Loughlinstown Workhouse

[Sinann]

Have you tried Family Search Dublin workhouse records.
https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/4496114

The reference number doesn’t appear to be in the online collection in the National Archives
https://www.nationalarchives.ie/search-the-online-catalogue/advanced-search/#!/
I’ll sadly admit to being pretty useless using that site.
I did notice there seems to be forward slashing used in the reference numbers
So that number would be CSO/RP/1850/ not sure how it would finish as I didn’t see any 1850s.

[DescendantsofMaryChambers]

Yes I have tried Family Search and she isn't in there anywhere. I tried looking up information in the National Archives database and all I get is 0 results. It's so frustrating!

[Wexflyer]

Kate was my grandmother's sister and probably had her own reason for keeping the name of her children' father secret.

This is quite misconceived. Kate Carr wasn't keeping the father's name secret. The father wasn't named because that was the (British) law. Illegitimate children legally didn't have a father!
So putative father was not supposed to be named, even if known (which was not always the case).

As you seem to know about the family, can you say where they were located on the 1901 and 1911 census? Might help to find baptism records, which may record father - if Catholic. If Protestant they will almost certainly follow British law and not name the father.

[Wexflyer]

I was fascinated to see the 1901 census returns posted by athacliath62. I never knew that there were nuns involved in the running of the workhouse. For some reason I assumed it was all lay people and run by the Poor Law union. I have lived near it all my life and never queried how it was run when it was a workhouse.

They (the nuns) weren't running the workhouse. The workhouse was of course run by the Poor Law Union.

Some Catholic religious orders specialized as nursing sisters. Those on the 1901 census return will have been employed in that capacity, along with the other nurses on the same list.

[Wexflyer]

A suggestion: William may have know his father's name. So, has OP got William's marriage registration? Does he name a father on that document?

[Wexflyer]

Kate Carr and her son William were in the workhouse on the date of the 1901 census, so there isn't a "normal" entry for them.

Where were they in 1911 I wonder?

[Wexflyer]

Have you tried Family Search Dublin workhouse records.
https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/4496114

The reference number doesn’t appear to be in the online collection in the National Archives
https://www.nationalarchives.ie/search-the-online-catalogue/advanced-search/#!/
I’ll sadly admit to being pretty useless using that site.
I did notice there seems to be forward slashing used in the reference numbers
So that number would be CSO/RP/1850/ not sure how it would finish as I didn’t see any 1850s.

Kate and William are in the workhouse records, but they are just basic details - date of admission, discharge, age, residence, marital condition (single), religion, and reason for admission (pregnant)

[Wexflyer]

Out of curiosity - did you look up the birth record on irishgenealogy.ie?

There's no father listed.
William 1901
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1901/01967/1758501.pdf

Also James in 1905.
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1905/01797/1704867.pdf

KG

According to the workhouse records, James died in the house on 11/April/1905.

[Wexflyer]

Kate's address when she was admitted in 1901 was Kingstown, ie. Dun Laoghaire.
When admitted in 1904 her address was Bray.
Both times occupation listed as servant.