Tracking Duffy family Coatbridge

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acts31920
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Jul 15, 2017 3:03 am

Tracking Duffy family Coatbridge

Post by acts31920 » Sat Jul 15, 2017 3:41 am

Hi,

I'm in Canada, and we have Duffy's on my dad's side through his Grandmother.

My mother was a MacKinnon, and her dad came over in 1900 to Canada as well from Scotland. We seem to have a pretty good history of my mother's side for both MacKinnons (moved to Canada around 1900) and Brownells on her mother's side (moved to the US in 1650 and to Canada in 1790s as United Empire Loyalists).

My great-grandmother came over from Scotland to Canada via ship around 1914. She was a Duffy.

Her name was Margaret Elizabeth Duffy - Jan 12th 1895 back row: Rosehall: Coatbridge

Her father was William Duffy (who was a coalminer), and her mother was Mary Duffy (M.S. Thomson).

I have a birth certificate that was extracted from the Register book of Births for the district of Coatbridge in 1955.

We have little to no information about the family history, except for the occasional story that has popped up over the years.

I am wondering if anyone knows the family history in Scotland or Ireland for these Duffys for this family specifically. We only figured out recently that while she was a Scot, her parents were likely from Ireland. That part of the history we know very little of. My great-grandmother lived to her late 80s and I got to know her pretty well. Great lady and fiercely proud of her Scottish heritage.

We know quite a bit about the Duffys in general, but have not family lineage beyond what we have found, and the family history is lost for now it seems. Any help greatly appreciated.

Thank you

Elwyn 1
Posts: 197
Joined: Sun Sep 05, 2010 8:34 pm
Location: Co. Antrim, Ireland

Re: Tracking Duffy family Coatbridge

Post by Elwyn 1 » Sat Jul 15, 2017 5:43 am

Margaret’s 1895 birth certificate should record where and when her parents were married. What does it say?

Also have you looked for the family in the 1901 or 1911 censuses? What does it give for the parents places of birth?
Elwyn

trish1
Posts: 1320
Joined: Mon Dec 26, 2005 3:38 am
Location: australia

Re: Tracking Duffy family Coatbridge

Post by trish1 » Sat Jul 15, 2017 7:19 am

On the 1901 transcript I can access (not a good one) the family is living at 6 Backrow, Rosehall
Father William is listed as born England, mother Mary born Old Monkland.

There is a Margaret Duffy travelling to Boston 1912, aged 17, says born Scotland, race/people Irish. Also says father Mr T Duffy - so may not be your Margaret, perhaps this is where the thought about coming from Ireland originated.

The marriage of William and Mary is probably the one on ScotlandsPeople in 1878. (Oldest child listed in 1901 is 22). This would give their parents names and other details to take you back to the next generation.

Trish

nelmit
Posts: 4001
Joined: Wed Dec 15, 2004 11:49 pm
Location: Scotland

Re: Tracking Duffy family Coatbridge

Post by nelmit » Tue Jul 18, 2017 3:29 pm

Like Trish says father William says he was born in England in 1901 but in 1891 he says Portpatrick.
Once you look at the marriage certificate of William and Mary Thomson to confirm his parents names I think this may be his family in 1861 at Leswalt, Wigtown.

Peter Duffy 39 born Ireland - Labourer
Margaret Duffy 35 born Portpatrick
John Duffy 8
Frances Duffy 5
William Duffy 2 born Portpatrick
Robert Duffy 6 Mo

This could be his birth -

Name William Duffy
Gender Male
Birth Date 26 Aug 1858
Birthplace PORTPATRICK,WIGTOWN,SCOTLAND
Father's Name Patrick Duffy
Mother's Name Margaret Coalman (Coleman)

Regards,
Annette

acts31920
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Jul 15, 2017 3:03 am

Re: Tracking Duffy family Coatbridge

Post by acts31920 » Mon Jul 31, 2017 2:09 am

I got the marriage certificate of My great grandmother's parents. They were William Duffy and Mary Thomson. married in 1878 in coatsbridge.

William's parents were Patrick Duffy (puddler) and Margaret Duffy. Patrick was born in 1848 and died in 1904

Patrick's parents were Simon Duffy and Mary Duffy. Simon (born 1801) was from Ireland (Parts unknown). Simon was a blancher.

We don't have roots on Simon Duffy. We would like to know what part of Ireland that Simon came from. We know that they settled in Coatsbridge and our ancestors stayed there until My great grandmother moved to Canada in 1915. There are still relatives that are related to us still there I've been told.

Elwyn 1
Posts: 197
Joined: Sun Sep 05, 2010 8:34 pm
Location: Co. Antrim, Ireland

Re: Tracking Duffy family Coatbridge

Post by Elwyn 1 » Mon Jul 31, 2017 10:14 am

The area of Scotland where the family lived is called Coatbridge (not Coatsbridge).

Simon’s occupation was probably “bleacher” rather than blancher. A bleacher was a common occupation in the linen trade. Cheap linen used by everyday folk was brown or grey. Posh folk liked white linen. So the better quality linen was laid out on bleaching greens for the sun to bleach it white. The bleacher turned the linen over, prevented it from being stolen and kept animals off it etc.

The majority of Irish linen came from the counties of Ulster, so that’s most likely where Simon was born. You may struggle to find any record of him in Ireland if born around 1801 though as few RC parishes have records that far back. They tended not to keep them in those days, especially in rural areas. With the exception of Dublin and one or two other places, it was the 1820s before most RC parishes started to keep baptism and marriage records.
Elwyn

acts31920
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Jul 15, 2017 3:03 am

Re: Tracking Duffy family Coatbridge

Post by acts31920 » Mon Aug 07, 2017 3:09 am

Greatly appreciated. We don't know much about him, except that he had nothing to go back to from where he left. Well, and the family legends, but that's another tale.

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