Finding out about someone born at sea?

[hc028]

Hi Everyone,
I just joined the forum today, and have been having a good look around, seems friendly and very helpful. so I took the advice and am starting here.
My daughter and I are researching our family history, and have hit a wall with this one.
Hiram Winter shows up in the 1891 census, age 27,so born around 1863, residing in Random St, Alexandria/Bonhill. He is listed as 'born at sea', but we know his family is from Lower Grange, Loughgall, County Armagh.
We are wondering why he was born at sea, where was his mother going? Could his father be serving in the forces?
Any advice on how to answer these questions will be much appreciated.
hc

[t mo]

hi hc
and welcome to rootschat you,ll meet loads of folk on here willing to help  .
as to hiram so far the only one I can find is for a joseph hiram winter born 1865 in Clifton glocs  as he,s of irish ancestry I presume any birth record would be in irish records strictly speaking , as you say it,s possible his father was in the forces if you can give us his dads name and year and place of birth we can look around and see if we can find him , it,s also pos he was a seaman with wife on board ship .
regards
trevor

[iolaus]

Am I being dense but surely if the family were from Northern Ireland and ended up in Scotland the obvious 'born at sea' would be on the ferry over

[Elwyn Soutter]

I agree with Iolaus that the first possibility that springs to mind is the ferry to Scotland (which in the 1860s was generally an overnight journey from Belfast to the Broomielaw lasting about 10 hours.)

If you can find a birth cert for him, it may well name the vessel, and that in turn should give clues as to the circumstances. Obviously if it was one of the Burns Laird ferries, your question will have been answered.

[jorose]

I do not see him in the Marine Births register of the GRO but I'm not sure a birth on the ferry would count.

Some more information about his family/siblings, and if you have him on any other censuses (still in Scotland in 1901?) would help.  When/where did Hiram marry?

[Elwyn Soutter]

I see he was born c 1863. Birth registration only started in Ireland in 1864, so if the mother was going home to Ireland, rather than to Scotland, Hiram’s birth may simply not have been registered.

I see a Hiram Winter marriage registered in Armagh City Jan - Mar 1888. Is this connected to your family?