Seeking info: Richard Cahill, Portlaw

[Rapidascent]

Hi all.

I am trying to trace birth or death details for Richard Cahill who married Anne Marie Power (nee Funge) in St Anne's, Shandon, Cork, on May 25 1885.

He was born before 1864, I believe somewhere in the Portlaw area. He worked as a ploughman and labourer. His father was Edmund.

He and Anne Marie lived at Coolfin and Old Portlaw in Co Waterford after their marriage where they had three children. Richard’s sister, Margaret, lived at Clonegam Lodge, Portlaw. She was born c1853.

Richard left the family around 1892 and never returned. Family legend has it that he went to America but I have failed to find any trace of him. When his son married in 1919 Richard was listed as dead.

Any help would be appreciated.

[shanew147]

If your Cahills were CofI (based on the St. Anne's marriage..) then the parish to check for records in the the Portlaw area is Clonegam. Baptism, marriage and death/burial records for this parish go back to 1845. These are held by the Representative Church Body Librray in Rathfarnham. I dont think RootsIreland has any Cof records for Co. Waterford


Shane

[Rapidascent]

Thanks Shane for your reply.

Anne Marie was Church of England (born in London) but, notwithstanding their marriage location, as far as I know Richard was Catholic and I have records that show their three children were all baptised and raised as Catholics. Still, it's a possibility I had not considered and an avenue worth pursuing given that I can't find any other trace of Richard. Thanks for the suggestion.

[shanew147]

The marriage could have been mixed.. would have been permitted in a CofI Church..

The RC parish for area is also named Portlaw and has baptism records  back to 1809, and marriages to 1805. The NLI film references are Pos. 2449 and 2450. I think RootsIreland (pay-website) may have some baptism transcripts of this RC parish.


Shane

[Rapidascent]

Thanks again Shane.

I have already been through the baptismal records for Mothel and Rathgormack for the relevant period, which I understood were the correct ones. I was quite discouraged by the lack of Cahills I found there.

I will have to go back and take another look at the registers for Portlaw and Ballyduff.

Am I correct in thinking, based on your last reply, that the RC church did not permit mixed marriages at the time? In the event of a mixed marriage in a CofI ceremony, would boys and girls normally have been reared as Catholics, or was this unusual?

Thanks for your help.

[shanew147]

I dont think a mixed marriage would have been allowed at that time in an RC church.

re the children - I've seen different arrangements for this in mixed marriage. Sometimes the all the girls were baptised in the mother's denomination,  all the boys in the father's. Sometime all in the mother's denomination etc. On several occasions I've seen children baptised twice - once RC and also CofI, in one instance on the same day.

I think Mothel and Rathgormack is the RC parish to west of Portlaw...


Shane