Peter Kennedy.

[xMrsKennedyx]

I am researching my family tree and have reached a major brick wall. My 4th great grandfather Peter Kennedy. I cannot find any documentation for him apart from his marriage proclamation. All I know is that he married Margaret Hunter 27th August 1830 in Newton on Ayr and his occupation at the time was a Mariner. Peter and Margaret had 6 children between 1831 and 1844 - John, Margaret Caldwell, Adam, Peter, Elizabeth Jane and Gilbert. His last known occupation is documented on Gilbert's marriage certificate in 1866 at a Captain Merchant and Peter was deceased at this time.

I cannot find when/where he was born or died. I would really, really like to know where my family came from and this is my brickwall. If anyone has any information, ideas on how to get information it would be greatly appreciated.

[CaroleW]

In 1851 Margaret is a sewer.  Fairly unusual for a wife to have an occ while hubby was earning so I wonder if she was already widowed by then.

Might be worth having a look at the actual 1851 image on Scotlands People to see what her marital status was.

It would help with a timescale for his death

[Forfarian]

You did not say specifically that you had failed to find Peter in the census, so for the record and the benefit of anyone else disposed to help, Margaret was head of household in 1841, 1851 and 1861, and described as a widow in 1861.

So Peter must have died between 1851 and 1861. He might be in the 1851 census under shipping, and if he was a Captain in the Merchant Service there might be some records of him in the Lloyds Captains Register at the London Metropolitan Archive.

Another possibility might be to try the shipping intelligence sections of newspapers for arrivals and departures of ships at Ayr.

[xMrsKennedyx]

In 1851 Margaret is a sewer.  Fairly unusual for a wife to have an occ while hubby was earning so I wonder if she was already widowed by then.

Might be worth having a look at the actual 1851 image on Scotlands People to see what her marital status was.

It would help with a timescale for his death

Thank you, I will have a look at this. I would never have thought about it in that way.

[xMrsKennedyx]

You did not say specifically that you had failed to find Peter in the census, so for the record and the benefit of anyone else disposed to help, Margaret was head of household in 1841, 1851 and 1861, and described as a widow in 1861.

So Peter must have died between 1851 and 1861. He might be in the 1851 census under shipping, and if he was a Captain in the Merchant Service there might be some records of him in the Lloyds Captains Register at the London Metropolitan Archive.

Another possibility might be to try the shipping intelligence sections of newspapers for arrivals and departures of ships at Ayr.

Thank you! I will look to see if I can find any of these records. I had no clue where to look for any possible information.

Thanks again.

[xMrsKennedyx]

You did not say specifically that you had failed to find Peter in the census, so for the record and the benefit of anyone else disposed to help, Margaret was head of household in 1841, 1851 and 1861, and described as a widow in 1861.

So Peter must have died between 1851 and 1861. He might be in the 1851 census under shipping, and if he was a Captain in the Merchant Service there might be some records of him in the Lloyds Captains Register at the London Metropolitan Archive.

Another possibility might be to try the shipping intelligence sections of newspapers for arrivals and departures of ships at Ayr.

Thank you! I will look to see if I can find any of these records. I had no clue where to look for any possible information.

Thanks again.

I have found a Peter Kennedy in the Lloyds Captain Registers, doesn't give much information. It just says:

"Kennedy, Peter b. Ayrshire 1817 S42766 n.k Vol 9 1856,1860 -1868, 1870-1872. Vol 21 1874, 1877, 1879"

Do you know what that means??

[Rosinish]

Very young to be married 1830 if born 1817

Annie

[seaweed]

[/quote]

I have found a Peter Kennedy in the Lloyd's Captain Registers, doesn't give much information. It just says:

"Kennedy, Peter b. Ayrshire 1817 S42766 n.k Vol 9 1856,1860 -1868, 1870-1872. Vol 21 1874, 1877, 1879"

Do you know what that means??
[/quote]

S 42766 his certificate of service. This will tell you what vessels he served on from 1856 until 1879.
You would need to visit LMA to view, they do however have an excellent research service. You would need to enquire on cost.
Once you have obtained this information, You can then look at logbooks and crew agreements of the various ships, these should tell you some personal details such as address's and NOK. you would also be able to search newspapers especially "Lloyd's List". which is available on line at a cost.
Without the name of the ships he served on this would be an almost impossible exercise.

[Forfarian]

I checked a transcription of the 1851 census. She is described as a widow in that. So Peter must have died between 1844* and 1851.

*Have you viewed Gilbert's baptism? If it says Peter was deceased before Gilbert's baptism, it would set a much narrower window for the death of Peter, i.e. June 1843 to March 1844.

Unless he had deserted Margaret and the family and gone on being a ship captain until the late 1870s, and she described herself as a widow rather than admit to being deserted.

She must have struggled to keep her family if widowed so young. I wonder whether she applied for relief from the parish? If so there would have been a record of the application, which would probably say where Peter was born and when he died. If there ever was such a record, and it has survived, I would expect Ayrshire's archivists to know how to access it. See https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/sct/AYR/archive