MERNE FAMILY

[NIFTYFIFTY47]

Help Please...I am looking for the descendants of Luke J Walsh 1865-1933 (I believe he was from Galway) and Mary Josephine (Ciss) Merne born 1876 in Cork....died in the late 1960s I think. They married in Cork in 1908 I believe.   They had two sons to my knowledge.  One Fr. Paul was a missionary priest in Africa and the other was called Tom.

If anyone can help me with this I have extensive information on the Merne family and i will be happy to share it.

[GAJM1]

Are they in the 1911 Ireland Census?

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/

Or had they left Ireland by 1911

Castlemcauliffe

[NIFTYFIFTY47]

I can't find them there but I DO know they were still living in Ireland.  Sadly I have found that the 1901 and 1911 census are not as comprehensive as we would like them to be.  I think a lot of people got "missed out" either because they were in shared accommodation or in lodgings.

[GAJM1]

Perhaps your best bet is to order their marriage record from www.groireland.ie a photocopy costing 4euro will do provided you give them the following details

Luke J Walsh and Mary Josephine Merne
Marriage
Registration District: Cork
Quarter & Year: Jan-Mar 1908
Volume 5 Page 151

Castlemcauliffe

[skibbgirl]

If people were in some kind of special housing they might be recorded by their initials in the census.

Also, depending on their Gaelic pride - some may have registered themselves by their Gaelic names.

This has happened in my family.  Not only did one member register by his Gaelic name but he was in a police barracks so he was registered by his Gaelic initials. When I was searching the county for D C he was:

D O'C

My five year old granddad is missing from his household record, and he wasn't with Grandmom and Granddad in the next townland either.  I have not ruled out that he could have been temporarily in a local hospital.

[GAJM1]

Some of Mary Josephine Merne siblings went to Syracuse, New York according to Ellis Island.

Castlemcauliffe

[NIFTYFIFTY47]

Yes...I have all of them and none of us have any addresses for her descendants.  How I wish I had started my research 40 years ago!!!

[GAJM1]

Perhaps getting the marriage record is the best bet. Would give you Luke's father name etc.

I found one possible Luke Walsh in 1901 Census from Sligo living in Galway City Book keeper

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Galway/Galway_North_Urban/Eglinton_Street/1374037/

Could be likely that this Luke went to Cork for work

Castlemcauliffe

[NIFTYFIFTY47]

That could possibly be the right Luke....the age tallies,,,,,but where to go from there ?  I can't seem to find either of them on the 1911 census when they would have been married.  Ah well I'll keep digging!!  Thanks for your interest.