1881 Census - James Walker / Jane Cowan

[martync]

My wife was born on the Island and we are trying to find out more about her family prior to a visit next year. Her Grandparents on her Fathers side were:

James Walker, born in 1868 and Jane Cowan, born in 1873.
 
James was a ships engineer in later life so would often be missing at Census time so may be difficult to trace but hopefully in 1881 at the age of about 13 may well be at home with his parents, assuming that he was born on the island. As far as my wife knows James always lived in Douglas but we can’t be certain of that, he Jane and Cecilia’s parents are all buried in the Douglas Borough Cemetery but James and Jane could have moved there.

If there is any information about them and their families in the 1881 Census I’d be very grateful for any help you could give us.

 
Best regards,
Martyn Collier

[bblackie]

Checked the IOM Census for 1871. No James Walker in IOM index.

Checked England 1871 Census. There are 60 James Walkers, aged 3...

In the 1881 Isle of Man Census there are 2 James Walkers. One born 1874 in IOM and one 1872 in Scotland.

In 1891 IOM Census only 2 James Walkers appear:

 Walker, James 37 England Visitor  Conchan  Isle of Man   
 Walker, James 40 Scotland Head  Rushden  Isle of Man 

Can't see Jane on IOM, either, sorry.

No help at all...

BB

 
 

[martync]

Thank you we very much for all the looking up you have done it is much appreciated. It sounds rather like Cecilia's grandparents was born somewhere else. She remembers him as a very old man when he and she lived in Douglas, but someone who seems very old when you’re a child may be very different when you are in your forties or fifties yourself! I think my next step is to buy copies of their death certificates from the record office, that may hopefully through some more light on the situation. Even if we don't find any more family on the Island she is looking forward to our visit in February to see where she spent her childhood and early adult life.

Thank you again,
Martyn

[martync]

Foiled! I got the death certificates but the date and place of birth are not recorded, they died in 1935 & 1952 so this information must have only started being added between then and 1970 when Cecilia’s father died. I know within a year when they were born so I guess the next step is to see if I can find any births in the registers when we visit.

The post and registry people were very efficient, I posted the applications for the certificates on Monday evening in Cheltenham and the Certificates arrived in this mornings post.

[martync]

Found them! with a lot of help from the very nice people at the Manx National Heritage Library during our visit last week. My wife and I could not find them anywhere and they suggested looking in the crew list project (CLiP), which I did not know about, and there he was. He worked for the Isle Of Man Steam Packet Company for at least four years (the project ends in 1913 when he was still working for them) of which 3 years  were on the "Empress Queen" it gave his birthplace as Kilsyth in Scotland and he worked in Govern when the Empress Queen was built so I wonder if he came over with her?

Thanks for the help to the people on this list and the Manx National Heritage Library and if anyone is stuck the crew list project is another place worth looking.