Deserter from the Military

[Karen Coatsworth]

Hi Shanreagh
Interesting that you looked to see if Anthony had gone back to Ireland, I had thought maybe he had. If this is him and Knocknowler Bellmullet was where the family where before they went to England, then you have found a link noone in the family knew about! We only knew it to be County Mayo as place of origin! I will investigate further and let you know how I go! Thank you so much! Sad that Anthony died at such a young age, I will search for the wife and children.
Karen.

[Maiden Stone]

On this site, irishgenealogy.ie, there is the death of an Anthony Maclean in Bellmullet Co Mayo aged 26 in Sept 1887.  He is shown as married, farmer and died of a gastric disease.   

That was probably the Anthony MCLEAN who married Honor Filbin/Philbin in 1884. His father was Michael, a farmer who was alive at the time of the marriage. Anthony was "full age". 2 birth registrations of children, John MCCLAIN 1885 and Pat 1886. Marriage and births in Knocknalower district in Belmullet Superintendent Registrar's District. Put Belmullet as district on search form.
Doing a search for McLean surname in Belmullet district will find other families. 2 had sons named Anthony in 1860s. Birth registrations began 1864.
https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/en/

[Karen Coatsworth]

Hi
"I am searching for my ancestor Anthony McLane born County Mayo Ireland 1860. Migrated to England with his parents John and Hannah McLane in 1862/63."
up until this point I had been searching for Anthony in England. After his court martial, he may have returned to Ireland. You seem to have eliminated this Anthony in Belmullet for me. Thanks!

[Maiden Stone]

You seem to have eliminated this Anthony in Belmullet for me. Thanks!

I later did a search on Irish Genealogy.ie for McLean birth, marriage and death registrations in Ireland from 1864 to end of 19th century to get an idea of how widespread the surname was in Mayo. Majority of all registrations were in Belmullet and Killala Superintendent Registrar's Districts (50-60%). There were McLean & variants BMDs in all SR districts except Swinford.
 A few Superintendent Registrar's Districts in Mayo (Castlereagh/Castlerea, Clifden and Oughterard) cross county boundaries. There were changes to boundaries of counties Mayo, Galway and Roscommon in 1890's.
Results of searches for McLean on Irish Genealogy.ie include surname variants.

[Maiden Stone]

Presumably you have tried spelling variations for his name.....Mclean etc.

Sometimes people wanting to make a move away may adopt a new surname such as using the maiden name of their mother.

Mc surnames were sometimes printed in 19thC. newspapers as M'___.
Another complication is that if the name was written with a gap between Mc and the rest of the name it may have been transcribed or indexed as if the second part of the name was the surname. Mine have been indexed as Lean and Lane. A census enumerator in England has transcribed Mack as if it was a middle name for one of mine.
Irish Ancestors Wizard has a Surnames function which can provide a list of variants. 30+ for McLean.
https://www.johngrenham.com/wizard/
Search results on National Archives Irish census website doesn't show surname variants so you have to do a search for each variant.

Have you considered that Anthony might have boarded a train to Scotland and remained there? Did he have an occupation apart from soldier?
If you couldn't find him after 1878 when he was around 18, what evidence connects him as your ancestor?   

[Karen Coatsworth]

Hi Maiden Stone
Thank you for your comments and suggestions 
First of all, let me say I am sure Anthony is an ancestor. He is the brother of my great grandmother Hannah McEntee nee McLane. Anthony is in the 1871 census with the family listed as scholar so I know of no other occupation.
I had not considered before now the possibility that he may have used his mother's maiden name- Murphy in an effort to escape. I am assuming, although I dont know anything about these things that being courts martialled in this period would have been shameful and made it difficult to obtain a job.
I hadn't known about the spelling variations to the extent you are discribing ie M' Mack as a middle name and 30+ variations. I will follow this up.
I also hadn't considered the possibility that Anthony may have gone to Scotland and under a false name. He did apparently enlist fraudulently so its certainly possible he has deliberately changed his name
The search continues!
Karen.

[Maiden Stone]

I had not considered before now the possibility that he may have used his mother's maiden name- Murphy in an effort to escape. I am assuming, although I dont know anything about these things that being courts martialled in this period would have been shameful and made it difficult to obtain a job.
I hadn't known about the spelling variations to the extent you are discribing ie M' Mack as a middle name and 30+ variations. I will follow this up.
I also hadn't considered the possibility that Anthony may have gone to Scotland and under a false name.

Using mother's maiden name as an alternative surname was done in some areas of Ireland. It's remarked upon in a guide to searching registration records written by the chief registrar of Ireland, Robert E. Matheson in 1900. Matheson also produced Reports on Surnames in 1890 & 1909.
Your Anthony may have joined a gang of labourers and moved around, living in camps near construction sites or in lodging-houses.

[Karen Coatsworth]

A few Superintendent Registrar's Districts in Mayo (Castlereagh/Castlerea, Clifden and Oughterard) cross county boundaries. There were changes to boundaries of counties Mayo, Galway and Roscommon in 1890's.

Hi Maiden Stone
Just in regards to the changes to boundaries of counties in 1890, how can we see what the boundaries would have been around 1820?
Karen.

[Maiden Stone]

A few Superintendent Registrar's Districts in Mayo (Castlereagh/Castlerea, Clifden and Oughterard) cross county boundaries. There were changes to boundaries of counties Mayo, Galway and Roscommon in 1890's.

Just in regards to the changes to boundaries of counties in 1890, how can we see what the boundaries would have been around 1820?

Article + list of changes on SWilson.Info
"Alteration to County boundaries in Ireland 1898"
https://www.swilson.info/wp/?p=1738
See his "Recent posts" list at right of page for information about historic maps.
1837 (Lewis) map is on his website + some other historic maps. Can be found via "Home/Main Webpage" tab.
Other useful general information under "Irish Records -Notes & FAQs" tab.
You can use SWilson.Info to find lists of registration districts in a county, locate parishes and townlands, do placename searches.

Ireland was surveyed and mapped by British Army from 1820s. Resulting maps published as Ordnance Survey maps.  Information about Ordnance Survey maps 1833-1846 on Ask About Ireland www.askaboutireland.ie and on Ancestry.