RootsChat.Com

Shane,
I have some new information, I was able to contact the descendent of a man who married Johannah, a.k.a. Hanna Purcell. she was indeed born in St. Mullin's and married a few weeks after the 1911 census there to a William Drew. The descendents of his family still are in St. Mullin's . William and Hanna also move to Chicago where she passes in the 30's. He marriage record and birth record available thru the St. Mullin's church records confirm Bauck as the location  for her birth and death.
with respect to John as a child I find the earliest record in the area showing a John Purcell is the 1837 Valaution but places him in a townland "bigwoods" just inside Wexford over the bridge at Poulmantry. It appears on google maps that you could be on Bauck hill and look over at the big woods area maybe 2-21/2 miles away. This little tag end of St. Mullin's in Wexford contains 4 to 6 townslands while the vast majority is in Carlow. This would appear to suggest that the family moved to Bauck at some point.  The 1853 shows John Purcell's in Ballyknockcrumpin and Ballynalour. So maybe a father and son. The townlands are between Bauck and the Wexford border with Ballyknockcrumpin seemingly across the tributary that enter the Barrow from the Bigwoods area. Closer than it seems at first glance.
This battered image is the only one we have labeled Slater's Graigue, It could be Graiguenamgh in Kilkenny or what was formerly known a Graigue in Carlow. The likely folks for this are Johannah and Mary Minnie Purcell.
The second image is an electoral district map from the Wexford public site showing the little area of St. Mullin's lodged in Wexford. The black line obscure the tributary to the Barrow which appears to the boundary between counties.

Shane as to the family moving I do not know I only just recently verfied that the St Mullins area was definitely the "target". Bernard was one of the youngest of 9 siblings and much was lost over the years. He had journied back to Ireland in the early 1980's and had met kin there but much of the details were lost. ( although my nephew has his hand written notes that I have yet to review.) Various other kin have done some tracking but again not really passed along.

Anyhow my working assumption is that location of the government entity responsible for the area shifted over time. I also assume since Graiguenamagh is relatively close but most photos come from either Kilkenny or New Ross that there were few photographers at first most likely just the larger cities. These are likely to be around the turn of the century with the tinttypes going back to the late 1800's. I will have to research the photos by area to know for sure but that's a rough guess. I am told you can tell by the technology and the dress/ composition much about dates. Thomas we are told by family legend came over first and went to Chicago. Patrick it is said followed but moved to Troy. As Patirck was about 19 when he emigrated it confirms the notion that Thomas was older. He give his age as 38 when his son is born in 1902 and died 1/13/1941 at age 76. So he was born around 1865 or 1864 making him one of the older siblings.

Here is the other picture believed to be John Purcell.
Patrick Purcell's obituary  January 18th , 1952 mentions: " a sister Miss Minnie Purcell of Ireland and a brother Martin Purcell of Ireland