Genealogy Chat

Hello
Is anyone able to check someone for me please? I have Austin Smith born Ireland 1831 (he was 20 in the 1851 English census but not with his family). His Father was Jonathan a farmer and desceased by the time Austin marries in 1858. Sorry I don't have any more info. I know some of his whereabouts after 1851 but don't know what to do about the earlier bit.
Thanks
Irene

If he is not on the 1841 I'd suggest he probably then came over because of the famine 1845-9. You may be able to find a baptism for him in Ireland, they were being kept at that time, but not all has survived, and of course you would probably need to somehow try and pinpoint exactly where in Ireland he was from first (I managed to do so for my ancestor by finding her poorhouse record in England)

Thanks for the reply Richard.

Austin did ok for himself after his arrival in Liverpool. He became a mariner then a master. I can't find him on any other census but I do find his wife and children, so I assume he is at sea. I had wondered if the famine had made him come here but I don't know which part of Ireland he is from or what happened to his parents. I suppose they may have stayed in Ireland. Oh it's so frustrating!
Thanks a lot for the reply anyway

Irene

On one hand of course it's great he did well, but from your point of view maybe not so, as the poorhouse records are great sources, and one of the few that often did give county of origin in Ireland!

Don't want to be over morbid, but in my family, my g-g-g grandparents were about 15 when they arrived here during the famine, g-g-g grandfather both his parents dead in the famine, g-g-g grandmother her father dead. It was a case of feed the children first, then the women, the men last, plus the men were put to work starving on public road building plans to 'earn' government relief. Many died with the shovels still in their hands, so at that time in Ireland there was created a lot of orphans and widows, many of whom headed to Scotland, London and Liverpool.

The lot that went to America tended in contrast to be full families fleeing before it got to this point, as the passage across the Atlantic cost much more then getting across to the mainland, which was the only option left for the poor widows, orphans etc.

Of course may not be the case with your man, young men clearly left to try and work and send money back to families, especially younger sons if family was large, but thought I'd share a bit of my own family experience of that dark era, as it gives an insight to sort of scenario that was going on then.

Thanks Richard

I was aware that life for the Irish at that time was very hard and it makes me so very sad as, I believe the English Government didn't exactly help. But then I also feel sad for other ancestors who lived and work all their lives in England but still ended up as Paupers.
Do you know how I go about finding information on Austin's family or should I forget it?

Irene

Oh no certainly don't forget it, I'm a strong believer in where there's a will there's a way! But I'd be lying if I said it looked easy, as looking for a Smith is hard enough in England...looking in Ireland at that time! Nothings impossible, but its a tall order.

If I was you I'd exhaust every source in the English records on him, and pray you get lucky with a County. If you can narrow down the county in Ireland to search, then you can size up whether it's possible. The records vary in some counties from good, to absolutely terrible in others. If your lucky and Austin was from a good county then may be able to get his family back further a generation or two. Beyond 1790 is usually impossible, certainly for Catholics. If he was from the Protestant community some of their church records in Ireland can go back to the 1600's.

Regards

Richard

Thanks so much for that advice Richard. I will keep going.

Regards
Irene

No problem Irene, good luck with it all!