McAnaspie or McAnaspri or McAnaspia or..... Macsomething

Post by **dickiesam** » 03 Jul 2010 18:34

It's One Of Those Names time again!
My apologies for this wordy intro but I have to put the problem in context and tell you what I know already.

I recently discovered that my maternal g.father was not born Thomas James Emery, a name he used all his life from the first of 3 marriages in 1899 until the day he died in 1964. Previously very elusive with regard to his birth abt 1879 he was eventually discovered by Tina in 1881 with the surname McAnaspri. His mother Mary [still married to Robert Emery] was living with a James McAnaspri and had another 3 children [all fathered by Robert according to their birth certs] with her. The whole family were McAnaspri! RG10 / 3413 / 16 / 29.

Thomas James also said his father was Robert on the 3 marriage certs! And he was still called a McAnaspie in 1891 with his 'widowed' mother.

The recent release of the Chelsea Pensioners records told me Robert had enlisted in the Army for 12 years in 1876. He lost 6 years off his age and went to New Brighton to do so, so he must have been pretty anxious to take the Queen's Shilling. The youngest of the other 3 children, Ellen, was born in 1877 while Robert was in service in Ireland and she would have been conceived around October 1876 when Robert had enlisted. So while it is possible he was the father and he is so named on the birth cert, I have me doubts! James McA died in 1890. There is no marriage for him and Mary. She died in 1901 and her legal spouse Robert didn't die until 1904.

So, the branch of my maternal tree going back via Robert Emery to 1775 has been lopped off and I am now trying to backtrack James McAnaspie [or whatever spelling there is!]. He was born about 1843 and was a slater and plasterer. I found him in 1871 as James McAnaspia married to Alice [nee Grant] who apparently died without living issue in 1875. James and Alice were married in Liverpool in 1862. They are here in 1871: RG10 / 3777 / 165 /12.

According to their marriage cert James' father was also a James McAnaspie, a plasterer. James junior is allegedly born in Liverpool about 1843 but I can't find him in 1861 or 1851, possibly because of mis-spellings or transcription errors. I have found a Thomas McA, plasterer in 1881 - RG11 / 3708 / 61 / 14; and in 1871 - RG10 / 3781 / 56 / 50. In both he is from Dublin Ireland. He's here in 1861 - RG09 / 2691 / 120 / 22 with his 'wife' Mary. Sure he married Mary Fitzpatrick Liverpool in Sep qtr 1862 because there's a Fitzpatrick sister-in-law in the household in 1871.

As yet no link with 'my' James, possibly another Irish g.g.father to add to my collection! Considering getting the marriage cert for Thomas and Mary to find father's name/occupation....

So all suggestions as to how to proceed welcome. All finds of McAnasp* also welcome, particularly if they are slaters or plasterers!

Dickiesam

Post by **Daisycakes** » 03 Jul 2010 21:47

Hi..There is an Ann Mcanaspie((father William)) b 1855 married 1875 to Charles Wells at St Peters Liverpool...on the Familysearch Pilot...quite a few of Mc somethings on there....checked out a James Mcana for 1861 born Ireland living in Horsham but he was a railway worker..but hey who knows what you find?

I just wondered if Ann was maybe James's sister.

Theres also a Maria Mcanaspie born 1865 parents Thomas and Mary Mcanaspie..is this the Fitzpatrick wifey Mary...and could Thomas be a brother of your James?

Might be worth a look

Ann

Post by **dickiesam** » 03 Jul 2010 23:31

Hi Ann,
Thanks for looking.. my 'new' g.g.father was born abt 1843 according to the 1871 and 81 censuses. That marriage of an Ann to Charles Wells led me to her family in 1861. RG09 / 2730 / 99 / 9.

Her father William was yet another plasterer, same trade as my James and the Thomas I found earlier. William died in 1864 but I followed his widow Susan through 1871 [MCaspey!] to 1881 where she is with her son Charles bn 1852; Charles is now married and is a ..... plasterer!

It's looking as though Thomas, William and my James were possibly brothers in a family trade of plastering. And James probably wasn't born in Liverpool but Ireland.

Dickiesam

Post by **northmeols** » 04 Jul 2010 02:41

Thomas James McAnaspie
Birth: 16 JUN 1879
Christening: 01 SEP 1879 St Peter'S Church, Liverpool, Lancashire, Parents:
Father: James McAnaspie Mother: Mary McAnaspie
Messages:
Extracted birth or christening record for the locality listed in the record.
Batch No.: 043487

McAnaspie Thomas James W. Derby 8b 336b

Births Jun 1860 MCANASPIE James Liverpool 8b 191

Lancashire Marriage indexes for 1865
EMERY Robert HANMER Mary Liverpool, St. Peter Liverpool 2122LP/48/117

Post by **dickiesam** » 04 Jul 2010 06:09

Hi Susan,
The Thomas James McA whose christening you found in September 1879 is my maternal g.father. I had some doubts about his father's name on the birth cert but the christening puts the cap on it. So there is a mystery that will remain unsolved as to why by the time of his first marriage in 1899 he had changed his name to Emery and swapped fathers from James McA to Robert, his mother's legal spouse.

I am certain that my mum and her mum never knew that his father was actually James McA. He even called the first son in his first marriage Robert.

The James McA birth you found is a brother to the Ann that Daisycakes found, father William. And that 1865 marriage you found is Thomas James' mother marrying Robert Emery. They had children Robert [bn 1865], Harriet [bn 1870] and Ellen [bn 1877], although I have doubts about who Ellen's father really was. I think it was James McA!

It's one complicated lot I have there and now I have to untangle/disconnect g.father Thomas James from one father and hook him up to another!

Cheers
Dickiesam

Post by **northmeols** » 04 Jul 2010 16:21

It seems to me that Mary and James lived as common law husband and wife. She may not have had the means or know-how to divorce Robert Emery, she may not have known were he was after the army stint. so many sagas that could be interpreted from this, we may never know the truth. one that happened in my husbands line was divorcee/pregnant 2 children, husband walked out, no money coming in so she took in a lodger who never left and became husband #2 child she was carring took his name not biological fathers.

Post by **dickiesam** » 05 Jul 2010 23:13

Hi Susan,
Thanks for the thoughts... I've just told my two sisters that our birth certs are incorrect! Our mum's maiden name should have been McAnaspie! But, as my dad used to say "you are who you want to be, and that goes for names as well".

Mary Emery certainly considered herself a wife to James McA because after his death in 1890 she called herself a widow in the 1891 census. There, she is living in the household of her daughter Harriet and her husband Alexander Richardson. Harriet married as an Emery in 1888 and named Robert Emery as her father, occupation carter. Her brother Robert married in 1889 and named Robert Emery as his father. Robert senior had been discharged from service in the Colours in 1884 so he was around alright.

All I have to do now is find out where James McA came from and when.....

Dickiesam

Post by **northmeols** » 06 Jul 2010 01:08

McAnaspie is an Irish name occasionally found in Scotland too...It is defo a Gaelic name

Post by **Daisycakes** » 06 Jul 2010 16:51

Hi...Go to ... www.goireland.com ...and it gives you a little bit of a breakdown on the name McAnaspie or as they put it MacAnespie...I have checked out other sites without success... Its surprising how we English interpret the name... ya learn something every day on this forum its excellent.

Hope you have some luck with it....

Ann

Post by **Daisycakes** » 06 Jul 2010 21:56

Hi....On the Pilot Site...

Marriage at St Peters 19 July 1875

Charles Mcanespie b 1854 (( father William)).

.. Your James's brother

Elizabeth Youdes b 1857 ((father Robert))

No birth place unfortunately... Ann

Post by **dickiesam** » 06 Jul 2010 22:41

Hello Ann,
Thanks for the info. I have Charles in 1861 in RG09 / 2730 / 99 / 9. His father William [bn abt 1832] is a plasterer, same trade as my James. While there is a son named James in William's family, he was born in 1860.

My James was born abt 1844 and could be Charles' uncle. It is also possible that the Thomas McA bn 1838, and a plasterer in RG10 / 3781 / 56 / 50 is a brother to my James. Interestingly, Charles became a plasterer!

If, as I suspect, the family is Irish [both William and Thomas say they are from the Emerald Isle] I am going to need some luck!

If I do find him in Ireland I'll probably get plastered!!

Brian

Post by **Daisycakes** » 06 Jul 2010 22:45

Of course you will