More information on some children of John Neil and Mary Anne Chrystal : Part 2 John Neil
This is part 2 of a series of four posts. The whole series is:
Possible John Neil and Mary McKenna at the 1921 Census
I searched for John and Mary at the 1921 Census – the first after they married and found an entry for a household living at 68 Main Street, Bridgetown, Glasgow comprised of John Neil, aged 31, a married dock labourer. In the column for the number of dependent children the number 1 has been written but then a green box has been drawn round it and the word “none” written above it. A green box also surrounds the cross in the number five box of the age at last birthday of dependents.
Mary Neil is his wife, aged 33 and her occupation is HD (Home Duties).
There is also an adopted son, Archibald, aged 5 months and 3 days. The marriage/orphanhood box has B/+ written in it. He is a scholar and all of them are said to have born in Glasgow, Lanarkshire. The ages for John and Mary are a good match. His death registration in 1934 recorded him as being a dock labourer.
I did try to find Archibald but as an adopted child, it wasn’t straight-forward. I looked on Scotland’s People at deaths for Archibald Neils born in 1916 and I found one who died aged 69 in 1986 and this would be correct for the Archibald we are looking for. I could not view a certificate online though.
| NEIL | ARCHIBALD | 69 | MCKENNA | M | 1986 | 617 / 59 | Glasgow, Martha St |
I searched for the death of a Mary Neil with an “other Surname” of McKenna and found an entry on Scotland’s People for a Mary Neil who died in 1963 at the correct age for our Mary’s birth.
This records the death of Mary Neil in the District of Provan in the Burgh of Glasgow. Mary is described as aged 74 years old, the widow of John Neil, dock labourer and the daughter of James McKenna, Cabinetmaker (deceased) and Agnes McKenna MS Miller (deceased). She died at 10h 10m am at 2154 Gartloch Road, Glasgow. The causes of death were 1) Tabes dorsalis and 2) Cystitis as certified by Ian A Gibson MB ChB. The informant was A Neil, son of 77 Fordneuk Street, Glasgow.
So this is clearly the right person and we might be justified in thinking that Archibald, who was adopted, was their only son.
Tabes dorsalis is a slow degeneration of the nerve cells and nerve fibers that carry sensory information to the brain.
Gartloch Hospital, in the east end of the city, admitted its first patients in 1896 and officially opened as Gartloch District Asylum a year later. The psychiatric facility for “pauper lunatics” could hold more than 800 inmates.
Birth and Baptism of Mary McKenna 29 Dec 1889
I also thought that I would look for Mary’s birth and found a baptismal record for her on Find My Past in the Catholic marriage registers for St Mary of the Assumption (RC) in Calton, Glasgow. She was born 29 Dec 1889 and baptised 14 Jan 1889. (presumably an error – it would be 1890). Her father is recorded as James McKenna and her mother is Agnes Millour. The address given is 23 Marshall Street. The witness was Mary McGhee.
I logged this document as N345.jpg and the original can be found at Find My Past here.
That is where I stopped with John and Mary. I did look for the McKennas in the census returns but only found one that looked likely at https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=GBC%2F1901%2F0037034806 James is a chair maker and he was recorded as a carpenter at Mary’s marriage to John Neil
[NOTE there is a lot more about Mary McKenna’s previous marriages on her marriage registration]