Looking for grandmother whom I never knew.

The 1927 marriage certificate should give you Ellen?s father?s name, occupation and her own age, which may help confirm her parentage.

Derreennascooba falls within Castlebar civil registration area. I don?t see any birth registered there in July 1896. Nearest is Apr ? Jun 1895 (Vol 4, page 96). That may be her. The address and parents names should confirm it for you.

Possible marriage for the parents registered in Castlebar 1868 Vol 14, page 51. Bride?s name Kate O?Brien.

Thank you for the above info. I will asap obtain a copy or at least sight of the marriage certificate. I realise the date of birth of Ellen may be as you say 1895 because I have read that it was not the done practice to register births immediately and accurately, I assume that is true.

Lynn:

In addition to the great leads from Elwyn, I added the links to the 1901 and 1911 census records for the family. According to the 1911 census, the couple had 10 living children. I also found the 1856 Griffiths Valuation for Ballintober parish. No Kerrigans so Michael came from outside the parish but there is a Patrick O'Brien in Derreenascooba so likely he is Kate's father and Patrick and Kate took over the farm. Finally. Elwyn already provided the marriage info but I copied the index record below.

Roger McDonnell

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Mayo/Tawnynagry/Derree…

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Mayo/Tawnynagry/Derree…

http://www.failteromhat.com/griffiths/mayo/ballintober.htm

People didn?t celebrate birthdays in Ireland in the 1800s and often didn?t know their ages all that accurately. Errors in documents such as censuses are therefore widespread. It is also true that people often delayed registering a birth till they were in town on other business. Since there was a penalty to be paid if a birth wasn?t registered within 21 days, the date of birth was then often adjusted to a date that would avoid the penalty. However if that were the explanation in this particular case you would expect a birth date after July 1896, not a year before it. It may just be that Ellen didn?t know her own date of birth correctly. That wouldn?t have been unusual.

Thanks again. I really look forward to solving the puzzle. Ellen if she is my grandmother would have had 9 siblings then and they would have had offspring so there would be modern day relatives in Ireland somewhere plus other parts of the world. Do you think it would be possible once we do confirm things that they would want the family connection and some link with us? We have enjoyed holidays in Ireland especially Donegal so the country holds precious memories for us. 

Lynn,

I am sure the family will be happy to hear from you. I would certainly try. Some will be more interested than others I dare say, but I have been involved in reunions like that in Ireland and they usually go pretty well.

There is a slightly puzzling thing though. Someone with username mjlongeway has your Ellen on a family tree on Ancestry. He/she records her born 17^th May 1895 at Derreennascooba, Mayo, to the parents we have deduced for you. Some but not all of her siblings, as per the 1901/1911 censuses, are listed too. Ellen  (nickname Nellie) is then recorded as emigrating to the USA, arriving Ellis Island 25^th May 1913 and marrying Austin Harrity in Chicago on 16.1.1916. They had 8 children, the last of which was born in 1935. Ellen died in Chicago in 1967. That doesn?t seem to tie in with the information you have.

It would appear that someone has the wrong Ellen Kerrigan. Family trees on Ancestry are notoriously unreliable and it could be that that tree has incorrect information. But how certain are you that yours came from Derreennascooba, and what?s the source of that information?

If you want to find the family farm, then Derreennascooba is about 10 miles south of Castlebar. It borders the west side of Lough Naccoralee on the R330. There is a way of finding exactly which farm it was by checking the revaluation records in the Valuation Office in Dublin, to get the exact plot number, but it may be that local enquiries will find it for you more easily. I looked in the phone book. There are 20 Kerrigans listed for Co. Mayo but none in that townland, so unless they are ex-directory there are none living there now.

Elwyn

Thanks, rather confusing. I did see that person's message. What happend last weekend was on Ancestry.co.uk it was a free access day so we got the marriage details up from our local registrars showing Daniel Peake marriage to an Ellen Kerrigan (no other details) apart from Dec 1927 then I did it the other way backwards with Kerrigan and then there was a link to her place of birth and that is where it linked to Derreennascooba (just love that name). So can't tell you anymore until we do locate details from the registrars office. My husband will try and sort that out when he is on holiday in a couple of weeks time. I have noticed in other traces we have done for my husband that names are sometimes inter changeable especially where a child dies in infancy etc and some end up using their second or middle name. Many thanks again. Are you living in Antrim? we had holidays there near Ballycastle, truely wonderful

Yes the next step is definitely to get the marriage certificate. If you have the right family, then the father ought to be Michael Kerrigan, farmer. If it isn?t, then clearly Ellen must come from some other family.

Probably worth getting in touch with the owner of the Ancestry tree, to see what records they have. Many public libraries have subscriptions to Ancestry and you can access it that way without having to join yourself.

Yes I live in Co Antrim. Glad you liked it!

Hi, sorry for the long delay, hope you and family are keeping well.Since writing to you we have had great news that we are to be grandparents in May for the first time so the family interest is now important. Today we received from our local registrars office a  certified marriage certificate for Daniel Peake and Ellen Kerrigan. It appears she came to England and took local work as a cotton winder at the local cotton factory in Newcastle under Lyme Staffordshire. The marriage took place there on Christmas Eve 24th December 1927. It shows Ellen's father as being Michael Kerrigan a labourer at a forge but of course no address shown for him. Ellens age is shown as 31 at the time of marriage which would make the date of birth 1896, although I realise talking to you before she may not have known exactly her age and date of birth. Things must have changed because to get married in an English registry offive you have to show a birth certificate before hand. Does this all confuse things with the person mjlongway who says Ellen is their grandmother and emigrated to the USA? or was Michael a relative and also liked the name Ellen and  gave that name to his daughter as well. Best wishes

Lynn & Paul

Hi, sorry for the long delay, hope you and family are keeping well.Since writing to you we have had great news that we are to be grandparents in May for the first time so the family interest is now important. Today we received from our local registrars office a  certified marriage certificate for Daniel Peake and Ellen Kerrigan. It appears she came to England and took local work as a cotton winder at the local cotton factory in Newcastle under Lyme Staffordshire. The marriage took place there on Christmas Eve 24th December 1927. It shows Ellen's father as being Michael Kerrigan a labourer at a forge but of course no address shown for him. Ellens age is shown as 31 at the time of marriage which would make the date of birth 1896, although I realise talking to you before she may not have known exactly her age and date of birth. Things must have changed because to get married in an English registry offive you have to show a birth certificate before hand. Does this all confuse things with the person mjlongway who says Ellen is their grandmother and emigrated to the USA? or was Michael a relative and also liked the name Ellen and  gave that name to his daughter as well. Best wishes

Lynn & Paul

Lynn & Paul,

On the positive side, it?s good to see that Ellen?s father was named Michael. It?s slightly odd though that he?s described as a labourer at a forge and not a farmer. That makes me wonder whether the Derreenascooba family is the right one.

I?d be inclined to contact the owner of the tree on Ancestry to ask them what proof they have of their Ellen being the one that emigrated to the US.

I looked to see when Michael Kerrigan died of Derrrenascooba. What looks like his death was registered in Castlebar in Apr ? Jun 1932. It?d be interesting to get the death cert to see if it was him and he was still a farmer in that townland. That would help decide whether you have the right family. Ellen married in 1927, and so she would surely know her father?s occupation.

I did look at the 1901 Irish census to see if there were any other Ellens with fathers named Michael. There were none, so this seems to be the only family. Of course, perhaps Ellen?s father had moved to England? (Can?t see any family in the 1911 English census that fits though). Might be worth checking with the National Archives in Dublin to see if the Michael who died in 1932 left a will. If so, perhaps it mentions his children (and where they are).

I had a look to see if there are any Kerrigans in the area in the current phone book. There are 20 Kerrigans listed for Co Mayo but none in Derreenascooba. (Could be ex-directory of course). Perhaps a trip to Derreenascooba is called for to make local enquiries, and check the local graveyard. 

Elwyn