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Hi - trying to track down Thomas McEwan - born a twin (I think - a sister called Mary Ann) born Sept 1828 and christened Nov 1828 at RC St Andrews Glasgow. Both names are on a Christening record on Scotlands people (and I think FMP - which someone checked for me as I do not have it).

Two exam questions for me:

Mary Ann (living with Charles McEwan and Mary Mcewan and others in Greenock) in the 1851 census as aged 20 (am confident it is same one) - did age errors such as this occur (she would have been 22/23). Interestingly when I put her in some years ago i had assumed the census of 1851 as the age calculator - even funnier you can see the error on other trees as people copied her in. As an aside I think I found her death as a single woman in 1872.

Trying to find a trace of Thomas - (long shot) - I have found "Thomas McEwan Died 1 Nov 1884 Residence: Isabella Street, Camperdown. NSW Australia (4504) - Born 1828 " - just trying to fin an ship records of Thomas McEwan going to Australia between 1845 and 1860

Thomas was a son of Charles McEwan and Mary Smith and born in Glasgow and then moved to Greenock (no trace of him on 1841 census.

I have details on my Ancestry tree

Any help appreciated.

The easy answer to your first question -
yes, ages can vary wildly from one census to another.

Re Thomas -
how do you know he moved to Greenock if he's not on the 1841 census?
[EDIT: Oops, you said his parents and sister were in Greenock in 1851.]

I assume from what you say, that you have no documented trace of him apart from his baptism, and that you're just wondering if the man in Australia might be your Thomas, without any particular reason to believe that he ever went there.

Unfortunately, Thomas McEwan (and other spellings) is a very common name.
Also, old records can be very patchy.
Registration of births, deaths and marriages was not compulsory in Scotland until 1855, so it's possible he died before then , although there's no record of it.

These are the records for the two Thomas McEwan's born 1828 in Scotland from Findmypast:-

First name(s) Thomas
Father's first name(s) Alexander
Last name McEwan
Father's last name McEwan
Birth year 1828
Page 38
Birth date 05 Jul 1828
Archive Ref OPR 465/7
Baptism year -
Year Range 1820-1854
Place Alloa
Item 2
County Clackmannanshire
Record set Scotland, Parish Births & Baptisms 1564-1929
Country Scotland
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
Mother's first name(s) Jane
Subcategory Parish Baptisms
Mother's last name Carmichael
Collections from Great Britain, Scotland

and:-

First name(s) Thomas
Diocese Glasgow
Last name McEwan
County Lanarkshire
Sex Male
Country Scotland
Birth year 1828
Archive The Scottish Catholic Archives
Birth date 03 Sep 1828
Archive reference MP/62
Baptism year 1828
Volume 02
Baptism date 02 Nov 1828
Section 01
Father's first name(s) Charles
Sub-section 02
Father's last name McEwan
Year range 1795-1869
Mother's first name(s) Mary
Record set Scotland Roman Catholic Parish Baptisms
Mother's last name Smith
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
Denomination Roman Catholic
Subcategory Parish Baptisms
Parish St Andrew
Collections from Great Britain, Scotland

Neither of these records have the parents as Charles and Mary.

I can't see a record of him going to Australia.

Kath. x

Kath -
the second baptism you posted above has parents Charles and Mary, and is the one Christopher is talking about.

From SP:

MCEWAN
THOMAS
CHARLES MCEWAN / MARY SMITH
Male
[Birth:] 3/9/1828
[Baptism:] 2/11/1828
Glasgow, St Andrew's

By 1841, Thomas might have left home for work (aged 13) , so could be living anywhere, or might have already died.
Ages stated on censuses can't be relied on.
There are several possible spellings or mis-spellings of McEwan

I don't think you'll be able to identify him definitely on any census.

The man in Australia:

Thomas Mcewan
in the Balmain, New South Wales, Australia, Cemetery Records, 1868-1912
Name: Thomas Mcewan
Age: 56
Birth Date: abt 1828
Death Date: 3 Nov 1884
Death Place: Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
Religion: Church of England
Notes: W. H. Wood & Son
Household (Name)
Thomas Mcewan
Thomas [parent/spouse]

According to the image of that record, he was an engineer, and his religion was Church of England - so is unlikely to be the man baptised in a Catholic church, unless he'd changed his allegiance at some point.

It also says his parent's name was Thomas - so definitely not your man., if that's correct.
He had a brother-in-law named Peter Raymond, and a son-in-law named Thomas Dagg.


Thomas Dagg
in the Australia, Marriage Index, 1788-1950
Name: Thomas Dagg
Marriage Date: 1879
Marriage Place: Sydney, New South Wales
Registration Date: 1879
Registration Place: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Spouse: Charlotte McEwen
Registration Number: 386


Charlotte Elisabeth McEwen
in the Sydney, Australia, Anglican Parish Registers, 1814-2011
Name: Charlotte Elisabeth McEwen
Record Type: Baptism
Birth Date: 4 Aug 1860
Baptism Date: 9 Sep 1860
Baptism Place: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Parish as it Appears: St Andrew
Father:
Thomas McEwen [ engineer]
Mother:
Charlotte McEwen


Thomas McEwan
in the Australia, Marriage Index, 1788-1950
Name: Thomas McEwan
Marriage Date: 1858
Marriage Place: Sydney, New South Wales
Registration Date: 1858
Registration Place: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Spouse: Charlotte C Raymond
Registration Number: 939

For our reference -

the 1851 census you mention:

Charles Mcewan
in the 1851 Scotland Census
Name: Charles Mcewan
Age: 50
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1801
Relationship: Head
Spouse: Mary Mcewan
Gender: Male
Where born: Ireland
Parish Number: 564
Civil Parish: Greenock West
County: Renfrewshire
Address: 12 High Vennel Lambs Land
Occupation: Gas Fitter Journeyman
ED: 83
Page: 9
Household Schedule Number: 28
Line: 7
Roll: CSSCT1851_119
Household Members:
Name Age
Charles Mcewan 50 - Ireland
Mary Mcewan 48 - Ireland
Maryann Mcewan 20 - Glasgow
Charles Mcewan 19 - Glasgow
Theresa Mcewan 7 - Greenock
Joseph Mcewan 4 - Greenock
Charlotte Hardey 32 - niece, Ireland
Catherine Oneil 20 - servant, Iireland



And in 1841 -

Mary Mcewan
in the 1841 Scotland Census
Name: Mary Mcewan
Age: 35
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1806
Gender: Female
Where born: Ireland
Civil parish: Greenock St Andrews
County: Renfrewshire
Address: Vennel
Parish Number: 564
Household Members (Name) Age
Mary Mcewan 35
Charles Mcewan 10
Maryann Mcewan 12
Charlotte Harvey 20
Agnes Smith 70
Mary MacKledowie 40


Son Charles's baptism:

MCEWAN
CHARLES
CHARLES MCEWAN / MARY SMITH
Male
10/2/1831 [DOB ]
13/2/1831 [ Baptism ]
Glasgow, St Andrew's


I suspect Thomas had died in early childhood, although there's no record.

Sorry about the baptisms I posted.. Senior moment then. I can't have read the record properly.

Kath. x

Thanks all - I started to go down a rabbit hole and you pulled me out

Mary Ann has been a useful search though - I think I have managed to work out that she was unmarried when she died.

My mission atm is to try to track all descendants of Charles McEwan (1801-1857) and Mary Smith :-D :-(

You say you think Mary Ann died in 1872.
Where?

I don't see any such death on Scotlands People - though I don't see her (so far) after 1871.

She's still with her mother in 1871:

Mary Ann McEwan
in the 1871 Scotland Census
Name: Mary Ann McEwan
Age: 25
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1846
Relationship: Daughter
Mother's Name: Mary McEwan
Gender: Female
Where born: Greenock
Registration Number: 564/1
Registration district: Greenock Middle
Civil parish: Greenock Middle
Town: Greenock
County: Renfrewshire
Address: 11 Cross Shore Street
Occupation: Stationer
ED: 5
Household schedule number: 78
Line: 16
Roll: CSSCT1871_97
Household Members (Name) Age Relationship
Mary McEwan 70 Head
Mary Ann McEwan 25 Daughter
Thoresa McDonald 26 Daughter
Hugh McDonald 5 Mo Grandson
Mary I McDonald 4 Grandaughter (Granddaughter)
Bridget Morgan 50 Servant

Theresa - 1871 above:

Marriage:

MCEWEN THERESA
MCDONALD HUGH
1866
564 / 3 / 121
Greenock Old or West


Teresa McDonald
in the 1881 Scotland Census
Name: Teresa McDonald
Age: 34
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1847
Relationship: Boarder
Gender: Female
Where born: Greenock, Renfrewshire
Registration Number: 510
Registration district: Dunoon and Kilmun
Civil parish: Dunoon and Kilmun
County: Argyll
Address: Hillfoot St Parlanes Ld B.C
Occupation: Hawkers
ED: 5
Household schedule number: 50
Line: 24
Roll: cssct1881_151
Household Members (Name) Age Relationship
Cath Cairns 25 Head
James Cairns 6 Son
Mary Ann Cairns 3 Daughter
John Cairns 1 Son
Teresa McDonald 34 Boarder
Teresa McDonald 13 Boarder
Hugh McDonald 10 Boarder


Theresa McEwan
in the Web: Scotland, Prison Records Index, 1828-1878
Name: Theresa McEwan [Theresa McDonald]
Gender: Female
Age: 40
Birth Date: 1845
Birth Place: Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland
Residence Place: Greenock
Imprisonment Date: 1885
Imprisonment Place: Greenock, Renfrewshire
Prison: Greenock
Occupation: Hawker


Theresa McEwan
in the Web: Scotland, Prison Records Index, 1828-1878
Name: Theresa McEwan [Theresa McDonald]
Gender: Female
Age: 42
Birth Date: 1846
Birth Place: Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland
Residence Place: Not fixed
Imprisonment Date: 1888
Imprisonment Place: Ayr, Ayrshire
Prison: Ayr
Occupation: None


Theresa McEwan
in the Web: Scotland, Prison Records Index, 1828-1878
Name: Theresa McEwan [Theresa McDonald]
Gender: Female
Age: 44
Birth Date: 1845
Birth Place: Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland
Residence Place: No fixed
Imprisonment Date: 1889
Imprisonment Place: Ayr, Ayrshire
Prison: Ayr
Occupation: Hawker

Confirming that Thomas was Mary’s twin

MCEWEN
MARY ANNE
CHARLES MCEWEN / MARY SMITH
FEMALE
3/9/1828
2/11/1828
GLASGOW, ST ANDREW'S

FMP transcription of 1871..............

11, Cross Shore Street, Middle Parish Greenock, Middle Parish, Renfrewshire, Scotland
Mary McEwan Head Widow Female 70 1801 - Ireland
Mary Ann McEwan Daughter Unmarried Female 35 1836 Stationer Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland
Theresa McDonold Daughter Married Female 26 1845 - Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland
Hugh McDonold Grand son - Male 0 1871 - Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland
Mary I McDonold Grand daughter - Female 4 1867 - Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland
Bridget Morgan Servant Unmarried Female 50 1821 General servt domestic Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland

Mary Ann, daughter of Mrs McEwan, died at 11 Cross Shore Street, Greenock in March 1872 (Greenock Telegraph 6.3. 1872)

And her death - easily found after all. Don't know why I couldn't see it before!

MCEWAN
MARY ANN
35
mmn SMITH
F
1872
564 / 1 / 58
Greenock New or Middle