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Ireland (Historical Counties) => Ireland => Fermanagh => Topic started by: jason 20 on Monday 25 August 25 22:00 BST (UK)

Title: Help needed please
Post by: jason 20 on Monday 25 August 25 22:00 BST (UK)
Good evening,

I've currently taken up the task of researching my partner's family who are of Irish origin.

Having only delved into English genealogy, the Irish is proving slightly more tricky.

I'm trying to locate information on various people.

1. Eileen McCusker, her grandmother who died in England in 1975, a newspaper article says she died on the 30th August 1975 the day before her 55th birthday.

I can't find any trace of her in the Irish registry. Her marriage certificate which I located in Eniskillen gives her father's name as John McCusker.

There's no record for a McCusker born on that date, nor variation of the surname can be found that I've located. Any help would be appreciated.

Secondly, Bernard Murphy and Margaret McGahey married in Enniskillen in 1918

His father was James, her father John.

Bernard and Margaret are my partners great grandparents, I'm at a loss as I can't find them in any other records, it gives age as full on the marriage cert, but I'd be interested to go further back.

Any help would be appreciated
Title: Re: Help needed please
Post by: aghadowey on Monday 25 August 25 22:35 BST (UK)
Quote
1. Eileen McCusker, her grandmother who died in England in 1975, a newspaper article says she died on the 30th August 1975 the day before her 55th birthday.
I can't find any trace of her in the Irish registry. Her marriage certificate which I located in Eniskillen gives her father's name as John McCusker.
There's no record for a McCusker born on that date, nor variation of the surname can be found that I've located. Any help would be appreciated.

There's an Ellen McCusker born 1 Sept.1918 with father named John-
https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/birth_returns/births_1918/01272/1527389.pdf
What's Eileen's residence at the time of her marriage?

For reference here's the marriage of Bernard Murphy & Margaret McGahey-
https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/marriage_returns/marriages_1918/09719/5526180.pdf
Title: Re: Help needed please
Post by: aghadowey on Monday 25 August 25 22:42 BST (UK)
Marriage record for that Ellen's parents list her father as John Joseph McCusker-
https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/marriage_returns/marriages_1912/09913/5602767.pdf
Here's her father (listed as John) in 1911 with his family-
https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Fermanagh/Ballydoolagh/Lissan/515298/
Same family in 1901-
https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Fermanagh/Ballydoolagh/Lisson/1363630/
Note that John is 18 in 1901 and 19 in 1911!
Title: Re: Help needed please
Post by: jason 20 on Monday 25 August 25 22:43 BST (UK)
Hi, this is interesting, I've just looked at the marriage of Eileen and it says

Married 14th Feb 1950 in Enniskillen

Her age was 31 & 4/12ths which would make 1918 right.

Her address at the time of marriage was water street, Enniskillen

Her obituary states she was of Lissan
Title: Re: Help needed please
Post by: aghadowey on Monday 25 August 25 22:47 BST (UK)
Eileen and Ellen are both forms of the same name so that, plus age and father's name seems to fit. The mention of Lissan makes it even more likely to be the correct birth registration.
Water St., Enniskillen would have been where she was living when she got married and she might have been living in lodgings, her employer's household, with a relative, etc.
Title: Re: Help needed please
Post by: jason 20 on Monday 25 August 25 22:59 BST (UK)
Thank you, that makes perfect sense! I agree with all of the information, this would be her
Title: Re: Help needed please
Post by: gaffy on Tuesday 26 August 25 08:08 BST (UK)
Bernard's address in the 1918 marriage registration was given as Dame Street in Enniskillen and his father was given as James Murphy, a marine dealer.  In that light, the following birth registration for a Bernard Murphy in 1881 has to be a possibility, his mother recorded as Bessie Armstrong:
https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/birth_returns/births_1881/02841/2041161.pdf

Old photo of Dame Street:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=623241954504386&id=555059637989285&set=a.555089201319662

James Murphy married Elizabeth Armstrong in 1878:
https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/marriage_returns/marriages_1878/11109/8066068.pdf

That should be enough to enable you to follow up possible siblings, census entries etc.

Title: Re: Help needed please
Post by: gaffy on Tuesday 26 August 25 08:49 BST (UK)
This is pretty flimsy stuff, but with a given address of Queen Street Enniskillen and a father named John McGahey in the 1918 marriage registration, I'm guessing that Margaret McGahey may have had a sister named Mary Anne who married a Thomas Keaveney before her in 1913 (Mary Anne Keaveney being one of the witnesses in 1918, the other was a McDonagh):
https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/marriage_returns/marriages_1913/09889/5592667.pdf

There was a couple called John McGahey and Mary Anne McDonagh who had a daughter Margaret in Irvinestown in 1882 (also a daughter Catherine in 1884 and an unnamed daughter in 1887):
https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/birth_returns/births_1882/02760/2013747.pdf

Just a speculative possibility to note for now until you can rule it in or out.

Title: Re: Help needed please
Post by: Neale1961 on Tuesday 26 August 25 10:06 BST (UK)
I was looking at the same family as gaffy (reply #7) as a possibility.

Maggie McGahey b abt 1883  Co Fermanagh
1901 CENSUS With grandparents James McDonagh and Anne McDonagh
https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Fermanagh/Irvinestown/Pound_Street/1355388/


Maggie McGahey b abt 1883  Co Fermanagh
1911 census
https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Fermanagh/Irvinestown/Pound_Street__Irvinestown_Town_/521419/
Title: Re: Help needed please
Post by: gaffy on Tuesday 26 August 25 10:38 BST (UK)

Bernard's address in the 1918 marriage registration was given as Dame Street in Enniskillen and his father was given as James Murphy, a marine dealer...
 

Just an extra indication that James Murphy and Bessie / Elizabeth Armstrong are the right folk, when the couple had a daughter Catherine at Dames Street in 1883, James' occupation was given as marine dealer:
https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/birth_returns/births_1883/02736/2005797.pdf
 
Title: Re: Help needed please
Post by: Neale1961 on Tuesday 26 August 25 10:42 BST (UK)
Bernard Murphy
Birth  1881 ENNISKILLEN, FERMANAGH
Military Service 
ROYAL INNISKILLING FUSILIERS REGIMENT (27th foot)
Enlisted 23 Jan 1896
Service number 1165


There are some prison records for Bernard Murphy while still a soldier

1902 - Sligo Prison for Assault
1903 - Sligo Prison for being drunk
1903 - Sligo Prison for being drunk and disord
1904 - Sligo Prison for being drunk
Title: Re: Help needed please
Post by: jason 20 on Tuesday 26 August 25 10:46 BST (UK)
Wow, this is all incredible information. I'm checking in on the thread, between jobs at work.

I think we're on the right track.

The military history is fascinating. Will there be any way of finding more information on Bernard's military career?

Thank you for your wonderful efforts so far
Title: Re: Help needed please
Post by: jason 20 on Tuesday 26 August 25 10:56 BST (UK)
Also the prison sentences are very interesting, it seems he had issues with alcohol which may not have been uncommon in those days
Title: Re: Help needed please
Post by: Neale1961 on Tuesday 26 August 25 11:01 BST (UK)
The military history is fascinating. Will there be any way of finding more information on Bernard's military career?

There are some Militia Attestation papers for him available on Ancestry Fold 3 and at The National Archives; Kew.
I suspect his service number changed and there may be WW1 medal records for him.
Further questions are best asked on the military forum here. (I am no expert)
Title: Re: Help needed please
Post by: Neale1961 on Tuesday 26 August 25 11:25 BST (UK)
Also the prison sentences are very interesting, it seems he had issues with alcohol which may not have been uncommon in those days
They are worth looking at for the brief physical description of Bernard.
Title: Re: Help needed please
Post by: jason 20 on Tuesday 26 August 25 11:33 BST (UK)
Thank-you, I've just looked and indeed fascinating.
Title: Re: Help needed please
Post by: Neale1961 on Wednesday 27 August 25 02:39 BST (UK)
Just adding some more detail to those census entries I posted yesterday (reply #8)


1901 CENSUS with James McDonagh and Anne McDonagh
https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Fermanagh/Irvinestown/Pound_Street/1355388/
Maggie and Mary Ann McGahey are daughters of John McGahey and Mary Anne McDonagh.

The mother Mary Anne died in 25.4.1887 (age 26), not long after the birth of her daughter Mary ann. Her mother Anne McDonagh was present at death.
https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/deaths_returns/deaths_1887/06214/4777876.pdf


20 yr old John Dogherty (b 1880) is the son of Hugh Dogherty and Eliza McDonagh (married 1879).
https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/marriage_returns/marriages_1879/11073/8051839.pdf


4 year old Tom McDonagh (b 1897) probably is the illegitimate child of a Maggie McDonagh.



1911 census
https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Fermanagh/Irvinestown/Pound_Street__Irvinestown_Town_/521419/

16 yr old Maggie McDonagh (b. 1894) is daughter of James McDonagh and Catherine Gilligan (married 1890)
https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/marriage_returns/marriages_1890/10699/5900077.pdf


I think that James McDonagh (jnr) was born in 1867.
Son of James McDONAGH and Anne McMANUS (grandparents in the census)
https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/birth_returns/births_1867/03485/2281133.pdf
Their other children would have been born pre-civil registration


Possible death for James McDounagh (senior) in 1902 Irvinestown
Daughter Eliza Dogherty present at death. His age cannot be correct here.
https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/deaths_returns/deaths_1902/05687/4602740.pdf


Anne McDonagh, Died age 84 (pedlar’s widow) 25 Jan 1918
Irvinestown workhouse
https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/deaths_returns/deaths_1918/05195/4435057.pdf