tracing my 2nd great grandfather william woods.

Donna,

The discrepancy in ages between the 1901 and 1911 census is probably due to the introduction of the Old Age pension. It started in 1909 and you had to be 70 or older to qualify. As a result thousands of people’s ages in the 1911 Irish census increased quite significantly as they hoped that this might help get their pension sooner. So it’s common to see wide discrepancies like this. (Folk normally didn’t celebrate birthdays in Ireland in the 1800s and often didn’t really know their age anyway. Guessing was common).

You won’t find a birth certificate for William  senior because they only started in 1864 in Ireland. You might find his baptism record but that may not be on-line. PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast has  a copy of the Donacavey/Fintona Church of Ireland baptism records. They start in 1800. Personal visit required to view them.

You wonder if William senior was born in Scotland. In both the 1901 & 1911 censuses he gave his place of birth as Co Tyrone so I would think he was born there. Just that the records you need are not on-line.

In the various birth certificates for  his children, and in the censuses, and on his own marriage certificate, he described himself as a servant or labourer. No mention of any railway employment (and to be a station master you would need to have worked for the railways for a reasonable length of time).  Like Patricia, I wonder if the man who married in Cork in 1911 is the same man who was born in Tyrone in 1882. Where was William junior in the 1901 and 1911 censuses?  How do you know the man who married in 1911 came from Tyrone?

 

Assuming it’s the correct William Woods, the only explanation I can offer for “station master” is that William “promoted” his father to a slightly more impressive occupation for reasons unknown. There’s no evidence from the birth certificates and censuses that he was ever engaged in anything other than farm related work. (I also looked in the 1901 & 1911 censuses for any other William Woods in Ireland who was a station master, or similar, but did not see one. Could have been retired or dead of course).

Going back to your quest for William Woods senior’s birth, the only record is likely to be his baptism. I can see that daughter Jane Woods married in Fintona Church of Ireland in 1895, so that suggests it was the family church. That’s therefore where I would look for his baptism. As mentioned previously, those records are in PRONI in Belfast. They have the originals as well as microfilmed copies. They are not on-line anywhere (according to my guide to Church of Ireland records). So that’s probably the only place you may find it. And you may well find any siblings there too.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1895/10544/5840688.pdf

Regarding the age discrepancy between the 1901 & 1911 censuses, I have explained the likely reasons behind that. By way of additional proof, I have attached a letter which I found in parish records in PRONI from someone in Pettigoe, Co. Donegal in 1908 writing to his Minister, asking for proof of age (ie a baptismal certificate). All he knew was that he was between “70 and 78 years of age.” He clearly had only the vaguest idea and couldn’t narrow it down to within 9 years. (The likely reason for the letter was that the old age pension was being introduced in 1909 for people aged 70 and over. Documentary proof of age was required. Thus, probably for the first time in his life, establishing his age accurately became relevant to him). That vagueness about your real age was typical of the time.  Folk weren’t bothered. If officialdom occasionally asked for an age or date of birth, it was normal to just guess or make one up.

Donna,

I searched the 1901 & 1911 censuses for “WOODS + born Tyrone + professions of railway or station.” There are 4 or 5 that fit those criteria but all are Catholic and don’t look to be your family.

Have you gone through all William’s siblings and identified what happened to them? That’s a way of identifying or eliminating the likely suspects. The 1911 census says William senior had 11 children, 10 of whom were still alive then. There wouldn’t have been any female station masters in the early 1900s, so I’d focus on the males. Are there any you can’t account for?

Jane Woods and husband William Hill look to have had 2 children in Ireland (Joseph 22.8.1896 & Lizzie 29.12.1897) after which they vanish from local records. Suspect they left Ireland.

Donna,

I have never come across the term “station hand” here in Ireland. Neither in the context of railways nor agricultural farms. Station Master in Ireland means someone in charge of a railway station.  Just that. I have never seen it used in any other context.

I know station hand can mean something different elsewhere. I have visited a few “stations” in South Australia and know what it means there, but it means nothing in Ireland.  Farm workers/labourers  in Ireland were called that, not “station hands”. Station Master here is definitely not an alternative for “station hand.” Sorry to dampen your enthusiasm but I don't think that “Station Master” is a mistake for “Station Hand” (a term completely unknown in Ireland).

I’ll get back to you soon on the other pieces of information you have given.

Elwyn

 

 

Donna,

William Woods married Eliza Glendinning  in 1871. I found 11 children which fits with the information on the 1911 census. I can’t find anything on quite a few of the children which suggests that when they reached working age they moved away and so will be hard to trace unless you get a lead from another source. At least one ended up in Scotland. I suspect others will likewise have gone to Britain or further afield to find work.

Margaret 9.11.1872

Jane 16.10.1874 married William Hill 1895. 2 children Joseph 1896 and Lizzie 1897 then couple disappear from Irish records. Presumably left Ireland. There’s a death in Cambusnethan, Lanarkshire for a Jane Woods in 1958 aged 84, whose previous name was  Woods. That looks promising. 1911 Scottish census for Cambusnethan GROS ref 628/8/5 has William 39, Jane 36, Joseph 14, Lizzie 13, Minnie 7, Dora 5 & Jeanie 3.

Robert 27.11.1876

Eliza 26.6. 1878 in 1901 census

Mary Anne 19.6.1880

William 31.8.1882 married Mary Anne Story in 1911. She died 1918. He died 1954 in Cork.

Thomas 15.12.1884 n/k 1901

Alexander 22.6.1887

Joseph 15.5.1889 in 1901 census.

Martha 29.4.1891 in 1901 and 1911 as Tillie. Possible marriage for Martha Matilda Woods to William Hughes in 1914. Fintona Church of Ireland. Not a twin as that would be noted on her birth certificate with their respective times of birth (to show who was the elder).

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1914/09864/5582855.pdf

Andrew 3.8.1896 in 1901 & 1911. Possible marriage for Andrew in 1918 to Charlotte Cochrane..

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1918/09728/5529680.pdf

Possible daughter Maggie to above parents regd Omagh 12.4.1923. (There may be later children but those born within the  past 100 years are not on-line).

I can’t see which of the 11 children had died by 1911. I don’t see any suitable deaths in the Omagh area, so perhaps the person had left home and died in another area. Bear in mind that irishgenealogy only have records for what is now Northern Ireland up to 31.12.1921. After that you have to search on the GRONI site which is pay to view.