Hit another dead end

[billymac]

Hello all. I have been following a branch of my early family that was dealt quite a number of blows in the mid to late 1800s. I had tracked my G-G-grandfather (John McEntee c1843 -1917) from Ireland to Glasgow and then back again to Ireland. All his children remained in Glasgow. I recently found he had two brothers who made the trip as well. One brother Owen McEntee/McIntee/McAntee married a Mary McQuinness/McGinness/McInness in Ireland around 1858. They had seven children : -- (Patrick born Ire.1859); (Annie born Ire. 1862); (Catherine b.Scot.1867 d.1867); (Mary Ellen b.Scot 1868); (Bernard b.1870,d.1870); (Owen Jr b.1872 ,d.1872) and (Agnes b.1876,d.1876). So, lost four of the seven as babes. The 1881 census has Mary McEntee (McInnes) with Patrick, Annie and Mary Ellen in Govan. That census notes the swine Owen has deserted what remains of his family. Then they, apart from Mary Ellen vanish. There is a Lanark Asylum record for the admission (and 1897 death) of a Mary McIntee (McInnes) but having no idea what the record may say who knows if it is actually her?

Mary Ellen marries a James McInch/McKinch/McAninch in 1888 and much the same fate then befalls her. Her children : -- (James b. 1889); (Annie b.1891, dead by 1897); (Elizabeth b.1893, d.1895); (William b.1896, d.1898); (Thomas b.1897, d.1898). I have Mary Ellen on the 1891 census but have found a 1897 Parish Relief application in Cambusnethan which says she is now also a deserted wife. She was expecting the baby Thomas at the time. After this poorhouse application (Thomas and William died shortly after) she and her son James vanish. Her husband James McInch died in Barnhill poorhouse in 1906. That 1897 application noted her mother Mary was dead and her father had fled back to Ireland.

Simply so as to not let these two women be forgotten I was hoping to add both their life journeys to my family history, but I am now at my wits end finding any more information on Mary McEntee (nee McInnes) and Mary Ellen McInch (nee McEntee). I have scoured the index records using every combination and variation of names I can think of and even purchased a few wrong ones that were remote possibilities. I sure would be grateful to forum members for any pointers or suggestions on how to search further or where to turn.

https://ibb.co/gb2NSJhv

This saga sure has me obsessed.
Best regards,
Bill

[ChipChip]

Billymac,
No guarantees but try this marriage on ScotlandsPeople -

M1917 - Mary Ellen McRinch to Murdo McDonald in St Rollox, Glasgow.

[billymac]

My oh my, ChipChip.
You've nailed it there. Thank you so much for your input. I was reluctant to throw more money at researching this side branch of my family line but the "Mary Ellen" and "McRinch" names you mentioned, being so close, had me intrigued. A search of Scotland's People showed no births nor deaths at any time for the name "M*cRinch" so I speculated it was either an indexing error or mishearing of the name. Too close to ignore so I took the plunge and you were absolutely correct. 48 y.o. Mary Ellen (it does indeed say McRinch) (nee McEntee) married 60 y.o. Murdo McDonald in St. Rollox on 2nd July 1917. Can't find them on the 1921 census but at least now I know she survived. Once again, many thanks.
Bill

[ChipChip]

I too have had a look at the 1921 Scotland census for Mary and Murdo. I have used a 10 year age span from their recorded ages at marriage in 1917 and found the following -

Mary M*Donald - age 48/58 - anywhere in Scotland. Brings up 442 hits with 102 in Glasgow. A similar search for a Mary E* (to find a Mary Ellen) brings up 3 hits. A search for a Mary H* (to find a Mary Helen) also brings up 3 hits.

Murdo* M*Donald - age 60/70 - anywhere in Scotland. Brings up 37 hits with 1 in Glasgow.

It's all a bit of a shot in the dark. For all we know Mary or Murdo could already be dead by 1921. However, there are too many opportunities to lose your pennies on ScotlandsPeople and possibly end up skint with nothing to show for it.

I'm done. Over to you for the next move. Or a fresh pair of eyes.

[billymac]

Thanks ChipChip,
I have given up on Mary Ellen --- as you say, too many possibilities. I did try to find records for her surviving son and pleasingly, was successful. He married a Mary Jane Robertson in 1916 and they had a number of children, including three sons who later migrated to Canada --- there are quite a few descendants there. So happily that line did survive.
Bill