"...to seek and to find the past, a lineage, a history, a family built on a flesh and bone foundation."

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Tuesday's Tip: The NLI Parish Registers & IFHF: Working in tandem

The National Library of Ireland, Dublin City, County Dublin.
©irisheyesjgg.
No doubt the launch of the National Library of Ireland's Roman Catholic Parish Registers website has elicited reactions running the gamut from joy to despair for researchers mining the registers for ancestors and other relations. If you have access to the website of the Irish Family History Foundation (IFHF), a.k.a. Roots Ireland, then you may find using the site in tandem with the parish registers swings the pendulum of your emotions more toward the side of joy.

Over the years I have been fortunate to have had many opportunities to consult the microfilm in person at the National Library in Dublin, and in doing so have been able to trace my maternal tree back to the 1740s. Although the poor condition of some registers remains a nightmare in terms of the search — using the inverse image function makes them a little more legible — I am grateful to have the registers now so easily accessible online. Sitting at my desk in the comfort of my office, with a nice steaming 'cuppa' tea in hand, while negotiating my way around the wonderfully intuitive site, makes searching a most pleasant task.

Online access also makes it possible to view the digitized microfilm images of the registers in tandem with the transcriptions of the IFHF, simply by opening a second window on the browser on my Mac. Where possible, comparing the original images with the transcriptions has proven to be a worthwhile exercise. Be sure to look in the lower left hand corner of pages for parish registers, where the NLI wisely makes note of the Roots Ireland [IFHF] and the Irish Times Ancestors websites, as well as irishgenealogy.ie, as aids for collaborative consultation when possible.

Look for this in the lower left hand corner of any given parish register page.
The lack of images of original records accompanying the transcriptions has always been my biggest gripe with the Roots Ireland site. The fact is I know my own skill set when it comes to research and transcription, and know my strengths as well as weaknesses when it comes to interpreting data. However, I've never had a clear idea about the skills of those who provide the transcriptions to the IFHF, so have long wanted to see the images next to the transcriptions, just as they are for the most part on irishgenealogy.ie.

In the course of comparing parish register entries to IFHF transcriptions, since the inception of the IFHF site, I have come across numerous transcription errors. Recently, I found one in which the transcription notes the date of baptism as 30 May 1851 and the date of birth as 2 July 1859 for one Bridget Geraghty. As powerful as the Catholic Church was in days of yore, I am quite certain even they were not capable of baptising Baby Geraghty 8 years before she was born.

Given the fact that transcribers are still of the human variety, these kinds of errors are to be expected. However, being able to compare the parish register entries with the IFHF transcription offers the reassurance of getting a more accurate picture. The parish register entry for Bridget Geraghty bears this out. It reveals 2 July 1859 as Bridget's date of baptism, and in fact, offers no date of birth at all. The other details match those of the transcription.

While continuing to search the registers on the trail of other delights, where possible I will consult the entries in concert with the IFHF transcriptions, all the while being well and truly grateful to the National Library of Ireland for delivering on their promise.

Have you used the Roots Ireland site, or another site, in tandem with the NLI parish registers site?

What has been your experience so far on the NLI site?

Some transcriptions conjure up odd images.

©irisheyesjgg2015.

Friday, July 3, 2015

Countdown to 8 July: Palaeography & the art of reading the illegible

An ideal find: perfectly legible entries in a Donabate Parish Register April 1764, Donabate, County Dublin.
Given that Wednesday 8 July — the official launch day for the National Library of Ireland's Parish Registers website — is almost upon us, today I am revisiting a post from 2013 with suggestions for improving your skills so that you might have greater success reading the more difficult register entries you might come across.

In May, eminent Irish genealogist John Grenham beta tested the parish register site and he was mightily impressed by what he saw, calling it 'extraordinary' and declaring it '90 percent squint-free'. However, you might still face challenges when it comes to deciphering the written script of those who created the entries in the original parish registers. That's where a tutorial in palaeography comes in.

What is Palaeography?

Palaeography, translated from the Greek, means 'old writing' (palaiós meaning 'old' and graphein meaning 'to write'). Strictly speaking, it is the study of ancient writing, but also includes the transcription and dating of historical documents, and in some quarters, the whole study of any book or manuscript written by hand.

Historians of all stripes — family historians and professional historians alike— often have to spend time deciphering the handwriting found on documents essential to their work. Thankfully I have studied enough palaeography to get me through documents for my own work, but it is always helpful to engage in further practice, in order to ensure that deciphering skills are at their optimum.


While you might not wish to commit yourself wholly to the study of palaeography, you may find a tutorial in the practice to be quite useful. The National Archives UK offers resources which you may find helpful in improving your ability to read and transcribe historical records.

(Bonus: There is also a handy historical currency converter on this page, as well as a link for help with reading Roman numerals.)

National Archives UK: Palaeography: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/palaeography/

On this page you will find an excellent tutorial, which begins with an easy to read document and moves through documents of increasing difficulty to help you develop your skills. Also, in the further practice section, there are a number of interesting documents included which date from the 16th to the beginning of the 19th century, including one 17th century report from English State Papers which refers to Oliver Cromwell's banning of Christmas.

National Archives UK also has a page on Latin Palaeography: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/latinpalaeography/

There are a number of tips and tricks included here for deciphering the text and understanding abbreviations. You can even try your hand at transcribing a document with the online transcriber. As you type in the text any incorrectly transcribed words are highlighted in red, so you can instantly see any errors.

Be sure to stop by these pages on NA UK to improve your transcription skills, or to check out some of the fascinating documents they have included.

County Mayo Parish Register on microfilm:
Both the state of the register and some of the script may prove a challenge.

©irisheyesjg2015.
All Rights Reserved.

Saturday, June 27, 2015

Sepia Saturday #285: Within these walls: 'School days'

School days, school days, 
dear old golden rule days,
Reading and 'riting and 'rithmatic,
taught to the tune of the hickory stick.
You were my queen in calico,
I was your bashful, barefoot beau,
You wrote on my slate,
'I love you Joe',
when we were a couple of kids.

It's funny how the mind works, isn't it? When I was looking at the inspiration image of the Chittenden Hotel for today's Sepia Saturday, these lyrics from a very old (1907) American chanty began to run through my head.

For reasons unknown to me, occasionally my Irish mother would sing this tune, while she was washing dishes, doing a simple mending job, or weeding in the back garden. When I was a child I thought it was a very silly rhyming bit, but it made my mother happy, and the light-hearted nature of it seemed to make quick work of the task at hand. I can still picture my mother working away, head slightly bobbing, as she trilled out this simple ditty.

How does this bring me to today's post? Well, the little tune, together with the image of the hotel building, reminded me of school and school buildings, and some of those educational institutions that have figured in my family history. So without further adieu, I give you, 'School days'.

The first set of images shows Clongowes Wood College in its various incarnations. Founded by the Jesuits in 1814, and situated just outside of Clane, in County Kildare, the college is a seven-day boarding school for boys. Several members of my family were educated here, including Andrew J. Kettle, who attended in the 1840s, and his sons Laurence Joseph Kettle and Thomas Michael Kettle, both of whom attended during the last decade of the 19th century.

The gateway into Clongowes Wood College remains much as it was from the school's inception.
©irisheyesjg.
'The Castle' of Clongowes Wood College in its earliest incarnation.
[National Library of Ireland]
The Castle, with the addition of the Boys' Chapel which was built in 1907.
[National Library of Ireland]
Clongowes Wood College as it looks today.
©irisheyesjg.
Additional buildings on the campus include the white building know as The People's Church.
Built from 1819-1821, it served as the Boys' Chapel until the current Boys' Chapel was built in 1907.
©irisheyesjg.
Back in County Dublin, in the lush pastoral setting of Rathfarnham, is St. Enda's Boys' School. My family's connection to the school comes from the paternal side of the family tree. According to my late father and his siblings, my paternal granduncle Patrick Geraghty was a member of the teaching staff of St. Enda's School. Patrick went on to teach at University College Cork, but of his time at St. Enda's, so far definitive proof eludes me.

Founded in 1908 by Pádraig Pearse — he who read the Proclamation of the Irish Republic at the outset of the 1916 Easter Rising — the school stands on 50 acres of woods and parkland.

With the view that conventional education was destroying young minds, instead of nurturing them, Pearse's antipodean methods seemed newer than new, but harkened back to the past and a theory of 'pure learning'. Gaelic culture and language were at the forefront of his educational system, as was Irish Nationalism, and the connection with the natural world was deeply ingrained in his philosophy.

The 'Hermitage' of St. Enda's School.
It is now the Pearse Museum.
©irisheyesjg.
The Dormitory.
©irisheyesjg.
The Study Hall as it once looked.
©irisheyesjg.
The Study Hall now stands empty of desks, though little else is changed.
©irisheyesjg.
The Chapel as it looked when the school was in operation.
©irisheyesjg.
The Chapel as it is today.
©irisheyesjg.
One of several follies secreted in the lush green landscape of the school.
©irisheyesjg.
Leaving behind the grandeur of Clongowes and the pastoral setting of St. Enda's, we head to the urban landscape, and the single simple granite building which comprised the Christian Brothers' School of St. Paul when it was founded in 1869. This was the school as my paternal grandmother's eldest brother Michael Magee knew it when he was in attendance in 1912. The school is located on North Brunswick Street in the Stoneybatter neighbourhood of Dublin City. With the passage of time the school has expanded, with 'modern' additions added on in later years; however, the original building still stands, and now houses the Boys' Primary School.

Although their programme of education was not as radical as that of St. Enda's School, nonetheless the Christian Brothers infused their lessons with more than a healthy dose of Irish Nationalism. Gaelic language and culture were also part of the curriculum. Such an education would have a profound impact on Michael Magee's life. In 1913, at the age of 15 years, Michael joined the Irish Volunteers. He fought during the 1916 Easter Rising, and would die as a member of the Active Service Unit in 1921 during the Irish War of Independence. Coincidentally, St. Paul's school fronts the street in an area in which 18 year old Michael was Volunteer Section Leader, serving with 'A' Company, 1st Battalion of the Dublin Brigade during the 1916 Easter Rising.

The Christian Brothers' School of St. Paul,
North Brunswick Street, Stoneybatter, Dublin City, County Dublin.
©irisheyesjg.
Be sure to stop by the Sepia Saturday blog to connect with others and see how they have interpreted today's theme.


©irisheyesjg2015.
All Rights Reserved.

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Handwriting & Heredity: Does your handwriting resemble that of an ancestor?

The hands of some Fitzpatrick and Hynes family members.
For those of us who spend an inordinate amount of time writing on a laptop or desktop computer, when we kick against the traces of the tech world and take a pen in hand, our writing may show those marked changes which can be brought on by the ergonomics of tap, tap, tapping on a keyboard. The movement of our hands and the ability to write may also be affected by the simple wear and tear of daily life, and for some of us, diseases such as arthritis change the way in which our hands move, and thus the way in which we write.

A few days ago while I was perusing records, I noticed the toll ten years had taken on the handwriting and the signature of one of my 2nd great-granduncles. Although the signature is still very much his own, there is a slight shakiness to the way in which the characters are formed.

When I looked through other documents — letters and the like — I noticed there are similarities in the cursive writing of members of the same families, similarities which appear to have come down through the generations. When you consider your own handwriting, do you ever compare it with that of your parents or grandparents, or perhaps someone further back? Do you notice any resemblance between the characteristics of your writing and that of a family member, or is your cursive hand distinctively different?

According to geneticists, there may very well be a gene by which characteristics of handwriting might be passed on through the generations; however, they have yet to discover precisely that gene. Some say it is more likely cursive writing is affected by the way in which a child's fine motor skills are developed through schooling, both formal and otherwise. However, if it is only a matter of schooling, then why is it we might find a great-grandchild whose penmanship mirrors that of his great-grandfather's?

Does your handwriting share any traits 
with the writing of an ancestor or a relative?

The signature of paternal great-grandfather Patrick Magee, 1901 Irish Census.
His daughter Mollie wrote with the same flourish, forming her 'M's in the same manner.
The signature of paternal great-grandfather Patrick Geraghty, 1901 Irish Census.
His grandson, my father Michael, formed his 'G's in an identical fashion.
The signature of paternal great-granduncle William Dunne,
Royal Dublin Fusiliers recruitment record.
William's sister, my great-mother Mary Dunne Magee, wrote with a similar hand.
The signature of maternal great-grandfather Thomas Fitzpatrick, 1911 Irish Census.
At least one of his granddaughters forms her 'F's in precisely the same fashion.
©irisheyesjg2015.
Click on images to view larger versions.

Monday, May 4, 2015

Mystery Monday: A curious find in Irish valuation records sparks new questions.

Never let anyone tell you there isn't a little magic and mystery in research.

Last week I shared with you finds made in the revision books of the Valuation Office in Dublin that allowed me to confirm the provenance of Warblestown House, a home that has been in our family for over 150 years. On that research day I went to the office with a list in hand, and specific goals in mind about exactly what I hoped to accomplish. Some of the items were crossed off my list, and some of those goals were met, but then I got distracted.

It was late afternoon, and the office was very quiet, when a deep sigh of frustration bellowed out of the lungs of an elderly gentleman who was sitting at a table behind me, doing research of his own. 'I know the feeling behind that sort of sigh', I said out loud before thinking, adding that I hoped the sound of my camera wasn't disturbing him, since I had been taking photographs shortly before his sigh sounded out. 'No, no, not a t'all', he graciously replied, in a voice that sounded so familiar I nearly fell off my chair when I spun around to see him. Just for a moment I felt as though I was there with my late father, and it was his voice I had heard.

When I had sufficiently recovered myself, we made introductions and struck up a conversation. Tom told me he had been searching in the revision books of the Pembroke West district in Dublin City for the record of a family home. Tom was frustrated because what he had been told — by a cousin even older than him — and what the records revealed were at odds with one another. We chatted for a bit, and then Tom decided to pack it in, talk to his cousin, and try again another day.

Back in 2014, I had searched in exactly the same district as Tom, but in the books of later years, as part of the research included in the post 'Within these walls, the life of a family: 80 years on Gordon Street, Ringsend'. I had found the valuation record confirming that in 1923 my maternal grandparents Patrick Ball and Mary Fitzpatrick Ball were tenants in 69 Gordon Street, Dublin. Beyond the record I had been seeking, I sought out nothing else for Gordon Street at that time.

According to the information I had initially found, in 1923 Patrick Ball was the tenant of Patrick Moran, paying £8 rent for the house at number 69 Gordon Street. Previous tenants are listed as Thomas Sturgeon in 1922, and James Donnelly in 1921. Also, the Irish census shows that James Donnelly and his family were the denizens of 69 Gordon Street in 1911.

69 Gordon Street, Ringsend, Dublin:
Immediate Lessor: Patrick Moran,
Occupiers: James Donnelly, revised to Thomas Sturgeon, 1922, revised to Patrick Ball, 1923.
Here's the magic and the mystery:

As my fellow researcher Tom approached the service desk to hand in the volume of 1909/1910, and settle out his research costs before leaving for the day, suddenly I felt as though my father was giving me a push and telling me I needed to look at that revision book. I scurried over to the desk and asked if I might have it before they returned it to storage, and they obliged me.

Not focussed on a specific find, I decided to browse through the volume. As I settled on one of the pages for Gordon Street, I came upon a surprising entry.

In the 1910 book, Patrick Ball is listed as the occupier of 69 Gordon Street.

Patrick Ball on Gordon Street in 1910? 'Who is this 'Patrick Ball?', I wondered.

In the 1910 book, Patrick Ball is listed as the occupier of 69 Gordon Street.
Click on image to view larger version.
In 1909, I believe, my maternal grandfather Patrick Ball was living with his parents and siblings on Fishamble Street in Dublin. His father, my great-grandfather Francis Ball (son of my 2nd great-grandfather Patrick Ball), died in the infirmary of the South Dublin Union Workhouse, and although Francis' death registration records the place of death as the workhouse, it gives the family address in 1909 as Fishamble Street. (see The Certificate read 'Place of Death: The Workhouse'). The workhouse register shows the Fishamble Street address, and Stafford Street in Dublin as Francis' last addresses, prior to the workhouse infirmary. The Stafford Street address also appears in the record of the Glasnevin burial register.

The census of Ireland shows that in 1911 my grandfather Patrick Ball was living with his siblings, Christopher and Mary, and their widowed mother Jane in Stafford Street, Dublin. Based on the records of Francis Ball, it appears the family moved there in 1909.

Questions, questions, questions:

Is the Patrick Ball living at 69 Gordon Street in 1910 my maternal grandfather?
OR
Is it possible that this Patrick Ball is my 2nd great-grandfather, father of Francis Ball, and my Patrick Ball's grandfather?
(After the fact edit — insert knock on the head here — 2nd great-grandfather Patrick Ball died in 1884, so he could not have been resident in Gordon Street in 1910, at least not in corporeal form.)
OR
Is this Patrick Ball not connected to me at all?

Is it possible that in 1909 my grandfather Patrick Ball was living with his family in Fishamble Street, and then moved to Stafford Street later in 1909, and then in 1910 was the tenant of 69 Gordon Street? Did he move back to Stafford Street in 1911, only to move back into 69 Gordon Street thirteen years later, in 1923, with his wife and baby son in tow? I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

Is it possible? Yes, it is in the realm of possibility, but is it probable?
Is it more likely than not that the Patrick Ball who lived at 69 Gordon Street in 1910 and the Patrick Ball who lived there in 1923 are one in the same?

I'm not so sure about that likelihood.

More research is definitely in order, but I do like a good mystery.

Thanks Dad for being on my mind that day, and giving me a push!

The tome of Pembroke West revisions, 1909-1910.
©irisheyesjg2015.

Friday, May 1, 2015

Bealtaine: An Irish springtime celebration of optimism

Bealtaine is the Irish word for the month of May, and also the word used to denote the springtime celebrations and festivals that take place in Ireland on the first of May — Lá Bealtaine or May Day — and throughout the month of May. All around the world you will find many countries in which there are celebrations of May Day as the beginning of a new cycle of life.

According to historians, in Ireland the month of May has long been a time for celebrations of the optimistic variety, going all the way back to the time of the ancient Celts. The people would hold festivals with music and dancing, and build huge bonfires for purification and renewal. All this was done in praise of the natural world in order to optimistically welcome the planting season, and with it renewed hope for a successful future harvest.

These days during the month of May, all over Ireland there are festivals that mark with optimism the coming of spring. Duchas.ie has a lovely PDF you can download featuring information about May Day traditions around Ireland.

Here are just a few of the festivals and events going on in Ireland in the month of May:

The 'Bealtaine Festival: Celebrating creativity as we age', is a festival that inspires young and old to reach their full potential, with events held from the 1st to the 31st day of May in many locations throughout Ireland.

Even Glasnevin Cemetery is in on the festivities with the Bealtaine Festival 2015 Literary Tour on the 10th day of May.

The Féile na Bealtaine Arts Festival in Dingle town, County Kerry, from the 30th of April to the 4th of May is a celebration that 'aims to extend and broaden the community's artistic horizons' while entertaining locals and visitors alike.

The Punchestown Horse Racing Festival at Punchestown, just south of Naas, County Kildare and not far from Dublin City, runs from 28th of April to the 2nd of May. Not strictly a spring festival as such, Punchestown is one of the highlights of the Irish horse racing calendar. It is very much a family affair, with music and all sorts of entertainment. The perfect place to don a beautiful hat, walk out in your Sunday best, and watch the races.

With springtime celebrations in mind I was thinking about what it is that makes me feel optimistic, and which images might express that optimism. On this Lá Bealtaine (Law B-yel-teh-ne), in celebration of optimism, here are a few of my favourite images that make me feel hopeful.

Shona Lá Bealtaine go léir!
Happy May Day to All!


Observing people together, just having fun and enjoying life, sparks the light of optimism, whether it's family traipsing through St. Stephen's Green on the occasion of a wedding, or buskers on Grafton Street, enthusiastic football fans on the train from County Mayo, or skilled polo players in the Phoenix Park. All of these remind me that people are basically good, and want to enjoy life and make each other happy, and that definitely makes me feel optimistic.


Seeing the beauty of stained glass windows makes me feel optimistic. At times it seems as though some people are only capable of wreaking havoc and causing ruination; however, the fact that others chose to skillfully apply their hand to crafting intricate pieces such as these, for the enjoyment of their fellowmen, just has to make you feel hopeful. These windows are from St. Mary's Church in Westport, County Mayo.

Looking over the grandeur of the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare, with the ocean waves crashing at their base in perfect rhythm, reminds me of the fact that we humans are a small part of the whole picture. We have been given the privilege of living in this big and beautiful world, and that always makes me feel optimistic.

On a morning flight travelling back from Ireland in 2011, the plane flew in a parabolic arch, cruising over Greenland. The mountainous region of the land was perfectly visible in the light of the morning sun. I shot these images out of a small round window in the front galley of the plane. The natural splendour of Greenland, and the colour from this perspective, was awe inspiring. Seeing it made me hopeful that no matter what happens in the world, nature will prevail, and that makes me feel optimistic.

Being able to coax this exquisite bloom out of a hibiscus plant in my back garden a couple of summers ago makes me feel optimistic, because of the possibility that, if I find my green thumb, it might just happen again.

What makes you feel optimistic?

Copyright©irisheyesjg2015.
Click on images to view larger versions.
To hear pronunciations of Bealtaine visit Forvo.

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Tuesday's Tips: Is someone playing 'Telephone' with your Irish family history?

'Well let me tell you, as the story goes...'
This post evolved out of a reader's comment on an earlier blog post, a comment that referenced the childhood game of 'telephone'. Thinking about that game led me to consider the ways in which a family story can change as it is passed down, much like the story in the game of telephone.

Perhaps when you were a child you played the telephone game, also called the gossip game, or the whisper game, and probably lots of other names too.

With a group of your friends you would sit in a circle. One member of the group would begin by whispering a story to the person beside them, who would then whisper it to a second person, and so on, all around the circle until you reached the last person. He/she then had to recount the story he/she had been told.

The story that emerged from the final player was often very different from the one first told. We played this game at a sleepover party when I was in elementary school, and I remember howling with laughter, because it seemed that the larger the group, the more cockeyed was the story that emerged in the end.

So...

Is someone playing 'Telephone' with your Irish family history?

There are a lot of clues that can reveal to us just why the inherited 'history' of an ancestor may not be quite correct; however, that does not mean there isn't some truth to the story. Just as in the telephone game, the narrative may simply have become somewhat skewed along the way as it was passed down.

There are a number of elements, such as timeline, geography, and extant evidence, that we can look at to help us uncover the truth of the matter. Each of the stories I have included here was passed on as actual family history.

1. Timeline:

Story:

'Martin' says his uncle joined the Irish Volunteers in the autumn of 1921, and was one of the Volunteers who fought in the General Post Office [GPO] during the Easter Rising.

Problem:

The 1916 Easter Rising took place in, well, 1916. If Martin's uncle did not enlist in the Irish Volunteers until the autumn of 1921, then he would not have taken part in the 1916 Rising, at least not as a member of the Irish Volunteers.

Solution: 

With respect to the 1916 Easter Rising, the fact is men who were members of the Irish Volunteers, and women who were in Cumann na mBan, were assigned to various battalions and companies, and each of these was assigned to a particular place during the Rising.

Sometimes, when it comes to the 1916 Easter Rising, it seems as though every Tom, Dick and Harry claims to have a relative who fought in the GPO. Such claims may stem from the fact that the GPO is the best known site of battle; however, it was most certainly not the only location in which fighting took place during the Rising. There are extant lists of those who fought during the 1916 Rising, along with the locations in which they fought. (See: Going to the bookshelf to find family history)

If Martin's uncle joined the Irish Volunteers in the autumn of 1921, that was after the Truce of July 1921, so he may have been involved in the Irish Civil War, either as a volunteer with the Anti-Treaty forces — Eamon de Valera's men, known as the 'Irregulars' — or as a soldier in the National Army of the Irish Free State under the command of General Michael Collins or General Richard Mulcahy. Contacting the Irish government, via the Military Pensions Office (see 'Granny was in the IRA': Turning a story into a history), to find out if there is an extant military pension application record may help him uncover the whole story.

Also, Martin might make use of websites such as The Bureau of Military History Archives [BMHA], which has the Irish Army Census for those who were serving in the National Army of the Irish Free State as of November 1922. He may find his uncle gave a statement or is mentioned in the BMHA Witness Statements. As well, the BMHA has made available online many of the military pension application records of those who participated in the Easter Rising.1

The Four Courts, another significant site during The 1916 Easter Rising.
Members of 'A' Company, First Battalion, Dublin Brigade
fought from here, under the command of Edward 'Ned' Daly.
©irisheyesjg2012.
Extra Tips:

If you believe your family members may have participated in rebellions or military activity in Ireland, consider creating a timeline for each of those persons on your family tree.

Notice which events mesh with the dates on your timeline:

Are there possible connections to the 1798 Rebellion, the 1803 Rebellion, the Young Irelander Rebellion of 1848?

Was anyone in your family involved in the 'The Tithe War' or the 'The Land War'? Strictly speaking neither of these was a war, but each one is marked by acts of non-violent civil disobedience and agrarian agitation. As well, during the Tithe War there were violent clashes that resulted in fatalities. The Tithe War dates to 1831-36. The Land War was a long period of civil unrest and agrarian agitation that lasted almost three decades beginning in 1870.

Would your ancestors have been of an age to have participated in the 1916 Easter Rising, the Irish War of Independence 1919-1921, or the Irish Civil War 1922-1923?

Make use of websites that offer access to Irish Prison Registers. You may find ancestors who were interned for distributing seditious materials, such as newsletters and flyers. Perhaps your ancestors are among those who were imprisoned for 'agrarian agitation' or for 'unlawful assembly' during the Land War. (View Prison Registers on FindMyPast.ie: a paid site that includes images, or on FamilySearch.org: a free site that has some restrictions on access to images.)

2. Geography:

Story:

'Sinéad', who is searching for Mayo ancestors, says her family story tells of her Westport born great-grandfather being imprisoned in late 19th century in the gaol at Naas (pronounced 'nace', as in 'place') because he prevented Mayo fishermen from fishing locally in the Irish sea.

Problem:

Photo Credit: Magellan Geographics.
There are a couple of problems with this story. First, County Mayo is on the west coast of Ireland, and the Irish sea is on the east coast of Ireland, so Mayo fisherman would not have fished 'locally' in the Irish sea.

There are quite a number of areas in Mayo where fishermen would have fished in the 19th century. In addition to the bays of the Atlantic Ocean, fishing for profit was also done in lakes and rivers. As well, there are various types of 'fishing' to be considered, such as salmon and trout, eel and oysters.

Second, Naas Gaol is in Naas, County Kildare, so it is unlikely — though not impossible — that he would have been imprisoned there. For a crime committed in or near Westport, it is more likely he was interned at Castlebar Gaol.

Also, just as we think of tenancy of the land, and renting a place to live, so too, there was tenancy of the natural world, so to speak, with leases covering the various bodies of water, and landlords holding rights over access to the fish on their lands (as well as rights over hunting and fowl).

In the 19th century, in the west of Ireland these leases were strictly managed, with lease holders taking legal action against anyone who infringed on their rights.2

Solution:

Sinéad's great-grandfather may very well have been imprisoned, but the particulars of his internment may be a bit skewed. Again, look at Irish Prison Registers and Petty Sessions Court Registers from the area in which he lived, to see if you can find him in the records, and discover the real reason for his internment.

Also, the right to fish was a transferable asset, so rights for fishing show up in property sales in the Encumbered Estates Court. Sinéad may want to consult the Landed Estate Court Rental records on sites such as FamilySearch.org and FindMyPast.ie to see if there is any mention of her great-grandfather having fishing rights as a part of a tenancy agreement.

Extra Tip:

Map out the locations of your ancestors on the island of Ireland to see what patterns might emerge, and notice what makes sense and what seems a little off.

3. Legitimate evidence exists which counters a claim:

Story:

'Patrick' is researching his family's connection to the Irish War of Independence and says his family told him that two cousins were shot and killed in Croke Park on Bloody Sunday in the summer of 1919.

Problem:

Two problems with this story: First, Bloody Sunday did not happen in the summer of 1919. That terrible day occurred on 21 November 1920, more than a year after the deaths of his cousins. Additionally, comprehensive information about those killed and wounded in Croke Park on that day is extant, and his cousins are not named in that data.

Solution: 

Since Patrick knows that his cousins died in the summer of 1919, acquiring copies of the registration records of their deaths — assuming those deaths were registered — will be the most helpful thing he can do. Those records will state the actual cause(s) of death, likely clearing up the details of his family story.

The fact that both cousins died in the summer of 1919 hints at a couple of possibilities. They may have fallen victim to the Spanish Flu which continued to take lives in Ireland well into 1919 (see Sudden Death in Bow Bridge: The Flu Pandemic in Ireland), or there may have been an incident or accident that resulted in both of their deaths.

The death registration records will bear out any of these as possibilities.

In order to find a reference to an incident or accident, Patrick may want to consult newspapers, via such sites as the Irish News Archive, which holds more than 40 Irish newspaper titles covering a period of over 300 years, and the British Newspaper Archive, which holds a significant number of Irish titles.  The Irish Times Archive, is also a valuable asset for uncovering stories during this time period. Each one of these is a paid site that has a number of subscription options.

Also, Patrick can use this as an opportunity to learn more about Irish history by reading about the Irish War of Independence, and incidents such as Bloody Sunday. Although relatives may not have been killed or wounded during these events, learning about the conflict may give him a better understanding of what life may have been like for his family members in the period. (see Going to the bookshelf...)

Extra Tip:

Always break down the story to its most bare elements, in this case the death of an individual/ individuals, then choose the best starting source for information, in this case the registration of a death or deaths.

4. Some elements of the story simply cannot be true:

Story:

'Enya' was told her great-grandmother was in Cumann na mBan — the women's council of the Irish Volunteers — and in order to help during the War of Independence (1919-1921) this great-grandmother had her gold Irish dancing medals melted down, and she donated the gold to the IRA.

Problem:

Although Irish dance medals were awarded in competition dating back to the late 19th century, with the formation of the Gaelic League (Conradh na Gaeilge, 1893), they were never made of solid gold that could be melted down.

Irish Dance Medal awarded at the 1912 Oireachtas Competition
to Dubliner Mary Moran who was 'victorious in dancing'.
Photo credit: Antony Wilson, Professional Numismatist.
Solution:

Although the medals part of the story cannot be true, this great-grandmother may very well have been a member of Cumann na mBan. Again in this case, contacting the Irish government, via the Military Pensions Office, to find out if there is an extant military pension application supporting her great-grandmother's membership in Cumann na mBan, may help in uncovering the whole story. (See 'Granny was in the IRA': Turning a story into a history)

Extra Tip:

Always welcome with warmth and appreciation any family stories that are passed on; however, keep a keen ear for something that sounds slightly amiss, and ask yourself if it makes sense.

5. Attaching someone famous to the family tree:

Story:

'Margaret', with the surname Pierce/Pearse (that is how she put it), wrote to me saying her family looks forward to commemorating the 1916 Easter Rising every year because Padráig Pearse was her grandfather.

Problem:

Bust of Padráig Pearse,
on the grounds of the Museum of
St. Enda's School, Rathfarnham, Dublin.
©irisheyesjg2014.
The surname difference is the least of Margaret's worries. The very significant problem with this claim is that at the time of his execution in 1916, Padráig Pearse was not married and had no children (real, alleged, or imagined), so it would not be possible for him to have grandchildren.

Padráig Pearse is the man most readily associated with the Easter Rising. He was an orator, teacher and founder of St. Enda's Boys' School.

Also, Pearse was the man chosen to read the 'Proclamation of the Irish Republic', on the steps of the General Post Office in Dublin, at the start of the 1916 Easter Rising on Monday 24 April 1916. Both Padráig Pearse and his brother William were executed by firing squad on in the stone breaker's yard at Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin. Padráig on 3 May and William on 4 May, 1916.

Solution:

Although Padráig Pearse is not Margaret's grandfather, it is possible she might be connected to his family in some other way. Pearse's brother William was like his brother, unmarried and without children, so she would not be connected to him. She might be connected to one of Pearse's relatives; however, any claim of a connection would require actual proof, so looking at primary source documents is essential.

Extra Tips:

Working 'from the outside to the inside' often proves problematic when it comes to family history/genealogy; however, this tends to be something people do when they want to attach someone famous to their family tree. (See Family History: The problem of researching from the outside in...) Often such researchers fail to appreciate the fact that sharing the same surname as someone famous doesn't mean they are connected to that person.

Seek out well-documented family trees for famous people to whom you may be connected. Some of these can be found online.

With respect, don't be a surname collector. Attach someone to your family tree only if you can prove that they are actually connected to you.

In conclusion:

As is the case with the telephone game, the narrative which emerges when a family story is passed down may have some element of truth in it, but that truth may have gotten a little mixed up along the way. By consulting the large number of resources available to help us, we can get to the bottom of the story, and turn it into an actual history.

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

©irisheyesjg2015.

Footnotes:

1. Military Pension application records are available only for those persons who applied for a service pension, or whose surviving family members applied for a survivor's pension.

The Bureau of Military History Archives at Cathal Brugha Military Base in Dublin is an excellent archive for information, some of which can be accessed online, about ancestors or family members who may have participated in military action. Within their stellar collection are materials pertaining to the 1916 Easter Rising and The Irish War of Independence of 1919-21, as well as some materials germane to the Irish Civil War of 1922-23.

2. Lane, Pádraig G., 'Galway and Mayo Fisheries in the Mid-Nineteenth: Transferable Assets' in The Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society, Vol. 62, (2010), pp. 144-156. Accessed through JSTOR Digital library.

Thanks to The Graphics Fairy for the image of the girl on the telephone.
Portions of this post originally appeared on this blog in 2012.

Sunday, April 5, 2015

Happy Easter, to you and yours!

Wishing our family and friends, the world over, a very Happy Easter!





©irisheyesjg2015.

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

'A wig maker of Dublin with propense malice' & other Parish Register oddments

In addition to searching for the baptism and marriage records of ancestors, and other family members, one of the best things about perusing Roman Catholic parish registers, on microfilm at the National Library of Ireland, is that sometimes you come across odd little stories and amusing details that bring to life, foibles and all, some of the individuals who created these records so very long ago. 

In the parish register for Lusk, County Dublin, dating to 1763, the following story is related of the Reverend James Strong, whose death was apparently precipitated by the actions of a Mr. Tyans — [Tryans] — a malicious wig maker from Dublin. Tsk, tsk, tsk.


It reads:

The Reverend James Strong, Native of the Parish of Holy-wood, succeeded W. Bethel. He administered this parish five years, and some months, and was a truly pious & zealous priest. He was removed to Swords by Doctor FitzSimons, and lived there about two years and a half in general esteem. He was cut in his leg by the lash of a horse at the funeral of one of his Parishioners. One Tyans [Tryans], a wig maker of Dublin, with propense malice, made his horse kick behind at Mr. Strong & cut him. He followed Mr. Strong to his house, and struck him, wounded as he was, at his own door. The mob of Swords, at Mr. Strong’s own earnest request, let him go with his life. Mr. Strong’s leg was laid open in Dublin. A fever superseded and he died universally regretted. 

Although we will likely never know the truth, the details of the story make me wonder about the nature of the relationship between the wig maker and the priest.

Why did Tyans the wig maker have such enmity for the priest?
Was Tyans angry because he was owed money for a wig he had made for the pious Reverend?
Why did Tyans follow the Reverend Strong to his home and continue to assault him?
Was the wig maker known to the village, or was he a simply a dangerous stranger from Dublin?
From whence came the 'mob of Swords', and did any of my family members play a part in it?

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

The parish register of Donabate reveals that on 30 December 1798, the wedding day of my 4th great-grandparents William Cavenaugh and Mary Brien, in addition to the child for whom they stood as godparents, three other children were baptized that day.

Seems it was quite a busy day for the poor fellow who recorded these events. Although he makes note of the individual baptisms, he cannot fully recollect all of the details about those who were baptized. He refers to them as 'a child' and 'a boy and girl whos[e] names I forget'. He does manage to note the names of the parents in the first case; however, in the second case while the names are likely those of the parents, and that of a sponsor, it is unclear because he includes no such notation.


The entries read:

eadez Die [Latin translates to: the same day]
B: A Child of Peter Carpenter and Wife Margaret
Bap A Boy and Girl Whos[e] names I forget
Jean & Christopher Thorn & Briget Nugent

('B' signifies 'born of'; 'Bap' signifies Baptism)

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

Returning to the parish register of Lusk, and an entry from 1761, in which the Pastor of Lusk expresses disdain at the record keeping talents of his predecessor the Reverend Teeling, whose marriage records Mr. Mooney 'faithfully transcribed'.


Reverend Mooney writes,

Mr. Teeling's marriage register ends here — He never mentioned the names of Witnesses at his marriages — He barely said they were married in the presence of Parents, friends or neighbours — I have accurately & faithfully transcribed them as I found them in Mr. Teeling's hand-writing.

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

The last in this quartet of oddments is an entry from the parish of Lusk that introduces the register entries of 1762. It gives what amounts to a biography of the life of the Reverend Robert Bethel, and is rounded out with a paean of praise for Mr. Bethel's positive attributes.


It reads,

The Rev'd Robert Bethel, native of Dublin, took up session of the parish of Lusk, May 1st 1762. He administered this parish about a year and eight months, and was translated to Swords, thence to Chappel-Izod, thence to Crumlin. He was Dean of this District, & afterwards Dean at Swords; a pious priest, a zealous Pastor, an elegant Preacher, a warm cordial friend, eminent in the grave studies of his profession, and the polite reading of a Gentleman.

It may speak more to my suspicious mind than it does to his words; however, I cannot help wondering why the writer heaps such praise upon Mr. Bethel. Did it have anything to do with wanting to remain in the Reverend's good graces, given that Mr. Bethel became Dean of the district, or was it a genuine expression of amity?

It is perhaps reassuring to know that people in the 18th century were capable of the same sorts of inclinations and lapses — praise and deep enmity, pettiness, forgetfulness and obsequiousness — as those in the 21st century, who might have a tendency to romanticize the lives and sentiments of those who lived so long before us.

©irisheyesjg2015.

IMPORTANT NEWS: Images of the microfilm of the Catholic Parish registers held by the National Library are scheduled to be released online on 8 July 2015, so you can seek out parish register oddments of your own.

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Tuesday's Tips: Butcher, Baker, Cabinet Maker?: Not all Irishmen were farmers.

Coopers and Scribers, Jameson Distillery, Smithfield, Dublin City.
My paternal great-grandfather Patrick Magee stands in the back row, second from the right.
This is an updated version of a post which first appeared in the summer of 2012 after I came upon a surprising number of sites that posed the question, 'Did you know your Irish ancestors were tenant farmers?'. 'Well no, they were not, not all of them', was my rhetorical response. This update includes new links to assist you in finding out more about those Irish ancestors who were not farmers.

While 19th century statistics show that most Irish worked the lands as tenant farmers, the plain fact is not everyone who ever lived on the island of Ireland was a farmer.

Your ancestors may have lived in an urban area such as Dublin City. The city of Dublin is over 1000 years old, a very significant period of time within which to search for ancestors who were neither farmers nor farm workers. Even some of those who lived outside the walls of the metropolis were not necessarily farmers. As well, there were some Irish who were land owners, and you may find your ancestors among them (see Failte Romhat site).

If you are interested in statistics, including those which cover types of occupations in Ireland, dating back as far as the 1821 census, then visit the Online Historical Population Reports Project. Here you will find all of the published population reports, including census reports, created by the Registrars-General for Ireland (as well as England, Scotland and Wales). 

Although I have a fair number of farmers on my family tree, there are also quite a few for whom the scythe and the spade were foreign instruments. Consider the following professions held by some of my family members:

BALL Family:

Patrick, Francis, Patrick [the second], Anthony, Gerard: Carpenters, Box Makers & Cabinet Makers

CAVANAUGH Family:

John and William: Proprietors of a Carman's Stage. 

A carman's stage was a particular type of 18th century inn, usually found on the outskirts of Irish towns, along the turn-pike system of roads in the period. It's purpose was to provide long haul car-men — those who ferried people and goods around the country — with a stopover place at which they could break their journey in order rest, and feed and water their horses, as well as themselves.

FITZPATRICK Family:

Thomas: Vintner, Victualler, Grocer, Coal labourer
Thomas Jr., called Tom: Jockey

GERAGHTY Family:

Patrick: Car-man, then Car Proprietor

A car proprietor was the owner of a business that provided all manner of horse-drawn carriages, such as flys, landau carriages, coaches, and funeral corteges in the 19th and early 20th century, and automobiles in the 20th century. As well, they provided the service of chauffeuring clients — or corpses, should that be the case — in those vehicles.

Austin: employed by the ESB: the Electricity Supply Board
George: worked for Bord na Mona: the Irish Turf Board
John: Car Driver (driver of the aforementioned 'carriages')
Michael: Parish Priest, and later Canon in the Roman Catholic Church
Patrick: University Professor
Thomas: Clerk at Guinness Brewery

KETTLE Family:

Andrew J.: Secretary of the Land League (okay, I admit it, he was a farmer too.)
Thomas: Barrister, Economics Professor at UCD, Writer, WWI Journalist, Poet, and Soldier in the Royal Dublin Fusiliers.
Laurence: Electrical Engineer: Chief Electrical Engineer for Dublin City
Patrick: Barrister and Justice of the Peace

MAGEE Family:

Patrick: Scriber and Clerk at Jameson Distillery
Michael: Scriber at Jameson Distillery, Clerk at Patterson's Match Factory,
and 2nd Lieutenant, Section Commander, A.S.U., 'A' Comp. 1st Battalion, Irish Republican Army.
Francis: Clerk, then Manager of Jameson Distillery,
and a service member of the Irish Free State Air Force detachment at Baldonnell.

WARD Family:

Thomas: Mariner
James Joseph: Master Mariner, and ultimately Captain of his own ship

Learning the occupations of your ancestors may give you insight into the fortunes of the family.

By discovering the professions held by your ancestors, you may be able to glean information about their social status, level of education, and even migration patterns of a family.

With respect to the jobs held by women: In the census records, you may find an unmarried female family member employed outside the home. Her wages would have be used to supplement those of her father and any brothers for the support of her family. You may find a widowed woman working as a char-woman, seamstress, milliner, or tailor's assistant. These kinds of jobs were often relegated to such women, barely providing them with a subsistence wage. Also, an early 20th century record which reveals a married woman with a profession may hint at a suffragette.

The male main breadwinner of the family may have held a single job long term, or may have held many jobs over time, particularly if he was an unskilled labourer or if his job entailed travel.

Unskilled labourers might have to move around the country, or to England, Scotland, Wales and beyond, in search of work. Many unskilled Irish labourers found work on the docks in Liverpool. If you think your ancestor may fit this profile and you cannot find him in the Irish census records, consider searching in the census of England. In Liverpool, you will find a high concentration of Irish families living near the Liverpool docklands in the densely populated wards of Everton, Kirkdale, Scotland and Vauxhall. As well, many Irish found work in the Lancashire mines.

Consider the following:

1. Marriage registrations.

Civil registration of ALL birth, marriages, and deaths in Ireland began in 18641, 2, and these records are a boon for researchers because they offer so much more information than the baptismal and marriage entries in parish registers, including the professions of those mentioned on the record, such as the betrothed and their fathers.

It was not unusual for sons to follow in their father's footsteps, so you may find a son in a similar profession to that of his father. For example, in the case of my Ball family members, the craft of working wood was passed from generation to generation, with the sons and grandsons becoming cabinet makers. The marriage record of my maternal great-parents Francis Ball and Jane Early shows that continuity.

24 August 1884:
Francis Ball, carpenter, son of Patrick Ball, carpenter, marries Jane Early.
*********************

While the marriage registration below for my maternal great-grandaunt Alice Fitzpatrick and her husband James Joseph Ward indicates that her father was a farmer, it also reveals that both James and his father were Mariners. Interesting to note Alice's profession is pegged as 'Farmer's daughter'.

11 August, 1886:
James Ward, mariner, son of Thomas Ward, mariner, marries Alice Fitzpatrick, Farmer's daughter.
*********************

In the case of my maternal great-grandfather Thomas Fitzpatrick and his bride Mary Teresa Hynes, although both of their fathers were farmers, the record indicates that at the time of their marriage Thomas's profession was that of 'Vintner' and Mary's that of 'Shopkeeper'. Turns out, Thomas was the proprietor of a '7-day Licensed House', that is, a public house, a 'pub', authorized to sell wine and spirits.

20 September 1893:
Thomas Fitzpatrick, vintner, marries Mary Teresa Hynes, shopkeeper.
*********************

2. Birth Registrations

On the civil registration record of a birth you will find the occupation of the child's father included. If your ancestor came from a large family, compare the birth registration records of all the children, and you will get a good picture of their father's working life, giving you insight into the fortunes of the family from the changes you see in employment. Also, a comparison between the profession indicated on a marriage registration record and the birth registrations of the children born to that marriage may reveal a change in profession.

In 1895 Catherine Geraghty is born to Patrick Geraghty, car man.
By 1903, as noted on this birth registration of his son George,
Patrick Geraghty is a Car Proprietor, the owner of his own business.
*********************

As I previously noted above, on his 1893 marriage registration, Thomas Fitzpatrick declared his profession as that of a 'Vintner'; however, by 1894 and the birth of his first born child Mary Angela, the record shows him as a 'Victualler and Grocer'. Seems this is a marker of a beginning trend of fortune's downward turn for Thomas, as his 1901 English census record and 1911 Irish census record will bear out.

2 September 1894: Mary Angela Fitzpatrick is born to victualler and grocer Thomas Fitzpatrick.
*********************

3. Cemetery registers.

Depending on the cemetery, and the time period of the record, the job title or profession of the deceased, or the father or husband of the deceased is usually listed in the register. For example, below is an image from the registers of Glasnevin Cemetery. It is the burial record of Jane Ball, baby daughter of my maternal great-grandfather Francis Ball. You will note Jane is referred to as 'Box maker's child'. 

Jane Ball, Box maker's child.
Extract from Glasnevin burial register of 1889.
Click on image to view larger version.
4. Obituaries and Newspaper Advertisements

Although the professions of none of his other children are mentioned in the obituary of my paternal great-grandfather Patrick Geraghty, the profession of his son Michael and that of one of his grandsons shows up in the first line of the obituary, '... father of Rev. M. Geraghty, C.C., and grandfather of Rev. D. Geraghty, O.P.'. You may come across this in the obituaries of your own ancestors, particularly if a family member held a job considered to bear some prestige.


If you have an ancestor or family member who had an established business such as a pub, grocery, farm, etc., and then suddenly didn't, check out the auction advertisement columns in newspapers of the period.

Newspaper ads may include interesting details which might give you insight into the life of your family member. For example, auctions for the selling off of such things as a business, household goods, large numbers of livestock (for farmers), and leases on houses or plots of land may be a signal that he is about to change professions, or his family might be in trouble financially, and they may be preparing to migrate elsewhere.

In 1897 Thomas Fitzpatrick auctioned off his 7-day Licensed House. You will notice in the auction ad below, dated 5 October 1897, a reason is provided for the sale of the pub. It states, '[Thomas Fitzpatrick] finds his farm and other business requiring all his attention.'.  In fact, this sale may have been precipitated by the fact that Thomas was moving on. Just over a year later Thomas and his family were living in Liverpool.



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

5. The Irish Census

Irish census records from 1901 and 1911 have a column for the specific identification of the job held by an individual at the time of the census taking.

On the National Archives site you can even search by occupation. (see NAI search page). Click on 'more search options' to search by occupation.

It is apparent from this snippet on the left from their 1911 Census form that Thomas Michael Kettle wanted to ensure his profession was well understood, as well as that of his wife, Mary Sheehy. In addition to Thomas Kettle's occupation as a Barrister and Economics professor, both he and his wife Mary are recorded as graduates of the National University of Ireland, and as writers.

For Thomas Fitzpatrick — once a vintner, victualler and grocer — it appears that with the move to Liverpool his fortunes greatly faltered, as the 1911 Irish census of the Fitzpatrick household finds them back in Ireland with Thomas employed as a coal labourer.3

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

6. Directories

City and Country directories are a great resource for learning about an ancestor's occupation, and some directories are freely available online (click on the blue links below to view various editions). Many of these can be found on Google Books, although not all years are available.

Some classes of workers are excluded from directories. For example you will not find landless labourers, small lot tenant farmers, and servants; however, you will find the following included: shop keepers, apothecaries, pawnbrokers, bankers, ecclesiastics, and a whole host of others.

Look for the following titles:

1751-1837: Wilson's Directory and The Treble Almanack (Wilson's Directory was published as part of the Treble Almanack beginning in 1837).
from 1820: Pigot & Slater's countrywide directories; Slater's Directory.
1834-1849: Pettigrew and Oulton's Dublin Almanac and General Register of Ireland
1844-present day: Thom's Irish Almanac and Official Directory

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

Footnotes and Resources:

1. 1845 was the first year in which marriages (i.e. non-Roman Catholic marriages) were registered in Ireland. In 1863, legislation known as the ‘Registration of Births and Deaths Act of 1863’ established the legal requirement that the births and deaths of ALL Irish born persons be registered with the government. The act was amended on 28 July 1863, via a private member's bill in Parliament, to include all marriages as well. The civil registration of all of these life events officially began on 1 January 1864.

2. For the 26 counties of the Republic of Ireland you can order copies of civil registration records online via the website Certificates.ie at http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/1/bdm/Certificates/. This site does not offer a search option, so you must have in hand the details of the record you want. See this link for details about the information required, and this link for full details with respect to exactly which records can be applied for online.

For the 6 counties of Northern Ireland, you can search for and order copies of civil registration records online via the website of GRONI, the General Registration Office of Northern Ireland at https://geni.nidirect.gov.uk.

Indexes for Irish civil registration are available on FamilySearch.org at https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1408347.

3. The Fitzpatrick family moved to Liverpool sometime in late 1898 or early 1899, and the family did not fare well there (See 'Probably General Debility': The death of Little Joseph Fitzpatrick, aged 6). The 1901 Census of England reveals that Thomas and his family were living in the docklands of Liverpool, and he was working as a casual labourer on the docks.

©irisheyesjg2015.
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