My Great Grandmother was Emily Ellen Mageean. She & Evangelo Caravais had a son Nicholas in 1896. She lived in Downpatrick Ireland. My Grandfather Nicholas Caravais was put in the Lisburn Workhouse in approx. 1910-11 and later emigrated to Canada in 1911. He emigrated with his half brother James King. Looking for any info on Emily, Evangelo or Nicholas. Please contact Ann.
Ann,
This may be Emily’s birth in 1874 in Downpatrick:
Here’s Emily & Nicholas in the 1901 census of Belfast:
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Dock_Ward/Trafalgar_Street/1003994/
Here’s Nicholas’s birth in 1896. Father was a sea captain:
The birth certificates indicate the parents were married but I can’t see a marriage in Irish records. Perhaps they married elsewhere. I note Emily said she was a widow in April 1901.
Deaths here of 3 other of Emily’s children:
Twins here:
(The birth & death certificates indicate Evangalo wasn’t the twins’ father).
There are numerous trees on Ancestry which give this family. Evangelo is reported to have drowned when his ship the Ithaca sank in the Channel in April 1900. Depending on his nationality and the ship’s nationality, his death may be registered in the Maritime register in GRO Southport, England. Or it may be registered in his native country which I assume was not the UK or Ireland.
Son James Alexander King, to father James King, born June 1900:
The birth certificate indicates the parents were married but I don’t see any marriage in Irish records.
I looked for Nicholas in the 1911 census, in the workhouse but I don’t see him listed, nor do I see his mother. You mention Nicholas was put in Lisburn workhouse. If the family were in Belfast then he would likely be put into that workhouse. But whichever it was, both Lisburn & Belfast workhouse admission records still exist for 1910/11. They are in PRONI (personal visit required to look them up).
Elwyn,
Thank you for all your information. I have an ancestry tree on Family Search.org. I have records of alot of the information but was missing my Grandfathers Nicholas birth certificate. I also have many questions like why can't I find a record of Emily & Evangelo's marriage. Why can't I find a record of Evangelo's ship. Why can't I find a record of a ship wreck of the Ithaca in 1900. More questions my Ggrandfather was only about 18 when Nicholas so why was he a sea captain? I also found in the 1911 census in Northumberland England an Evangelo Caravais who was a greek AB Seaman and 22 (I am thinking this may be him & he never did go down in a shipwreck in 1900.
As I said I had record of my Grandfather Nicholas in the Lisburn Workhouse in the 1911 census. The info was through the family search site and after much searcing the past couple of days I found it. I suppose for now I'll be searching for ships or shipwrecks where I can trace Evangelo Caravais to. I have also joined a greek ancestry site which I hope will help.
Again thanks and have a great day.
Ann
Ann,
I’d suspect that Emily never married Evangelo, and quite possibly she "promoted" him a few ranks when registering the births. No documentation was required so the information was largely taken on trust. Plenty of scope for exaggeration and also for covering up illegitimacy.
I can’t find any mention of the Ithaca sinking either, so perhaps that was an invention to explain his absence.
Elwyn,
That's exactly what I thought. Thanks for your thoughts. Someday if I ever get to ireland I'd like to look you up. I live in Canada. Have a great day.
Ann
Ann,
Yes, if you ever come to Ireland, I’d be happy to meet up. I live about 30 minutes outside Belfast.So no problem at all.
Emily lived in Trafalgar St, Belfast. That’s down the docks in an area called Sailortown. All the old houses in Trafalgar St were demolished in the 1960s and it’s an industrial area now but there are a few older buildings and pubs left nearby to get some idea of the original atmosphere. Pilot St is just a minute’s walk away. It has a few buildings that go back to the mid 1800s, including the Rotterdam Bar, which sailors used all the time. Perhaps Emily might have known it? Live Irish music 7 nights a week (Covid permitting) nowadays. Might give you an idea of how that area looked in 1900.
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/rotterdam-bar-belfast.html
Another option is to go to the Ulster Folk Museum at Cultra, a couple of miles outside Belfast on the road to Bangor (Cultra rail station). They have several streets of houses from Belfast, which have been re-built brick by brick. (We call them “2 up 2 downs” because there were 2 rooms upstairs and 2 down). That would be another way of getting a feel for life around Trafalgar St around 1900. (Allow 4 or 5 hours for a proper visit as it’s pretty big). Some photos here:
https://www.culturenorthernireland.org/features/heritage/ulster-folk-an…
Thanks for all the great information> I will definately save it in case we make it to Ireland.
Ann