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Photos of Wigan
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Wigan Album

Wigan Soldiers

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Thomas McNay and Bridget Gibson (taken between 1904-1908)
Thomas McNay and Bridget Gibson (taken between 1904-1908)
Photo: nobby
Views: 1,819
Item #: 14440
Married St Patrick's Church, Wigan 30th Jan 1904.(Then aged 26 and she 19).He returned to being a coalminer and she was a cotton weaver.Served in the 3rd Lancashire Fusiliers Militia as Number 4847 Pte Thomas McNay. Enlisted 2nd Battalion at Bury 13th June 1894. Was in the Sudan and then South Africa and fought at Spion Kop.Service record shows him to have been five foot five and a half inches and weighed 8 stone 4 lbs. Got 6 months detention for striking an officer. Couple emigrated to Anaconda, Montana in 1908.

Comment by: Fert on 8th April 2010 at 15:19

He must have had the heart of a lion. Something drew me to his image. Nobby - there is some detail on him and family in the US - are you aware that the family is mentioned on the Mount Haggin / Deer Lodge Bi-centenial project (1976) a potted biography of the family, also on the US Census'.
It appears he did'nt go over to the US and do easy jobs either. What a man, and admirable couple. Something about him in his pic, a quality.

Comment by: nobby on 8th April 2010 at 17:27

Thankyou for the information. To conclude his story. Thomas McNay and Bridget Gibson arrived in Anaconda in the spring 1908 and started farming. McNay operated the farm and developed Anaconda's first garbage disposal service. He became an employee of the Anaconda Company's Reduction Plant, serving in the acid plant and as foreman in the Convertor plant and in the Slag Dump. They raised nine children, five boys and 4 girls.

Comment by: Daniel P. McNay on 7th February 2011 at 05:40

This is a picture of my great grandmother and grandfather. I am the youngest son of their son, James A. McNay from Anaconda, Montana. I remember this picture from a photo album we still have, and it is wonderful to see it here. We are working on a full family tree at this point. If anyone has any relative information from this side, I would love to receive it. Thank you.

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