James and Anne - Where are you?

[emanday]

We are heading for yet another New Year and I am no closer to solving this puzzle than I was four years ago.

My Great great grandfather James Stewart and his wife Anne Ireland were both born in Antrim 1821/1822. They married in Belfast in a civil ceremony in 1845.

Their first son, John was born around 1846, James C1849 Mary C1852, William C1855, apparently in Ireland, but no proof of this. At some point James joined the 5th Regiment of Foot (later they became the Cumberland Fusiliers) apparently while it was stationed in Antrim. The next son, Robert, was born in Mauritius in 1859 while the regiment was stationed there. I have his birth certificate. Two youngest sisters, Margaret and Ann were born in Bridgeton, Glasgow.

By 1871 they'd had 7 children, the last two being Margaret in 1862 and Ann in 1865.

In the 1871 census Ann is missing (died young possibly?), but everyone else is present and correct.

By 1881 all the offspring are findable. Margaret and Robert are both still single and living with John, while the others are in their own households. However, James and Anne are missing. By this time they would have been about 60 years old.

For four years I've been trying to find deaths for James, Anne and wee Ann in Scotland. Nuttin doin! I'd always thought that finding Anne Stewart m.s. Ireland's DC should be easy, but it simply isn't there.

So - did wee Ann die in infancy? Did James and Anne go back to Ireland? If so, to what purpose? From what I did discover about James and Anne's situation in Belfast, they were both from a fairly poor financial background, so not a lot to go back to.

My maiden name is Stewart. I am a Stewart! This is, I suppose, what you could call my "core" family, but I know very little about my direct ancestral line for them. Just finding out what happened to James and Anne - Oh! that would be such a thing!

[LesleyB]

Hi Mary

My first thoughts are; have you had a chance to check to see if any of them ever applied for poor relief in Glasgow at the Mitchell Library?

It may be the case that they did not... I certainly have some branches who you'd think may have applied but seems they must have struggled and got by somehow.....but if your family did apply there may some info to be gathered from that source. But you've maybe checked this angle already.

Best wishes
Lesley

[emanday]

I'm afraid my chances of getting back up to Glasgow and visiting the Mitchell any time soon are pretty slim.

Anyway, every one of the sons and the one unmarried daughter were working so, even if they were in financial difficulties their offspring, who all lived within the same area, would likely have assisted them.

Knowing my luck they swanned off back to Ireland. Their Irish birth and marriage records only give father's names and I need their DC's to get their mother's names. I have a suspicion that James' parents were actually Scottish, you see. If they were and I can get their names, I might be able to get back a bit further with the Stewart line.

[speleobat2]

Mary,

There's a family tree on Ancestry called the David A. Abercrombie tree that has your Anne Ireland and James Stewart and children. Are you familiar with that one? Doesn't have dates of death for them that I could see, but I didn't load most of it. Takes too long on my dial-up.

Carol

[emanday]

Hi Carol,

Yes I've been in contact with David in the past through GR. He's hit the same brick wall as me.

I live in the hope that some wee archiver somewhere in GROS will come across some overlooked records and my great great grand yins fates will be revealed. [-o<

[Currie]

Hello Mary,

Was James still in the Army in 1871? Do you know when he left the Army? Have you seen his Army records?

Would you be interested in the location of the regiment’s battalions during the period in question or have you already been down that track?

All the best,
Alan

[emanday]

Hi Alan,

James was back at his old trade, weaver, in 1871.

Because of son Robert's birth in Mauritius in 1859, I looked at the history of his regiment's movements early in my research. Right enough, they were there over that period and I got Robert's BC from GRO.

I don't know for sure when he joined up but, from the regiment's movements, I believe it was not long after he and Anne got married in Belfast. However, on censuses, the first four children, John, James, Mary and William seem to claim birth in Scotland, but the regiment was never posted there. I've always wondered if he and Anne took these four kids with them to Mauritius or left them with rellies.

It's a real puzzle.