Genealogy Forum UK

I'm looking for some help with the above person who would now a bit more about Scottish research.

My 3x great grandfather (Leslie Rankin) married the 2nd daughter of James Jack in 1848 in Garvagh, County Londonderry, Ireland, she was called Margaret. A newspaper posting recording the marriage states that Margaret was the daughter of James Jack Esq. Glasgow. On the marriage cert it states James Jack was a steward and that his daughters' address was Ballintemple, a townland near Garvagh. Margaret died in 1867 aged 44, making her birth date somewhere between 1822 and 1823. Leslie Rankin's birth date ranges from 1807 to 1827 (I have a range of sources).

I'm really struggling to pinpoint James Jack. Records point to a James Jack who married Ann Bowman, but he was a carter, surely with that profession, 'Esquire' would not be appropriate. Therefore not sure it's him.

Anybody who can add a little clarity to the research would be most welcome.

Thank you

1841 Census says James Jack's occupation was a Carter. On Margaret's marriage to Leslie Rankin, her father's occupation is a Steward. So, could James Jack be working on a farm as a Carter, then by Margaret's marriage in 1848 he becomes a Farm Steward?

This looks as though it could be them

Marriage date: 29 Jan 1819 Barony, Lanark
James Jack & Ann Bowman

1841 Census: Robertson Lane, Lanark, Lanarkshire
James Jack, 46, Carter
Ann Jack, 35
Margaret Jack, 19
Ann Jack, 15
James Jack, 10
Jean Jack, 7
Cecily Jack, 5
Janet Jack, 3
(All born Lanarkshire)

Found on Family Search web site

https://www.familysearch.org/

Marion Jack
Event Type: Birth
Event Date: 21 Oct 1819
Event Place: Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom
Event Place (Original): Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland
Gender: Female
Father's Name: James Jack
Mother's Name: Ann Bowman

Margaret Jack
Event Type: Christening
Event Place: Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom
Event Place (Original): Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland
Gender: Female
Birth Date: 14 Sep 1821
Birthplace: Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland
Father's Name: James Jack
Mother's Name: Ann Bowman

Thomas Jack
Event Type: Christening
Event Place: Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom
Event Place (Original): Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland
Gender: Male
Birth Date: 23 Aug 1824
Birthplace: Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland
Father's Name: James Jack
Mother's Name: Ann Bowman

Ann Jack
Event Type: Birth
Event Date: 2 Jul 1826
Event Place: Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom
Event Place (Original):
Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland
Gender: Female
Father's Name: James Jack
Mother's Name: Ann Bowman

James Jack
Event Type: Christening
Event Place: Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom
Event Place (Original): Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland
Gender: Male
Birth Date: 20 Dec 1830
Birthplace: Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland
Father's Name: James Jack
Mother's Name: Ann Bowman

Jean Jack
Event Type: Christening
Event Place: Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom
Event Place (Original): Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland
Gender: Female
Birth Date: 16 Aug 1833
Birthplace: Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland
Father's Name: James Jack
Mother's Name: Ann Bowman

Cecilia Jack
Event Type: Christening
Event Date: 15 Oct 1835
Event Place: Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom
Event Place (Original): Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland
Gender: Female
Father's Name: James Jack
Mother's Name: Ann Bowman

Janet Jack
Event Type: Christening
Event Place: Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom
Event Place (Original): Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland
Gender: Female
Birth Date: 21 Dec 1837
Birthplace: Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland
Father's Name: James Jack
Mother's Name: Ann Bowman

Thank you BC Wench.

Everything points to that James Jack as being correct. However, why would he have the title 'Esquire'? surely that contradicts his occupation as a carter. It certainly makes sense with regards to being a farm steward. However, the 1841 census says he is living in cellar, St. Peter's civil Parish, I don't think he would have worked on a farm at all. This is right in the city centre. On the death certificate of Ann Jack, who died in Govan poorhouse as a pauper and widower (1863), it says her husband, James Jack was a bonded storekeeper.

Would a bonded storekeeper have had an esquire title or could they be classified as a steward?

This is why I am still not 100% sure on who he really is....

Mmmm, okay, forget the carter on a farm.

Robertson Lane (1841 Census) lies between Robertson Street and York Street where these streets lead to the bonded warehouses on the River Clyde (1856/1857 old map). To the east of these streets is Jamaica Street which leads over the Glasgow Bridge then just to the right before going over the bridge there was a Customs House (1856/1857 old map). So was James Jack a carter, moving goods from the ships that arrived on the Clyde to the bonded warehouses?

Esquire is a formal title that can be used after a man's name if he has no other title, especially on an envelope that is addressed to him (Collins English Dictionary). In the 1960s when I started off as working as an audio typist, we used Esq. quite a lot, rather than Mr. J. Bloggs we would type J. Bloggs Esq., so personally I wouldn't read too much into that. It could possibly be newspaper jargon.

This is a brilliant web site for old maps

https://maps.nls.uk/os/25inch-england-and-wales/

Click on "As individual sheets using a zoomable....." underlined in blue. Left hand side "Type a Place Name" type in Robertson Lane, from drop down list choose Roberton Lane, Glasgow City, it will zoom into the map, on right hand side click on whichever map you want to.

I did wonder why Margaret Jack married Leslie Rankin in Ireland, was Leslie from there?

Mmm, yes so I think we can rule out the farming.

Ahh ok, so you're saying because the newspapers who reported the marriage didn't know much about James Jack, they labelled him as Esquire as to not cause offence? Whereas, they knew Leslie was a builder/carpenter, so knew he wouldn't possess that kind of title?

I think James Jack was exactly what you are suggesting, its much more plausible. I have researched the most common definitions of 'stewards' and seemingly its usually either a farm steward or ship steward. I wonder could a carter be a steward of a bonded warehouse?

Leslie was from Garvagh/Aghadowey in County Londonderry, Ireland, born around 1826, census material would have you believe he was born 1807/1811 and he died in 1904. His Father was James Rankin, who was an architect. The confusing part is, Margaret Jack was living in Ballintemple, near Garvagh in County Londonderry, close to Leslie at the time of marriage and I'm not sure why she was in Ireland at all.

Those map layers are fantastic BC! amazing how the city has grown and changed!

Thanks again

I was taught that Esquire was the correct form when addressing single men who weren't property owners, if they were married or owned a property they were addressed as Mr. but generally men used Esq. as an affectation rather than because it actually meant anything. However wiki has an article on it that might be more pertinent.