What happened to my great, great grandfather?

[jamiequarton]

Hi Monica

All I know is that John Snr was born in Ireland in 1848 but where is not known. His father Martin and his mother Catherine (Burke) where Irish, but it has just occurred to me that they may have moved to Scotland too. Might be worth a trawl through the records here?

If John Jnr did end up in the Great War, where would be the best place to start looking?

Thank you 

[jamiequarton]

Oh by the way Monica.................In that 1901 census where Charles is listed as working away as a ploughman/servant, there's also a Christina MacKay who was a Dairy Maid. She was the woman Charles married. My great grandmother. 

[MonicaL]

I did try looking on Ancestry's military records for John Jnr (service/pension records) but couldn't easily see anything for him 

[jamiequarton]

Thanks Monica......it's a bit frustrating because I can't find a death certificate for John Jnr (just like his dad).

I'd like to be able to find out more about Martin and Catherine Connelly, but can't find a decent source

Jamie

[MonicaL]

Hi Jamie

With the Irish side for John, it can be hard to trace back particularly when you are not sure where in Ireland John was from  I tried searching on Scotlands People for a death for mother Catherine with the names Burke and Connolly but no joy (nearest are two entries with a birth year of 1840 +/- 5yrs - too late to be John's mother).

There are a couple of trees on Ancestry for the family. From John and Margaret's Catholic marriage, may explain why there is nothing at all also showing regarding Ireland as official registration did not begin in Ireland until 1864. Just on the outside chance, I don't know how practical this is for you. The marriage shows at St Patrick's Chapel in Anderston. Apart from the official registration of the marriage, have you ever thought to follow up with the church's archives for the original entry of the marriage. In Roman Catholic marriage, details of where someone is born could be recorded by the church. Might be something to follow up on.

What does Charles' marriage cert to Christina McKay say about his father. Does it show him as deceased at the time of his marriage and what occupation?

Monica

[jamiequarton]

Hi Monica

Charles and Christina's marriage certificate shows John Connelly as 'deceased', occupation Coachman.

On John and Margaret's marriage certificate, John's occupation is Groom (so he must've got promotion ). His father Martin is listed as deceased, occupation Coachman. Makes me wonder if they both worked for the same coach firm in Glasgow

Think that contacting St Patrick's might be a good idea, they may have a bit more information in their archives.

Many thanks for you help on this Monica, you're a star

Jamie

[Nick29]

I think coachmen must have had hard lives.  My great-uncle was a coachman, and he died at 25 from a form of TB linked to a fungal infection.

[jamiequarton]

Hi Nick

Crikey...your poor great uncle

Incidentally, do you know how coachmen were used from circa 1870-1900? Were they employed by companies and run like taxi firms do today? Did the coachmen have set routes or was it just a case of go where the punter wants to go? I'm trying to build a picture so that I can perhaps follow up other lines of enquire re: my great great grandfather. For example, if he did in fact work for a company, perhaps they would have kept records?

Jamie

[Nick29]

With everything (including people) being transported on horse-drawn carts, I would imagine that there would have been tens of thousands of coachmen employed across the country, although their job titles may have varied, depending on what they carried.

Ironically, my great uncle married a woman who was 16 years older than he was - and she survived him by more than 50 years