Irene

**irene1817** · 02-12-2011 08:43 PM

I'm looking for my grandmother. This is what I know:

Name: Mary Clark
Born: July 19, 1884
Place: Barley-knowe, Parish of Newbattle
Father: Thomas Clark, coal miner
Mother: Mary Ann Clark (maiden name Clark also)

Mary Clark married my grandfather John McQuade on July 26, 1901 in Fauldhouse, Linlithgowshire.
First child born - Mary Ann McQuade April 20, 1906
Second child born - February 17, 1910.
On the 1911 census both children are living with their Aunt Jean Duncan.

My grandfather had left for America in November 1909. He indicated on the ships manifest that he had a wife - Mary McQuade.

After the birth of Mary Clark McQuade's second child, there is no record of her. She does not appear anywhere on the 1911 census.

Can anyone help me.

Thanks
Irene

**Lola5** · 02-12-2011 08:54 PM

Hallo Irene,
A warm welcome to Ancestry Aid.
Hopefully we will be able to find what happened to Mary Mcquade nee Clarke.
Maybe she was taken ill after the birth of the second child and so was unable to care for them.
If there is no death found for her and John said he still had a wife when he left for the US then she must have been somewhere in UK. Unless he remarried and 2nd wife was also named Mary.?

**irene1817** · 02-12-2011 09:19 PM

Hi Lola5,
I have to tell you I am not very technical and am struggling with this site. I do not believe my grandfather re-married. I have no way of being sure, but I don't think so. I really do appreciate your getting back to me so fast. The Scottish researcher I am partnering with could find no other records for her in Scotland. I was wondering if she might have gone into England. I'ts such a mystery because it looks like if she was well and alive, she deserted my mother and uncle. I don't want to think this, but that's why I'm trying very hard to find out what happened to her.

Regards,
Irene

**Lola5** · 02-12-2011 09:53 PM

Hi again,
I have had a quick look and seem to be struggling already as there are so many Mary McQuades in Scotland. However we have some researchers on here who seem to be able knock down Scottish brickwalls so don't lose heart.
Please don't worry about finding your way round the site. I too, being non-technical, struggle.However the more you post and the more you click on things the easier it gets. It does not matter if you put something in the wrong place. We can just move it to the right forum or thread. You seem to be managing very well. (It took me about six months or more to put my first post on here!) If you need any help just ask.

When we delve into our families' pasts we have to almost walk in their shoes and some of them had very difficult lives. So we have to judge them kindly if at all.
Somehow I doubt your Mary would have left her children. I am thinking more of illness perhaps. An illness that made her unable to take care of home and family. At least they were cared for by a family member.
I'll have a look for a death in England too.

Have just seen a tree on A******* which must be yours as it has same people. Did Aunt Jean never say to Mary and Frederick anything. about their mother.Sometimes the smallest pieces of a family story can assist in putting the pieces together.

**Lola5** · 03-12-2011 11:10 AM

Where are you Irene?
I have looked at all the info you have so far. From the marriage info of John McQuade and Mary Clark's Marriage in July 1901 (when he was 19 and she 16) it seems that the parents have been traced correctly.
Your researcher has not yet found the death of Mary McQuade(or in maiden name of Clark) in Scotland between 1910 and 1911. The two children were living with their aunt John's sister,Jane Duncan and her husband and children) by 1911 census.
It is possible Mary died in childbirth or soon after. The fact that a death hasn't yet been found for her does not mean she did not die at/around that time.
It is also remotely possible that she became ill. At that time post natal depression was little understood and it sometimes deepened into a puerperal psychosis and the sufferers were then put in an institution. Sometimes they died there.
Did the researcher obtain Frederick/Frank's birth certificate? If so it might be that Mary died in the place where Frank was born in about 1910.
Did Mary have any babies before the birth of Mary Ann in 1906? Did the researcher find any baby births/deaths that may have been hers?

**irene1817** · 03-12-2011 01:00 PM

Hi Lola5, I'm in Ontario Canada. Here's the story in one place.

My mother Mary McQuade was born on April 20, 1906 at 23 Park Street, Crosshill, Ballingry, County of Fife. The informant was her father, John McQuade.
Frank her brother was born at 30 Park Street, same as above. The informant was Marcella McQuade, Mary nee Clark McQuade's mother-in-law.
From the 1911 censes, it looks like Aunt Jean Duncan lived at 69 Park Street, same as above. She has both children. I know she raised them.

My grandfather sailed for American on Nov 13th, 2009 out of Glasgow and arrived in New York Nov 21st. He is travelling with his sister Sarah Dunn and her two children. They are headed for Indiana to meet up with Sarah's husband Hiram.

I see him still with Sarah and children on the 1910 US census.
I also have his draft registration card signed July 12, 1918. He named Sarah as his nearest relative living in Tarre Haute Indiana. - No sign of his wife Mary.

On my mother's marriage register, on Nov 27th 1937, she refers to her mother as "the late Mary Clark". She just refers to her father as John McQuade so I take it he is still alive.
Both grandparents are a bit of a mystery, but I'll start with finding my grandmother.

How do I find out what happened to my grandmother Mary Clark McQuade?

Lola5, I really appreciate your assistant. Not knowing about my grandmother really leaves a big hole in my family tree. I'm hopeful. After I nail her down I'll then go after my grandfather. It's funny that I can trace earlier ancestors more easily than these recent members of my family.

**Lola5** · 03-12-2011 02:15 PM

Irene,
You say"my grandfather sailed for america on Nov 13th 2009......"
You meant 1909 did you?
But that was before Frank was born?

How do you find what happened to Mary Clark McQuade? I don't know but hopefully someone here will find her for you. We can but try. I suppose your researcher has looked for a death on all available sites Scottish sites.

Why did John not take Mary and little Mary with him in 1909? If she was expecting Frank then maybe she was going to join him after the baby was born.
Something happened to prevent this. Death?
But when? and where? There is a death in Liverpool for a 27 year old Mary McQuade in 1913. But she wouldn't be there without her children.
You might find Franks birth certificate useful as it would say who registered the birth. If his mother then she was still alive after his birth.

**pejay** · 03-12-2011 04:40 PM

Hello Irene welcome to AA. Good kluck with all your searches

**irene1817** · 03-12-2011 07:26 PM

Hi Lola 5, yes, I meant to say my grandfather sailed on Nov 13 1909. I believe Val Wilson my Scotish researcher looked on all possible sites to find if there were any death records. She feels confident that there are not any Death Records in Scotland for my grandmother. I went back to her twice just to be sure.

Marcella McQuade, John McQuade's mother and Mary Clark McQuade's mother-in-law registered the birth. The whole thing is a mystery to me. I just wish when I was younger and my mother was still alive that I had this interest in our family's history. Is it possible that in Scotland someone could die without the death being recorded anywhere? I wouldn't think so but I'm not sure. What about this Mary McQuade who died in Liverpool. Isn't that a port city? Even though the age is off by 2 years, 27 is young to died. I wonder if the death records would give some info.

On the 1891 Scotish census shows:

Thomas Clark Head 29 Coal Miner Haddingtonshire, Tranent
Mary Ann Clark Wife 26 Haddingtonshire, Tranent
Mary Clark Dau 7 Scholar Haddingtonshire (sic,) Barleyknowe - This is my grandmother - Question: what does (sic) indicate
Jane Clark Dau 8m Linlithgowshire, Bathgate
William Clark Son 3 Edinburghshire, East Caler

I'm documenting this in the hope that this might be farmiliar to someone and maybe they could shed some light on the matter. When I become more farmiliar with how this site works, I'll be able to upload some of their reports and would be happy to share with anyone who might be interested.

**Lola5** · 03-12-2011 08:07 PM

Irene,
There were several Mary mcQuades in Liverpool. Lots of McQuades left from liverpool to go to Us. They came into Liverpool from Ireland. They were coming as early as the 1840's. I looked on A***** passengers from ireland. (NO George though... too early as he came later).
Why did the two mothers register the birth.... and this is frank's birth in 1910 you mean?.... Well it must have been because Mary was too ill or that she had died.

John had left for US. Why didn't he come back if his wife had died?Why did the McQuades have the children and not the Clarks? So many questions and no one to answer them.

Sic means , I think, that there might be an error but if so it is part of quoted material and not an editors mistake(used in legal practice and editing etc).
What it actually means in this case i do not know. Need to actually see the entry in parish register or maybe on census image to know for sure.

The death for the Mary McQuade b about 1886 death Ap/May /Jun 1913 age 27 Liverpool Lancashire. 8b, 46 Burial 13 april 1913 Walton Park. Cannot be her.

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