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Trying to find my GG Grandparents on my Mothers side.
There seems to be a conflict on the surname of my GG Grandmother.

James Devlin (c1840) married a Mary Canning in 1862 in Greenock, Scotland. However when looking for info on her family there seems to be nothing at all.

Have her parents as Humphrey Canning (Buchanan) & Mary Armour. Have tried the census records with no results and can't find any death record for them either.

Can anyone find a link?

Hi Astra
seems I made a mistake with my inital posting.

What I wanted to find out was who was John Devlin (not James as stated) married too....on both Marriage & Death Certs it says Mary Canning.

However, when I look more closely...there seems to be a conflict regarding her mother. On the Marriage it states her Parents were Humphrey Canning & m.s Mary Armour, but on her death cert it says m.s Mary Sharp as her mother.

Can't find out a birth cert for her on Scotlandpeople or any census records for her...think she was born around 1842 as she was 20 when married in 1862.

Hope this helps a bit, and sorry for the mistake earlier.

OK. So is this them?? Just to get a handle on who we are dealing with

Mary Devlin
Age: 40
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1841
Relationship: Wife
Spouse's name : John Devlin
Gender: Female
Where born: Greenock, Renfrewshire
Registration Number: 564/1
Registration district: Greenock Middle
Civil parish: Greenock Middle
COUNTY: Renfrewshire
Address: 20 Market St
Household Members: Name Age
John Devlin 41
Mary Devlin 40
Rosanna Devlin 18
John Devlin 16
Mary Devlin 14
Jane Devlin 12
Sophia Devlin 10
Michael Devlin 5
Margaret Devlin 3
Susan Devlin 7 MO

Yeah that sounds like them, so it seems she was born in Greenock. Still no luck on finding a Birth Cert for her.

Thanks for your help on this one.

??Might be worth a look at the original image for this census on Scotlands People. Humphrey born 1809 Glasgow. Could be that Mary has died and he has re-married.

Mary Buchanan
Age: 10
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1841
Relationship: Daughter
Father's name: Humphey Bridermond
Mother's name: Catherine Duncan
Gender: Female
Where born: Greenock, Scotland
Parish Number: 564
Civil parish: Greenock Middle
COUNTY: Renfrewshire
Address: 5 Manse Lane Greenwells Land
ED: 49
Page: 1 (click to see others on page)
Household schedule number: 2
Line: 8
Roll: CSSCT1851_119
Household Members: Name Age
Humphey Bridermond 42
Catherine Duncan 38
Daniel Brown 32
William Watt 26
Mary Buchanan 10
Elizabeth Buchanan 1

For ref: In case a family naming pattern crops up.


Father: John Devlin,
Mother: Mary Canning

Children:

1. SOPHIA DEVLIN - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Female Birth: 06 JAN 1871 Rothesay, Bute, Scotland
2. MARY DEVLIN - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Female Birth: 22 OCT 1866 Rothesay, Bute, Scotland
3. JANE DEVLIN - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Female Birth: 18 SEP 1868 Rothesay, Bute, Scotland
4. MICHAEL DEVLIN - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Male Birth: 04 OCT 1875 Greenock, Renfrew, Scotland
5. AGNES DEVLIN - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Female Birth: 17 JAN 1883 Greenock, Renfrew, Scotland
6. PATRICK JAMES DEVLIN - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Male Birth: 09 APR 1873 Greenock, Renfrew, Scotland

Good find, Astra,

Can't see a birth for Mary ... but here is one for Elizabeth Buchanan mentioned in the 1851 census. Note her mother's name 'Sharp'

ELISABETH BROWN BUCHANAN
Female

Birth:
Christening:
24 DEC 1850 West Or Old Parish, Greenock, Renfrew, Scotland
Death:
Burial:

Parents:
Father: HUMPHRY BUCHANAN
Mother: CATHERINE SHARP

This could be Elizabeth who is seen with Mary in 1851. Sister Sophia

Elizabeth Buchanan
Age: 9
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1852
Relationship: Boarder
Gender: Female
Where born: Greenock, Renfrew
Registration Number: 554
Registration district: Kilmory
Civil parish: Kilmory
COUNTY: Bute
Address: Torbeg
Occupation: Scholar
ED: 7
Household schedule number: 20
Line: 5
Roll: CSSCT1861_73
Household Members: Name Age
Donald Robertson 81
Janet Robertson 67
Donald Robertson 28
Catherine Robertson 24
Elizabeth Buchanan 9
Sophia Buchanan 7
Mary Robertson 2

Thanks for that Helen. That looks good to me.

Humphrey and Catherine's marriage:

HUMPHREY BUCHANAN

Event(s):
Birth:
Christening:
Death:
Burial:

Marriages:
Spouse: CATHERINE SHARPE
Marriage:
28 NOV 1848 Middle Or New Parish, Greenock, Renfrew, Scotland


As Astra mentioned, looks like this was a second marriage for Humphrey and Mary was a child from his first.

Sophia's birth ...


SOPHIA BUCHANAN


Birth:
01 MAY 1853 West Or Old Parish, Greenock, Renfrew, Scotland
Christening:
Death:
Burial:

Parents:
Father: HUMPHREY BUCHANAN Family
Mother: CATHERINE SHARP

Live in Greenock, so might have to pop downto James Watt Library as they hold a copy of the census records from 1841.

Looks like Humphrey was married to a Mary Armour (possible mother of Mary) then married to Catherine Sharpe?

Had one of these before and it's a pain to find the right people...wonder if Buchanan and Canning were mistaken when registred as you know people just wrote what they heard and sod with the actual spelling of the surnames.

However where did Canning or Buchanan come from if Humphreys name was other than that?

Nothing but questions.

Well that confirms that Sophia is her sister and Mary names one of her daughters Sophia so maybe we are on the right road. I have to keep coming and going but I had a quick look for a previous marriage for Humphrey but can't find one.

You live in Greenock!!

??

Watt Library BMD Index:

Buchanan : Elizabeth, 2nd daughter of late Humphries Buchanan, died at Ben Clyde House, Upper Ashton, Gourock on 16th August 1884 (Greenock Telegraph 18.8.1884)

I'm wondering about this. Perhaps someone in Australia would be able to check him out further.

You searched for Humphrey Buchanan in Scotland
Provided in Association with

All New South Wales, Australia, Gaol Description and Entrance Books, 1818-1930 ResultsNew South Wales, Australia, Gaol Description and Entrance Books, 1818-1930
about Humphrey Buchanan

Name: Humphrey Buchanan
Birth Place: Glasgow, Scotland
Immigration Date: 1855
Vessel Arrived In: William
Date of Admission/Photo: 1859
Gaol: Darlinghurst
Gaol Location: Darlinghurst, New South Wales
Record Type: Description Book

In the 1851 census Humphrey is noted as Carpenter. This chap is a shipwright which is basically a carpenter working on ships. Could be why he doesn't appear after the 1851 or it could be someone completely unrelated.


From 1866 to 1869 there is a Humphrey Buchanan Shipwright living in Balmain New South Wales.

That looks interesting Astra.

I had a look earlier for the death of Humphrey Buchanan in Scotland but couldn't find him.

Assumed he must have died pre 1855 before death records began.

Could be him Helen of could be a complete red herring. Seems a bit of a coincidence though.
EDIT: No not him unfortunately. Just checked the original image again and his age is given as 36 which makes him born in 1819 whereas Humphrey in Greenock was born 1809 according to the census.

It sounds like the Humphrey I'm looking for, as in his Daughters marriage to John Devlin in 1862, his occuptation is given as Ship Carpenter.

However again talking about marriages, had another look at the image on Marys mariage her Mother m.s Armour is given as deceased. Had to download the image and enhance it just enough to read it.

Can't find any marriage information prior to the marriage to Catherine Sharp .. for Humphrey Canning or Buchanan.

The only birth information likely to be found for Mary Buchanan c.1841 would be from a christening record as birth registration did not begin until 1855. No sign of a christening record.

Searched using only Mary's christian name ... and mother's name of Mary Armour in case Humphrey wasn't her father ... still no sign.


The only marriage for a Humphrey Buchanan was to a Jean Boyle in 1804 in Renfrew .... no children listed for this marriage.