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  1. #1
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    Default O'Hanlon - 1856 ish

    I recently employed a professional researcher to help me find the birth and mother's maiden name of Catherine O'Hanlon born 1856 ish. I was not particularly happy with the researcher's (lack of) communication with me and the time he was taking so wonder what, if anything, you make of the following he has provided after six weeks.

    The background is that Catherine O’Hanlon was born circa 1856 and was the daughter of John, a soldier. Catherine married Edward Winter Hume (a soldier) in 1878 in Shankill Church of Ireland Church and they had seven children (born in Lurgan and Armagh) before her death in 1897 in Portadown. The death certificate was signed by a sister - Betsy O’Hanlon. I am fairly sure (from a burial record) that Catherine was Roman Catholic but her husband was not. All the children were, belatedly, baptised Catholic.

    I believe it was generally frowned upon in Catholic areas for someone to join the British Army and this could force families to leave an area.

    The researcher found possible baptisms of children to a John O’Hanlon between the years 1840-1860:

    7th July 1845, Bridget of John Hanlon and Bridget Gallagher. Address: Lurgan.
    26th June 1846, Eliza of John O’Hanlon and Sarah Ross. Address: Ballyblough.

    (Catherine's third son had Ross as a middle name and no-one really knows why unless it is a 'nod' to a grandmother's maiden name. Edward Winter Hume had 'Winter' from his grandmother's maiden name so maybe there's a hint there?)

    Eliza could be Betsy, Catherine's sister. Searches of the death records for Shankill RC Church found the following:

    24th Aug 1871, John O’Hanlon aged 71 of Arthur Street, Lurgan.
    21st Feb 1885, Sarah O’Hanlon in Lurgan Workhouse.
    17th Jan 1892, John O’Hanlon of Mary Street, Lurgan.
    3rd March 1899, Bessie O’Hanlon of Queen Street, Lurgan.

    Bessie could be Catherine’s sister and either of the John’s could be Catherine’s father and Sarah could be her mother.

    I don't know if workhouse records are available, on line, and/or would offer up any more useful information.

    I have, myself, searched Griffith's Valuation List and found nothing on John O'Hanlon that can be confirmed as 'mine'.

    So, before I leap in and employ another/better researcher is there any advice etc. you can offer, please?

  2. #2
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    Default

    I note that you got the death information from church records. You might get a little more information from the statutory death certificates. For example marital status and the informant’s relationship to the deceased. You can view them on-line on the GRONI site for £2 each.

    Lurgan workhouse records are held in PRONI, Belfast on microfilm. They are not on-line anywhere so far as I know.

    Griffiths Valuation isn’t as complete a survey of the population as a census. Only the head of household was listed and then only if you were in property of a value sufficient to merit being assessed. So servants, people living in shared accommodation, lodgers and very poor agricultural labourers were often excluded. You rarely find women listed unless they are widows. So it’s possible your ancestors were living in the Lurgan area but not listed in Griffiths.

    You can follow through on the original Griffiths Valuation by using the revaluation records for the area, which cover the subsequent years, up to 1929.

    https://www.proni.gov.uk/index/search...ves/val12b.htm

    Note sure I would agree with the view that joining the army meant RC families had to move. That's not my experience. Large numbers of Roman Catholics joined the army in the 1800s and their families stayed put, or returned to the area they originated in, after service was complete.

    You might find some information on the families on the Lurgan Ancestry site:

    https://lurgan-ancestry.co.uk/index.p...y-armagh-1888/
    ELWYN

  3. #3
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    Default

    Thank you for looking - and replying. I do have the death certificate of Catherine and that's how I know she had a sister, Betsey, as she is the informant on the dearth certificate. A witness to Catherine and Edward's 1878 marriage was an Elizabeth O'Hanlon which might be the sister - or a mother.

    Thank you for the links. I'll take a look. I want to do as much as I can before I consider using a(nother) professional researcher and might be able to avoid doing so altogether!!

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