Family Mystery: Looking for information on COLLINS family Greenock 1870s-1880s

[KeithMcNulty]

OK, he is listed as 47 years old at death on 18/10/32.  A bachelor, labourer and the informant is A Williamson, Brother, of 3 Crossley St.  That sounds like it might be Andrew. 

[aghadowey]

OK, he is listed as 47 years old at death on 18/10/32.  A bachelor, labourer and the informant is A Williamson, Brother, of 3 Crossley St.  That sounds like it might be Andrew. 

A. Williamson not listed at that address in 1932 but 1943 directory has an Andrew Williamson at 6 Sandhill Parade-
https://www.lennonwylie.co.uk/alphanames1943TUVWXYZ.htm
Street page narrows down the location and gives Andrew's occupation as fitter!
https://www.lennonwylie.co.uk/scomplete1943.htm

Still there in 1951 directory-
https://www.lennonwylie.co.uk/scomplete1951.htm

[aghadowey]

Andrew Williamson, fitter, still listed at 6 Sandhill Parade in 1960 directory-
https://www.lennonwylie.co.uk/scomplete1960.htm

Found possible son who might still be alive so will send you private message with details.

[KeithMcNulty]

Thanks so much - Andrew Williamson, 6 Sandhill Parade died in 1970 and is recorded as being 56 years old at this point, which is considerably off from a birth year of 1900:  https://dof.belfastcity.gov.uk/burialsearch/BurialRecordDetails.aspx?RecordID=8741.6526

[brigidmac]

Unless that death is for a son with same name

[aghadowey]

Unless that death is for a son with same name

The correct Andrew Williamson was born 1900 (see family tree- reply #11) so he wouldn't be the father of someone born 1914.

[KeithMcNulty]

Just had one of those oooooh! moments.  I was wondering why 10 year old Andrew was not with his Father and Brother in the 1911 census, and went to ScotsPeople and searched for him in the 1911 census in the hope that he might be staying with one of his aunties.  A number of Andrew Williamsons were returned but I purchased one speculatively and it was 50 Greenfield St, Govan. 

Andrew Black. Head  44 Born Stirling
Mary Ellen Black Wife 43, Born England
Elizabeth Black Dau 17 Born Lanark
Janet Black Dau 8 Born Lanark
Andrew Williamson Nephew 10 Born Ireland

Found the marriage certificate (3 June 1892) and confirms the parents.

[KeithMcNulty]

So now I have a very strong and intriguing hint on Matilda Collins.   It's quite strange.

As per my previous post I discovered Mary Ellen Collins in Govan, now Mary Ellen Black.  One of her Daughters was Janet.  Janet was married on 17 July 1922 in Govan to Henry Dobbin.

Henry Dobbin lists his parents as Henry Dobbin (Confectionary Work) and MATILDA (MS COLLINS) (Deceased)

Could Henry and Janet be cousins?

I found Henry Dobbins born in Belfast in 1896 to Henry Dobbin (Confectioner) and ALICE (MS COLLINS) - not Matilda, strangely:  https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1896/02153/1816737.pdf

I found the marriage of Henry and Alice (Matilda?) here in Belfast 30 Nov 1895:  She was 20 at the time which is right in line with Matilda's age and gives her father's name as Adolphus Collins, which seems an unlikely name and indeed I can't find any record of an Alice being born to an Adolphus anywhere in the UK around 1875.  She does give Adolphus's profession as Army though, which is consistent with Matilda's father Denis:
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1895/10541/5839751.pdf

(Recall Alice was the name of Matilda's older sister who was confirmed to have died at Smyllum orphanage in June 1895, just a few months before this marriage).

All very mysterious.  I am struggling to find further records of children of Henry and Alice/Matilda Dobbin, census records or records of Alice/Matilda's death in either Scotland or Ireland.

[gaffy]

I don't know if any of the following is relevant to the mystery or not. 

There is a 25 year old Alice Dobbie in the following 1901 Ireland census return, married, birth place Scotland, with a 6 year old Belfast-born daughter named Alice:
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Court_Ward/Hanover_Street/934579/

When I tried to trace back to a birth for the daughter, the only speculative possibility I could come up with (given the story thus far), was the following illegitimate birth in 1894 for an Alice Collins, to the same named mother:
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1894/02253/1847604.pdf

When I tried to trace forward that daughter Alice to the 1911 Ireland census, the closest candidate I could find is the following 16 year old Belfast-born Alice Dobbin, boarding in Belfast:
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Antrim/Court/Trinity_Street/135731/

When looking for a potential marriage for the daughter Alice, I happened upon a transcript of a church record for a marriage  that took place in St. Patrick's, Belfast, on 31 January 1923, the two parties were Michael McAlister of 41 Upton Street and Alice Collins of 31 Dawson Street, the witnesses were John Clarke of Monaghan and Susan Mulholland of 22 Nelson Street.  What's interesting in the church record is that both parents for bride and groom were recorded.  Michael's parents were recorded as Michael McAlister and Eliza English, both deceased.  Alice's father's name was left blank and qualified as 'Deceased', and her mother was recorded as 'Matilda Collins Deceased'.

I also noticed the following 1900 birth in Belfast, which I'm struggling to explain away to other parents.  It's for a Margaretta Dobbie, born to parents 'Harry' Dobbie and Alice 'Colins', the informant present at birth was a Margaret Sanlon - who may just have been the birth 'handywoman' in that local area (the 1901 Ireland Census shows such a person in the vicinity):
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1900/02010/1772331.pdf

Then there was the following 1904 death in Belfast of a 3 year old Maggie Dobby, described as the 'Daughter of Henry Dobby Watchman', it took place in Nazareth House:
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1904/05621/4581272.pdf