McGraw - looking for suggestions

[CairnsRAC]

I have found the family that I need to connect and pursue - John McGraw, born according to the 1841 census in Ireland but resident with his family in Mouswald, Dumfries. His wife was Mary Copeland, whom he married in 1835. They had 3 children between then and 1841 and a fourth was seemingly from her earlier relationship a year before her marriage. I found Mary with 3 children still in Mouswald in 1851, a widow. No sign of John McGraw - no apparent death record even though this was in the statutory record period of time. No sign that he had traveled abroad - no definitive confirmation of death other than her listing in the 1851 census as a widow. In 1841 his birth year was listed as abt 1775, so he would in any case have been about 66 years of age in 1841 (depending on the degree of error in the record). I searched the indexes for Scotlands People and was able to find only one John McGraw who died between 1841 and 1851 in Scotland (in 1842). According to the records for that area, he was born about 1781 and also came from Ireland but lived with his family in 1841 in Kirkmaiden, Wigtownshire. I also checked for deaths right up until 1871. In the absence of further information I started thinking that there is a possibility that the two John's might be one and the same person. As I can only access a transcription of the 1841 Census records and as the record for Mouswald does not state occupation I cannot judge between them. Can anyone offer any suggestions on where to go next...? Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated. I have checked Ancestry, FindmyPast, FamilySearch etc.

[garibaldired]

If you look on FREECEN, you'll find both John McGraws.
The Kirkmaiden one is an agricultural labourer, the other a carrier.

Don't forget statutory registration of bmds didn't start until 1855 in Scotland.

Best wishes,
Meg

[AndrewP]

Hi CairnsRAC,

> As I can only access a transcription of the 1841 Census records...

You can see and download a digital image of the original census page from www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk on a pay-per-view basis.

All the best,

AndrewP

[WilmaM]

http://www.johnmacmillan.co.uk/cemeteri ... swald.html

I looked for a monumental inscription at mMouswald using the above link, but nothing obvious. Unless he was buried elsewhere, perhaps a Catholic church? Given his Irish origins.
St Kentigerns didn't have any McGraw's either on the above site.
Though he may not have had a stone or it isn't legible now.

Doing a search for other sources for MIs in the area may prove more fruitful,
http://www.dgfhs.org.uk/ for instance may be a help.