Author Topic: Joseph Buchanan - a short and tragic life?  (Read 765 times)

Offline Forfarian

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Joseph Buchanan - a short and tragic life?
« on: Sunday 03 May 20 20:27 BST (UK) »
This is about the brother of Beatrice Buchanan who is the subject of an earlier thread https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=829673

Joseph McLaren Buchanan, son of James Buchanan and Margaret Tregwell, was born in London and registered in Westminster in the March quarter 1845.

A Joseph Buchanan, trumpeter, born Westminster, attested at the Curragh Camp, County Kildare, on 9 February 1858 aged 14 years and 1 month. He was discharged at Woolwich on 21 May 1867, aged 23 years and 3 months, as unfit for further service because he was suffering from pulmonary consumption. His residence was No 5 Edwards Place, Kensington.

A Joseph McL Buchanan married in London in 1866, and the marriage was registered in Kensington in the September quarter of 1866.

A Joseph McLachlan Buchanan died in London in 1867 aged 23 and his death was registered in Kensington in the September quarter of 1867.

It is very tempting to think that this is all the same Joseph Buchanan, but could there have been two or even three or four separate individuals who almost match but not quite?
Never trust anything you find online (especially submitted trees and transcriptions on Ancestry, MyHeritage, FindMyPast and other commercial web sites) unless it's an image of an original document - and even then be wary because errors can and do occur.

Offline avm228

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Re: Joseph Buchanan - a short and tragic life?
« Reply #1 on: Sunday 03 May 20 20:41 BST (UK) »
His marriage was to Mary E Jones - is that right? Is anything more known about her?
Ayr: Barnes, Wylie
Caithness: MacGregor
Essex: Eldred (Pebmarsh)
Gloucs: Timbrell (Winchcomb)
Hants: Stares (Wickham)
Lincs: Maw, Jackson (Epworth, Belton)
London: Pierce
Suffolk: Markham (Framlingham)
Surrey: Gosling (Richmond)
Wilts: Matthews, Tarrant (Calne, Preshute)
Worcs: Milward (Redditch)
Yorks: Beaumont, Crook, Moore, Styring (Huddersfield); Middleton (Church Fenton); Exley, Gelder (High Hoyland); Barnes, Birchinall (Sheffield); Kenyon, Wood (Cumberworth/Denby Dale)

Offline Forfarian

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Re: Joseph Buchanan - a short and tragic life?
« Reply #2 on: Sunday 03 May 20 22:29 BST (UK) »
His marriage was to Mary E Jones - is that right? Is anything more known about her?
Either Mary E Jones or Jane Thomas. So far I have seen only what is in FreeBMD and FindMyPast.
Never trust anything you find online (especially submitted trees and transcriptions on Ancestry, MyHeritage, FindMyPast and other commercial web sites) unless it's an image of an original document - and even then be wary because errors can and do occur.

Offline avm228

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Re: Joseph Buchanan - a short and tragic life?
« Reply #3 on: Monday 04 May 20 00:09 BST (UK) »
Jane Thomas married the other bridegroom, William Wornel, and they can be found later as Wornell.
Ayr: Barnes, Wylie
Caithness: MacGregor
Essex: Eldred (Pebmarsh)
Gloucs: Timbrell (Winchcomb)
Hants: Stares (Wickham)
Lincs: Maw, Jackson (Epworth, Belton)
London: Pierce
Suffolk: Markham (Framlingham)
Surrey: Gosling (Richmond)
Wilts: Matthews, Tarrant (Calne, Preshute)
Worcs: Milward (Redditch)
Yorks: Beaumont, Crook, Moore, Styring (Huddersfield); Middleton (Church Fenton); Exley, Gelder (High Hoyland); Barnes, Birchinall (Sheffield); Kenyon, Wood (Cumberworth/Denby Dale)


Offline mckha489

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Re: Joseph Buchanan - a short and tragic life?
« Reply #4 on: Monday 04 May 20 03:26 BST (UK) »
There are two Josephs born Westminster according to FreeBMD

Births Mar 1845   
BUCHANAN    Joseph        Westminster    1   445    
Buchanan    Joseph        Westminster    1   448 

But it is clear when you click through to the document that the indexing comes from the same piece.
One wonders where the McLaren came into it on the GRO site, because it is not on the original entry.

It certainly seems there is only one possible Joseph Buchanan.


Offline mckha489

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Re: Joseph Buchanan - a short and tragic life?
« Reply #5 on: Monday 04 May 20 03:37 BST (UK) »
There is a William Buchanan registered S qtr 1867 Kensington 01A/149  MMN Jones,
but he is the son of James (a domestic servant) and Ann

Offline Forfarian

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Re: Joseph Buchanan - a short and tragic life?
« Reply #6 on: Monday 04 May 20 10:27 BST (UK) »
Thank you both.

Interesting ... Presumably the GRO must have gone back to the original documents when they indexed mothers' maiden names in early birth certificates, and ages in early death certificates, so they would have picked up any information that wasn't included in the original handwritten indexes?

I think the original handwritten index lists it as Page 448, but I can see how someone might have misread it as 445, or possibly mistyped 5 instead of 8. GRO has 448. I have submitted a correction to FreeBMD.

(I would also like to know, though I don't imagine I ever will, where the name Joseph McLaren came from. His sisters are named exactly in accordance with the Scottish naming tradition, as is his elder brother, but I'd have expected Joseph, being the second son, to be named Thomas after his mother's father.)
Never trust anything you find online (especially submitted trees and transcriptions on Ancestry, MyHeritage, FindMyPast and other commercial web sites) unless it's an image of an original document - and even then be wary because errors can and do occur.