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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Kirkcudbrightshire => Topic started by: gedb2b on Wednesday 05 February 14 13:45 GMT (UK)
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I am trying to source the birth details and family records for David Ewart who is believed to have been born in Kirkcudbright sometime around 1832.
Military discharge papers dated 1873 state that 21-year-old David Ewart of Kirkcudbright, Kirkcudbrightshire joined the 91st regiment at Ayr on 21st July 1853
There are census records for 1841 & 1851 with a David Ewart from Kirkcudbright that match my man just about right the problem though is that this David Ewart also appears in the 1861 census still living in Kirkcudbright whereas details in the military records show the David Ewart I am looking for serving at Kamptee in the East Indies during 1861 Q2
I am not too familiar with the area, so I would be grateful if anybody could advise whether it would be normal for someone to travel from Kirkcudbright to Ayr to enlist in the military, or would it have been more likely for his family to have moved from Kirkcudbright to the Ayr region and be listed in the 1841 & 1851 census returns as resident in another district even though searches in the census returns seem to draw a blank
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Likely you cannot see any David so far with the connection to Kircudbright as showing on the enlistment papers you have :-\
There is only the single consistent entry for a David J Ewart who by 1861 was married to a Jessie and worked as a bank agent and solicitor. His details here https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XYMK-CY3
The David you are looking for was still an active soldier in 1871? Was this his entry, from what you have? https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VF6S-85R
Monica
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Is this him too by 1881, married and with children https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XQ81-B8S
If this is him, maybe some clues from his marriage entry for possible father's name and occupation?
Monica
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Hi
I've been looking at the censuses that you refer to.
I don't think that the David [J(ames)] Ewart on the 1851-61 one is yours. this one is down as a Bank Agent and Solicitor on the 1861, married to a Jessie, born England.
Do you have any further info on the army docs that might help?
Gadget
(Sorry Monica - I didn't see your first reply when I posted)
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His papers list him as a clerk when he joins up in Ayr in 1853 which ties in with occupation of the David James Ewart living in Kirkcudbright in 1851. Rather strange
Kay
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Hi Gadget :)
David Ewart's 1891 census entry shows him as born in Moffatshire, Scotland. Moffat Dumfrieshire maybe? RG12/3318/101/22
Found quite a few trees for this line. Wife was a Mary Ann Beer. So far, I think the marriage for David and Mary Ann has been illusive and, therefore, problem with confirming his father's name at least.
Monica
Added: Hi Kay, missed you post. Seen it now. Odd about occupation.
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The army record has him down as a clerk and proposed residence is Bury in Lancashire.
Didn't see Kay either - the clerk fits but ? Bury.
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Didn't see Kay either - the clerk fits but ? Bury.
The clerk fits the 1851 but not the 1861,
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Trying to find David Ewart and Jessie after 1861 but haven't so far. Saw these possible entries for children 1856-60:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XYBM-K3J
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XYBM-2ZD
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XY5Z-16J
And then no more children in Scotland.
Monica
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Think wife Jessie Gordon died in Girthon in 1863....explains why no more children.
Monica
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Just going to say the same
Wife Jessie died in May 1863 - David down as a Bank Agent and Writer
David signed - will compare the sigs
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Signatures on the death cert and military record are totally different
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I think we can forget about this David...A death in Australia
David James Ewart, 46 died in Victoria in 1876 (reg. 5582). Parents David and Elizabeth (Hannay) https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XYMK-CY3.
At least confirmed!
Monica
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Maybe follow up the 1841 where he's born Annan - father John
PS - first son was John
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Having trouble finding the Annan one after 1841 so............
Full details of the 1841:
North Street, Annan
John Ewart, 40, farmer
Jane, 35
David, 11
James, 9
William, 7
John, 5
Matthew, 3
Janet, 14 days
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Family are still in Annan in 1851 but no sign of David - John aged 54.
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Totally overwhelmed with the quantity and speed of the responses thank you all.
The further details we have are that David left the army in 1876 and settled in Bury Lancashire with his wife Mary (Beer) before moving on to Middleton where he lived out the rest of his life
The marriage to Mary is a bone of contention as well because we are unable to find any marriage record, there is a daughter born around the same time but again nothing confirmed by record, the early 1870s are as much of a mystery as Davids birth record.
GedB
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One other possibly strange thing is that we have record for Mary Anne Beer born in Kent during 1840 being baptised in Dover during 1870, we are not sure if that is anything to do with the possible religious background of David
GedB
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Have you found Mary in 1871 - either as Beer or E*art? - I've found a possible but it doesn't quite fit.
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Hi Gadget, we have nothing definite for the 1871 census, we can see in later records that daughter Mary was born around 1871 in Aldershot and other searches have shown that David's regiment were stationed there in 1871 but again nothing concrete.
Everything seems to point towards the Aldershot area for that time.
GedB
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One other possibly strange thing is that we have record for Mary Anne Beer born in Kent during 1840 being baptised in Dover during 1870, we are not sure if that is anything to do with the possible religious background of David
GedB
Was she christenend again into a different denomination in 1870? https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/J7FD-G2N I think this is the right entry given the parents names I have seen quoted for her.
Monica
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Just thincking more widely:
Where did you get her surname from? If it was from childrens birth certs then it could be that she was widowed when she married David, women usually have their current surname on the cert/index and the maiden name is not always shown.
It's just that I've found a Mary Ann Evans in Aldershot on the 1871, aged 31, b. Kent. Husband was in the Queen's 9th Royal Regiment of Lancers
RG10/817/121/34
I've not followed this family up yet.
Gadget
Added - they're in Kent in 1881 so that's not her :(
Also a Donald and Mary Ann Gordon who don't seem to figure after 1871
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How about (what looks like!) McEwart for a David born c. 1833 in 1871 at Aldershot? That David shows as married (another reason maybe why no marriage may show for Mary Ann and David). An adopted daughter shows with them.
What was David's rank when he left the army, GedB?
Ref for 1871 RG10/819/119/7
Monica
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Think he's showing with wife Elizabeth, Monica:
Daughter is Minnie Kerr
PS - transcribed a McAwatt
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That is the one! Need to try and find them in 1881...back to scratch if they show for 1881 :-\ Can't easily see a marriage through the 1860s for them in England (but they may not have married there).
Monica
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I was originally tracking the very chequered life of Mary Anne Beer, one of fifteen children from Henry Beer and his two wives and her early life in Kent was equally interesting, David Ewart just happened along and has ended up giving me nightmares.
The possibility of an adopted child is very interesting as we are fairly sure Mary had at least one child before meeting David as one turns up in later census returns (with an illegitimate child of her own) living with the family in Lancashire and then links the name Smith into the family, we did find a possible record of a marriage in Kent for Smith / Beer that fell in well but lead to nothing.
Although I am pretty sure that we have David in camp in Hartley Wintney in the 1871 census I can only assume that Mary was a camp follower and somehow the census passed her by. If I could find record of either the marriage (if there was one) or birth of their daughter around that time then I would have a chance of getting some answers for David’s roots but as I said earlier the early 1870s seem to have passed Mary Ann by and the Kirkcudbright searches for David seem to have come up blank as well.
GedB
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Ah, David [Ewont] in Hartley Wintney in 1871...much better fit!
Monica
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One of my main lines is from Kirkcudbrightshire and I know that there are many gaps in the registers. Local knowledge is probably the best help in this area. I'm not sure who's the best person to contact now.
I do have all the Monumental Inscriptions for all the parishes so I will get them out and see if there's anything in them that could give some clues.
I'm busy for the next couple of days but will check up at the weekend and get back if I see anything interesting.
Gadget
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Okay I have now had time to sit down and catch my breath and read all the suggestions that were put forward I must admit that everything went that quick I was struggling to keep up.
Kay99 you hit on the one thing that still makes me think there could be something I am missing in those census returns, the fact that the David I am searching for was according to the military a clerk and the David in the census was also a clerk is just seems a bit too far-fetched that two people of roughly the same age and name from the same town doing the same job albeit going in different directions but only records for one person in those early years, there is something amiss somewhere.
Gadget & MonicaL what can I say, apart from thank you both for the suggestions and leads I will spend a while following them all up, to get me started I don’t know if anyone can advise what the main religion was in and around that area of Scotland during the mid-1800s. I am now pretty confident that we have good records for David from 1853 onwards, it is just those early years up to the 1851 census return that seem to be missing. Gadget if you can see anything in the transcriptions it would be most appreciated but if not then I am not sure where we could go next.
Thank you, GedB
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Hi,
I am the great great granddaughter of Mary Ann Beer who was born in Elham, Kent round about 1840. Her father was Henry Beer and her mother Mary Ann Smith. (Family Search.org, which is our church's site, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints) but all are welcome to use it for free. Mary Ann gave birth illigitimately to my great grandma Martha Ann Beer, who later gave birth illegitimately to my grandad Ernest Beer. The birth certificates show a cross in the father's name area. Mary and David Ewart got together somehow, married I don't know as I can't find their marriage date neither, but I know they had their first child Mary Ewart in 1870/1871 (the 1881 census says she was born in Aldershot, Hampshire, and she was 10 yrs old, but the 1891 census shows her as being born in Farnham, Surrey.
Their next child John Ewart was born in Bury, Lancashire, so obviously they moved to Bury, then they moved to Middleton, Manchester, where they had Catherine, who was born in Bury, and she died 6th November 1897 aged 21 in Middleton. Their next daughter was Ellen, shown as being born in the 3rd quarter 1878. She was two on the 1881 census. The next child Frances (shown as Ewert) in the national register was born 4th quarter 1880 and was 6 months old on the 1881 census. I knew Aunty Frances very well. She was my grandfather's aunty really. There was 12 years between them. She use to come to our home every week with her beautifully made wimberry and apple pies. I thought she was my grandad's sister at first, they looked so alike. She died in the 2nd quarter 1960. I went to her home as she lay in bed, just before she died. David Ewart died in Middleton, Manchester 10th January 1906, aged 71 and Mary Ann died in the Oldham Union workhouse, was buried 17th July 1902, aged 61. Mary's daughter Martha, my g grandma, did marry eventually, a Frank Ashton. Their son Albert was my Grandad's half brother, who had another Frank Ashton, my dad's cousin who sadly died about a month ago aged 93. His daughter Pam told me at the funeral that she thought Martha lived with Frank for a long time before marrying him. She said she thought David Ewart might have had two son's before he married Mary Ann. My grandfather Ernest took on his mother's maiden name, Beer, which was her mother's name (her father was Henry Beer) but eventually he changed his name by deed poll to Ewart, as he lived and was brought up by David Ewart and Mary Ann. His step father Frank didn't treat him kindly. Martha and Frank had quite a few children too, and Martha was born 11 Dec 1863 in Elham Kent and died 4 JaN 1940. I don't know anything about Mary Ann or Martha really. I have a little snapshot of Martha, but nothing of anyone else. If you know any history of Mary Ann Beer and David Ewart, I would love to know it. I have researched their marriage, if any, for many years. I would love to hear from you people researching this same line. I am not sure if I really have anything to do with David Ewart, he was my grandad's step grandad, and my dad suspected that one of the son's he's said to have could be my grandad's father, but we don't know. If that is the case, then his name would rightly be Ewart. A long story, but hopefully some of it will put you in the picture a bit more.
Regards, Chris Bushnell (nee Ewart)
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It's Chris Bushnell again;
On re reading my email, I made a mistake. After Mary Ewart was born, they moved to Bury where Catherine was born. Then they moved to Middleton Manchester where she died. Sorry.
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Hi Chris, thank you for all that info, it is certainly going to take me a while to sort through it all. I had almost given up getting anything more on David but you may well have touched on a good point with the two possible sons seemingly prior to Mary Ann.
I am pretty sure that I have some information on Henry and his descendants that will interest you, in fact I know it will get you shaking your head so rather than fill up these pages I have sent you a message through the Rootschat system with my personal email address, if you could reply to that then I will get in touch.
Regards - GedB
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Hi again, thanks for your message. I look forward to the info so i will email u later. Regards chris
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I have a family coincidence with the Ewart thread. I have a John Andrew Ewart McLean who was born at Gatehouse Kirkudbright circa 1821. He died in april 1967/9 at Gateshead. He married 18.4.1850 Barrhead Renfrewshire to Jean Harley Elliot who was born 23.8.1827 in Neilston. To have the forename Ewart it would indicate that he had a strong connection to the Ewarts. Can anyone help?
Cheers
Jack Gee