Lawrence and Elizabeth DURKIN

[sdurx]

To Mo,

Thank you so much. I think you're spot on - everything adds up, in terms of dates, locations and occupations. The whole scenario has the ring of authenticity about it! This info has passed out of living memory, but there are lots of people in my family who have wanted to know, and now they will.

Particularly amused/interested in the drunk and disorderly convictions - may I ask where you found these? It would be very entertaining for myself and the rest of my family to read the articles themselves, if it were possible.

Would you have any advice for me about finding out more? I don't mean to seem greedy - what you've uncovered there is a jackpot - but I find myself immediately wanting to know more! I'm a member of Ancestry so I can probably get a lot more information based on what you've told me about his mother and residence, but what's the best way to proceed once the line goes over to Ireland?



___

To Ms Radcliff,

That's definitely my Patrick Durkin - I had a look on Ancestry and there is a great deal of information about his military career, including some letters in his original handwriting. I couldn't believe it - it made him seem so much more real! Looking forward to sharing this with the many other people in my family who will be interested. Thank you so much for that insight!

I'm not sure that Laurentius (I assume they've given his name a Latin-twist as part of the RC ceremony) is mine. I'm not ruling it out, but the date is ~5 years out, which seems a little too large even given the lax date-keeping of my family at that time! Will be looking into it in depth tomorrow.


Gratefully, and tentatively hoping for any more advice,

Sean.

[Radcliff]

I would look more at the Mo  one found  with his mother ,
I briefly looked at him before I went out,so I shall go back now ,

[mosiefish]

Hi,

I can access the old newspapers free using my library card number through my County Library website.  It is worth checking to see if your particular County Library subscribes to them.  They should be listed in Online Services or something similar.  Each website is different.  Any problems let me know.

If they don`t I can type them up for you.   

As for Irish records    Once you have grouped the family I would suggest posting your query on one of  the Irish Boards on Rootschat.   

Do you know what happened to Elizabeth as she does not appear to be buried in Burnley Cemetery?  Well not under Durkin .  I did check Henry`s grave to see if she was buried in it, but sadly not.  I seem to remember it was his daughter Norah and Husband. 

Regards,
Mo

[mosiefish]

Can I ask another question please    Do you know if Bridget married and if so who to?

Mo

[sdurx]

Hi Mo,

Thanks again - will look into the Library Card business tomorrow and let you know how that goes.

Elizabeth herself is a mysterious character; the last time she pops up (as far as I can discern) is in the 1911 census, in which she lives at 4 Pickup Court, Burnley, with her eldest son Henry Durkin as the head of the household. On that document her name is listed as "Lizzie". After that she drops off the radar. Her husband Lawrence died in 1913, so I suppose it's possible that she remarried (although she would have been 52ish at the time of his death). In any case, there are no death records of an Elizabeth Durkin in Lancashire. Perhaps she went back to India...! I would love to know.

Yes you're right again that Lawrence's son Henry was buried with his daughter Norah and her husband (last name of Murray). I've visited the grave in Burnley cemetery, along with the grave of Lawrence himself which is typically unmarked!

Unfortunately I've no idea about Bridget, either. I did try to get hold of her birth certificate with a view to establishing Elizabeth's maiden name, but the good people at Burnley library couldn't find it. On the 1901 census she is noted as having "crippled hands", but in her brother Patrick's military records there is a mention of some problem with his own hands, so either "crippled hands" was entered into the wrong row on the 1901 census or it ran in the family at the time.

Appreciating your efforts,

Sean.

[Radcliff]

There is a marriage for

Bridget Durkin, to John James Lord,
Blackburn ,register office or registra attended
1903 ,
lancsbmd reference RM/153/53

Bridget to James Doyle, 1908,RM/171/33

Bridget to George Frederick Bancroft,1912, RM/183/154,

Same as above registration,

Do these names mean any thing to you

[Radcliff]

Have you used the 1911 census, Lawrence is there in Burnley, it may give some important information,

it wont cost a lot and you can down load the census,sorry of course you have the 1911 census ,does it say how long Lawrence and Elizabeth were married for,

[sdurx]

Ms Radcliff - I had searched the 1911 census but I could only find Elizabeth living as a boarder with her eldest son Henry at 4 Pickup Court Burnley. Since Lawrence died in 1913 and his residence was listed as Union Infirmary, Burnley, I assumed he was ill for those two years. Whereabouts on the 1911 census does he appear!? This is a potentially fascinating development, if he left the family home for a reason other than illness!

I can find no record of the marriage of Lawrence and Elizabeth. Their eldest child was born in ~1883, and "Lizzie" lists herself as married in the 1911 census, so all I can reasonaby say is that they were married from ~1883 at the latest, to at least 1911. The difficulty for me about this is that there's a chance they were married in (West) India or Ireland or somewhere "exotic" like that, and I don't really know what the best course of enquiry would be in that case...

[Radcliff]

Sorry no I didn't see them together on the 1911 census,but as they are both still alive I thought it might say how long they had been married,


Looking at the Durkins I am intrigued slightly by this one ,

Mary Durkin,death Burnley age 68,  March,1935,born circa 1867

in her probate it says

Mary Durkin, of 50 High Street Burnley ,widow died 23 rd of Jan 1935,
probate granted Lancaster to Patrick Durkin stripper and grinder and Bridget Vickery wife of John Vickery,
effects £31 10s 5d,

is Elizabeth Mary are Bridget and Patrick her children to Lawrence,???