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The info I have does not contain any military connection.
               James McKellar was born on the twenty fourth of June 1817 in the town of Gourock on the River Clyde. He married Isabella Shearer on 9/4/1839 at Greenock Middle Church, Renfrewshire but Isabella must have died shortly after as he married again to Isaaca Robert on 19/1/1848 at Greenock Old or West.

 

                In 1851 James was at 43, Hamilton Street, Greenock with Isaac, daughter Helen and his father, also James aged 57 widower. Helen is entered as Helen MacKay, aged 10, daughter of James McKellar, born Greenock.

 

                There is no record of a birth for Helen/Ellen McKellar c1840 in Greenock, but on the 1841 census there is a Helen McKay aged 5 months, daughter of Angus and Lucy McKay living in Hamilton Street. It is quite possible that something happened to Angus and Lucy and Helen was adopted by James and Isabella, or James and Isaaca. Angus and Lucy do not appear on any census return after 1841. Before 1930 adoption was done on a very informal basis and no records were kept.

 

                I can’t find a marriage record for Angus and Lucy or birth record for Helen McKay, so regrettably this has become a ‘brick wall’, but nevertheless, some of  the information gleaned so far does paint a picture of Helen’s life.

 

James senior married Isobel (Isabella) Gillies on 25th January 1813 in Glasgow and on the marriage entry James is described as a boatman in Gourock. In 1848 the parish marriage entry for James McKellar and Isaaca Robert reads ‘James McKellar shipmaster, son of James McKellar steamboat Master Greenock and Isaaca Robert daughter of Thomas Robert, mariner’. Around 1859, James senior, James and Isaaca, and daughter Helen all moved to Queenstown, Co. Cork, Ireland.

 

Before 1855 deaths in Scotland were seldom registered.

 

Isabella Gillies died in Scotland prior to 1851 and her death wasn’t registered.

 

Isabella Shearer died in Scotland prior to 1848 and her death wasn’t registered.

 

Isaac Roberts Kellar, female, died at Queenstown, Cork aged 50 on 22/6/1867. Wife of a captain of a steamer living at 4, Church Street, Queenstown. Informant Ellen Jones of same address. (Helen/Ellen McKellar)

 

James McKellar senior died at Queenstown, Cork aged 75 on 15/1/1868. Late captain of a tugboat. Address 13, Harbour View. Informant Mary Ann Hughes of 14, Fish Street, Cork.

 

The tugboat Robert Bruce sank in 1866 in Liverpool and with Isaaca passing away in 1867, his father in 1868, and Helen married, James returned to Greenock.

 

James McKellar, tugboatman, died on 3/7/1876 at Gourock Infirmary of apoplexy aged 59.

Rgds

Jim

Hi Heather,

His name was William Henry Norris. Sorry was that me having finger trouble? Stupid idea having the M and N next to each other. Do you think they'll change it?


Jim

Absolutely fabulous.  I never mastered a calculator, programmed a VHS player, or have sent a text message, so what you guys manage to do looks like something out of Star Trek to me. Well done!

Jim

Hi Millipede,

George Gibson married Anne Bowness on 19/5/1800 at St Johns, Newcastle.

Edward Gibson born 14/3/1801, baptised 12/4/1801 at Newcastle. Father George, mother Anne Bowness. Paternal grandfather Robert Gibson, maternal grandfather Edward Bowness.

Anne Gibson bap. 15/12/1805 St Nicholas parish church, Newcastle. Father George, mother Anne Bowness.
Robert Gibson bap 20/10/1811. St Nicholas parish church, Newcastle. Father George, mother Anne Bowness.

Edward Gibson, builder, married Miss Mary Alderson of Newcastle at St Andrews church on 18/12/1827.

1841 census

Trafalgar Street, All Saints, Newcastle upon Tyne.

Edward Gibson         40   Builder      Northumberland
Mary            30         not Northumberland
Edward            15         Northumberland
Jane            10         Northumberland
Mary            5         Northumberland

Edward Gibson, builder, died at Trafalgar Street on 11/10/1841 aged 41

Mrs Gibson, widow of Edward Gibson, builder, died on 18/12/1841 in Trafalgar Street.

Edward Gibson Baptised 23 Oct 1825 at All Saints, Newcastle upon Tyne. Father Edward Gibson, mother Mary.

Jane Anne baptised 29/12/1830 St. Andrews, Newcastle.

Dec Q 1849 Sunderland 24 304 Edward Gibson married Mary Ann Littlefair (at Bishop Wearmouth)


This Edward was also a mariner.

I just need to find a link between Thomas Edward Gibson and this family or another one in the area. There were very few Edward Gibsons. There are a number of Thomas Gibsons born in the 1860s in Durham but without ordering all their birth certificates it's difficult to know which, if any, is correct.

Best Regards

Jim

Hi All

I really need some help with a brick wall.

My ggrandfather Thomas Edward Gibson married Mary Catherine McCarthy 18 Mar 1885 in Liverpool. On the marriage certificate he was 21, a seaman and his father was Edward (deceased).

Thomas Gibson 25, born Sunderland, merchant seaman, sailed from Liverpool on 12/7/1889 on the ship Aurania. Arrived back on 4/8/1889. Pay £4 per month and £1 allotment. Pay on discharge £4/3s/10d. Previous ship Australian from London.

His daughter Margaret was born 27 Nov 1890 and on the birth certificate her father was a seaman. In 1891 census he wasn't with the family as he was probably at sea.

This is where the fun starts.

In 1901 he is with the family and a railway worker. He is 38 and gives his place of birth as New Zealand!

In 1911 his place of birth is Sunderland but has also entered that he is an American citizen!

Whether he had a sense of humour with census forms or somebody else completed it I don't know. He may even have taken out American citizenship on one of his sailings to America.

Based on a birth of c1863 there are these entries but there is no link apart from approximate year of birth:

1871 census

Sunderland Union Workhouse, Bishop Wearmouth


Thomas Gibson          8   Schoolboy   Sunderland, Durham

1881 census
Bishop Wearmouth

Margaret Littlefair
1881 census

Bishop Wearmouth


Margaret Littlefair     Wid.   60      Sunderland, Durham
Thomas Gibson             nephew  18   Joiner      Sunderland, Durham

There is also:

Thomas Mansfield Gibson b 23/1/1863 Bishop Wearmouth, Father Edward, Mother Mary.

There isn't any Thomas Mansfield Gibson on censuses, marriage or death record that I can find, or any Thomas Edward Gibson in the Durham area.

A possibility is:

1851 census

4 Crow St, Bishop Wearmouth

Thomas Littlefair      49   Blacksmith   Auckland Durham
Margaret         47         Durham
George         12         Chester-Le-Street, Durham
John            8         Chester-Le-Street, Durham
Jane Ann         4         Sunderland, Durham
Edward Gibson son-in-law     26   Seaman      Newcastle, Northumberland
Mary            25         Durham
Elizabeth         6mo         Sunderland, Durham



This Edward's seaman's records have him at sea nearly all the time so he missed being on censuses. The family addresses tie up with his seaman's records.

1861 census

53, Dock Street, Monks Wearmouth, Sunderland

Mary Gibson      36   Mariners wife   Monks Wearmouth, Durham
Alexander         12         Monks Wearmouth, Durham
George         9         Monks Wearmouth, Durham
Ann            6         Monks Wearmouth, Durham
Mary            9mo         Monks Wearmouth, Durham

1871 census         

30, Dock Street, Monks Wearmouth, Sunderland

Mary Gibson      45   Master Mariner’s wife   Sunderland
Ann            16         Sunderland