Civil/Parish Deaths

Baptismal records in Catholic parish registers usually give the full names of the parents, including the mother's maiden surname.  Often, the given names were converted to a Latinate or Biblical form, usually chosen by the priest, which was not the actual name of the child.  Thankfully, surnames were normally left alone.  Parish marriage records usually do not give the names of the parents.

Civil records (starting in 1864 for Catholics, and a bit earlier for Protestant marriages), usually name both parents in birth records (though not always using the mother's maiden surname), but often only the names of the fathers of the bride and groom were recorded for marriages.

When looking at civil records, keep in mind that they were recorded by registration districts, usually named after a principal town in the area.  Those districts might cover several civil parishes and several church parishes.  As an example, the birth of a child in the townland of Callow in the parish of Killasser in County Mayo would be registered in Swineford, which was the name of the registration district (and the largest nearby town), but might not name Callow or even Killasser, though there is often a reference of some sort to where the event actually took place.  Even when there is a reference, it may not be clear whether the reference is to a civil parish or a townland in that parish, especially if the townland and the civil parish have the same name.

If the record only mentions the parish, you can look at the relevant date in the parish register to get more info about the townland and the names involved (such as sponsors, whose names might be helpful in genealogical research).  However, another thing to keep in mind is that the officially registered birth date may be incorrect.  There was a fine for registering a birth more than 30 days late, so people often reported a later date to keep from having to pay the fine.  That's why people sometimes turn up in genealogical records as having been born after the date on which they were baptized!

About what year was your ancestor Edward Foley born? Where did he emigrate to? Names of wife and children? Thank you.

Just double-checking here...From what documents did you get the names of Edward's and Elizabeth's parents?  If it was from death certificates, parents' names are not always correct there.  

I asked for wife's name...was it Elizabeth Malone?

Thank you both for replying.  I don't believe I asked the question correctly.

I have two couples, John Foley/Ellen Cavanagh and Michael Malone/Anna McNamara.  I believe both couples remained in Ireland but their children emigrated to the U.S., both ended up in LaSalle, Illinois.  Elizabeth Malone married Michael Farrell at St Pat's in LaSalle in 1851.  The parish register listed his parents AND her parents (the above Malone/McNamara).  Michael Farrell died between 1855-1857.  Edward Foley married Elizabeth Malone Farrell in 1857 at the same church (St. Pat's) and his parents were listed (the above Foley/Cavanagh).

I've searched through numerous Irish parishes looking for baptisms of Edward Foley and Elizabeth Malone.  Mostly Edward Foley but occasionally would run across a Malone baptism in the same parish.  I've been mostly unsuccessful.  Edward was born between 1822-30 and Elizabeth almost assuredly about 1830.

My thinking is, maybe looking for death records in Ireland would produce some results.  If both parents stayed in Ireland AND survived the famine, would death records record the name of the spouse?  Assuming life expectancy of 50 years and both sets of parents were born 1790-1810, we'd be looking for death records from 1840-1860. So, would a death record of John Foley list his spouse? Or would a death record of Ellen Foley list her spouse or her maiden name?  The same question for Michael Malone, would his spouse be listed in a death record?  Same question for Anna Malone, would her spouse be named or her maiden name recorded?  I suppose it's possible both parents died before, during or after the famine years.  Maybe the reason the children emigrated?

I'm relatively confident Elizabeth emigrated in 1847 with her two sisters, Margaret and Susan.  All three are listed on the ship Brooksby, ages 17, 19 and 18, respectively.  The parish register with Edward and Elizabeth's marriage lists one of the witnesses as Margaret Malone. The 1900 U.S. census has Elizabeth with an immigration year of 1847.  Edward lived in Pennsylvania for a number of years and the 1850 census has him, aged 28.  He applied for citizenship in Schuylkill Haven, PA in 1852.  In 1860 he became a citizen and that document, in Illinois, lists Schuylkill Haven, PA.  The 1860 census lists both he and Elizabeth as 30.  He died in 1863 and the St Pat's parish register reads, "I buried Edward Foley, aged about 40".  That's why I have his birth between 1822-1830.  Elizabeth had a son and two daughters with Farrell before he died and two daughters and two sons with Edward Foley before he died.  She lived to the ripe old age of 90 or so.  Her obituary from 1919, said she was in her 90th year.  She outlived all but two daughters from Farrell and her youngest son Edward. Her first son with Foley was John.  He is my ggrandfather.

So, a mysterious John Foley/Ellen Cavanagh had at least one son, Edward, who emigrated to the U.S. and married an Elizabeth Malone Farrell also with mysterious parents, Michael Malone/Anna McNamara.  Their oldest son John married a Julia Travers in LaSalle and had five children.  The oldest was Edward and he is my grandfather.

If there is any more information you need, let me know.  I'd just like to know if searching for/finding death records in Ireland is a worthwhile project for me?

Thanks again.

Pat