Census query and relationship query - MURNANE / MURMANE and McMAHON

[sigrid7]

I have been looking for John Murnane/Murmane on census and can only find him on the 1851 (FindMyPast) as John Murmane bc 1816 Ireland living in Birkenhead with his wife, two children and a sister in law. The daughter Mary Ann bc 1850 - I have found her baptism and it states mother's name as Mary Cooney. So I am puzzled as to who the Ann Mcmahon is on the 1851 with them as sister in law. I can't find any deaths for John Murnane, or his son Michael nor any further census for them. Nor a marriage or death for the daughter either.

Can anyone find them on any other records please? And can anyone explain the term sister in law in relation to this family?

Thanks very much.

[carol8353]

Sister in law doesn't always mean wife of your brother.
Back then they often used the term for a step sister (sister in the eyes of the law) or a half sister.

[sigrid7]

Right, thanks. So Ann could have been step/half sister to the head of the household, ie John or is it going to be even more complicated and she could be the step/half sister to John's wife, Mary?

[carol8353]

Do you have this birth cert?

Births Dec 1849   

MURNANE    Mary Ann        Runcorn   vol 19   page 195

[sigrid7]

No, but I have found the baptism, which stated mother's name was Mary Cooney.

[carol8353]

The requirements when completing a census was that the relationship to the householder(John) was given.But they may not have been literate and Ann could be related to either of them.
Although I think I'd go along with her being a half sister to John,maybe his mum remarried to a Mr McMahon?

Irish records are so difficult to find,I've given up on my half Irish husband's side of the tree 

If only it said more than just Ireland,a place for example.

Carol

[stanmapstone]

The schedule was filled in by the "householder" at the time of the census, who may have had their own interpretation of relationships, a 'daughter-in-law' might mean a step-daughter.

Stan

[sigrid7]

Yes, having Irish ancestry is hard! Not really found out much, except for born' Ireland' all the time....

Thanks for clarifying the relationship aspect.

I haven't found John on any other census either. Is it a possibility that the family went back to Ireland for some reason? Has anyone ever had this scenario in their tree? I know they probably came over here for work reasons but to go back.... I don't know.

[sigrid7]

I have found a 'Thomas' Murnane b1813 Ireland in Devon, on ancestry, for 1861. I searched with the other family names and this came up. Can anyone check this one out please, even though it says Thomas? Thanks.