The disappearing Brown family

[AnneM]

Hi all

I'm researching for a friend and I have what is to me a bit of a mystery:

James Mould druggist, married Mary Brown on 3rd November 1868 in Liverpool. They have 8 children born in Chorley:

Charles
Jane
James
Georgina Janet
Lillian
Maud
James
George

The 1871 census shows Mary aged 24 as born in Scotland and in the family is her 20 year old sister Jane also born in Scotland.

I had a quick recce around the 1851 census in Scotland and identified a possible family for Mary with father George, a calico printer and mother Janet in Kilmarnock. They are George Brown and Janet Simpson who have a Mary aged 4 and Jane aged 11 months. The baptisms of Mary and Jane together with their sister Janet appear as born in 1846 and 1850 in Kilmarnock.

I then obtained Mary and James's marriage certificate and wonder of wonders her father is George Brown, block printer. Sadly since this is England no sign of mother. This encourages me to think that this is the right family though it is probably not proof.

George, Janet and family, Mary, Jane, Janet aged 9, Elizabeth aged 4 and Georgeina aged 1 are on the 1861 census. They had a son John born 1855 and on his BC it states that Janet was born in Newton Stewart in around 1828. John dies in 1856 aged 11 months of measles. George and Janet have a daughter Margaret in 1862 in Kilmarnock.

Now the mystery. I can't seem to track any of them apart from Mary and Jane (if they are the right Mary and Jane) after 1862.

2 questions.

Do you think I have the right parents for Mary Brown or Mould?
Am I missing something in that I can't find the others after 1862?

Anne

[nelmit]

Looks good for the right family especially because of George's occupation.

A search at the IGI shows this extracted birth -

GEORGE BROWN

Birth:
27 AUG 1865 0291, Belfast, Antrim, Ireland

Parents:
Father: GEORGE BROWN
Family
Mother: JANET SIMPSON

There is another for a Marian in 1871 but I'm not sure if it's an extract or not although there is a batch number.

Maybe this is why you can't find them after 1862 but then again it could be a different couple.

Regards,
Annette

[AnneM]

Hi Annette

That is all too horribly likely. I think I'd tried to find them everywhere else. Ireland has to be one's least favoured option.

Anne

[SarahND]

I was afraid of that as soon as I saw "Calico printer," since one of mine, a designer for calico prints, also disappeared into the Black Hole of Antrim Although the fact that Annette found a trace is quite heartening!

Cheers,
Sarah

[Muriel]

Well, I've maybe found an explanation for why some of my Crawford calico printers & colour makers disappeared without trace after 1861. It pays to read TS posts!!

Muriel

[AnneM]

Thanks all. I can see I'll have to get a hold of that BC for Ireland. i'm due to go to Belfast in June anyway. If it's not them then at least I'll know that's ruled out.

Anne

[AnneM]

Oh foolish me! I have just spotted what I already knew that James and Mary's daughter Jane was born in Ireland and looking on Family Search she does appear born 10th September 1872 in Belfast, Antrim. Why oh why had I not made the connection before. Somehow the birth in Ireland, though I had it noted, had not registered properly. All is now explained. Ireland is of course where Mary's family had gone.

This may have been an example of not seeing what you don't want to see! Now the job is to track Mary's family down in Ireland if at all possible. Not straightforward as Brown is such a common name.

I lived in hope that they might have returned to Scotland but so far I don't see them.

Anne

[SarahND]

Hi Anne,
While you're at it, keep an eye out for my Mary Brown too Last seen giving birth in Belfast in 1833...

Aren't you lucky to be going over there in June! Do report back on how easy/difficult it is to find your way around the archives.

Regards,
Sarah

[AnneM]

This clearly just required a bit of concentration to move on a bit. I think I did not want to 'invest' in the family until I was surer about the parentage of Mary. I now think that I have found George born 8th Nov. 1826 in Kilmarnock to John Brown, weaver, and Elizabeth Borland. One of George and Janet's daughters was called Elizabeth Borland Brown and their short lived first son was John Brown. John and Elizabeth marry in Monkton and Prestwick on 4th Nov 1825.

I now feel there are too many factors pointing towards this family for it not to be them. The names and occupation and the Irish connection. I'm going for it!! I feel that I am in a position to 'sell' the family as ancestors to my friend. I'm sure she'll be happy to have some genuine Scottish ancestors. Yes, I think that they can now be safely added to the FH programme.

I'll have to find the archives and see if the records are accessible. It will be all new to me if I can get there. Will report back with enthusiasm if I manage to get to the record office.

Anne

[AnneM]

Hi

Realised I did not thank Annette sufficiently for pointing me towards the birth in Ireland. Though it is 'bad news' I am really grateful for the steer in that direction and will vigorously follow it up.

Anne