I've tried to post this before, but it evidently had not gone through. If this is a repeat post, I apologize.
William Douglas (often Douglass) was evidently born in Douglas on the Isle of Man, ca. 1820.
He married Ann Grant of Abbeyside-Dungarvan, Waterford, ca. 1843-1845. Their son, William was born in Dungarvan in 1845. William Douglas filed his Declaration of Intent for US citizenship in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Sept. 28, 1849.
I've found nothing to fill in the blank spaces between these years.
I do not know if his family brought him to Ireland when he was a child, or if he came on his own as an adult.
What sort of paper trail might have been created by a relocation/immigration from Man to Ireland between 1820-1843? What about more casual or transient visits? Would there be any harbor records, for instance, of the crews of Manx vessels putting in to sell their fishing catch or to buy supplies?
I'd be grateful for any hints or help.
Thanks,
D. Simmons
Wednesday 4th Sep 2013, 09:55PM
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There would be no paper trail for anyone moving from the Isle of Man to Dungarvan. The Isle of Man and Ireland were all just part of the same jurisdiction then and travel between them was a domestic journey similar to going from one county to another in the US. No passenger or crew lists etc required. (Indeed there would not be any today either.)
I have no specific knowledge of harbour records for Dungarvan but I would be astonished if they had any records of fishing boats that called there in the period 1820 ? 1840. I very much doubt any paperwork was required for a fishing boat on a domestic journey in those days.
There were 26 Douglas families on the Isle of Man in the 1841 census. Only one family, in Water Lane, Douglas, had a William Douglas (a painter) but he was still there, unmarried, in the 1851 census so it can?t be your ancestor.
That suggests that William had left the Isle of Man by 1841. Do you know what his parents? names were, to try and pinpoint them in the census, assuming they were still on the island?
Ahoghill Antrim
Wednesday 4th Sep 2013, 11:13PM