My great-great grandmother died in 1956 at the age of 80, and her granddaughter, my grandmother is alive and remembers her well. Unfortunately her past was never discussed, my grandmother simply remembers her as a strict old woman.
Her name was Margaret McIlroy and she was born in Glasgow in 1875 but her parents, Felix McIlroy and Elizabeth McMahon, were Irish immigrants who arrived in 1870. They suffered with poor health and were sent back to Ireland at least once after applying for parish relief. Elizabeth died in 1876 and Felix died in 1879.
Margaret was an orphan by the age of four. She had three living older siblings; Ellen born 1865, Patrick born 1870 and Matilda born 1873.
I can't find Margaret in the 1881 or 1891 census. The next record I find for her is the birth of my great-grandmother, Matilda McIlroy in 1894. She was illegitimate and her father's identity is still a mystery.
Margaret then marries a Nathaniel Gunn in Glasgow in 1896. I can find her living with her husband in the 1901 and 1911 census. I also have her death record from 1956.
What I want to know is what happened to her as a child. Did she go to an orphanage? Did she get to stay with her siblings? Where would I go to find out such a thing?
Some more helpful details;
Her siblings all lived to adulthood and I have found marriages for all three, and death records for Ellen and Patrick.
I believe that I have found Ellen working as a domestic servant in Glasgow in 1881.
One detail my grandmother does know about my great-great grandmother is that she had ties to the Labour party. For some reason I find this quite significant.
Any help on this will be much appreciated.
