Thomas McGee was born on January 3, 1846 in Lightburn in the Parish of Shettleston, Lanarkshire, to Sarah Dunigan (c1810 - 1888) and James McGee (c1810 - 1885). [See Section MG-5-1 for family background.]
Margaret Hyslop was born on March 12, 1858 at 94 Cambridge Street in the Sub-district of Chorlton upon Medlock in the District of Chorlton to Fanny Greaves (c1831 - ????) and John Hyslop (c1831 - ????). [See Section HY-5-1 for probable family background.]
1875 On Saturday, October 30, Thomas McGee and Margaret Hyslop were married in the Catholic Parish Church in Manchester. The marriage was registered No.400 in the Parish of Manchester in the County of Lancaster.
Thomas was 29, occupation Engraver. His father James's occupation is given as Labourer.
Margaret was 17, no occupation recorded and her father John was a Carter.
Both parties gave their address as 39 Lower Chatham Street. Today, part of the street remains just south of the Mancunian Way and west of Oxford Street.
The celebrant was Fr. H. C. Smith and the witnesses were Alexander McDonald and Lucy Hardman.
Thomas and Margaret had the following children —
| James | born in 1879 in Manchester, married Marie Shanks in 1903 and died in 1944. |
| John | born in 1882 in Camlachie, Glasgow and died in 1961. |
| Henry | born in 1884 in Camlachie, Glasgow and died in 1918. |
| Sarah | born in 1886 in Manchester, married Andrew Higham in 1903 and vanished into the Great Wen a few years later. |
1879 James was born on Sunday, March 2, allegedly at 39 Chatham Street. The birth was registered No.312 in the Sub-district of Chorlton upon Medlock in the District of Chorlton, in the County of Lancaster on March 13 by his father.
Now, there is a Chatham Street off Piccadilly, second on the right after leaving the Gardens. However, that's a bit away from most McGee locations and taking this together with the address of Thomas and Margaret at the time of their marriage, I am inclined to the opinion that the registration is wrong, or has been mis-copied and James was in fact born at 39 Lower Chatham Street.
The family must have moved north before the 1881 Census because —
1881 April 3 For one house in a tenement at 179 Parliamentary Road in the Parish of Barony - St. Rollox in the County of Lanarkshire (nowadays in Townhead, Glasgow), there is the following —
| Rel. | Mar. | Age | Occupation | Birthplace | ||
| Mary Barr(eo??) | Head | Widow | 53 | Gibaralter | 1 | |
| Sophia do. | Daughter | Unmar | 18 | Umbrella Finisher | England | |
| Francis do. | Son | 16 | Tailor Apprentice | do. | ||
| John do. | Son | 11 | Scholar | do. | ||
| Thomas McGhee | Lodger | Mar | 35 | Engraver Calico Printer | Lanarks, Shettleston | 1 |
| Margaret do. | Wife | Mar | 23 | England | ||
| James do. | Son | 2 | do. | |||
| George O'Doherty | Lodger | Unmar | 26 | Clerk | Ireland | 1 |
It looks as if the family who owned/rented the house lived in one room, sub-letting another to the McGees and a third to Mr. O'Doherty.
No.179 was on the south side of Parliamentary Road between St. Mungo Street and Taylor Street, an area which vanished about the time the M8 was built through Townhead.
1882 John (Jack) was born at 6h30m a.m. on Friday, May 19, at 41 Wesleyan Street, Camlachie, Glasgow to Margaret McGee m.s. Hyslop and Thomas McGee, Calico Engraver (Journeyman) who were married on October 30, 1875 in Manchester, England. His birth was registered No.672 at Glasgow (District of Camlachie) on May 26 by Thomas McGee, Father.
Wesleyan Street ran south from the Gallowgate, the second street east of Abercromby Street and still existed into the 1960s (the intervening street is Orr Street which still exists). Most of the east side of the street was taken up by the Victoria Biscuit Works.
Jack never married and died on May 18, 1961 aged 78 while living with James's daughter Hilda and George Shaw in Denton on the south east side of Manchester.
1884 Henry was born at 8h15m a.m. on Saturday, September 6, at 41 Wesleyan Street, Camlachie, Glasgow to Margaret McGee m.s. Hyslop and Thomas McGee, Calico Engraver (Journeyman) who were married on October 30, 1875 in Manchester, England. His birth was registered No.1319 at Glasgow (District of Camlachie) on September 15 by Thomas McGee, Father.
Henry enlisted in Manchester in a territorial unit of the Royal Field Artillery (706318, Gunner) and was serving in "D" Bty. 211th Bde. when he died of wounds on Friday, May 10, 1918, aged 34. He is buried in the Mont Huon Military Cemetery, Le Treport, Seine-Maritime, France (Grave ref VI. H. 8A).
1886 Sarah Frances was born on Thursday, August 12, at 14 Small Street, Ardwick, Manchester to Margaret McGee formerly Hyslop and Thomas McGee, Engraver for Calico Printers. Her birth was registered No.343 in the Sub-district of Ardwick in the District of Chorlton in the County of Lancaster on September 9 by M McGee, Mother, of Woodside Terrace, New Mills.
My mother said that Sarah married Andy Hymas and had children Winnie, Frank and Jack. For reasons unknown, Sarah went off to London taking Jack with her. Pretty close, see below (1903).
1891 April 5 The family were living at 15 Woodley Street, in the Municipal Ward of Harpurhey, Manchester in a house with 4 rooms. Most of that area is blank on my 1992 map of Manchester but an older map (price 1/6d) shows Woodley Street between Andrew and Turnbull Streets, off Queens Road just east of Rochdale Road. Both maps suggest the area is Collyhurst, south of Harpurhey.
| Rel. | Mar. | Age | Occupation | Status | Birthplace | |
| Thomas McGee | Head | M | 45 | Calico Printers Engraver | Worker | Scotland |
| Margaret do. | Wife | M | 33 | Manchester | ||
| James do. | Son | 12 | Scholar | Manchester | ||
| John do. | do. | 8 | do. | Scotland | ||
| Henry do. | do. | 6 | do. | do. | ||
| Sara F do. | Daur | 4 | Manchester |
1891 Margaret McGee, wife of Thomas McGee, Engraver to Calico printers, died on Wednesday, December 9 at 15 Woodley Street, Manchester, aged 33, of Placenta Pravia, Haemorrhage, Exhaustion as certified by R.A. Paton, MB. Her death was registered No.61 in the Sub-district of St George in the District of Manchester in the County of Manchester on the same day by Thomas McGee, Widower of deceased, Present at the death, living at the same address.
1901 March 31 Most of the family were living at 45 Cottenham Street, in the Municipal Ward of St Luke's, Manchester. This street still exists off Upper Brook Street near the University of Manchester but is much reduced from its earlier manifestation.
| Rel. | Mar. | Age | Occupation | Status | Birthplace | |
| Thomas McGee | Head | M | 55 | Engraver to Calico Printer | Worker | Scotland |
| John do. | Son | S | 18 | do. do. | do. | do. |
| Henry do. | do. | S | 16 | Sketch Maker to Engraver | do. | do. |
| Sarah F. do. | Daur | S | 14 | Lancashire, Manchester |
James has branched out on his own, boarding with a family named McMahon at 22 Chancery Lane, Ardwick. Both maps show Chancery Lane crossing Brown Street just north of Princess Street (and the Town Hall). That seems a bit far from Ardwick, so, based on previous entries on the same census page, I found a Chancellor Lane off the start of Ashton Old Road, much more credible.
| Rel. | Mar. | Age | Occupation | Status | Birthplace | |
| Elizabeth McMahon | Head | Wid | 46 | Dressmaker | Employer (At Home) | Lancs, Manchester |
| Herbert do. | Son | S | 23 | Tailors Cutter | Worker | do. |
| Philip do. | do. | S | 20 | do. clerk | do. | do. |
| Albert do. | do. | S | 18 | Plumbers Apprentice | do. | do. |
| Edith Parkinson | Niece | S | 8 | do. | do. | |
| James McGee | Boarder | S | 22 | Calico Printers Engraver | do. | do. |
I include the full McMahon household here because Lucy Shanks married a Herbert McMahon and this may well be the one. I'll have to obtain the marriage certificate for supporting evidence.
1903 On Saturday, October 24, Sarah Frances married Andrew Higham in the Church of the Holy Name, Chorlton. [See Section HG-7-1 for further information.]
1903 On Thursday, December 3, James married Maria Shanks in St. Aloysius Church, Ardwick. [See Section MG-7-1 for further information.]
1911 April 2 Thomas was living with James & Marie at 25 Old Elm Street, Ardwick.
1916 Thomas McGee, a Calico Printer's Engineer [sic] died on Friday, June 2 at 25 Old Elm Street, Ardwick at the age of 70 of Pernicious anaemia, after 1 year, 6 months, certified by T. Coogan, MB. His death was registered No.175 in the Sub-district of Ardwick in the District of Chorlton in the County of Manchester CB on the following day by James McGee, Son, Present at death, living at the same address.