Charles Gillan,miller,died 13/2/1889,Pound St Sligo. Spouse (#2?) Mary Ann Barry

[mattfrombann]

Charles and Mary Ann had the following children at various addresses in Sligo
William Michael 20/9/1864, Beesy 12/10/1868, Mary Ann 5/2/1871, Catherine 3/10/1873, Alice 2/4/1877 and Charles Joseph 30/1/1890. Letters of administration were granted to his widow 29/3/1889. The "miller" is an uncommon occupation so Charles is relatively easy to track, which leads me to my puzzle. Did Charles have a first wife Sarah O'Brien who died young ??

On 17/8/1889 John Gillan , aged 32 , married Mary Muldoon in Blantyre , Lanarkshire, Scotland. He was a colliery checkweigher, with parents Charles Gillan , Master Miller, and Sarah O'Brien, both deceased. He was also a widower. On 1901 census the family are now in Cowdenbeath , Fife. John is shown as born Ireland. Convincing evidence if not absolute proof that the two Charles are one and the same.

This John is my neighbour's great great grandfather. John and Mary and children soon moved to Musselburgh near Edinburgh. John died in Rosslynlee (mental) asylum near Edinburgh 11/12/1908 and to add a further touch of confusion, his mother is given as Sarah Costello (Charles is the same)

I ordered the death registration for Sarah Gillan died Sligo 1/5/1864. aged 20, hoping to prove her the first wife of Charles the miller. Unfortunately her spouse turned out to be a James Gillan whose occupation is not listed.

I cannot identify a first marriage in Ireland for John Gillan and there are too many of the name marrying in West of Scotland to blindly find one without using up an awful lot of credits. Ditto for finding death of this previous wife in either country.

I have searched without success online Irish Catholic registers for a Charles Gillan/Gillen/Gillon marriage to Sarah O'Brien , and baptism of son John.

Has anyone come across this family ? Any descendants out there?

[athacliath62]

baptisms of two children not mentioned in your list Peter June 1860, and John November 1865 - parents Charles, Caroli Gillin/Gillen and Mary, Maria Anna Barry. The marriage records for the parish where most of the baptisms took place, St. John's , only go back to October 1858, so suppose it's possible that Charles married before then.

The civil birth record for John shows that he was born in Ballaghaderreen (Roscommon/Mayo) about 50 km from Sligo and confirms his father's occupation as Miller.

[mattfrombann]

Thanks for the additional child - I had accidentally omitted John in 1865 from my post.

Since my John of interest was born c 1856, we are still left with the possibility that Mary Ann was his stepmother, but with no means of proving it either way. We should eventually find HIS previous marriage somewhere by a tedious process of elimination