Advice please - Carolan

[Lilibet]

I have researched my husband's Scottish ancestors and have just discovered that his 2nd great grandfather William Carolan was born in Donegal, Ireland circa 1825.  He was in Scotland on the 1851 and 1861 censuses, but not the 1841.

My question is, can anyone give me advice as to how I go about finding out when he went to Scotland (during the Potato Famine?) (Passenger lists?) and how to find his birth date as I have no experience of Irish research.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Lilibet 

[CuriousDiana]

Unless you can find out the parish or townland where your Carolan was born, it will be almost impossible to find out when he was born.  However, you should have his age from the Scottish censuses.  Carolan (O'Carolan) is fairly common in Donegal. My Carolan ancestor came from Clonleigh parish, Donegal. The O'Carolan family were erenaghs of Clonleigh parish in medieval times (you can Google 'erenagh' and save me the trouble of giving a lengthy explanation!). They are mentioned as such in the Inquisition at Lifford in 1609 by James 1st.
Church registers for Donegal do exist (copies in the NLI and PRONI) but you need to know the parish or townland.

You will not find passenger lists Ireland to Scotland for that period.  The distance was short and the trips frequent.  The potato famine and the general desperation of the Irish under repressive English rule would probably be the reason for your ancestors leaving at that time.

[scotmum]

Was he married at time of 1851? If yes, could he have done so in Ireland? If he did and his wife had any of their children in Scotland, these childrens' birth certificates should give a marriage date/place. This is how I made a start with a number of my Irish lines.

[Lilibet]

Thanks CuriousDiana and Scotmum for your replies. 

Wm Carolan married in Scotland in 1856, so no clues there I'm afraid. 

His age from the 1851 census would have been about 26 and he was a shoemaker, single and living with 3 other single shoemakers as a lodger in Edinburgh, so I suspect he hadn't been there long. 

I have just discovered that there is a Donegal in Cork and also in Tipperary, but the 1851 census just said Ireland and the 1861 census said Donegal, Ireland, so I am even more at a loss.

Anyway, thanks once again for your interest.

Lilibet

[scotmum]

Have you found his death certificate. If yes, what were his parents' names?

[scotmum]

If it was Donegal, perhaps his birth was registered in Londonderry. There is record of a William Carolan being born in 1819 (albeit a few years earlier than your chap). Also, it may or may not be linked to the 1819 birth, but there also seems to have been a marriage in the area in 1817 between an Elizabeth Sweeney and a John Corolan (?sp). Also in the area, an Eliza Carolan married a George Quigly in 1824.

[Lilibet]

Hi Scotmum

William Carolan's last child was born in Edinburgh in 1861 and William's widow, Mary Lawrie, married William Cockburn in 1864 in Edinburgh.  I have search for a death in the Edinburgh area between these dates.  Perhaps I should widen the search.  If I did find the death certificate, wouldn't it probably have the name of the person who registered his death, ie his widow and not his parents?

I'll keep in mind the rest of the information you gave me in case I can make a break-through and link up with any of them.

Thank you very much.

Best wishes
Lilibet

[scotmum]

Scottish Death Certificates are very helpful in that they also give names of parents and if they are deceased, this is usually noted (assuming these details are known to informant). Likewise, his marriage in 1856 should also provide details of his parents and his wife's, albeit not where they are from.

[Lilibet]

Thanks Scotmum

I finally found his death certificate today on Scotlands People - he was down as William Carlon.  His parents were Charles Carlon and Susan Marley - so I am now one more generation back, even if I don't know where they came from in Ireland.  Also, the death was notified by his brother Hugh, so that is another ancestor to research.

Thanks for your help
Lilibet