Richard McVay

Richard MacVay, christened 1 November 1793 at Osmotherly, North Riding Yorkshire, a village not far from Richmond where Eliza Richardson was born and christened, father Barne (Barnard), mother Mary. (Find My Past) This is Eliza Richardson's father. Family Search have him baptised 1794 at Osmotherley, same parents. Richd. Macvay England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 Name: Richd. Macvay Gender: Male Christening Date: 1794 Christening Date (Original): 1794 Christening Place: OSMOTHERLEY,YORK,ENGLAND Father's Name: Barne Macvay Mother's Name: Mary Barnard and Mary were Catholic, and baptised Richard and his brothers John, Barnard and Daniel, and sisters Ann Catherine and Jane as 'papists'. In 1803 they became Anglican and had the three younger children, Daniel, Jane and Catherine accepted into the Church of England at Osmotherley. Richard later seems to have baptised his daughter, Eliza, as catholic (still to be confirmed), but not his sons, Richard and James Laing.

Richard is recorded as McVay and MacVay interchangeably, other details consistent.

Richard had a brother named John, christened 26 June at Osmotherley, father Barne McVay and mother Mary. I have now found the family of Barnard McVay, who is Richard's father. There are no other likely candidates, no other Richard McVays in N Yorkshire at the time.

There is no evidence for a marriage to Margaret in England or Scotland, although I imagine he married circa 1819, probably in Richmond, since Eliza was born there in 1820.

1819: Richard MacVay married Mary Laing 31st May 1819, at St Nicholas church, Guisborough, Yorkshire, North Riding. The minister who married Eliza Maria either misheard her mother's name, or assumed it was Margaret. Eliza's mother was Mary not Margaret.

1820: Eliza McVay born.

1823: James McVay born.

1825: Richard Laing McVay born.

1825: Mary McVay died at Guisborough at the birth of son Richard Laing McVay. Richard's children probably lived with Mary's Laing family until he remarried.

28 Dec 1829, Richmond, Yorkshire: Richard McVey, stonemason, born abt. 1791, 38 yrs, is initiated into the Lennox Lodge, No. 547. The lodge was given a warrant in 1763, named in 1799, and celebrated its centenary in 1878. It met at the King's Head Hotel, during Richard's membership. Richard was a paid up member until 1835, when he either transferred to another lodge, or allowed his membership to lapse. See docs

1830: Richard McVay, widower, married Jane Banks, spinster, at Richmond, Yorkshire (North Riding), on 15 May 1830, by licence. Witnesses were Thos Barker and Ann Learoyd. Both Richard and Jane were 'of this parish', Richmond. See docs Jane came from Brafferton and was some years older than Richard. She died at Brafferton, a widow, at a ripe old age.

In the 1841 census both of Richard's sons are still living with their grandparents at Guisborough, and Eliza is marrying James Robert Richardson in East Sussex. Not clear whether Eliza had been living with her Laing grandparents or with her father.

Can't find Richard in the 1841 census. The Richard McVay at Mickelgate, was born in Scotland.

There is a memorial to Richard McVay at St Mary's church, Richmond, in the North Riding of Yorkshire. No age, date or other clues to identify him. My guess is that this is our Richard. Yes, it is because there is also a memorial to Mary, his first wife, and mother of his three children. Perhaps Richard's details are missing because he died elsewhere, or his second wife was economising on lettering.

Sorting out Richard's occupation is a bit tricky, since he is variously recorded as a stone cutter, mason, and, on Eliza's marriage register, an engineer. He comes from a well off and well established family of the rising middle class in the North Riding with brothers who are a shoemaker/innkeeper, a wealthy auctioneer/valuer, and a farmer, to say nothing of the famous pianoforte maker, Charles McVay, in London. He is repeatedly mentioned eg in the children's baptisms as a mason or similar, so that seems reliable. He is also from 1829, a freemason, with his occupation recorded as 'stonemason'.

Richard McVay was buried 4 August 1848, at Keighley, North Yorkshire. Ancestry have the burial record from the Anglican Parish church at Keighley, which shows that Richard McVay, 55 years, of Sun Street Keighley, was buried on 4th August 1848, at Keighley. Richard was living with or near his brother Barnard/Bernard, the auctioneer, rather than with his second wife. Silicosis from inhaling stone dust is/was common amongst masons, and it is likely that Richard's early death was caused by lung disease, and probably silicosis.

AN ODDITY First name(s) Michael Last name MacVay Age 24 Birth year 1795 Residence parish Osmotherly Residence county Yorkshire Licence year 1819 Licence date 30 May 1819 Intended marriage place Guisborough PC Spouse's first name(s) Mary Spouse's last name Laing Spouse's age 21 Spouse's parish Guisborough Spouse's county Yorkshire [This from Archbishop of York Marriage Licence Index. Either a faulty transcript at the parish end, or at the digitisation point]