Finding Scottish Roots

Much is lost over time, stories are forgotten and links broken, such is family history. One of the tasks of the family historian is to unearth the links and fill in the blanks from the little that remains. One such artefact passed to me by my father was the belief that the Paul branch of the tree had its roots in Scotland, this tale came from Alice Brownhill nee Paul his mother. Beyond that little was established in fact. In my youth I did not quiz my Grandmother about her history and to be fair it was not something she volunteered, we were too busy watching the wrestling on those distant Saturday afternoons.

Cracking open the laptop and getting to work with Ancestry UK offered the prospect of some answers, and very soon “hints” presented themselves. In seemingly no time at all Alice’s parents, grandparents and great grandparents were identified. Somewhat disappointingly James Brownhill Paul and his wife Annie (nee Bannister) were both denizens of Ecclesfield and Brightside, Sheffield. No family tartan there! Equally, the father of James Brownhill suggested by Ancestry, based on the 1851 Census was one James Paul, the son of William Paul a copper plate engraver who had relocated from Leeds to Sheffield. Not a Scottish forebear to be found.

Check the details and check again!

If I’ve learnt anything from Ancestry it is to be careful with hints and other family trees that appear to provide instant solutions. Ancestry hints based on the 1851 Census conveniently suggest William Paul and Elizabeth Ann, living in Attercliffe were the parents of the one year old James Paul. Job done or so I thought until a careful reading of James Paul’s marriage banns from September 1876 to Elizabeth Brownhill identify his father as James Paul “carpet weaver” and not William Paul, printer. On the certificate James Paul (jnr) also gives his age as 23, which gives a birth year around 1853-54 – too young to have been on the Census in 1851.

James and Elizabeth’s marriage certificate confirmed these digital details, raising the question from where did the James Pauls originate.

The thread breaks and is tied.

Records of James Paul Jnr ought to have been relatively easy to find in the Census records of 1871 and 1881. In this case nothing, at least in Sheffield. As is often the case carrying out a search on the spouse can often yield results. Thankfully, Elizabeth did show up in 1881 but living with her father Amos (no occupation) and mother Annie living in Low Wincobank. Also living in the household is the one year old James Brownhill Paul but no James Paul. Elizabeth Relation to Head of Household is given as “widow”.

A record how, when or where James Paul died remains a mystery. However switching the search to the Scottish Census eventually found a likely origin, a James Paul the son of James Paul (Snr), whose occupation in 1861 was cotton weaver and then in 1871 carpet weaver. These facts (ages, father’s name and occupation) may still be coincidence but they are a much closer fit with the family tale of Scottish ancestry. Perhaps it will take DNA to provide more reliable, conclusive evidence.

The potted history points towards rural handloom weavers in the textile centre of Kilbarchan, forced to migrate to the power looms of Glasgow and for the younger sons to join the diaspora to England and beyond.

James Paul, Carpet Weaver

Who is James Paul – Carpet Weaver?

The Girl Next Door

The address details on the certificate at the time of marriage show that James and Elizabeth likely lived in adjacent streets in Attercliffe: Amberley Street and Pothouse Road respectively. The OS map for the area shows an Amberley Road and a Pothouse Road which are probably correct but might be cross referenced with other sources. Christ Church is just down the road.

A Marriage Cut Short

Elizabeth’s marriage was blessed with a child, James Brownhill Paul, on 13 May 1878. By the time of the 1881 Census shows Elizabeth to be a widower now living with her parents Amos and Annie at Low Wincobank. Elizabeth lived until the age of 61 and died in 1918 but sadly witnessed the early death of her own son James Brownhill Paul in 1911, although she did see the birth of three granddaughters, Alice, Minnie and Daisy.

Dead end looming?

Initial searches in December 2019 do not find either James Paul! Family legend has it that Alice’s paternal line was Scottish and it is quite possible that James Paul was a recent emigre from Scotland and unconnected to the other Paul families in Sheffield at this time. To date also no sign of James Paul’s death.

To do:

1. Conclude searches of father – James Paul and James P in 1871 census etc.
2. Find registry entry for James Paul death and/or death certificate.