Why were 3 brothers of my gt.grandmother baptised Roman Catholic?

[ankerdine]

Thank you for responding to my query. I did wonder if there was a reason behind so little verified information being available on line.

I have read about the "coffin" ships and read some literature about the Famine itself. Surely so many folk on here were directly affected by such an instrument to migration both east, and west.

I wish I was younger then I would do a dissertation on such a subject.

Judy

[Skoosh]

It was just a short trip from Ireland to the west of Scotland, migrant workers made use of this long before the Famine & long after. A monument to those who died in the Famine was built on the Glasgow Green & opened last week.

https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/irish-highland-famine-memorial-unveiled-14787721

Skoosh.

[ankerdine]

Thank you for your input Skoosh.

I think John Williamson made his first official appearance in Scotland on the 1851 census in Twynholm. There he was a vagrant with a wife and 2 children, both born Scotland, 1843 and 1847. I have not confirmed this is my ancestor but, on the marriage certificate (1855) to my gtx2 grandmother, a John Williamson is listed as a widower with 2 male children!

I respect that other people on here have added input to my query over time but things keep popping into my head as I try to fathom out where he originated from.

Judy

[Maiden Stone]

If a child was born 1843 in Scotland it means the family were there before the Great Famine.

Irish Famine Timeline  www.irishhistorian.com/IrishFamineTimeline.html has a section "Ireland Before the Famine" for the period 1740-1843.  According to this crop failures and/or severe food shortages occurred in 1740, 1782, 1783, 1801, 1839 and 1842. 1833 a Royal Commission estimated 2,385,000 people were out of work and in need of assistance for 30 weeks of the year. An English Poor Law Commissioner visited Ireland in 1836 & 1837 and discovered extensive poverty. 1838 Irish Poor Law Act was passed, prompted by fears of waves of unemployed Irish migrating to Britain. The Act introduced a national system of poor relief but there was no "outdoor relief " and no guarantee of receiving relief. 1839 there was severe distress in south and west Ireland.

[Maiden Stone]

My gt grandmother Jane Williamson was born 1860 Stoneykirk. Three of her brothers John (1857), Alexander (1863) and Robert (1865) were baptised at St. Josephs RC church Stranraer. She does not appear to have been baptised into the same faith as her 3 brothers, neither did her youngest brother, Francis, as far as I can see. They were obviously very poor - was that the reason?

Most Catholics were poor at that time so poverty shouldn't have been a factor.
Were both parents Catholic?
Have you looked into the history of St. Joseph's church? Were there gaps in registers? An ailing or absent priest? Was the baptism register in Latin? If so, did you look for a Joanna? Have you looked for late baptisms of Jane and Francis, possibly years later?
One possibility is that they were baptised at home and the baptisms weren't recorded.
Did Jane or Francis have a Catholic wedding ceremony?