Lookup Please 1841,51,61,71 & 81

[proteantime]

 

Hi,

I'm on the trail for some logic to what seems to be a nomadic group of my ancestors.  My GG Grandmother Elizabeth Maxwell was born in Largs in Ayrshire in 1832 and in 1855 sailed to Australia as a literate and Christian young woman to work for a wealthy man in Melbourne.

Prior to her departure I am unsure where the family lived and have recently inherited some photographs containing names (Howard) that I do not recognise or place.

here is what I know:

Elizabeth's parents:

Thomas Maxwell (Mason) bap: 10/7/1804 Kirkmaiden, Wigtown (no death info)
married on 27/6/1829 Greenock, Renfrew to
Ann Dunn bap: 10/7/1800 Inch, Wigtown (no death info)

Elizabeth's siblings:

James Alexander Maxwell bap: 17/7/1836 Portpatrick, Wigtown, Scotland
Rachel Maxwell bap: 27/12/1829 Portpatrick, Wigtown, Scotland
 
I am not sure who these siblings married or any other info on the family.

I would love to know why a mason would have moved around so much that his children were baptised/christened in different parishes.

I would also like to hear anything about the sending of young women to Australia or other countries as indentured servants.  The ship Nepaul that Elizabeth Maxwell travelled on in 1855 was full of young woman on a similar journey to the colony of Australia.

Thanks in advance for your time and consideration.

Kirsten
Heemskerk Netherlands

[beannie]

Hi Kirsten,
I checked the 1841 census and found this;
Church Court, Largs, Ayrshire                                      born


Thomas      Maxwell  45   mason                                outside county
Ann            Dunn       35                                                   "
Rachel        Maxwell   10                                                   "
Elizabeth    Maxwell     8                                               Ayrshire
Robert        Maxwell     6                                                    "
James         Maxwell     4                                            outside county
Thomas       Maxwell    2                                               Ayrshire
James         Dunn       85  Independent                    outside county
John            Dunn       30  mason                                        "
Rachel         Dunn       30  sewer                                         "

hope this helps, will check other census and get back to you
Regards Beannie
                                 

[proteantime]

 

Hi beannie,

thanks for that.  I have this sneaking suspicion that my Maxwell and Dunn families were church builders as they seem to have moved from census to census next to the sites where churches were being renovated or built.

The family photographs (now seen) have all been fantastic images from the 1870s on of the Reay family (Carlisle and Penrith) that Elizabeth Maxwell married into (in Australia).

I'm having some trouble tracking down directories for these areas to see if I can get any more clues to the lives of these people.

Any help would be great.

[proteantime]

Hi again,

Just a quick update:

Still nothing about Ann Dunn's parents apart from knowing that her father was James.  It is possible that her mother was Jane Close/Closs.

The possible match comes with the details on the IGI for Ann's brother John:

JOHN DUNN Christening:  31 DEC 1802   Inch, Wigtown, Scotland

Does anyone have any ideas about where I may be able to get details of the parish records for Inch?

This seems to be a brick wall now as I cannot seem to find any IGI for Wigtown making me suspect that most of the population moved away.

any clues would be terrific. I'm tearing my hair out a bit and I'm still no closer
to working out what became of them all.

warmest wishes
Kirsten
 

[MonicaL]

Hi Kirsten

Using just the births batch code for Inch (c118862) on IGI, these are all the births coming up which include your Ann and John. So happens, they all show father James Dunn. The birth of William also shows mother Jean (no surname):

1. AGNES DUNN  Christening: 10 MAR 1796 Inch, Wigtown, Scotland
2. ANN DUNN Christening: 10 JUL 1800 Inch, Wigtown, Scotland
3. JOHN DUN Christening: 31 DEC 1802 Inch, Wigtown, Scotland
4. ALEXANDER DUNN Christening: 02 JUN 1798 Inch, Wigtown, Scotland
5. WILLIAM DUNN Christening: 11 APR 1794 Inch, Wigtown, Scotland


Regards.

Monica

[proteantime]

 

That's lovely Monica!

I'd written all that down and wondered how I would find out who Jean/Jane/Janet is?

I'm a novice with pre BMD stuff.  How do you track that sort of data down?  I'll have another look at what the film refers to in that batch and see if I can locate the originals.

Thanks again for your help.

Kirsten

[MonicaL]

Hi Kirsten

Just on the issue of names, in Scotland Jean=Jane and Janet=Jessie! When you search on IGI for example, it automatically gives you search results using those variants.

In respect of Jane Closs/se, there are only 9 entries showing on IGI and they are all after 1824. In trying to find out more details about Ann Dunn's mother, in your position I would try to find death certs. for John and what may be Ann's other brothers (William and Alexander). The men are always easier to track specially if  you have an approx. birth year. It is likely they would have died after 1855 and the begining of official registration in Scotland. Their death certs. should hopefully provide details of their father and mother's names.

Regards.

Monica

[proteantime]

 

Hi Monica and thanks! 

I think I'll do just that and chase up the death certificate for Ann (Dunn) Maxwell.  That way I'll be much closer to knowing who her mother was etc.

Thanks for the Jean/Jane and Janet/Jessie tip - I had no idea LOL.

Kindest regards and many thanks to everyone for the help in nutting it out.

Kirsten