McCONVILLE, Joseph ^{1 2 3 4}

   Cause of his death was chronic bronchitis over some months.⁴

   Another name for Joseph was McCONVILL, Joseph.⁷

  General Notes:

"Church Baptism Record

Name: Joseph McConvill
Date of Birth:
Date of Baptism:04-Feb-1840
Address:
Parish/District:CLONALLON
Gender:Male
County:Co. Down
Denomination:Roman Catholic
Father:Patrick McConvill
Mother:Bridget MacCloud
Occupation:
Sponsor 1 /Informant 1:Patrick McConvill
Sponsor 2 /Informant 2:Catherine Doran
Notes: 0 2 6.

© Copyright Ulster Historical Foundation (Antrim & Down)"

from www.rootsireland.ie


Joseph was an infant aged 1 year when his family were recorded by the 1841 census for the parish of New Monkland. Joseph had been born in Ireland. The census was taken on 7 June 1841, so if Joseph was still under 2 years of age, he must have been born in 1839-1840.

Joseph was recorded by the 1851 census for Old Monkland, living with a family called Hunter. He was recorded as aged 9 years and born in Ireland. The script of the entry states that he and his younger brother Henry had been deserted by their father.
Note: The notion of "desertion" was on occasion used to apply to situations where the father had gone to prison, gone off to find work and had not been in touch, or was absent for another reason leaving the family to claim poor relief possibly. The parents had another child in 1857.

The 1871 census for Old Monkland Lanarkshire recorded Joseph and Mary McConville living at 34 Woodhall Square with their eight children from two marriages, aged fro 15 years to 4 months. Joseph was recorded as 31 years old and Mary as 35 years; both were born in Ireland. Joseph was a coal miner.

The census of 1881 for Bothwell parish in Lanarkshire finds Joseph McConville separated from his wife and family. He is recorded as aged 40 years, born Ireland, works as a coal miner, and is a lodger in the household of John and Elizabeth Flannigan.

In 1901 the census for Uphall parish West Lothian recorded Joseph McConville, a mine fireman, aged 61 years, born in Ireland, living alone as Head of household. As well as Joseph living separately from his wife and family he was now living in a different county.

In the 1911 census for Canongate parish Edinburgh Joseph McConville was recorded as a patient in the Royal Infirmary aged 68 years. He was a widower, a worker -hydraulic pump attendant in a coal mine - born in Ireland.

GRO Scotland has a death record for a Joseph McConville, a coal miner and widower, aged 75 years. His wife's name was not recorded. No parental information recorded. ^{1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8}

  Research Notes:

Taking a Look at Joseph McConville and his birth family
Background comments
Not all sources are equally reliable, for different reasons. Sometimes people who provide the information in a source don't know exact information, or have remembered wrongly, or they "tidy up" information to what they think it should be. So some sources can be trusted better than others.
Take death certificates: the deceased is not there to correct wrong information about his parents, the person giving the information may never have seen the names written down or even be sure if the names are the name of his mother rather than his father.
In earlier centuries, especially among poorer, less educated people, life was hard and exact biographical details were not always prominent in their conversation. Many Irish people who emigrated were illiterate, had no written official documents, and some had been separated from or lost their parents at an early age. They were often equally vague about their exact ages. Survival was what mainly mattered.
In 1855 compulsory registration of births marriages and deaths in Scotland began. Individuals were often asked for information they weren't sure about in order to create these new documents, and sometimes even correct information was mis-recorded. In the case of immigrants, a name was often recorded that was similar to local names. In certain families you can accumulate a variety of name forms for particular individuals. When this is the case, what is convincing is whether the people, the times and places match overall and create a credible picture that links different pieces of evidence, a bit like a jigsaw.

Sources
A] 1832-1840 Irish baptisms in Clonallon, including Joseph's
No marriage for this couple was found. The Clonallon County Down baptisms I found on Irish family History Foundation website at rootsireland.ie are:
1832 John - Father Patrick McConvill Mother Bridget McGlade
1835 Mary - Father Patrick McConville Mother Bridget McGlade
1837 Catherine - Father Patrick McConvill Mother Bridget McGlade
1840 Joseph - Father Patrick McConvill Mother Bridget MacCloud
The surname for the mother is not exactly the same in each case, but Joseph's looks as if it is a variation reflecting pronunciation possibly of a Gaelic name, and so it does belong in the same sequence as the others. Variations of this kind are very common.

B] Other similar-named records for the same period in County Down.
These may or may not be linked to Joseph's family
1832 Newry and Mourne County Down marriage Peter McConvill and Bridget Conley
1833 James was baptised in Clonallon parents Peter McConvill and Bridget Conley
1839 Patrick was baptised in Clonallon parents Peter McConvill and Bridget [no surname]
There are also two versions of a baptism record:
1834 Catherine in Newry, County Down parents Patrick McConville and Bridget McConville

C] 1841 Census ref. Airdrie Lanarkshire; ED: 3A; Page: 13
Patrick McConvill 25
Bridget McConvill 30
Mary McConvill 7
Catherine McConvill 4
Joseph McConvill 1
These children match the children in Irish baptisms in Clonallon, though baby John is missing

D] 1845 Baptism in St Margaret's RC parish Airdrie Lanarkshire
Henry son of Patrick McConville and Bridget McGlade born 7 May 1845 bapt 15 May
This entry is important as it identifies Henry, born in Scotland, as belonging to the same family as were recorded in the Irish Clonallon Baptism records, Joseph therefore being the person baptised in 1840 in Clonallon County Down

E] 1851 census Old Monkland Lanarkshire 652 en d 23 page 6
Joseph MConville, aged 9 years (he was actually 11 years old) born Ireland
Lives with brother Henry aged 5 years in household of a family called Hunter.
Henry erroneously recorded as born in Ireland. (see his Baptism)
The script of the entry states that Joseph and his younger brother Henry had been deserted by their father.
The notion of "desertion" was on occasion used to apply to situations where the father had gone to prison, gone off to find work and had not been in touch, or was absent for another reason leaving the family to claim poor relief possibly.

F] 1857 Scotland's Births and Baptisms Kilbirnie Ayrshire Scotland
Name:Susanna Mcconvil
Gender:Female
Birth Date:10 Apr 1857
Birthplace:KILBIRNIE,AYR,SCOTLAND
Father's Name:Patrick Mcconvil
Mother's Name:Biddy Mcgeddie

G] 1861 census Stevenston Ayrshire; ED: 4; Page: 36

Henry McConvall, aged 18 years, born Old Monkland parish, Collier, living as a Boarder

H] 1863 Scotland's Births and Baptisms Ardrossan Ayrshire Scotland

Name:Catherine McGiddy
Gender:Female
Birth Date:20 Aug 1863
Birthplace:ARDROSSAN,AYR,SCOTLAND
Mother's Name:Bridget McGiddy


I] 1865 Marriage certificate RDS 651/1 No 57 Airdrie Joseph's Marriage

His marriage certificate recorded him as 23 years old. (He was in fact at least 25 years old) His parents were named as Peter McConville and Bridget McConville MS McLean (deceased).
The witnesses at his wedding were Charles McGill and Catherine McGill. (not family members?)
Having been taken in along with brother Henry by the Hunters, Joseph remained in Lanarkshire while his parents moved on to Ayrshire. Since Joseph seems to have been separated from his parents quite young, it may be that he had the information he gave on his marriage certificate from non-family members. It may also be possible that he did believe his mother was deceased because he had been told that. The census for 1851 had mistakenly recorded Henry aged 5 years as born in Ireland, and had recorded Joseph as 2 years younger than he actually was, so again it may possibly be that the people who cared for the boys, the Hunters, did not have precise knowledge about the family circumstances.

J] 1871 census Ardrossan Ayrshire; ED: 4; Page: 7
Patrick McConvel 50
Bridget McConvel 48
Susan McConvel 13
Catherine McConvel 7
This census entry shows the two daughters born in Scotland living with their parents in Ayrshire

K] 1881 census Bothwell parish Lanarkshire; ED: 5; Page: 30

Joseph McConville, aged 40 years, born Ireland, coal miner, lodger in household of John and Elizabeth Flannigan

Joseph appears to have separated from his wife and family

L] 1897 Bridget's death certificate Dalry Ayrshire[587] Deaths [no 11]

Informant of Bridget's death was widower Patrick McConvill, Bridget McConvill MS McGady was recorded as "married to Patrick McConvill, hawker", age at death as 70 years, both parents John McGady and [blank] Dougan were noted as deceased

Is this couple is the same couple as is recorded in the Irish baptisms and in Henry's baptism and death?
Is the surname that was McGlade in Ireland and McGady in death certificate, and in girls' births McGeddie or McGiddy, the same surname and therefore is it the same person referred to?

M] 1901 census Uphall parish West Lothian ED: 2; Page: 19
Joseph McConville, mine fireman, aged 61 years, born Ireland, living alone as Head of household
Joseph living separate from wife and family and in a different county

N] 1905 Patrick's death certificate Dalry Ayrshire[587] Deaths [no 37]
Informant was daughter Catherine "Katie McBride". Patrick McConville, a "hawker, widower of Bridget Geddes"[sic], age at death 80 years. Both parents recorded as deceased, no names were noted for them.
Although his daughter was informant she did not know names of his parents

O] 1911 Census 685/04 En d 78 page 24 Joseph McConville

Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh, Joseph McConville, patient, aged 68 years, widower, worker -hydraulic pump attendant in a coal mine, born Ireland

P] 1915 Henry's death certificate Bellshill Lanarkshire deaths [no 53]

Henry's parents are recorded as Patrick McConville and Bridget McGlade

Q] 1916 Possible death of Joseph McConville Canongate Edinburgh deaths [no 131]

Informant was "James Craigton friend" of 20 Sandhill Cottage Bathgate
Joseph McConville, coal miner, widower of [blank], aged 75 years. No parental information recorded.

It is likely this is Joseph. The circumstances fit name, where he was living, age, occupation, There are two deaths of a man of this name and of the right age in GRO Scotland records, and the other has been ruled out as being another Joseph McConville appearing in the census records in Dundee, wife Betsy.

  Medical Notes:

Isabel Venters MB certified the cause of death.

The informant of Joseph's death was "James Craigton friend" (or possibly Crayton) of 20 Sandhill Cottage Bathgate who notified the registrar at Edinburgh on 28 March 1916. ⁴

Joseph married Mary STEEL, daughter of William STEELE and Joseph IRVINE, on 18 May 1865 in St Margaret's RC Church, Airdrie, Lanarkshire, Scotland. (Mary STEEL was born about 1835 in Ireland ⁶.)

  Marriage Notes:

The marriage was celebrated after banns according to the rites and forms of the Roman Catholic Church. The celebrant was Duncan McNab CC of St Margaret's, Airdrie. The witnesses were Charles McGill and Catherine McGill, each of whom made an X mark.

Joseph McConville was a coal pit brusher of aged 23 years. He lived in Faskine in the parish of Old Monkland and was unmarried.

Mary Hurles, who made her X mark, was aged 30 years and a housekeeper. She too lived in Faskine and was a widow.

The marriage was registered on 22 May 1865 at Airdrie, the registrar William Whyte.