Mary Jane Obryan

[shanreagh]

There doesn’t seem to be a marriage in Irish or English records.
Have you had sight of Thomas’ military record?

She may have been the daughter of a serving army person

The anachronism. Back then, they had rude things called "soldiers".

Believe it or not the point I was trying to make was not to assume that both the husband and the possible father were soldiers/other ranks and not an officer and another rank.  I was not using it to cover male/female or whatever you think I was...am thinking you mean euphemism rather than anachronism.

Former wife of serving naval other rank.  His superiors ie the officers were not keen on being called sailors.   

[heywood]

There doesn’t seem to be a marriage in Irish or English records.
Have you had sight of Thomas’ military record?

I think this is key.

She may have been the daughter of a serving army person and they could have been married in wherever in the world the Army was serving. 

One of the places the Army served was Ireland.

I wasn’t thinking of this as a scenario, her being connected to the army, but as has been pointed out it would still be recorded.
I just thought the time line may help plus there is often/usually a reference to marriage and children.
There does not seem to be a later marriage in Shropshire either up to the time of the death of Mary J Cooper in 1913.

[shanreagh]

There doesn’t seem to be a marriage in Irish or English records.
Have you had sight of Thomas’ military record?

They could have been married in wherever in the world the Army was serving. 

One of the places the Army served was Ireland.

And they should have still ended up in the GRO records. Army BMD were reported back to the English GRO, and of Irish "subjects" in turn back to the Irish GRO. I have several B and D that were so registered. e.g. B and D in Egypt, D in South Africa.

If you ever looked at the printed indices, you would see a separate section at the back, for the army reports. Only from "overseas" of course. And despite Ireland being overseas, it was not "overseas".

The key word is 'should'. By no means certain that they would end up on  any official records such as BDM back home.  I have had to go to extraordinary lengths to track down marriages in India in the same time frame and earlier than this marriage may have occurred.  Even a close to England post such as Gibraltar was difficult to find BDM of serving soldiers etc based there.

[shanreagh]

Oh dear time to leave the thread I think. 

If we don't put up ideas and what ifs things may not be investigated even if they sound wild and wacky.  Some times a new idea gets us forward.

Please devote yourselves to helping the OP rather than arguing about the likelihood of any of my suggestions.  That is all they are suggestions for OP to look at primarily. 

[heywood]

I am not arguing with you or anyone. I thought you made a good point.
I detected sarcasm, I thought, from Wexflyer but didn’t realise why which shows my level of intuition.
I agree though that we are getting nowhere and the army record may be the only clue left (and I realise there may no no hint there).
There is a newspaper snippet August 1891 mentioning the Shropshire regiment leaving camp (Kilkenny? ) for Fermoy and then on to Cork.

[Maiden Stone]

Thomas had left the army by 1901 census. Old thread about Cooper family.
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=312022

Do you know names of parents & siblings of Thomas Cooper? If a traditional naming pattern was used for the Cooper-O'Brian children, we could suggest possible names for Mary Jane's parents.

[bully]

Hi again,
For the person who asked if I know who Thomas Coopers parents were......I have a dna match with a chap on my ancestry site,who says he thinks Thomas was his great uncle,born about 1867 in Ditton priors Shropshire,his mum and dad were also born there.
Father;John 1843-1909 Mother Ann,was Evans 1843-1909.

[heywood]

Are Thomas and Mary Jane your direct ancestors?
If so, are there Irish connections which could be traced?

(Clutching at straws now)

[bully]

Thomas and Jane are my direct ancestors,they are my nans parents