Margaret QUEEN 1841 census

[jmg1893]

Im looking for some help deciphering the Census from 1841 for my 2 x Great Grandmother Margaret Queen who was aged 11 at the time. Margaret QUEEN was born in 1829 in Renfrewshire to Catherine HEENEN, age 28, and Martin QUEEN, age 29. In 1841 I believe that the family were living at South Croft Street in Paisley. The record shows:

Name Wedow Queen Age 40
         Mary Queen    Age20
         Francis Milpatrick Age15
         Margaret Nealey  Age15
         Bridget Queen.    Age15
         Catherin Queen.  Age13
         Margaret Queen. Age11

I take it that wedow is short for widow?? Was that common practice then? Theres no mention of Martin Queen who presumably was deceased. Also does anyone know what sort of accommodation it was back then, presumably multi occupancy dwellings. I also see that it appears that a number of the household may have been born in Ireland. I was aware that her mother Catherine HEENEN (Wedow Queen) was from Ireland although I don't know where or when. Whats a good source to trace Irish family ancestry

[Forfarian]

I read it as Widow - there is a dot above the second letter, which doesn't look like e to me anyway.

Yes, it was quite common for widows to turn up in the census as Widow x instead of with their own name.

Can't help with the type of accommodation - it is possible that it was a separate house, or it might have been a single room in a larger house - or with searching that far back in Ireland.

I wonder if, widowed relatively young and with several children, Widow Queen might have applied to the parish for help? If so there could be records of her application that would shed some light on her origins? See https://libcat.renfrewshire.gov.uk/iguana/www.main.cls?surl=PoorLaw

Remember that Queen can be a variant of Quin(n).

[ev]

FreeCEN transcription -
https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/5a154b4df4040b9d6e5d6b38/-widow-queen-1841-renfrewshire-abbey-paisley-1801-?locale=en


ev

[MonicaL]

A description of South Croft Street here https://scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/digital-volumes/ordnance-survey-name-books/renfrewshire-os-name-books-1856-1857/renfrewshire-volume-19/64

Monica

[ColC]

I note the following death on SP, may be a coincidense but you never know?

QUEEN   TOBIAS   M      0/0/1830   0/0/0   Death   Paisley, St Mirin's RC

Colin