Sarah Brennan

[Geirgg]

Hi,

Rathdrum is in County Wicklow, south of Dublin. At that time it would have been a rural area. The Ireland Marriages, 1619 - 1898 on Family Search shows, Thomas Brennan, aged 24, married Bridget Bryan, also 24, on 25th February 1847, in Arklow, Co. Wicklow. Fathers wereThomas Brennan and Thomas Bryan.

You could try to get the certificate from the GRO in Roscommon, download the form from their website and send it off. If you only want to get a photocopy of the Marriage they charge 4 euro, or at least they did last year. Look up the reference on Family Search Civil Births and give the Year, volume and page if you find it. I have always found them more than helpful.

You could look at https://www.
rootsireland.ie/ for Sarah's baptism. It is a pay to view site, but I think they give some free pages.

The fact that Thomas and Bridget's Marriage is on the Civil Registration, may indicate that they are non Catholics, as I think Catholic Births and Marriages were only registered after 1865. Researching in Ireland before 1901 is not easy, you really need the Parish, or at least the County, where someone was born to really get anywhere, and then hope the name is unusual. My father in law's family came from a small village in Co. Offaly and there were two unrelated families with the same surname out of a population of a couple of hundred people. a nightmare to find who belongs to who.

Glyn.

Thank you very much. I shall try this:-)

[Geirgg]

Birth registration for Joshua McDonald is Mar Q 1871 Liverpool (8b Page 105)
The 1891 and 1901 census records state he was born about 1871.
That is why I thought he must have been only 2 months old in 1871.

Thanks to Coromandel for the marriage update.

My source was Ancestry which ironically differs for that Sarah from the FreeBMD website.
Sorry for the confusion.

The one who is born is in December 1870 (registred in March 1871) is his cousin (also named Joshua, but the son of George). I have not yet been able to find my Joshua born. Could he have been born in Ireland in 1869?

Thanks
Geir

[Shirl20]

As there appears to be no marriage or birth in England it does suggest
that Ireland is where these events took place.

[Shirl20]

If this is Sarah’s mother, then this proves she was Catholic
so the Ireland Civil Registrations Marriage Index is probably not applicable.

Bridget Brennan died Dec Q 1869 Liverpool

Liverpool, Lancashire, England, Catholic Burials, 1813-1988

Bridget Brennan
Burial date: 11 Nov 1869 Ford Cemetery, Liverpool.

[Geirgg]

If this is Sarah’s mother, then this proves she was Catholic
so the Ireland Civil Registrations Marriage Index is probably not applicable.

Bridget Brennan died Dec Q 1869 Liverpool

Liverpool, Lancashire, England, Catholic Burials, 1813-1988

Bridget Brennan
Burial date: 11 Nov 1869 Ford Cemetery, Liverpool.

Thanks! Is there any way of finding out more from Irish records? I do belive that they were Catholic, yes.

[Shirl20]

1861 Census
Class: RG 9; Piece: 2669; Folio: 19; Page: 31

John Brennan 48 Shoemaker b: Ireland
Wife Maria 41
5 children

Listed at the address next to Thomas and same occupation.
Could they be brothers?

1871 Census
Class: RG10; Piece: 3663; Folio: 126; Page: 19

Stockport Poorlaw Union Workhouse:
Thomas Brennan Widowed 50 Shoemaker
Son Thomas 12? (in 1861 he was 4 years old)

[Shirl20]

I have checked the Irish records I have access to, but I am no expert when it comes to Ireland.

Maybe certificates for those relatives in England who were born there would give you some clues
as to where to look in Ireland.

Possible death record for Thomas Brennan

Dec Q 1873 Prescot, Lancashire, age 52

No burial found.

[Shirl20]

Found this death record for John Brennan:
Dec Q 1874 West Derby, Lancashire, age 61

Liverpool, Lancashire, England, Catholic Burials, 1813-1988
John Brennan
Burial date: 17 Dec 1874 Ford Cemetery, Liverpool.

[Shirl20]

I used Google to try to find Irish records and came across the Irish Archives.
It contained Slater’s Commercial Directory of Ireland 1846 for the
Province of Leinster, which includes Dublin. The Brennan’s were
Shoemakers, and tradesmen are usually listed in those old directories.
Out of all the Dublin pages that could be read, the one listing ‘Shoe and
Boot Makers’ could not be read. How unlucky is that!

[Geirgg]

Hi,

Thanks a lot for all your nuggets of information!

I know Ireland is really hard to research. I have one other branch of this family that are also from Ireland, and it stops dead there. I think you might have to go there to get any further.

Thanks a lot though, it is like a puzzle, and all the pieces of information brings you a little closer:-)

Geir