George Seaton 1825 - 1913

[Abygail]

I'm hoping others may be able to suggest a plausible explanation to my question.
I have been fairly successful in finding way more about George Seaton, his wife Mary Coulter and  his children than I dared to hope for.
When he was born-1824, his fathers name-John, when he married - 26 Dec1850 to Mary Coulter.  According to the 1911 Ireland Census the marriage produced 12 living children with 7 still alive at that time.   I have been able to account for the names for 11 of the children born, locating 10 and have been able to account for 6 of the 7 who had pre-deceased their parents.
What is really puzzling me is this, from 1857 I have been able to account for 10 births - leaving the unnamed child and a missing son named George (after his father I assume).   The record I have for the potential first born is 15 March 1857.    I'm wondering if anyone can offer an explanation to there being no live births from the marriage through to March 1857.
Generally a child would have arrived as follows, 1851, 1853, 1855.   There are no records of births between 1857 and 1861 either.
Was there a regiment raised out of Tyrone at this time?   According to the census returns 1901 1911, George was a farmer.   Most of the family are buried at Crossdernott, Co Tyrone, so the church there played an important part of their lives.     They were living at Glencon after 1890.
Might there be other records ie prison that may account for this missing gap?
Aby

[aghadowey]

The details under number of children on 1911 census are not always accurate. In this case the parents were married over 60 years and may have given the wrong details. There is also the possibility of miscarriages or stillbirths. Unless you can find baptismal records then there may be no other trace of children who died in infancy before the start of registration in 1864.

[Abygail]

Not really what I wanted to be told but unfortunately I do agree with you.   Dare say I have been spoilt with most ancestors having at least 2 children after being married for 5 - 6 years, or at least evidence of the deaths of same.
With both the 1901 and 1911 census returns there were a son and daughter still living at home (both unwed) plus I have a few letters written by George to his son in Australia with information re family events in them dating from 1890 through to 1910 and this matched up with BMD data I subsequently found.   George was 87 when he died and Mary was 91 (in 1923).
Your right in so far as they must have done very well to successfully raise to adulthood 11 children and it is very credible that the 12th one (name unknown) died as a child before records were more reliably kept, without getting started on the loss of records later on.
I do wonder re the accuracy of family lore re the 'missing' brother George, according to lore he had already gone to America and my GGF John planned to join him there in 1880.  What actually happened was John ended up on a ship bound directly for Australia.  He is listed as a ships deserter ex Adelaide (first land fall) apparently he was horrendously seasick, later after he was widowed and his children were married he was too worried about being so sick again if he left Australia.   I have found a younger brother, Matthew in Hartford CT but George is still missing.  So part of the story is true but still no evidence of where brother George actually finished up.
I have found marriage and death records for other family members in Ireland, Scotland, England and America so they were definitely a mobile generation.  Not prolific breeders but they did travel.
Aby