Coughlin Family prior to 1851

[Alysse]

Hello anyone,

In the 1851 census James Coughlin 40 Labourer  his wife Ellen 40 Fruit Seller and children Mary12 and Ned [Edward] 9 were living in London but gave place of birth as Cork.  There seems to be many ways of spelling this name as in later census forms it was spelt Cocklin and Coghlan.

Ned grew up to marry Mary Ann Faulkner who in 1851 was also living in London and her family were John Faulkner 46 Cabinet Maker,  Ellen 45 Fruit Seller and Mary Ann age 11 all born in Cork.

Is there any way I can trace any of the above before they left Cork.
Is there a reason both the wives were fruit sellers, it appears a lot of the females from Ireland sold fruit once in England.
Is Ellen a shortened form of another name as Ned and Mary Ann's first child was called Isabelle. They named sons after both their fathers but no daughters Ellen which seemed odd as both their mothers were called this.

Any info will be gratefully received

Cheers Alysse

[magsbutler]

Hi
This article gives a bit of background info on living conditions for the Irish in London in the mid 19th century:

http://www.movinghere.org.uk/galleries/histories/irish/settling/wildcourt_camden_1.htm


(scroll across on blue bar below  to ensure you get the whole website name  in!)

Also, google for 'costermongers in london' - there are several articles about the fruitselling trade. As you will know, thousands of people left Ireland in the 1840's and 1850's due to the famine, and went to London in their droves to seek work . Fruitselling (costermongering) would be an unskilled occupation that would be easier to start up in than a lot of other jobs (did you see Barbara WIndsor on 'Who do you think you are' the other night?)

Ellen could be Eleanor maybe, or Helena...

Good luck!
Mags

[JustinL]

Alysse,

As the family members were born or married before the introduction of civil registration in Ireland, you will have to resort to the parish records (LDS films).

Which parish? Try Griffith's Primary Valuation. http://www.failteromhat.com/griffiths.php

A search for Coughlin throws up: James Coughlin, Water La., St. Finbars, Cork. That's as good a place as any to start.

Justin

 

[magsbutler]

Also, the Coughlin and Faulkner families may have known each other back in Ireland (only a possibility!)
And, although they gave 'Cork' as place of birth at the census, there is a possibility that they were just referrring to the port they sailed from in Ireland.
(For example, some of my lot who emigrated to the USA gave Mitchelstown as place of birth, which is co.Cork, but they actually were born in the adjacent county of LImerick, with Mitchelstown being the nearest large town to their home).
Just keep your options open!
But hopefully you will strike lucky with looking at the Griffiths and maybe find both families hailing from the same parish?!

Mags

[sparky030405]

Hi Alysse,

How did you go with your Cocklin, Cork searching? I have an Ellen Cocklin B: 1797 in Cork who was arrested in Middlesex and sentenced in London in 1828 to 7 years for stealing clothing - sent to Sydney, Australia as a convict. She was a widow with four children when she left England. I have no idea who her husband was, or what happened to the four kids. When she arrived in Sydney, she married another convict named John Wright in 1829 and had one child named Daniel in 1830. Then she disappears off the radar, and John remarries another Irish lass named Eliza Alexander in 1837 who must have been a stayer, as Daniel's death certificate lists her as his mother even though he was born 7 years before Eliza married John!

Would love to here if you think our Cocklins are related.

Sparky