Rosie2012 Scavenger Hunt...Everyone Welcome to Join In

[Tephra]

It's been a while since we had a Scavenger Hunt, but this one promises to be a really good one.   This is a major brick wall for Rosie2012, I do hope you can knock it down for her.

Good Luck and Good Hunting

Barbara

                                       *********************

Hello everyone,

I hit a brickwall when I obtained the marriage certificate of my grandparents Elizabeth Neary and Thomas Walsh, who married at St Gregory’s RC Chapel in Chorley on 29 November 1913.  I discovered that her name had been recorded as Elizabeth McGuirk and also that the marriage certificate had been ‘corrected’ by the Registrar in 1941.

I have tried unsuccessfully to find out more about her and would welcome any help or new ideas that might provide a clue.  The information I have is listed below, followed by my questions:

Marriage certificate of Elizabeth McGuirk (known as Neary)
Column 2 – her name is recorded as Elizabeth McGuirk
Column 7 – her father’s name is given as Thomas McGuirk (deceased)
Column 8 – her father’s occupation is given as Collier

Corrections made on the marriage certificate by the Registrar on 15 Feb 1941 in the presence of Thomas and Elizabeth Walsh: 
In col. 2, for ‘McGuirk’ read ‘McGurk (or McGuirk) otherwise Neary’; in col 7 omit ‘John McGuirk (deceased)’ and in col. 8 omit ‘Collier’.   

Birth Certificate of Elizabeth McGurk
DOB -   31 July 1888
POB - 26 Dean Street, Wigan
Name at birth - Elizabeth McGurk (daughter of Ann McGurk)
No father named

Baptismal Record of Elizabeth McGurk
Date of baptism – 13 August 1888
Place of baptism – St Mary’s RC Church, Wigan
Daughter of Joannes McGurk and Anna McGurk (nee Kelly)
Godparents – Thomas Neary and Joanne (?) Melling – plus a name I can’t decipher   

1901 Census
Elizabeth Neary is listed as the 11th, and youngest, child of Ann Neary (widow).  Both Elizabeth and William (born in 1885) were born after the death of Ann’s husband Thomas Neary in 1882.  William was given the surname Neary at birth, but it is believed that both he and Elizabeth shared the same father.

The eldest child, John (b.1864) was 24 years older than Elizabeth, and appears to have emigrated to America in the 1880s.  The transcription of the US Federal Census for 1930s gives his date of Immigration as 1888 (the year Elizabeth was born) but I cannot find any record of him on a passenger list for that date. 

1891 Census
Although Elizabeth would have been 3 years old she does not appear on the 1891 Census of the household of Ann Neary (surname transcribed as Harry on this Census)

Marriage of Ann McGurk and Thomas Neary
Married in Wigan, June quarter 1863.  Thomas Neary’s surname is transcribed as Nairy

Ann Neary
Her DOB on the 1871, 1881, 1901 and 1901 Census returns is given as either 1844 or 1845 but appears to have been incorrectly recorded on the 1901 Census as 1861

The information I am trying to find is:

Who was Elizabeth McGurk and where was she in the 13 years from her birth to her appearance as Elizabeth Neary on the 1901 Census?  I cannot find any record of her, despite trying as many different spellings of McGurk and Neary as I can think of.

If she is the daughter of Ann McGurk who married Thomas Neary, why was her mother’s maiden name recorded as Kelly on her Baptismal record? 

If Ann Neary was her mother she would have been around 44 years of age when Elizabeth was born
Could Ann Neary’s eldest son, John, have been her father?  If so, could Ann have taken Elizabeth in as one of her own when John emigrated to America?  This might be possible if he emigrated no earlier than 1888. 

[GfL]

Hi Rosie,

Sounds quite a muddle.  I'm at work at the moment but will look when I get home.

Maybe when others who are stuck at work like me get home they'll come up with somethings.   

[Spidermonkey]

I am confuddled - which admittedly is not difficult! - with the original and amended marriage certs, are 2 different fathers names given?

[Spidermonkey]

Also, what does it say on William (bn 1885) baptism record?

[Spidermonkey]

And a final qu. from me - why are you sure that the John McGurk Neary on the 1930 census  is yours?

[Rosie2012]

Thank you for trying to help.  I'm sorry for the confusion and will try to explain a bit better.  When the marriage certificate was originally issued in 1913 Elizabeth's surname was recorded as McGuirk and John McGuirk (deceased) was named as her father.  However, it appears that in 1941 Thomas and Elizabeth Walsh went back to the Registrar with the information that John McGuirk was not her father.  The Registrar must have been satisfied as he issued a 'correction' which stating that her surname should be read as McGurk, McGuirk or Neary and John McGuirk was not her father.

Perhaps someone might know what kind of evidence the Registrar would need before making such a correction to a marriage certificate.

I am fairly certain that the John McGurk on the 1930 US Census is mine because (a) he does not appear on a British Census after 1881, and (b) some of the children named are also on the New York City State Census of 1910 and 1915.  I met one of them in the late 1950s and have contacted the grandson of one who has confirmed that it is the same family.

Thanks again.  Any ideas will be very welcome.   

[jim1]

Clarification please
Back to the corrections you say on her marriage her father is listed as Thomas but on the correction he is listed as John ?
OK I've got it now

jim

[Rosie2012]

Thanks for pointing out my mistake Jim.  Her father's name is listed as John McGuirk on the marriage certificate.

[jim1]

For John McGuirk to be named on the Baptism he would have to be present so at that point he is claiming to be the father.
There's no marriage that I can find of a John McGuirk to an Ann Kelly so she may be assuming his name.
There's obviously an infinity with the Neary's as Ann's son Thomas is a Godparent.
Do you have any info on the Neary's address in or around 1888 ?