McGUNNIGAL, John ¹

   Other names for John were McGONEGAL, John,² McGONNEGAL, John ² and McGUNIGAL, John.¹

   User ID: L72.

  General Notes:

No birth or baptism record has been found as yet for John.

There was a John McGunigal who acted as witness when Mary McGunigal married in 1869. and it was probably this John.

In 1871, John McGunnigal was the eldest of the children of James and Margaret McGunnigal recorded by the 1871 census. John was a labourer in an iron work, and was recorded as aged 20 years. He was unmarried and had been born in Ireland.

In 1881, the census recorded John as aged 30 years, and employed as coal miner. He was living at his parental home in Biggar Road, Chapelhall, with two of his brothers, James and Michael.

In 1889, John acted as informant of his brother in law, John O'Donnel's death and made his X mark.

In 1891, he was living at 59 High Rows, Chapelhall, with brother, Michael, and his mother, now a widow. He was still a coal miner.

John McGunnigal, of High Rows Chapelhall who had been present where the death of his nephew, John O'Donnell had occurred, gave notice of the child's death before the registrar at Holytown on 17 February 1892 and made his X mark.

The 1901 census for the Holytown district of the parish of Bothwell, recorded a couple who are likely to be Margaret Harken and her son John. The one problem is that the woman was recorded as 'Mrs Bridget McGunigal'. In other respects, they are exactly what would be expected from other sources. First, the address for the couple is Biggar Road. We may take this as a positive piece of evidence, since many family members, including John and his mother, have lived in that area, and their surname was not a common one. Then, the ages are right: John McGunigal was recorded as aged 50 years and his mother as 75 years. Also, John worked as a labourer in a colliery. Finally both were born in Ireland, and of Mrs McGunigal it was recorded that she was a widow. They were living in a home that had two rooms that were windowed. All of this is consistent with what we know of the family's circumstances. The given name of 'Bridget' instead of ' Margaret' is an anomaly, though it may be attributed to unclear accented speech, or mishearing.

John McGonigal, who was present where the death occurred, gave notice of his mother's death before the registrar, Gilbert Hamilton, at Holytown on 11 March 1904, and made his X mark. ^{3 4 5}

  Research Notes:

A search has been made for John's whereabouts after 1904, but without success.