Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

I’m interested in any information about my mother’s family. Her father was Patrick Flynn (1892.) Her mother was Roberta Lilian Gray (1900.) My mother was born in Liverpool in 1931.

My great-grandfather, Andrew Flynn, was born about 1843 in Liverpool. He was a self-employed dealer in earthenware. (A door-to-door salesman.) He married Alice Ann (I don’t know her last name), and they had 5 sons:
Andrew (1888)
Joseph (1890)
Patrick (1892) d. 1966 (my grandfather)
John (1896)
Michael (?)

Alice died in 1905 and Patrick and John were put in an orphanage. (I don’t know the name of the orphanage.)

Patrick married Roberta Lilian Gray in 1929 in Liverpool.

(Her father was Robert Owen Flynn, born about 1860 in Liverpool. He was a baker.)

I have found information about Andrew Flynn and Robert Gray in the different censuses, but I have been unable to find out anything about them before 1871.

I would appreciate any suggestions, help, or advice!
Thank you,
Bridget

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Your way ahead should be with a marriage certificate ..... although I don't seem able to find a marriage for either Alice or was he previously married to Sarah?

Perhaps it would be best to get one of the birth certificates, at least that will give you Alice's surname, either
Andrew Flynn Q2 1888 West Derby 8b 477 or the probable one for your grandfather seems to be
Q3 1892 West Derby 8b 395

You can order this online at http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/ and to be certain you could use the reference checking of father's name Andrew.

Thanks for responding!

I've ordered the birth certificates for Roberta Lilian Gray and Patrick Flynn, as well as the marriage certificate for Robert Owen Gray (his first marriage in 1883, when he married Ann. He married a second time in 1904.)

I couldn't find any record of either of Andrew Flynn's marriages--the first to Sarah, and the second to Alice A. I've searched the IGI, the FreeBMD, and Ancestry.com. I'm hoping that Patrick Flynn's BC will list his mother's maiden name. (I'm assuming the Andrew Flynn who was married to Sarah is the same AF who was married to Alice A--since his occupation in both the 1871 and 1881 censuses is listed as earthenware dealer. Surely there weren't that many AFs who were earthenware dealers in Liverpool!)

Once I have Patrick Flynn's BC, I'll order his parents' birth certificates.

Is there any way I can find out what orphanage my granddad was sent to in 1904/1905, when he was about 12? I know it was a Catholic orphanage, but that's all I know.
Thanks again,
Bridget

Hi Bridget, welcome.

1881 Sarah is 30 bn Scotland, no kiddies.
Poss died 1884 aged 34yrs.
Could they have married in Scotland?
(there's a baby born & died Andrew Flynn 1882)

1891 young Andrew is two bn june qtr 1888.

We've a 4 yr span to find the 2nd marriage.

1911, the boys would have left the orphanage.
There's a Michael Flynn 9yrs in an Institution in Preston.
I did put Lpool as his birthplace.
(Andrew snr died 1908?)

back later

Tina

Hi crew, I like this find

1851 53 Cumberland St Lpool St George
Andrew FLINN 40 pedlar bn Ire
Catherine 38, Wm 16 coffee roaster both bn Ire
Mary 13, Jane 11, Andrew 9 Catherine 7, Joseph 5
all bn Lpool.
HO107/2180/177/73

1841 HO107/pce 566 Bk20
folio 40 p32
Andrew's occupation Earth Dealer

Woo Hoo...

Wombat

I like that one too Tina, and with names like that it was odds on that they originated in Ireland.

PS I like William's occupation - mmmm coffee roaster!

Thanks Mary for your appro...it means a lot.
I too can smell the coffee!!
Innovative for 1851.
Wm was born in Lancs 1841, next census bn in Ireland.
No luck with marriages for Andrew jr.
Will keep wombating.

Tina xx

Hi Bridget
Typo in your original post.
Robert Owen as Flynn should be Gray??

You no doubt have him in 1901 in Edge Hill baking his bread.
Is Roberta listed as Robert O?
May just send a correction to Anc^^

Cheers
Tina

Done for Roberta Lilian.

Thank you so much for everyone's help! This is fun--and exciting!

Robert Owen should have been Gray--NOT Flynn. And yes, his daughter is listed as Robert L.--not Roberta L.--in the 1901 census.

Is there any way I can find out what orphanage Patrick Flynn and his brother John were sent to in 1905? All I know is that it was RC. Would the Lancashire Record Office have the records?

Is it at all possible to trace the Flynn/Flinns in Ireland?

I think Robert Owen Gray, or his father, was originally from Scotland. (On the censuses I've found, Robert Gray gives his birthplace as Liverpool.)

(My father's side of the family has been much easier to trace--probably because my father's name is Greville Machell, and his grandfather's name was Richard Greville Machell!! I've traced the Machell's back to 1771--so far. It's been helpful that they all stayed in the Grayrigg/Killington/Kendal area!)

I think the Flynns/Grays are going to be much more difficult to trace!

Again, thanks for all the help!
Bridget Machell

Bridget, you never said a word about finding Andrew?

Tina

Sorry, Tina! I live in the US, so I just got up, and I'm still half asleep! (It's 8 AM here.)

I'm amazed that you found Andrew--especially since his last name is spelled Flinn (not Flynn.) It has to be my Andrew's father, don't you think--especially since he was an Earthen Dealer?

It's too bad William didn't start the first Starbucks! (I could be drinking his coffee right now!)
Bridget

Sorry Bridget, the orphanage could be any of a number of them and not all records will be available either.

I would suggest that you search some of the more obvious ones - perhaps Kirkdale Industrial School, or the Cottage Homes in Fazakerley, and I know there were some run by the Brothers of Charity, but we've come across so many more than we realised while researching that it's difficult to know what to recommend.

If they were sent to Canada as Home Children you might get a better start by searching passenger lists, there's often a teacher with a group and clues as to which home they were from.

That's okies Bridget.
I was just so excited about finding Andrew snr!!
Now you have a big headache, finding out where they came from in Ireland.
Not much luck with 1861. Will keep wombating.

Cheers me dear

Tina