866 https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F73R-P4F

Martha b 1863 looks to have died in 1865 in the same parish of her birth.

In the same parish, around the same time, an Andrew McQuilter and wife Mary Anne Monaghan were also having children in the 1860s such as Elizabeth https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FQZG-3H1  Maybe Andrew was connected (a brother looks likely looking at the 1861 census family entry?) to Mary? His marriage would have his parents' details and witnesses' names that may help https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XYQQ-4ZW

Looking at the index of the births of the children to Mary in the 1860s, certainly looks like this was her maiden name not married name as this is the surname that is recorded for births for women.

Monica

[_craigM_]

Ive got hold of the marriage cert. and Andrew McQuilter and wife Mary Anne Monaghan were married 0n 26th Sept 1862 in Houston & Killellan.
Also have a birth cert for Elizabeth, born 16 April 1861. Listed as Illegitimate.  My 4 times removed Grandfather (Neil Thomson) had an affair with Mary Anne in 1860 - so she must have been "dating" Andrew at this time for Elizabeth to take the McQuilter surname??  I'm surprised she even married having had Elizabeth.

Neil married Sarah Hemphill (born 1836) on 22 March 1862. Sarah was pregnant at that time with Francis.  They lived at 25 Rutherglen Lane, Govan, Glasgow for 3 months.  Around this time, Elizabeth McQuilter was dropped off at their place and Neil and Sarah raise her under the surname Thomson.

I'm sure Sarah would have been surprised with the new family addition.

On 18 August 1866, Neil, Elizabeth and new daughter Mary Irvine travel to NZ.
Sarah stays to look after her Dad who dies in September and Sarah ends up in the poorhouse.  Seems this was a common place to hang out !! At this time, Sarah had son Neil (who dies) and daughter Ann is born.  After 9 months in the poorhouse, Sarah and Ann depart for NZ.

Its a pretty dysfunctional family - in fact, Elizabeth later has a child by Neil.

I'm now looking for Neils and Mary's roots (as these are direct bloodlines). Neils ancestors were the MacThomas's who lived near Renfrew.

Any other help greatly appreciated.

[MonicaL]

Craig, I think Mary McQuilter is likely sister to Andrew McQuilter, not wife. The births of children show mother with her maiden name nor married surname.

You mentioned you had the 1861 census with both children Andrew and Mary in the household?

Andrew Mc Quelter 40 quarryman b. Ireland
Catherine Mc Quelter 39  b. Ireland
Ellen Mc Quelter 19  b. Ireland
Mary Mc Quelter 17  b. Ireland
Andrew Mc Quelter 15  b. Ireland
Elisabeth Mc Quelter 9 b. Gourock, Renfrew

Address: Bridge Street, Houston and Killellan

I can't see the family easily in 1851. They were certainly in Scotland by the time of Elizabeth's birth c. 1852.

Monica

[MonicaL]

If you, I would follow up on Skoosh's suggestion...

Check for a record in the Paisley Poor Law applicants,

https://libcat.renfrewshire.gov.uk/iguana/www.main.cls?surl=PoorLaw

Skoosh.

I think there are entries there for both Mary McQuilter in at least 1867 and also her possible sister in law, Mary Ann McQuilter, wife to Andrew. This is just an index and you would use these refs to request more copies of the detailed records. Poor relief applications can contain the most detailed of personal info that you are unlikely to find elsewhere. If it is the correct entry for Mary, there should be mention there I would think of her children, including your Elizabeth hopefully.

Certainly worth following up further directly.

Additonal details here www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=785056.0

Monica

[_craigM_]

Monica,
Is the difference in surnames significant?   McQuilter vs.  McQuelter
I think they may be a different family?

[MonicaL]

Don't worry about spelling variations. At that time, with an overwhelming illiterate population, spellings were very fluid and not rigid as we know them today.

Monica

[MonicaL]

I wonder what happened to Mary McQuilter after the entry in the 1871 census? Couldn't easily see a marriage or death for her on the indexes on Scotlands People.

Monica

[_craigM_]

Hi Monica,
Ive found a second source with all of the family (6) as you posted.  The surname used is McQuilter so yes there does seem to be some variation with spelling.  I think this is the right trail and I'm working on it.
Bridge st. where they lived then, was only about 15km from Neil Thomson - who knows they could have met at a common work place.
Don't know what happened to Mary yet but when I find out will let you know. I do know that she subsequently had more children, all registered with the surname McQuilter.
Would this be normal in those days if she was unmarried?

[MonicaL]

Given Mary looks to have been unmarried, not surprinsing that her children's births were registered under her maiden name of McQuilter.

As a matter of law, if a reputed father acknowledged paternity, he would also need to attend the registration of the child's birth and consent to his details being included on the birth registration. The cert would clearly show that the birth was illegitimate still though and parents unmarried.

What other children did Mary have after the birth of son David in 1866?

Monica