Michael Walsh And Mystery Of The Census Returns

[Miriam_90]

Hello,

I'm hoping I can rely on the boundless wisdom that is Rootschat.

My great-great-grandfather was a Private in the British Army. He enlisted with the 18th Royal Irish between 26th April 1897 and 20th April 1898 (between his marriage to Margaret Carey at Waterford and the birth the birth of his first child). This would have been just before the outbreak of the second boer war. I dont whether he was with the 1st of 2nd battalion. 1st would have sent him to South Africa and the 2nd to India via Malta.

1901:
I can't find the family in the 1901 census, ostensibly because he was stationed abroad. Would his family have been with him? I presume (always dangerous in family history!) that the army would have recorded these people even though they weren't at home? Can this be accessed?


1911:
In 1911 theres another odd one for me (read:headache). There is a census showing Margaret living with her two youngest children. http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Tipperary/Clonmel_East_Urban/River_Street/817463/. A note on the census form says that Michael, head of the family is enumerated on form H, which I believe is a barracks return form. Naturally, I can't find this! I believe the 18th Royal Irish were stationed at Clonmel in 1911.

The census says they have 6 children living of 7. I found the below records:

James 20th April 1898 Waterford, Waterford
William 19th October 1903 ( my great grandad) Fermoy, Cork
Margaret Christina 24th December 1905 Fermoy, Cork
Mary 1st January 1907 Buttevant, Cork
Alice 10th May 1910 Clonmel, Tipperary

I dont know where the three eldest are in 1911 or where there other children are. With the gap between James and William I imagine theres a missing child in there, possibly born abroad? Sadly when William ended up in Dublin ( oh, the family scandal!) the family lost contact with this branch of the family.

Sorry for the block of text. If sombeody can point me in the right direction on any of the above I'd really appreciate it.

[hallmark]

Have you tried just using his Initials?

[Miriam_90]

I've tried using MW  and just W, but there doesn't seem to be a match for a man the right age from the right place. I even tried searching any man the right age who was a soldier but nothing seemed to fit.

The children leave me scratching my head as well. I've tried to search country wide, not just Watercord, Cork and Clonmel.

[Maiden Stone]

The children may not have been in Ireland.
I don't envy you searching for Walsh.

[heywood]

Where and when was Michael born?

There is a 39yr old M W b Waterford in Barracks in Clonmel.

[Miriam_90]

Tell me about it! I thought Walsh was bad enough in Dublin nevermind down this way.

I had wondered that about the children but thought it was odd she had the two youngest and not the others. There was never any talk of William leaving the country except as a married man going to England for work and we have his travel permit. He was a good one for stories so it would be odd not to mention it if he was abroad as a child.

[heywood]

William Walsh 8 yrs +/- 5yrs b County Cork x tick ‘show all information’ to see the ones who are not shown as ‘son’.

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01nri/

There is one W W 8yrs in the Workhouse.

[Miriam_90]

Where and when was Michael born?

There is a 39yr old M W b Waterford in Barracks in Clonmel.

October 1869 in Waterford but that would make him 32 in 1901 and 42 in 191. The only MW born Waterford in Clonmel that I can see is a farm labourer but he isn't showing in a barracks. Can you share your link please?

[heywood]

I would say you have the one. The occupation shown is the one before enlistment.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Tipperary/Clonmel_East_Urban/Davis_Road/817028/