Possible Irish Travellers?

[Taylor94]

Hi
I'm following up a line and wondered if Hawkers was a general travellers occupation?
My 5th grt grandfather James Callaghan was born Ireland abt 1811 and is married to a Catherine (Also born in Ireland) Some trees have her as Catherine Kilmartin others as Catherine McAuliffe?
In 1841 they have the following children with them living at loughborough, Leicestershire.
Mary Ann Callaghan born abt 1823 Ireland
David Callaghan born 1835 Ireland
James Callaghan born 1838 Ireland
Celia Callaghan born 1840 Loughborough (My 4th grt grandmother)
and living with them is a David Callaghan born abt 1811 Ireland (James brother?)
Over the other census records I can sparsely find them so not sure if they have not been counted living on the road? or maybe have been transcribed wrong.
But son David in 1871 is listed as a Hawker (This is the only other census i can see for him)

James is lised as a Licensed Hawker in 1841. I think he dies in 1843 Loughbourough aged 34.
The thing is on his daughter Celia's marriage in 1860 to Thomas Burt the cert gives his occupation as what looks like 'Policeman'? and doesnt list him as deceased?
Not sure if im aloowed to link the marriage cert but Ill do it anyway.
What do you think? Am I correct in thinking it says policeman?

[Steve G]

  Certainly looks like Police Man, doesn't it? I wonder what else it could be?

Anyway, yeppers; Callaghan is indeed a name recorded as given by Irish Gypsys. Found in Cumberland too, according to The Book Of Bob ~ click the little house beneath my avatar.

Hawking was very much a well recognised Gypsy occupation.

So; Was James a Gypsy? And did his daughter marry a Policeman? Dunno. But, at risk of sounding outrageous? Why shouldn't she? 

Fact ye have an actual anomaly there though ~ James not being dead when it appears he should have been? That's a Major red flag that ye need to dig a bit deeper around that point. Ye could have taken a wrong turn at some point.

Looking alright though, isn't it? 

[heywood]

Hello,
The birth of Celia shows mother’s name as ‘Hillmartin’ which is perhaps a mistranscription of Kilmartin.
https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/

Heywood

Name is Calahan

[Taylor94]

Thank you very much for the replies.

It certainly does look like 'Policeman' doesn't it? I wonder if he was a Hawker why she wrote Policeman.

Unfortunately either due to bad transcriptions or not being traced, These Callaghans don't appear on other census records. Son David appears to also marry a Burt but other than that I don't know. Wife Catherine is nowhere to be found, likewise with other children? Maybe they went back to Ireland? Maybe Celia wrote Policeman so people wouldn't think she had traveller blood her father seems to have died over 15 yrs prior so who's to know if he was or not when they asked her?
There is a David Callaghan living in Leicestershire in 1871 birthdate given as 1820 so not sure if this has been rounded and if it is James's son or James's brother? But birthplace is given as Lancashire.

Thanks Heywood, I totally forgot to check the GRO records for her aahah 'Doh'

[heywood]

1851 2089/334/23
25 Abbey Street

Michael Flannagan 48 yrs Hawker of Clothes b Ireland
Catherine Flannagan   36 yrs b Ireland
David Callagan   16 yrs -do- b Ireland
Selina Callagan   12 yrs b Loughborough

[Taylor94]

Thank you very much for this.
I can see she remarried to Michael Flannagan in 1844 Loughborough, So it seems James did die in 1843.
Thanks so much.

[Taylor94]

I’ve ordered Catherines marriage cert for when she married Michael Flanagan so hopefully that should list her fathers name and occupation to give me a lead.

I notice James son David perhaps also marries a Burt but I’m not sure if there is a record listing parents without buying one as would be interesting to what he wrote as his fathers occupation.

[Steve G]

I’ve ordered Catherines marriage cert .....

Fair play to ye! I Do like a person who's ready to just spend a few quid and get it done! 

Be fascinating to hear how this comes out, with the paper in hand.

I always considered the cert's raised the value of a Tree exponentially 

[Taylor94]

Definitely don’t mind spending if it can get me back to Ireland.
I have 2 other Irish lines which are both at dead ends due to either not knowing the maiden name or not knowing the parents.

Hopefully by finding her fathers first name and Surname which I’m assuming is Kilmartin, it will maybe give me a start to look then finding a record for Catherine and maybe James is from the same area so a search for Callaghans/O’Callaghans etc in the area.