McGown/McGowan

[allesond]

Try again at 42 kb

[Beg Clonrode...]

1901: James listed as b. Nouvelle Zilande May 23 1879 Roman Catholic immigrated 1890

Hello...

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Christchurch has a CD listing Roman Catholic baptisms within the diocese from 1840 to 1913. Greenpark would be within the diocese.

Maybe start a new thread asking for a CD look-up. Something like...

"McGOWAN - 1879 Roman Catholic Baptism - Canterbury CD look-up please" as the thread title.

And for what it's worth I'd ask for the look-up to be of both James Ingram McGOWAN and James INGRAM

Here's the blurb about the CD...
http://www.chch.catholic.org.nz/?sid=1037

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Do you know if James Ingram McGOWAN had any siblings. Did Violet ever mention aunts and uncles or was there no contact between her and your children's father.

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Any chance of a slightly higher resolution scan of the birth certificate. Maybe around four or five hundred meg. I'm curious about the Norwegian angle.

Thanks
Beg

[allesond]

Thank you Beg,

There was no contact and we don't know if James Ingram had siblings. My daughter fought hard to find any information of the 1945 adoption and more recently there was contact through a Cousins site, which shed light on Violet's siblings, which was confirmed with the 1921 census. The most information came from Canada Census and the Droin collection; however in french I could only glean names.

I will post a new thread as you suggested, as the only male McGowan/McGown/Macgowan's listed with NZ records are 1878/9 are a James with a different birthday, John, and a Hugh James.

Resolution is bad because I had to reduce the size, but is clear in an email or on my ancestry tree: Stewart/Ball/Walker/Fox/Scott/Flack/Gillone

Thanks much for your help
Alleson

[allesond]

Going back to the James McGown aged 23 years, a plasterer of Oamaru, there is a bankruptcy file (1878) held @ Archives Dunedin for this man.

Thank you minniehaha for this link, but as the birthdate is so different May 1878 vs. Nov 1879 I am now doubting that the plasterer is our man.

Alleson

[minniehaha]

Hi Allesond,

Re the marriage @ Christchurch for a James McGown in January 1876 (as on the birth registration obtained). To try and clear him off once and for all, it wouldn't hurt to ask for a look up of the 'Intention to Marry' document. This may give information a little more specific than "Christchurch" as the place of marriage.


Just a thought.................

Minniehaha.

[Beg Clonrode...]

born either 1878, 1879, May 23

Hi again...

For what it's worth, the birth of the John McGOWAN you mentioned was registered on 24 May 1878.

1878/4973 - McGOWAN, John - mother:Mary Ann  father:John

I'll check the Births fiche later today for the area in which it was registered.

Regards
Beg

[allesond]

 John McGOWAN you mentioned was registered on 24 May 1878.

[/quote]

Quite a coincidence.

[Beg Clonrode...]

Hi again...

The following is just guesswork so take it with a grain of salt.

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Your original post says that James Ingram McGOWAN was born in Greenpark, NZ on 23 May 1878 or 1879

His marriage register entry found by Ambly in Reply #5 lists a James McGOWAN as his father.

However the "Canterbury Death Duties Register 1867-1914" microfiche lists James McGOWAN of Greenpark as having died on 25 Mar 1877. The entry reads...

McGOWAN, James - Greenpark d.25 Mar 1877 - Register C1 Page 215

The corresponding death listing on the BDM NZ website would be...

1877/3671 - McGOWAN, James - 35Y - d.o.d 25 Mar 1877

I think the corresponding probate listing would be...

McGOWAN James - 1877
http://archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=22383749

And speaking of probates I think this one is for his wife Mary Jane...

McGOWAN Mary Jane - Greenpark & Ireland - Widow - 1903
http://archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=22388825

...because the "Returns of the Freeholders of NZ - Oct 1882" microfiche has the following listing...

Name: Mary McGOWAN, Greenpark (Trustees of)
County: Selwyn
Acres: 47
Value: £752

If this James and Mary Jane are the correct parents then your James Ingram McGOWAN is most likely going to be...

1876/10120 - MCGOWAN, James - mother: Mary Jane  father: James - d.o.b 5 Jun 1876

The above birth was registered in Christchurch.

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A Mary Jane McGOWAN is also listed on the Canterbury Death Duties Register 1867-1914" microfiche. The entry says...

McGOWAN, Mary Jane - Armagh, Ireland - Widow - d.8 Sep 1902 - Register C6 Pages 87 and 114

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You might want to start a new thread asking for look-ups of the two probates mentioned above. With luck a kind Rootschatter will visit Christchurch archives on your behalf, take photographs of the probate files and then email them to you. Hopefully they'll give an indication of whether or not this is worth pursuing further.

Of course the big fly in the ointment is that it's presumed your James Ingram McGOWAN knew his own date of birth and if he gave it in a census as 23 May 1879 then that's most likely what it was. Bit of a nuisance :-)

Regards
Beg

[AMBLY]

I think Beg has cracked the case with the NZ records  :-))

I found this yesterday, got side-tracked looking for something else, forgot to post it as a maybe...

IRELAND MARRIAGE 23 Jan 1863
Place: Parish of Drumcree, Church of Ireland, Co. Armagh
GROOM: James MAGOWAN , of full age, Bachelor
Address: Drumgoose
Occupation: Servant
Father: Anthony MAGOWAN, Farmer
Mother(Not recorded)
BRIDE: Mary Jane INGRAM, of minor age, Spinster
Address: Drumgoose
Father: Thomas INGRAM, Farmer
Mother(Not recorded)
WITNESS 1: Thomas MEGOWAN
WITNESS 2: Joseph LUTTON
NOTES:
MARRIED IN THE PARISH CHURCH ACCORDING TO THE RITES AND CEREMONIES
OF THE UNITED CHURCH OF ENGLAND AND IRELAND BY LICENSE

Envious    You're very lucky to have had the info you did have re: the Canadian records in Violet's birth and now with the NZ side tying up ....giving a good line back into Ireland, which can otherwise  be very difficult to research without knowing Parishes and Townlands!

Cheers
AMBLY