McAulays of Paisley

[SVN]

Hello - I am looking for any information on a Rachel McAuley - married to an Alexander Moore. Rachel settled in the Paisley area, but was born around 1844 in Northern Ireland. Her parents were William McAulay and Mary Davison/Davidson and I can only assume that they remained in NI, as I am unable to find a death record for either parent.

What gets really curious, is that I have a marriage record for a James McAulay to an Elizabeth Frazer/Fraser in Paisley, with the same parents as those listed for Rachel. Are they siblings???

I am trying to connect the dots between the two - between Rachel and James, as well as to find out whether there were any other siblings (if they indeed are). Would appreciate any help, but do not need records on Rachel Unless it has to do with her life in NI). Thanx!

[Rosinish]

Can you please supply all known info. with ages & dates so people know where to begin?

It sounds like they were likely siblings...

Is the info. regarding father William's occupation on both McAulay marriages the same?

Do Rachel & James give the same PoB on census' & what approx. year was James born?

Were either a witness on the others' marriage?

Where were each married which would help with denomination?

Do they name children with similar names which could be a clue too?

Annie

[SVN]

Hi Annie - thank you for replying! I truly don't have much more to go on other than what I gave you. The first time I heard of the parents was on the marriage cert for each of them. For Rachel: she married in Alexander Moore in Paisley August, 1859. Her approximate DOB is 1844. NI, but no city. Probably County Antrim, though. Her parents are listed as William McAulay (no DOB), a labourer, and Mary McAulay (nee Davidson/Davison). These names appear on her marriage and death records. Mary was deceased by 1859, and there is no death record for William - most likely because he never came over to Scotland. Rachel died in Paisley on Jan 29, 1907. I can bring her family to the present, but that doesn't help.
The record for James is his wedding cert to Elizabeth Frazer/Fraser dated March 2, 1855 in Abbey, Paisley. Parents' names are the same - William McAulay and Mary Davison/Davidson. Again, she is already deceased by then, William still alive. He is again listed as a labourer. James was born around 1836 - some have him listed as being from County Down in NI, but there is no evidence to that effect. He died August 18, 1904 in Paisley. Interestingly, his father's name is different on the death cert (but the mother's is the same) - it is listed as James McAulay - a cattle dealer. You can see why I'm puzzled.
Both James and Rachel were married COS.
So that is all I have. I'm more interested in discovering who Rachel's family is - her siblings. If this James ties in to her, then great. If not, I still need to find out about her family if I can.
 

[Rosinish]

I know you're interested in Rachel, siblings, parentage etc.

However, an awful lot of info. can be gleaned from certs/census' which can be a great help too.

My initial questions were to add weight to the brother/sister theory & find out where in Ireland they were from as well as their likely religion which helps when looking for baptisms.

I note you have a discrepancy with James' DC which is a common occurrence as the info. isn't given by the deceased person but a third party based on what they know/believe.
I'd mark this as an error on behalf of the informant.

Have you followed both on all census records to establish their PoB as different census records can be more helpful than others i.e. giving a district/county rather than just Ireland.

What info. is on the 1855 marriage for James re PoB?

Any clues of possible siblings from names of witnesses to both marriages.

Addresses on the marriages can often establish who they may have been living with prior to marriage i.e. possible relatives.

Annie

[SVN]

That's just it, Annie - no census exists that I can find. The last census for either of them would have been in the NI records (good luck with that), so that's all I've go to go on. Honestly, I have four different McAulays - none connect, and all answers lie in the Irish records, which don't exist. I've literally purchased half of the SP's records - lol - and have gone as far as I can. I'm just hoping that someone form the family will recognize names.

[Rosinish]

Rachel married 1859 died 1907 are you saying you don't have her in 1861/71/81/91/01

James married 1855 died 1904 are you saying you don't have him in 1861/71/81/91/01

What info. was given on the 1855 marriage re PoB?

I discovered where exactly my Irish family originated from an 1855 cert!

Who were the witnesses on the marriage, if not family, possibly Irish friends from the same area i.e. checking them out can often help as many people arrived during the famine from same areas settling here in same areas?

Genealogy needs a lot of lateral thinking as it's not always plain sailing.

There was no NI in those days, all were Ireland as this was before the divide in 1921.

"James was born around 1836 - some have him listed as being from County Down in NI"

Can you tell us who 'some' are?

Annie

[MonicaL]

Hi SVN

James McAuley's marriage to Elizabeth Fraser was actually on 2 March 1858 not 1855...which is a pity really. As Annie has mentioned and enquired about, an 1855 marriage should include where the bride and groom were born normally.

Monica

[MonicaL]

For Rachel: she married in Alexander Moore in Paisley August, 1859. Her approximate DOB is 1844.

Would she not have been born earlier do you think? A birth year of 1844 would mean she was aged 15 when she married in 1859....not impossible...but still very unusual.

Monica

[MonicaL]

Annie, from your other questions! All the censuses for Rachel show her simply as born in Ireland. Her 1861 census entry gives her a birth year of approx. 1838.

James McAuley does not appear with family after the 1871 census (further children born through the 1870s though). He and Elizabeth may not have lived together up to her death? Who reported James's death that you have?

Monica