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William Caddell , painter, appears as a lodger with William Milligan and Mary McCullough (married Drumballroney , Co Down 1869) and their two daughters in the 1881 census for Govan . He puts his birthplace as Holytown, Lanarkshire , c 1853. There is no sign of him in 1861 or 1871 census for Scotland (or England & Wales for that matter). Similarly there is no sign of him in any OPR (under any of the numerous spellings of Caddell). Neither is there any sign of a sibling 1855 onwards in Scotland (see what follows for parents details) or England and Wales.

22/11/1889 he marries Juilia Murray or Savage in the Mission Church, Grassmarket, Edinburgh. (now a pub), giving his parents as Thomas Caddell , Plasterer's labourer, and Elizabeth (maiden surname Allan) , deceased. After an eventful life featuring at least four convictions for assaulting his wife plus a week in gaol in Dublin for using "obscene and profane language", he died in Craiglockhart Poorhouse, Edinburgh, 21/11/1919. His death registration gives his father as Thomas Caddell, weaver and mother as Elizabeth (maiden surname Hanlan)

I have been unable to locate a marriage for Thomas Caddell and Elizabeth Allan or Elizabeth Hanlan anywhere , nor any indication of any siblings , likewise any convincing sign of them in any census. Neither have I proven where either of them died. There is a suggestion through circumstance (but no actual evidence) that Thomas and Elizabeth may have emigrated to USA ( a Thomas Caddell bc 1822 went to America in 1857 but I know nothing more).

Many of the Caddells/Caddles etc in Lanarkshire for 19th century can be traced back to Lurgan/Portadown area of Co Armagh and it is supposed that that is where William's antecedents also ly, but no proof has thus far been unearthed.

Note 1. Julia Murray appears on another forum - her marriage to William was her second.
Note 2. There is another William Caddell , painter , lodger in Logie St, in Scotland census. He was the son of Joshua Caddell also a painter in Whyte St, Govan. There is no proven connection between them and Thomas/William Caddell.
Note 3. There is a comprehensive family tree for Thomas Caddell and Julia Savage on Ancestry , compiled by a descendant and fellow researcher. We are both flummoxed by the puzzle of William's birth and his mother's two maiden names.

If anyone has any unusual info that could throw some light on the mystery , we would be delighted.

Regards

Matt

The Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald , Feb 19th 1886, has an article containing the following:-

"Persons of the name of Armour have been Fleshers in Kilmaurs from time immemorial , and there is a tombstone in the kirkyard knowm as 'The Fleshers Stone' as it is ornamented with the figures of a butcher's chopping knife and axe. The inscription, which is now defaced, was as follows 'Here lyes the corps of Mary Bankhead, spouse to John Armour, Flesher in Kilmaurs who died Nov 1728, aged 62' "

There is no mention of it in McNaught's "Kilmaurs Parish and Burgh" of 1912 although it might be among "one or two, still standing, are so much decayed that their inscriptions are unreadable"

This couple are recorded in the OPR and I have them in my Bankhead Family History, and IF the stone is not now lost it would be a great bonus. NOT getting my hopes up.....

John Gillan was born in Beith, Fife in 1897, son of John Gillan and Mary Muldoon. Baptised at Loghelly (RC) Sept 19th that year. In 1901 the family were still there but by 1911 had moved to no 6 King St, Musselburgh. John senior had died 11th Dec 1908 in Rosslynlee Asylum.

John junior served (evidence suggests) in the Armed Forces during WW1 (see below) but in which unit is unknown.

We next find John in the Musselburgh News Dec 23rd 1921, He was found guilty ,with another, of assaulting a fellow miner in the Billiard Hall, High St , Musselburgh. Fined  £2

His next appearance in court was Oct 17th 1927 (Evening Telegraph) when he was charged with housebreaking of a property in Camelon Rd, Falkirk. His agent said that "since the war he had suffered from neurasthenia and had been in hospital earlier that year, since discharged. In a fit of depression he had taken alcohol". Gillon pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three months imprisonment.

Worse was to come. The Musselburgh News, 20th Oct, 1933, reports him found guilty of striking his mother, who was in her seventies, while under the influence of drink. Two previous convictions were noted , he admitted the offence and got 30 days.

I can find no record of him after that and cannot pin down which of the multitude of John Gillan/Gillons who served in WW1 he might be. He was a great uncle of a neighbour who says the family, quite understandably, never mentioned him apart from one who only knew he was referred to as "Jack". I feel he probably died prematurely but there is no obvious candidate in Scotland and no hint of a marriage. It is unworkable to go through every John Gillan/Gillon in Scotland's People  indexes. Any ideas anyone ?

His put upon mother, Mary, died in Musselburgh in 1938

Matt

Charles and Mary Ann had the following children at various addresses in Sligo
William Michael 20/9/1864, Beesy 12/10/1868, Mary Ann 5/2/1871, Catherine 3/10/1873, Alice 2/4/1877 and Charles Joseph 30/1/1890. Letters of administration were granted to his widow 29/3/1889. The "miller" is an uncommon occupation so Charles is relatively easy to track, which leads me to my puzzle. Did Charles have a first wife Sarah O'Brien who died young ??

On 17/8/1889 John Gillan , aged 32 , married Mary Muldoon in Blantyre , Lanarkshire, Scotland. He was a colliery checkweigher, with parents Charles Gillan , Master Miller, and Sarah O'Brien, both deceased. He was also a widower. On 1901 census the family are now in Cowdenbeath , Fife. John is shown as born Ireland. Convincing evidence if not absolute proof that the two Charles are one and the same.

This John is my neighbour's great great grandfather. John and Mary and children soon moved to Musselburgh near Edinburgh. John died in Rosslynlee (mental) asylum near Edinburgh 11/12/1908 and to add a further touch of confusion, his mother is given as Sarah Costello (Charles is the same)

I ordered the death registration for Sarah Gillan died Sligo 1/5/1864. aged 20, hoping to prove her the first wife of Charles the miller. Unfortunately her spouse turned out to be a James Gillan whose occupation is not listed.

I cannot identify a first marriage in Ireland for John Gillan and there are too many of the name marrying in West of Scotland to blindly find one without using up an awful lot of credits. Ditto for finding death of this previous wife in either country.

I have searched without success online Irish Catholic registers for a Charles Gillan/Gillen/Gillon marriage to Sarah O'Brien , and baptism of son John.

Has anyone come across this family ? Any descendants out there?

The Catholic Parish Register of Ahoghill, 1876, has the following entry
" James Bankhead to Nancy Heaney and Cuddy Bankhead, Lismurnahagn, 25th Jan, (sponsor) Mary Heaney, illegitimate"

Cuddy (the diminutive of Cuthbert ) was the son of my great great grandparents James Bankhead and Drusilla Logan. His father died in 1874 and Cuddy was left the farm at Killane, which is the adjacent townland to Lismurnahagn. His brother John who lived at Lismurnahagn was my great grandfather.

Cuddy married Elizabeth Helen Weir in 1881 and a year later the couple emigrated to Queensland Australia. Upon disembarkation Cuddy became Cuthbert and Helen , Helena. They had one child Cuthbertina Elizabeth Helena Victoria who died unmarried. All are buried in Maryborough cemetery. Cuddy's will simply leaves everything to his daughter, no other children legitimate or otherwise named.

What I am interested in is:-

What happened to baby James of 1876 ?
Cuddy was Presbyterian and Nancy, Catholic. I can trace no official registration of birth (or death) for a James Bankhead or Heaney around that year. Would he have been given up for adoption? I had theorised that Nancy Heaney might have been a farm servant, but.....

The Ahoghill Catholic register also shows a John Scullion and Nancy Heaney having children baptised in 1870s. And erm, they were resident at Lismurnahagn. A suggestion, if not conclusive, that Cuddy had a tryst with his brother's neighbour's missus. Was James raised a Scullion ? This I feel is somewhat unlikely...