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Hi, 

I am trying to find information about my 2x great grandfather John Downes/Downs.

He had children, Bridget and Mary who I believe were born in the city of limerick workhouse in 1887 and 1891 to Mary Downs, no former name given for mother Mary and no husband listed but she is listed as Downs and so are the children.

I have since found a record for a son John Downs in 1884 which matches the records for the daughters so I believe he was their brother.

On both Bridget and Mary’s marriage certs they have father John Downes/Downs as deceased, so I have  their fathers name

Mary Downes later remarried in 1900, on this record she is a widow and her father is Michael Dwyer. So she was Mary Dwyer.

I can not find a record of marriage for Mary Dwyer and John Downs.
 

I can’t find definitive birth records for Mary Dwyer with a father Michael Dwyer because there are a couple to choose from so I am trying to work out which one is my Mary Dwyer. (Possible mothers I have found are Margaret Ryan, Margaret Connors and Mary Shinners)

Because I can’t find a marriage record for John and Mary, I don’t know what Johns fathers name is so I can’t find his exact birth for him. 

I know John Downs must have died after 1891 when child Mary was born and before 1900 which is when Mary Dwyer/Downs remarries to Owen Connor in Leitrim. So they moved to Leitrim but before or after John Downs died I am not sure because there is a possible record for a John downs death in both Limerick and Leitrim

On the 1901 census in Leitrim, son John downs and daughter Bridget downs are missing. The census lists Owen Connor, Mary Connor and step daughter Mary Downs. I found a potential Bridget Downes as a servant still in Limerick but she is listed as 17 and my Bridget would have only been 14. There was also another Bridget Downes in the area that would have been about 17 so it is more likely her. So where could daughter Bridget and son John be?

In the 1911 census in Leitrim, Owen Connor, Mary Connor are listed and Bridget is back with them now married to James Conlon with 2 of their children (my fathers aunt and uncle) also Mary Downs is still living with them. 

so where did son John Downs go? I did find immigration records of 1892 for John downs and child John downs about the right sort of ages coming from NY and then going back to New York a couple of months later, but I don’t know if this is them and where the original outgoing record is.
 

I also found census records for a John Downs about the right age as a servant in 1901 and 1911 but ruled him out because there was another family in the area that was a neighbour that had a son John missing from their census so he is most likely their child working for their neighbour. 
 

I think that’s about all the information I have gathered so far. I am just not able to work out the John Downs/Mary Dwyer part of the puzzle.

I would appreciate any information anyone may have. 
 

kind regards 

Ros

Ros

Saturday 23rd Sep 2023, 06:19PM

Message Board Replies

  • Ros,

    There is a possibility that John and Mary weren't married. If they were married it is unusual for the father not to be named on the records. I know Mary said she was a widow when getting married the second time, but in Leitrim and with children, it may have been the easiest thing to say, and nobody would know? I'm just looking at possibilities for not finding a marriage record for John and Mary.

    I think that the death of John in Limerick is more likely than Leitrim.

    Best wishes, Kieran

    Kieran Jordan, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘

    Tuesday 5th Dec 2023, 05:52PM

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