Looking for some Irish expert help- MULLANS of Shankhill

[gaffy]

Any clue as to why Robert listed Sarah and Maggie as his cousins? Was it because they were living in sin? Is that what people did? I think Im answering my own question as Maggie born 1910 the census in spring 1911 and then Robert and Sarah married in Nov 1911

Very possibly, there was definitely a stigma in that era, what I can say from past experience is that you can't always take stated relationships (eg. boarder/lodger, cousin, nephew/niece) in Irish Census records on face value, there's sometimes a story behind it.

Sarah might not be the mother, though clearly she's a candidate.  The question is, what surname was Maggie/Margaret/Margretta born under... I still haven't found a birth.
 

[paul_mc]

But then I just noticed her name was Robertson - Did Sarah have her prior to meeting Robert Stewart Bennett and he then just passed her off as his own

[gaffy]

That 1911 census return for 32 Sancroft Street showed Sarah Matthews' birth place as Co. Down and her birth year as c. 1887. Her 1911 record of marriage to Robert Stewart Bennett (citing that same address for her) clarified her full name as Sarah Jane Matthews and gave her father as William Matthews, a tailor.

In that light, the following birth registered at Kilmood Co. Down has to be a possibility, a Sarah Jane born on 22 September 1886 at Tullynagee  to William Mathews, a tailor and Elizabeth Crookshank:
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1886/02596/1959116.pdf

Tullynagee:
https://www.townlands.ie/down/castlereagh-lower/kilmood/kilmood/tullynagee/

When I went looking for Sarah in the 1901 Ireland census, the closest I could find is this one, a domestic servant in a Jamison household at Lisbarnet,  which is in the vicinty of Tullynagee:
http://census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Down/Kilwood/Lisbarnet/1257848/

Lisbarnet:
https://www.townlands.ie/down/castlereagh-lower/kilmood/kilmood/lisbarnet/

William Matthews of Ballydorn married Elizabeth Crookshanks of Killinchy in Comber Remonstrant Church on 14 July 1885:
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1885/10873/5971375.pdf

Ballydorn:
https://www.townlands.ie/down/dufferin/killinchy/tullynakill/ballydorn2/

[gaffy]

That big gap between Robert Stewart Bennett and Sarah Jane Matthews having their daughter Lillie in 1912 and Sarah in 1920 set me off looking for a (WW1) military record for the father to explain that.  Sure enough, Robert Stewart Bennett signed up in Belfast for the Army Service Corps in May 1915 and was discharged in February 1919, having served some 3 years of that time in France.  His regimental no. was 54/127929.

His army record throws more light on the elusive Margaretta. As you'll read, it's definitely him, there isn't any doubt about that.  In his attestation, he gave his address as 22 Wellwynne Street and said he was a baker by trade. He gave his next of kin as his wife Sarah and included in the army record is a copy of his 1911 marriage certificate issued by Trinity Church of Ireland, Belfast.

Under 'Particulars as to Children', he listed 'Madge', born 4 (or maybe 14) April 1910 in Ayr Scotland, and Lily born 23 March 1912 in Canmore Street, Belfast. Included in the army record are copies of baptism certificates issued by Trinity Church of Ireland, Belfast.  The first is for Lillie, baptised on 29 May 1912,  date of birth 23 March 1912, parents recorded as Robert Stewart (a baker) and Sarah Jane Bennett of 139 Canmore Street.  The second is for 'Margareta', baptised the same day as Lillie, date of birth 14 April 1910, parents recorded as Robert Stewart (a baker) and Sarah Jane Bennett of 139 Canmore Street.

[paul_mc]

Gaffy

Thank you once again - This really is outstanding. I would never have been able to do this myself.

Thanks for the toime you have spent on this and thank you for all of the answers.

I guess the biggest question now is Margaretta Mullan (Born Robertson) Did Sarah have a baby prior to marrying Robert - I think so.

Best wishes

Paul

[gaffy]

A likely (but not guaranteed) scenario is that Sarah Jane Matthews did indeed have Margaretta before she married Robert Stewart Bennett and that Robert Stewart Bennett was the father.  If the child was registered for civil purposes (and that remains an 'if'), we don't know the forename and surname under which that took place. I've checked under different permutations of name but I haven't been able to find a birth registration for her so far in Scotland (following the Ayr lead) or in Ireland. I think the surname Robertson might simply have been an invention to satisfy the outward appearance they wanted to display in the 1911 census return for 32 Sancroft Street, the surname might have no family relevance at all.

What we do know is that Robert Stewart Bennett presented Madge/Margreta as his own daughter from an early stage, his army record, including the baptismal certificate in 1912 leaves no doubt on that score.
   

[paul_mc]

I've looked on Scotlands People

No Robertson, Stewart, or Matthews listed in 1910 Ayr

The mystery continues ......

Paul

[gaffy]

Going back to the Mullan side for a moment...

To recap.  The parents of the James Mullan b. 1906 who married Margaretta Bennett in 1930 were found to be James Mullan and Margaret Dowie (or spelling variants), when they married at Trinity Church of Ireland, Belfast, in 1904, that James' father was recorded as James Mullan a baker, in the 1911 Ireland census, James Mullan and Margaret Dowie and family were living in the townland of Ballyhowne in Carnmoney civil parish (Elwyn's post at reply #11).

Going back to the 1901 Ireland census, the same James Mullan who went on to marry Margaret Dowie in 1904 was shown as a 17 year old in the household of his parents at house 27 in Hooker Street Belfast, his parents were shown as James (a baker) and Agnes Mullan, also in the household were a Jane and Jemima Mullan, both with a stated birth place of Scotland (Elwyn's post at reply #13).

So further to those findings, by taking that Hooker Street household forward to the 1911 Ireland census, one finds that James senior (now an unemployed baker) and his wife Agnes Mullan, just like their son and daughter-in-law, were also living in the townland of Ballyhowne in Carnmoney civil parish:
http://census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Antrim/Carnmoney/Ballyhowne/187610/

In the above census return, it says that James and Agnes were married c. 1878.  The two Scottish born children were still in the household, except that Jemima was called what I think was meant to be Wilhelmina ('Whillimina').  A quick check of the births index on the 'ScotlandsPeople' website for those names and the birth years indicated by the census returns quickly brings back a Jane Mullan born 1887 and a 'Williamina' Mullan b. 1891, both registered in districts in the greater Glasgow area  and both with a mother's maiden name recorded as Galway. Leading on from that, here is the birth registration for a James Mullan, born on 10 May 1883 at 24 McTier Street, Belfast, to a baker called James Mullan and an Agnes Galway:
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1883/02739/2007064.pdf

Therefore, it's looking very likely that the James Mullan who married Margaret Dowie in 1904 was the son of James Mullan and Agnes Galway, who were married in Trinity Church of Ireland, Belfast, on 6 July 1878 (the 1911 census was spot on), with the two fathers recorded as James Mullan (not again!) and Isaac Galway, both labourers:
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1878/11106/8065231.pdf

[gaffy]

Turning to the Dowies in that 1901 census return for house 67 in Everton Street, with a father's name as singular as Benjamin Dowie, a possibility readily presents itself for the birth registration of the Margaret Jane Doey who married James Mullan in 1904, it's for a daughter of that name born on 23 August 1886 at 30 Ewarts Row, Belfast, to Benjamin Dowie and Susan Haycock:
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1886/02595/1958592.pdf

Benjamin Doey and Susan Haycock were married on 5 March 1881 in the (Church of Ireland) parish church at Ballymacarrett, the two fathers given as John Doey, labourer and Thomas Haycock, bundler:
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1881/10988/8017383.pdf

I've only glanced at this, but it seems like a reasonable punt.