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 Kew records
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| Cathy |
Posted on 16/06/2010 16:41
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 New Member  Posts: 3 Joined: 22/04/2010 |
I found the coastguard I was looking for, in ADM 175. Unfortunately, he was listed as DD in Portavad, Sligo in 1844. The only options I noticed were D, DD, 'removed' and 'absconded'. I saw nothing to indicate 'retired' or 'resigned'. I am hoping that someone can confirm that DD might mean 'discharged duty' and not 'discharged dead', as suggested by the Kew staff. I am tracing the family of his daughter, who I believe was born in 1846 in Galway, so his death in 1844 would be unhelpful! Can anyone clarify the abbreviations/terms used? Many thanks Cathy |
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| crimea1854 |
Posted on 16/06/2010 20:04
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 Administrator  Posts: 906 Joined: 09/07/2007 |
Hi Cathy I regret to have to confirm the information given by Kew, 'DD' is Discharged Dead. If you could provide some further details of the family, such as the daughter and fathers names, we have one Member (bpa) who is a wiz at finding family information - no pressure bpa  Regards Martin Martin |
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| bpa |
Posted on 16/06/2010 21:04
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Senior Member  Posts: 134 Joined: 11/11/2009 |
I'll have a look around if you give some details especially the source for the current birth date. I would not be too worried by birth year discrepancies. I have instances in my own family research where ages in Census entries are 10 years out of date compared to baptism records and even the ages were not consistent between census returns of different years. Even baptism records can be wrong as the entries made in the book may not be contemporary with the actual baptism as often there would be one baptism register for a parish and many churches in the parish so records were consolidated and transcribed some time after the baptism with the possibility of errors . |
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| Tony |
Posted on 16/06/2010 21:47
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 Administrator Posts: 136 Joined: 28/04/2007 |
As you say bpa Baptismal entries were loosely collected and transcribed at a later date. With regards to Census returns The head of the family in the majority of cases gave his exact age. The childrens ages generally were given correctly. Unfortunately there could often be a discrepancy in a wife's age from census to census. These Census return forms were generally collected by young police men. At the beginning of the 20th. Century many people suddenly made themselves older than they were, the reason being that the Old Age Pensions were being introduced. Tony Daly |
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| Cathy |
Posted on 17/06/2010 09:21
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New Member Posts: 3 Joined: 22/04/2010 |
Many thanks for all that info. Do I take it that 'D' means 'discharged' and not 'dead'? I am researching a McDonald/McDonnell coastguard who supposedly came from Scotland and raised a family in Galway, possibly Aran, in the 1840/50s. The family believe him to be Robert Francis, but the marriage cert. of his daughter in 1867 says Alexander. Unfortunately, the certificate is not really reliable, as the name given for the husband's father is definitely incorrect. I was somewhat surprised to actually find an Alexander McDonald serving in the Coastguard . Given how inaccurate Irish records can be, certainly with regard to ages, finding his death in 1844 doesn't really help. There is just enough wriggle room for him to be the father, with the widow and kids settling in Galway after his death. I have since found a Francis O'Donnell, sometimes entered as McDonnell, serving in Mayo, same time period, so I need to follow up on him as well. Are there any other records at Kew that would help to trace a coastguard back before 1830, which appeared to be the starting date for the ADM 175 records? Regards cathy |
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| Barnford |
Posted on 17/06/2010 10:37
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 Moderator  Posts: 17 Joined: 02/06/2007 |
Are there any other records at Kew that would help to trace a coastguard back before 1830, which appeared to be the starting date for the ADM 175 records? Regards cathy There is a full and detailed explanation here: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=39 Clive |
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| bpa |
Posted on 17/06/2010 10:59
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Senior Member Posts: 134 Joined: 11/11/2009 |
Tracking through a few other ADM 175-16, 17, 18 records Alexander McDonnell From Larne Station 1827 to Mullaghmore in 1830 To Pullendiva To Portavad in 1844 - where he's is marked DD - Typhus fever None of these stations are near Galway or even Aran so I think ti would be strange to raise a family in Galway as families seem to follow the postings. I would think either Alexander McDonnell is not your relative or the Galway info is wrong. What is the First name of the daughter ? For a quick index to the ADM documents - the COY article is good http://www.coastg...icle_id=93 Edited by bpa on 17/06/2010 11:01 |
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| Cathy |
Posted on 17/06/2010 19:16
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New Member Posts: 3 Joined: 22/04/2010 |
The daughter was Mary Anne- she married from Innislacken to an Aran Islander, and lived out her life on Aran. Census says born Galway. Not my family, my interest is Aran and I track anyone connected with the Islands. I am in contact with a family member who wants to confirm the Scottish connection. I assumed Alex was probably incorrect, which is why I was so surprised to find that a coastguard of that name existed. It's a rare name in Galway, so it's an odd mistake to make, if it was a mistake. Another branch of the family agrees that the father was Alex and claims the mother was a Mary Anne Francis. It's possible she might also be from a coastguard family. But Francis is also the disputed name for Mary Anne's father, so I'm not convinced..... Cathy |
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| bpa |
Posted on 17/06/2010 20:51
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Senior Member Posts: 134 Joined: 11/11/2009 |
I wouldn't assume there is only one Alexander McDonnell. I found an Alexander McDonald posted to Port Muck Larne in 1833 (nomination papers Feb 1833). I couldn't see any McDonnell or McDonald posted to any of the Galway station in ADM 175-16. Another possible explanation for "Galway" is that after death of Mary's father - her widowed mother moved to Galway and Mary brought up in Galway thought she was born there. On the IFHF site I found a baptism record for a Mary McDonnell whose father's name is Alexander in TempleBoy RC in 1833. Templeboy is only a few miles from Pullendiva. You would need to buy this record and hope the mother name or possibly father's address would confirm it. To give context between 1824 and 1844 there were 110 McDonnells baptism whose father's name was Alexander, 20 of those were Mary but only 2 in Sligo. There were no Galway baptism records. This should not be taken as definitive as many baptism records have been lost There is also an 1841 burial record for an Alexander McDonnell in Sligo RC parish. This may be unrelated or perhaps a son. For an indication of what records survive by parish - for Sligo RC see http://www.irisht...ligorc.htm Edited by bpa on 18/06/2010 08:19 |
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