James McLaren born Belfast c1807

[CelticMom]

I am trying to see if I can find a baptism record for James McLaren, he ends up in Waterford in his 20s but I know from other records he was originally from Belfast and Protestant.

I'm really struggling to find a death for him, he is in the Workhouse in Dublin in 1880 and I can't find him after that.

Would there be any protestant records for the time he was born?

[aghadowey]

There might or might not be records from early 1800s but "Protestant" covers lots of Belfast churches. Do you know his father's name? if not there is the danger that you find a 'likely' record for a James McLaren around 1807 and it might not be the correct person.

See here under ANTRIM RESOURCES-
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=535464.0

[CelticMom]

Nope no father's name, unfortunately. I've been stuck with tracing him back further for quite a while and tracing that darn death record. Just doesn't seem to exist.

If he followed the traditional naming pattern with his children that might give clues, all my Irish ancestor have kept to it, but he could be the one who didn't of course lol.

It was a prison and Workhouse records that gave me further info on approx year of birth and place of birth and occupation.

McLaren doesn't seem like a hugely popular name though for Ireland. It appears to originate more from Scotland.

The funny thing is, all the McLaren families in Waterford, seem to descend from him. Except for one guy and I originally thought it was his son, he was in Scotland and England prior and fathers name was James, but it seems he is not connected, as that James (father) didn't come out of Scotland.

Weird that that McLaren ended up in Waterford though.

[aghadowey]

Are you sure the one in Dublin is your James McLaren who lived in Waterford?

I'm really struggling to find a death for him, he is in the Workhouse in Dublin in 1880 and I can't find him after that.
on earlier topic you said you'd found him in 1883-

I’m trying to find the death of James Mclaren born about 1808 but have had no luck at all finding it. I’ve tried all variations I can think of.
In 1883 there is a prison record for him for drunkenness and address then is Spring Garden Alley.
Can anyone find anything for him after this time.

Are any of these other newspaper reports the same man?

Waterford Standard, 16 Dec.1876: James McLaren was fined £1 and costs, with the alternative of a month’s imprisonment, on the charge of assaulting Constable McDonnell ...

Dublin Daily Express, 9 Oct.1879: … Robbery. Two sailors, named James Moran and James McLaren, were brought up in custody, charged with having stolen property consisting a coat, pair trousers, a vest, shoes, etc, value …

[CelticMom]

Are you sure the one in Dublin is your James McLaren who lived in Waterford?

I'm really struggling to find a death for him, he is in the Workhouse in Dublin in 1880 and I can't find him after that.
on earlier topic you said you'd found him in 1883-

I’m trying to find the death of James Mclaren born about 1808 but have had no luck at all finding it. I’ve tried all variations I can think of.
In 1883 there is a prison record for him for drunkenness and address then is Spring Garden Alley.
Can anyone find anything for him after this time.

Are any of these other newspaper reports the same man?

Waterford Standard, 16 Dec.1876: James McLaren was fined £1 and costs, with the alternative of a month’s imprisonment, on the charge of assaulting Constable McDonnell ...

Dublin Daily Express, 9 Oct.1879: … Robbery. Two sailors, named James Moran and James McLaren, were brought up in custody, charged with having stolen property consisting a coat, pair trousers, a vest, shoes, etc, value …

Yes it’s definitely him in the Dublin workhouse, gives his age, place of birth, occupation and says he was from Waterford. I only found the record today.  You are right he is in a prison record in 1883, but it does seem he was moving about, as he is in petty sessions in Waterford regularly up to then, then there are two records for him in the Dublin workhouse and then that prison record in 1883.


I think that first newspaper article is likely to be him, not sure on the second one, I doubt it, as his occupation was a shoemaker.

I’ve looked for a death all over Ireland but nothing seems to match. Unless he is transcribed really badly. The surname often was I have seen mcclelland, mclawrence, mclaurence, mclewis, mcclaren and so on.

[aghadowey]

This one's a sailor not shoemaker-

Dublin Daily Express, 9 Oct.1879: … Robbery. Two sailors, named James Moran and James McLaren, were brought up in custody, charged with having stolen property consisting a coat, pair trousers, a vest, shoes, etc, value …

Any chance he left Ireland and went some place like England or Wales? Perhaps some of his family left Ireland and he went to them?

The surname could be mis-transcribed or mis-written, especially if the informant for his death was illiterate or wasn't a relative.

[CelticMom]

I meant my James McLaren was a shoemaker, so the sailor is likely to not be him, sorry it wasn't very clear in my reply.

I did wonder if he maybe went over to England. I think one of his sons ended up there, so may need to look at deaths in that area.

I get the impression he wasn't very close to his family. He seemed to be in and out of the court for all kinds of issues and even found one for a fight between his wife and daughter in law lol.