John Graham (abt. 1828 - aft. 1851)

Born about 1828 in County Armagh, Ireland

Ancestors

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Biography

John Graham was born in Ireland.

John Graham was born about 1828 in County Armagh, Ireland. He was the son of Samuel Graham, a labourer, and Elizabeth McInally.

Birth location
John's parents were married in County Armagh, Ireland. Records for his mother’s siblings Helen (McInally) Devine and John McInally show that they were born in County Armagh. They also married in County Armagh. It seems likely that John and his siblings were born in County Armagh.

The Famine Years (1845-1852)
John's early life coincided with the years of the Irish Potato Famine (1845-1852). The famine was likely the reason why his parents decided to leave Ireland and take their children elsewhere.

John Graham migrated from Ireland to Scotland.

Scotland
John's parents moved the family from Ireland to Scotland in about 1850. They appear in the 1851 Scotland Census and it shows that all their children were born in Ireland (the last in 1849). His mother's siblings also moved to Scotland with their families: Helen (McInally) Devine by 1845, John McInally by 1857 and Catherine (McInally) Kinnon by 1871 (these were John's aunts and uncles and their families).

The Graham family settled near Cathcart in Renfrew County, on the south side of Glasgow, south of the River Clyde. His mother's siblings also lived in Cathcart or the nearby town of Pollokshaws in the parish of Eastwood. The 1851 and 1861 Scotland Census show the Graham family living in a home in "Newlands", an area of farmland about halfway between Cathcart and Pollokshaws. In 1851, John was working as a labourer in a quarry, as were his father and his brother William. ^[1]

John is not in the 1861, 1871 or 1881 census with his parents. He likely married before 1861. He has a very common name (John Graham) so it is very hard to know which of all the marriage and census records with the same name may be a match.

Research Notes

The Irish Potato Famine (1845-1852)
The Great Famine or the Irish Potato Famine began in 1845 and was caused by a blight which attacked and destroyed the potato crop, the main staple of Ireland's peasantry. The potatoes rotted in the fields, leaving millions with nothing to eat and unable to pay their yearly rents to the landlords. Relief measures were introduced, but when the crop failed the following year, the crises became a catastrophe. Between 1845-1850 the population of Ireland fell from around eight million to about five million. As many as one million died from hunger and disease. Another two million were forced to emigrate.

The north of Ireland didn't suffer as badly from the Great Famine as did the south and south west of Ireland because they were sheltered by the textile industry. But they still suffered. The effect of the famine can be seen from census records. Between 1841 and 1851 Ulster’s population declined by 15%, all of Ireland’s by 20%. ^{[2] [3]}

1851 Scotland Census

Name: John Grahame

Age: 23

Estimated Birth Year: abt 1828

Relationship: Son

Father: Samuel Grahame

Mother: Elizabeth Grahame

Gender: Male

Where born: Ireland

Parish Number: 560

Civil Parish: Cathcart

County: Renfrewshire

Address: Newlands

Occupation: Labourer (quarry)

ED: 2

Page: 9

Household Schedule Number: 32

Line: 12

Roll: CSSCT1851_117

Household Members:

Name Age

Samuel Grahame 46

Elizabeth Grahame 44

John Grahame 23

William Grahame 19

Jane Grahame 13

James Grahame 10

Elizabeth Grahame 8

Samuel Grahame 5

Julia Grahame 2 [likely Sarah Graham]

Sources

1. ↑ "1851 Scotland Census", database with images, ScotlandsPeople, National Records of Scotland and the Court of the Lord Lyon (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk); John Grahame, son in the household of Samuel Grahame, citing parish number 560, Cathcart, Renfrewshire, household schedule number 32, page 9, line 12, roll CSSCT1851_117.
2. ↑ ”The Famine in Co. Down, Ireland 1845-1850”, Rootsweb, Ros Davies' Co. Down, Northern Ireland Family History Research Site, https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~rosdavies/genealogy/WORDS/Famine.htm
3. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Great Famine (Ireland)," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Great_Famine_(Ireland)&oldid=1097436696 (accessed July 11, 2022).

See also:

• Wikipedia contributors, "Newlands, Glasgow," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Newlands,_Glasgow&oldid=1100008604 (accessed January 16, 2023).
• "Cathcart", GENUKI, UK and Ireland Genealogy (https://www.genuki.org.uk/), Cathcart Parish, https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/sct/RFW/Cathcart (accessed January 16, 2023).