Hi and many thanks for such a quick reply.
Some years ago i visited Ireland and went to the Dublin Archives where i looked throught the micro film records for tte baptism of Edmund. What i found was a little confusing. The microfilm had 2 entries
Entry 1. Edmund baptised 25/12/1843 - father Johanis Powere and Ellening Ratch. Priest J. Dee witnesses James Brown and Mary Hearn
Entry 2 . This was identical but gave a mothers name of Ellening Rochford.
Strangely when i looked at the recently published on line parish records for CoS there is only the one entry - the one for Ratch!? I know i did not dream the 2 entries as my partner also saw them!
So i set about eliminating the various options. I started looking for marriages for Power to Ratch / Roche / Roach without success, nor could i find any likely children from these possiible names. i next comissioned research of the baptism entries in the record by Waterford Heritage in the hope they might turn up a marriage / chiildren. However they came to the same conclusion as myself i.e that Rochford is the more likely name. Of course will will never know for certain but Its possible that the priest made the second entry because of a mistake in the first entry with the wifes name - but forgot to rule out the first. I think it is highly unlikely that there were 2 Edmunds baptised on the same day to similarly named parents with the same witnesses - but there is always an elemnt of doubt! For information whilst Rochford not a common name in CoS i did find a few entries in CoS and the surrounding the area so circumstantial eveidence exists.
Ideally i would like to find a marriage record for Johannis Power to a Ellening Rochford - probably around 1841 /2, but i have been unable to do so. I know that Johannis Power and Ellening Rochford had other children shortly after Edmund - John / Martin and Ellen. They do not appear to have had any children before Edmund so assuming they were about 20 when they married this would suggest birth dates of around 1820. If i can get back to these births it might be possible to link back to entries in the 1799 census of CoS and who knows where that may take me!
My Great Grandfather, the Edmund mentioned above, eventually married Margaret De La Hunty and one of their children Patrick b 1871 (my Grandfather who i never met nor have iseen any pictures of him) married twice.
By his first wife Mary Byrne Nee Daniel) he had : Margaret / Edward / Patrick Joseph / John / Mary Frances / Anastasia / Ellen Josephine. MAry his wife died 23/6/1911 and in 1913 he married my grandmother Mary Obrien from Piltown near Carrick on Suir. Family recollections wer that her father James was a blacksmith in the Three Bridges / Piltown / Owning area - but no one was quite sure preciely where. Certainly my grandmother came form that area her mother being Mary Cummins (aka Cummmings and Commons), the Cummins family coming from nearby Garrynarea.
All of these details i have confirmed by obtaining vaious relevant certificates, census data, examining Griffiths valuation etc. so i am confident that Johannis Power aand Ellening are my ancestors and that the Rochford entry is probably the correct one
The Patrick Power (b 1871 my grandfather mentioned above) worked initially as a labourer for Walsh Flour Miil in Carick on suir, which i have visited. Its now a pub but some of the mill working and equipment still exists, the publican remembered my Grandfather and both he and his son were very helpful in showing me around. In the1930's Patrick had an accident at the mill and he subsequently set up a printers in Chapel Lane Carrick on suir in partnership with his step son William Leahy Snr, this was where my father learnt his trade and which i visited with my paents back in the 1960's. The printing company susbequently printed the book Carrick on Suir and its people by Patrick Power (not the same Patrick!) My grandfather Patrick and his family by the second marriage lived in Mass Road Carrickbeg.
Regarding the Obrien connecton. I have searched trade directories census info etc for the area and surrounding towns for details of james to confirm his trade of blacksmith but i can find no confirmation of this - so i am beginning to think it is a dead end. Although recent research has found that his father may also have been called James Obrien who possibly came from "Garranerea" so maybe that is where the confuson lies.
If you are able to shed any light on any of this it would extremely helpful
Best wishes
Sean Power
