5. Proving The Theory

The first Scottish record I looked for was my great-grandfather’s birth, and I found it.

 

John Arthur Mullan was born on March 27, 1872 at St. Cuthbert Street, Catrine, Ayrshire County. Father: Peter Mullan, Ironstone Miner. Mother: Hannah Mullan, M.S. (maiden surname) Arthur. Peter and Hannah were married on September 26^th, 1867, in Auchinleck. Informant:  Peter Mullan, father.

 

The birth date of March 27, 1872, matches exactly the date on his death certificate, along with the names of his parents, and Hannah’s maiden name of Arthur on her death certificate in Youngstown.  The evidence was piling up. This one record helped me to find dozens of Scottish records for the Mullan and Arthur families, which told the story of two families with a rich history in both Scotland and Ireland.

First, I had to make certain that I was climbing the right family tree. I looked at Peter and Hannah’s marriage record. (There is a discrepancy with the marriage date that I can only explain by a husband not really knowing his anniversary)

 

Married on October 3^rd, 1867, at the Catholic Church in Auchinleck, Peter Mullin, Engine Keeper (bachelor), and Hannah Arthur, Mill weaver (spinster), both age 24, both living in Catrine. Peter’s parents:  Ben Mullan, miner (deceased), and Agnes Mullan, maiden surname: Donally. Hannah’s parents:  John Arthur, pit lab, and Hannah Arthur, maiden surname: Moor.

Their parents’ names - Ben Mullan, Agnes Donally, John Arthur, and Hannah Moor match almost exactly their parents’ names on their death certificates from Youngstown. I was positive at this point that I had the right people. 

Another interesting document I found while snooping around in the Scottish records - Ben Mullan's death record.  

Benjamin Mullan, age 41, coal miner, died March 7, 1855, of chronic bronchitis in Auchinleck, Scotland.  Born in Tyrone, Ireland.  Parents' names: John Mullan and Agnes Donley.  Spouse name: Agnes Donley.   Eight children, two deceased.  

So...Ben and Agnes Mullan emigrated to Scotland from Northern Ireland - Tyrone County.  They were not native-born Scots, although several of their children were born in Scotland.  This also explains why Peter Mullan and Hannah Arthur were married in the Catholic Church, even though she was raised in the Protestant faith.  The Mullan family was Irish Catholic!

Another update to the family tree: