Author Topic: John McCrae in 1851 census - your opinion?  (Read 1519 times)

Offline JMStrachan

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John McCrae in 1851 census - your opinion?
« on: Thursday 25 July 13 10:06 BST (UK) »
For a long time my brick wall has been my great grandfather John McCrae of Kilmarnock. No birth record found but born about 1839. His marriage certificate in 1861 Kilmarnock says his father was John McCrae labourer dead and Mary McCrae ms Henderson dead.

There is a death certificate in 1860 Kilmarnock for Mary McCrae age 57, widow of a labourer, informant her son John McCrae: it says she was the daughter of John Henderson labourer dead and Jean Henderson ms McCrae. (I'm a bit suspicious about the repeat of the McCrae name and wonder whether either John or his mother Mary was actually illegitimate and the names aren't quite right).

In the census John McCrae says he was born in Kilmarnock, except the 1891 census has his birthplace as Ireland. John McCrae died in 1904 and the informant, his son, simply gave his parents as McCrae and McCrae deceased.

I have recently found the census entry below for 1851 - it seems to have appeared on ScotlandsPeople recently as despite several searches before I never found it. It has me wondering if this is my John McCrae. In this census John McRae is age 11. My John became a coal miner, and I'm wondering if the occuption next to the 1851 one is Bearer? He's been added in by the enumerator in after the entry had been written, but I'm wondering if Mary Henderson age 43 was his mother?

Any opinions, or ideas on how to go further with this possible clue, would be much appreciated.
AYRSHIRE - Strachan, McCrae, Haddow, Haggerty, Neilson, Alexander
ABERDEENSHIRE (Cruden and Longside) - Fraser, Hay, Logan, Hutcheon or Hutchison, Sangster
YORKSHIRE (Worsbrough) - Green, Oxley, Firth, Cox, Rock
YORKSHIRE (Royston and Carlton) - Senior, Simpson, Roydhouse, Hattersley

Offline jonn

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Re: John McCrae in 1851 census - your opinion?
« Reply #1 on: Thursday 25 July 13 12:44 BST (UK) »
It states on the 1851 census he was born do to the above residents so Ireland.

I do not know if you have this 1841, census Kilmarnock, its almost certainly the same Mary Henderson.

Address Colledge Wynd,

Henderson Mary, F. age 35 years, born Ireland,
McCree John, M. age 12 years, born Ireland,
Bell Shusan, F. age 11 years, born Ireland,
Lathen Elizabeth, F. age 25 years, born Ireland,
Lathen Robt, M. age 6 years, born Ireland,
Lathen Susan, F. age 2 years, born Ireland,
Ramsay Mary, F. age 20 years, born Ireland.

Same Susan Bell, living with Mary Henderson, correct age for her going by both census.

McCree John, aged 12 years could be transcription error.

No employment data on the census for any of the adults.

Regards,
Jonn.

Offline JMStrachan

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Re: John McCrae in 1851 census - your opinion?
« Reply #2 on: Thursday 25 July 13 15:55 BST (UK) »
No, I hadn't looked at that 1841 one, as I was looking for him being with Mary McCrae. Thank you - that's fantastic. I'll download it from ScotlandsPeople so I can see the original: it might be 12 months old, not 12 years.

I'll try and see if I can track any of the others, but it does rather look like him.
AYRSHIRE - Strachan, McCrae, Haddow, Haggerty, Neilson, Alexander
ABERDEENSHIRE (Cruden and Longside) - Fraser, Hay, Logan, Hutcheon or Hutchison, Sangster
YORKSHIRE (Worsbrough) - Green, Oxley, Firth, Cox, Rock
YORKSHIRE (Royston and Carlton) - Senior, Simpson, Roydhouse, Hattersley

Offline JMStrachan

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Re: John McCrae in 1851 census - your opinion?
« Reply #3 on: Thursday 25 July 13 15:58 BST (UK) »
Just dawned on me. I'm sure it is the right family, as my John McCrae named one his daughters Susan Bell McCrae. Too much of a coincidence for it not to be a connection.
AYRSHIRE - Strachan, McCrae, Haddow, Haggerty, Neilson, Alexander
ABERDEENSHIRE (Cruden and Longside) - Fraser, Hay, Logan, Hutcheon or Hutchison, Sangster
YORKSHIRE (Worsbrough) - Green, Oxley, Firth, Cox, Rock
YORKSHIRE (Royston and Carlton) - Senior, Simpson, Roydhouse, Hattersley


Offline jonn

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Re: John McCrae in 1851 census - your opinion?
« Reply #4 on: Thursday 25 July 13 16:13 BST (UK) »

Well it certainly looks like the same family, Susan Bell, married a chap called Jacob Owen, who died before 1881.

Then John Mccrae, and his wife Maryann, had a child called Jacob Owen Mccrae, 1881. Kilmarnock, who died the same year.

Regards,
Jonn.

Offline JMStrachan

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Re: John McCrae in 1851 census - your opinion?
« Reply #5 on: Thursday 25 July 13 17:25 BST (UK) »
I can't tell you how grateful I am for this! I didn't have Jacob Owen McCrae so I am now off over to ScotlandsPeople to get the certificate. And the marriage cert for Susan Bell.

Brilliant! It's so good to smash through a brick wall - even if it does lead me to Ireland! (Nothing against Ireland but it's not the easiest location for family history research.)
AYRSHIRE - Strachan, McCrae, Haddow, Haggerty, Neilson, Alexander
ABERDEENSHIRE (Cruden and Longside) - Fraser, Hay, Logan, Hutcheon or Hutchison, Sangster
YORKSHIRE (Worsbrough) - Green, Oxley, Firth, Cox, Rock
YORKSHIRE (Royston and Carlton) - Senior, Simpson, Roydhouse, Hattersley

Offline JMStrachan

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Re: John McCrae in 1851 census - your opinion?
« Reply #6 on: Thursday 25 July 13 17:28 BST (UK) »
The name Jacob Owen sounded familiar - on checking I realise that in 1861 John McCrae was boarding with Grizel Owens and her son Jacob, who was also a coal miner. Ah, it is all fitting together nicely!
AYRSHIRE - Strachan, McCrae, Haddow, Haggerty, Neilson, Alexander
ABERDEENSHIRE (Cruden and Longside) - Fraser, Hay, Logan, Hutcheon or Hutchison, Sangster
YORKSHIRE (Worsbrough) - Green, Oxley, Firth, Cox, Rock
YORKSHIRE (Royston and Carlton) - Senior, Simpson, Roydhouse, Hattersley

Offline JMStrachan

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Re: John McCrae in 1851 census - your opinion?
« Reply #7 on: Thursday 25 July 13 20:58 BST (UK) »
The plot thickens. William Donegan (or Dumegan or whatever) married the half sister of John McCrae's wife!

I've been trying to find a death cert for Susan Bell or Owen/s as I want to know who her parents are, but have been unable to locate on on ScotlandsPeople, which is frustrating. I'll have another go tomorrow as I've now run out of credits.
AYRSHIRE - Strachan, McCrae, Haddow, Haggerty, Neilson, Alexander
ABERDEENSHIRE (Cruden and Longside) - Fraser, Hay, Logan, Hutcheon or Hutchison, Sangster
YORKSHIRE (Worsbrough) - Green, Oxley, Firth, Cox, Rock
YORKSHIRE (Royston and Carlton) - Senior, Simpson, Roydhouse, Hattersley