policeman - Patrick McDonnell

[winger]

Hi, I wonder if anyone can help me with this problem.
I am researching the McDonnell family. I have Francis McDonnell married to Martha Currie/Corry in Belfast in 1866 in Lower Falls. There is no age listed but I know Francis dies in glasgow in 1904 and gives his age as 53 - I am presuming this is wrong by 5/10 years so he would have been born around 1845. On his marriage cert and death cert his father is listed as Patrick McDonnell, Police constable with a wife Catherine chambers. I am trying to find any record connected with Patrick. I am assuming that if Francis is married in Belfast then the family would also be there - although I understand this may not be the case - Francis and Martha move to Co Mayo in 1867 so it is also possible that they have a family connex to Mayo.
I cannot find a marriage for Patrick or a birth for Francis so I am kinda stuck on this one so any help would be really appreciated. thanks   

[aghadowey]

Not sure if this is any connection (from the death registration index he was born c1868)- see www.proni.gov.uk:
Administration of the Estate of Patrick McDonnell late of Legfordrum County Tyrone Policeman (Retired) who died 25 April 1915 granted at Londonderry to John McDonnell Carpenter.

[Elwyn Soutter]

Francis’s birth c 1845 is well before the start of statutory birth registration. You won’t get a birth cert for him. You may get his baptism, if the records have survived, but you’d need to know where that happened as there is no comprehensive index or database like Scotlandspeople. Likewise Patrick’s marriage. RC marriages were only registered from 1864, non RC from 1.4.1845.  Before that you are reliant on parish records.

If Francis’s father was in the RIC then normal policy was to post officers away from the county that they came from. So picking up on your point about the family going to Mayo in 1867, perhaps his father’s family came from there?

Have you researched his father’s RIC records. The records are in Kew with copies in the National Library Dublin. Or you may be able to get some information on Patrick’s origins and next of kin from Jim Herlihy at Blarney Garda station (see contact details on link). Mr Herlihy has written a book on the RIC.

www.policehistory.com/museum.html

[winger]

Thanks for posting your replies - I will have a look at the retired policeman in Tyrone - the date is out for the Patrick I am looking for - but it would make sense that he could have had a son called patrick who also served - could be a long shot but you never know!
I have emailed the link you sent to the archivist at Guarda Siochana, you never know they might have something.
thanks again