Adoptions

[sandyjose]

 This is probably a very long shot but I'll ask anyway.
  I saw a program about babies being bought and sold in Edinburgh in the 1800s.The babies were advertized in newspapers.
  My great gran had a baby in 1874 called Easter(Esther) McCafferty,she already had a son William James and she went on to have another daughter,Mary.She didn't marry their father until 1877,they then went to live in Glasgow.Easter was not with them and I can't find a death or anything about her any where so,I was wondering if she was adopted via an advert in a paper Annie would have had to get someone to write it as she was illiterate,maybe someone said they'd help her with the baby and put the ad without Annie knowing.Or maybe my imagination is running away with me!!!
 My great gran was Annie McCafferty,she married Thomas Gunning.If he wasn't the father of Easter he may have insisted she was adopted.
 I don't know the siblings Annie had,one of them could've taken her.If I can find her siblings I could look for a child born at the right time.Maybe her mother,Esther McCafferty,nee Hollinger,took her.
 This is one of two puzzles I have in my tree and I'd love to solve it
  Grateful for any help or thoughts from folk who know how things worked in Co Down at that time.

[usaPetticrew]

11 Nov 1874 birth, in Greenwell St., Newtownards:
Easter, daughter of Anna McCafferty.
Eliza Dunlop, of Greenwell St., present at birth.

25 July 1877 marriage:
Thomas Gunning, bachelor, shoemaker, and Anna McAffirty, spinster.
Married in the Greenwell St. Presbyterian Church, Newtownards, parish of Newtownards.
Minister was Wm McIlwrath.
Witnesses were James Hagan and Martha Hagan.

As a possibility, check if this Hagan couple took in Easter/Esther, or if maybe Eliza Dunlop did.

Also, the Poor Law Unions had workhouses, and children could be placed in foster care:

http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Ireland/

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/reading-room/history-heritage/poor-law-union/poor-law-unions-and-their/index.xml

I don't know what records are available about foster children of that era.

[sandyjose]

 Thank you very much for the information that you've found out about Easter/Esther McCafferty.I've had Annie and Thomas' marriage certificate for a long time and I did wonder about about the witnesses,if they had taken the baby but at the time I couldn't find the couple with a child.
 Is Eliza Dunlop mentioned on Easter's birth certificate?The Hagans could have been Annies friends or family because Martha's maiden name was Hollinger which was Annie's mothers maiden name,she was Esther Hollinger before she married Robert McCafferty.
 To me it makes more sense that the baby was adopted by who ever I can't see her being put in the workhouse but it is a possibility
 I found William James' baptism record at Greenwell St,he was my grandad. How Annie managed that,I don't know as there is no  father given.I will look for something for Easter with a different name.I haven't found the last child Mary's baptism record either.
 I read all about the workhouses before as Thomas' father,William,died in the Newtownards one in 1897 and I wanted to see if there are any records on line but I couldn't find any.
  Thanks once again for your help.Susan

[aghadowey]

Earlier topic on Easter McCafferty-
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=697587.msg5408579#msg5408579

Easter's birth registration is online (and has been for some time) and it clearly shows Eliza Dunlop as the informant-
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1874/03130/2147916.pdf

You already asked about Workhouse records and were given advice, so have you contacted PRONI yet?
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=786544.msg6418506#msg6418506

[sandyjose]

I knew about Easter's birth but I didn't know anything about Eliza Dunlop.I've only seen the birth online I don't have her birth certificate.
 Yes I was asking about the workhouse,it was because my great x2 grandad died in the Newtownards one and I wanted to know if it's possible to access the records online.It seems that it isn't.I contacted Proni as they have them but I think you have to go there to see them.
 I'm sorry if you think I'm maybe wasting people's time,I don't mean to,it's every so often I'll go back to something I haven't solved and have another try.
 I only have 2 mysteries in my tree and Easter is one of them,the other is in Yorkshire. Regards Susan

[aghadowey]

I merely posted the links so that others could see the details but it's often better to add to an existing topic rather than start a new one. That way all the details are in the same thread 
It did seem as though you hadn't seen Easter's registration when you said "Is Eliza Dunlop mentioned on Easter's birth certificate?"

[sandyjose]

Yes I understand that.You're right it's better to keep everything together and update it.In the future that's what I will do