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Ireland (Historical Counties) => Ireland => Dublin => Topic started by: collech on Wednesday 31 March 21 22:11 BST (UK)

Title: Finding Missing Sister
Post by: collech on Wednesday 31 March 21 22:11 BST (UK)
Hi i am nearly finished my research just one missing link(isn't there always one). My Grandfathers Half Sister Christina Leech was born in 1875 in Dublin, after this no mention of her. She does not appear in the Census Returns or in Marriage or Death Records. She is not mentioned in her Father's will eventhough all her siblings are, the will was written in 1911. Though she apparently appears in a family photo taken as her brother is about to ship out in 1916.
                     Would anyone have any suggestions of where i might look?
                      All suggestions are welcome
                                         Colm
Title: Re: Finding Missing Sister
Post by: brigidmac on Wednesday 31 March 21 22:36 BST (UK)
Is leech her father's name ? Does she revert to her mother's surname ?

Can you list the parents names dates and the siblings please

Maybe she married someone her father disapproved of ...(have you looked for a marriage under her other surname)

Or she could have already received an inheritance from a birth parent so he felt she didn't need to be included in his will

Just throwing out some ideas

You say she was half sister ...was this thru a remarriage ?


My great  grandfather left Will only to the two single daughters from his first marriage ..he felt boys should take care of themselves +

Another person also left nothing to his married daughters expecting their husbands to provide .
Title: Re: Finding Missing Sister
Post by: Liam59 on Wednesday 31 March 21 23:02 BST (UK)
Her father isn't recorded when her birth was registered so perhaps he wasn't involved in her upbringing and maybe that's why she isn't included in his will?
Title: Re: Finding Missing Sister
Post by: collech on Thursday 01 April 21 20:34 BST (UK)
Hi Brigidmac and Liam Yes Leech is her father's surname. Her Parents were James Leech and Christina Mulligan they married in 1866 in Dublin. Christina was born in 1875 in Coynes Yard in Dublin. Her mother died in 1879 in Cork Street Dublin. Her siblings were Christopher b.1867 d.1867 Garrett b.1868 d.? Mary b.1871 d.? Thomas b.1873 d.1932 William b.1877 d.1916. Her Half siblings are James b.1890 d.1972 Patrick b.1891 d.1894 Margaret b.1893 d.1975 Walter b.1897 d.1972 Catherine b. 1897 d. 1898 and John b.1901 D.1974. Yes as you can see she was a half sister through marriage. Her father included everyone in the will including a son that stole from him except her. Liam her father is mentioned in the Church Records. Thanks
Title: Re: Finding Missing Sister
Post by: brigidmac on Thursday 01 April 21 21:47 BST (UK)
The most likely explanation would be that she.d died before 1911



Are you sure she was the person in the 1916 photo
Where did you get that information.?

Sorry I don't know how to look for Irish deaths .
Title: Re: Finding Missing Sister
Post by: collech on Thursday 01 April 21 23:20 BST (UK)
That is the problem there is no record of a Death. My Aunts gave the names of the people in the photograph.
Title: Re: Finding Missing Sister
Post by: Sandblown on Thursday 01 April 21 23:41 BST (UK)
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/civil-perform-search.jsp?namefm=Christina

There doesn't appear to be an Irish Civil Birth Registration for Christina Leech, Born 1875, Dublin.

Is the Birth information You have for the Parents of Christina, taken from a Church Baptism Record ?
Title: Re: Finding Missing Sister
Post by: collech on Thursday 01 April 21 23:46 BST (UK)
Hi Sandblown Yes the information i have is from St.Laurence Church Seville Place Dublin.
Title: Re: Finding Missing Sister
Post by: heywood on Friday 02 April 21 09:21 BST (UK)
That is the problem there is no record of a Death. My Aunts gave the names of the people in the photograph.

On the photograph does she look like a 40 yr old woman? The aunts may have been mistaken. What happened to the other siblings after mother’s death. Did they remain with James.
Do you have marriages for the others, especially Mary - wondering if Christina turns up as a witness.
She doesn’t seem to be registered but she may have been baptised with one first name and raised with a different one.
Title: Re: Finding Missing Sister
Post by: iluleah on Friday 02 April 21 11:04 BST (UK)
So my thoughts would be she migrated.... if to the US you could look for  a passenger ship record, if Britain there will not be any but you could look at UK census and marriages in Britain
Title: Re: Finding Missing Sister
Post by: brigidmac on Friday 02 April 21 15:29 BST (UK)
She also could have been adopted /taken  into the family (a relative of her mother not her father )so he may have not considered her his child

Could you look for births /baptism
with same birthdate but different surname .


Title: Re: Finding Missing Sister
Post by: collech on Friday 02 April 21 20:46 BST (UK)
Hi Heywood there are two women in the photo one is definitely around 40. As far as we know the children stayed with the father, he had five barges on the Royal Canal and the sons all worked with him. There is only one first name in the Church Records.
Title: Re: Finding Missing Sister
Post by: collech on Friday 02 April 21 21:02 BST (UK)
Hi iluleah Emigration has crossed my mind something i will have to look into deeper. Brigidmac i don't thinks she was adopted out.
Title: Re: Finding Missing Sister
Post by: collech on Monday 05 April 21 17:38 BST (UK)
Hi Heywood in reply to your earlier question regarding Christina being a witness, she appears as present at the birth of a half brother Patrick in 1892. In 1900 her brother William is in the North Dublin Union.
Title: Re: Finding Missing Sister
Post by: heywood on Monday 05 April 21 18:01 BST (UK)
Well, that would show that she was still alive and around but then ... where is she?
Title: Re: Finding Missing Sister
Post by: heywood on Monday 05 April 21 18:33 BST (UK)
Hi Heywood in reply to your earlier question regarding Christina being a witness, she appears as present at the birth of a half brother Patrick in 1892. In 1900 her brother William is in the North Dublin Union.

Do you mean 1901 census for William? I can’t see him using initials. Is he mentioned in the will?
Title: Re: Finding Missing Sister
Post by: collech on Monday 05 April 21 19:39 BST (UK)
No not in the census actually can't find him in the 1901, he is in 1911 census. He is resident in the Workhouse in 1900. Yes he is in the will even though he died in 1916 and his father died in 1924. I am going to try the N.D.U. again for Christina. William actually gives his previous address as the same as where he was born.
Title: Re: Finding Missing Sister
Post by: brigidmac on Monday 05 April 21 22:41 BST (UK)
Btw I meant adopted into the family rather than adopted out .so she could have started using her birth name..
.if not a married name