Okay, I'll admit to being stuck, totally banging my head hard on a brick wall. To make matters worse, I listened to "distant" cousins" or descendants of my ancestors siblings, assuming they had (in a couple of instances they were correct) better info that I did.
WRONG. I seem to be at a crossroads - is this him/is that him...
Here's what I have and do know.
John Drain was born in (about) 1850, in (he says on the 1851 census, when he lived at 116, Southwick Road, Urr, Dalbeattie, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland) Lanarkshire. He was a quarryman.
The address and his wife and children are correct as is his trade so it is definitely him on the census.
He married at the age of 21 to Margaret McTurk (I have the wedding certificate) he gives his job as Granite Polisher, and at the time of his marriage he was living in Shap, (again correct, since some of his children and one being my great granddad were born there). He gives his father’s name as Andrew Drain, who was according to John on the marriage certificate an Engineer.
I haven't been able to find John's birth certificate, but do have his death certificate, he died on 20th December in paisley, Renfrewshire. Being a Scottish certificate it gives his father’s name has John Drain - profession of father is masons labourer, no mothers name since his daughter did not know her grandmothers name. Incidentally, at the time of his death he is given as 74 years old.
So this is his family, as I stand at the moment:
John DRAIN - Birth: abt 1852 in Scotland, Death: 19 Dec 1924 Paisley Infirmary
Marriage: 28 Mar 1871 Penrith, Cumberland, England to
Margaret MCTURK - Birth: 28 Apr 1852 Quarry House, Lambley and Asholme, Haltwhistle, Northumberland, Death: 15 Oct 1889 116 Southwick Rd, Dalbeattie
Her Parents are: Father: James MCTURK (1824-1899) Mother: Mary Ann DIAMOND (1824-1871)
Their Children
Margaret DRAIN Birth: abt 1871 Shap, Westmorland, England
Jane DRAIN Birth: 24 Jan 1872 Shap, Westmorland, England
Death: 4 Jul 1920 77 Queen St, Dumfries
John DRAIN Birth: abt 1874 Govan, Lanarkshire, Scotland
Jemima DRAIN Birth: abt 1876 Shap, Westmorland, England
James McTurk DRAIN Birth: 17 Jan 1877 Shap, Westmorland, England
Death: 29 Mar 1915 Norwich, Norfolk, England
William DRAIN Birth: abt 1878 Dalbeattie, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland
Death: 1888 116 Southwick Rd, Dalbeattie
Elizabeth Carson DRAIN Birth: 1 Sep 1880 115 Copland St, DALBEATTIE,
Death: 1947 Presumed South Africa
Mary Ann DRAIN Birth: Aug 1882 Dalbeattie, Kirkcudbrightshire
Death: 21 Nov 1885 Southwick Rd, Dalbeattie,
William DRAIN Birth: 1 Jul 1884 Dalbeattie, Kirkcudbrightshire
Death: 1 Jul 1884 Dalbeattie, Kirkcudbrightshire
Agnes DRAIN Birth: 1885 Dalbeattie, Kirkcudbrightshire
Death: 1945 Presumed South Africa
Female DRAIN Birth: 16 Sep 1889 Dalbeattie, Kirkcudbrightshire
Death: 16 Sep 1889 Dalbeattie, Kirkcudbrightshire
Now, here's where I am totally lost.
I've been told by the distant cousins that John's father and grandfather were HENRY Drain from County Down Ireland. Henry is not a family name, and does not figure in any of the descendants of John. However, John does have a brother named William who is aged 17 on the census.
I found the census from 1851 Low Cunocktrie, Kirkmaiden, Wigtownshire, Scotland which says that the parents were William and Sarah both from Ireland, but their son William is 3, John was 1 year old, I also found the same family in 1861, where they also now have a 2 yr old son Henry.
On the other hand, searching for Andrew gave me Alan Drain born in Lanarkshire in about 1821.
Any thoughts anyone please, even if it's give up for now
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