Hello Diane,
The second to the last reply I sent included the deaths of Catherine Geraghty and her son, both dying on 4 September 1879. The deaths occurred on Church Street, Roscommon.
We know that Catherine’s husband Patrick Geraghty outlived her, as he is in the 1901 census living in a section of Roscommon Town called Ballypheasan. In the census he is shown to be a 72 year old widower employed as a mason. The children in the household with him are his 32 year old daughter Kate and his 23 year old son George. Both Kate and George are not married. Kate’s occupation in the census is House Keeping, while George’s occupation is Builder.
I looked for Patrick Geraghty in the 1911 census but didn’t find him in that enumeration. This is an indication that he was either not recorded in the census, or that he had died between 1901 and 1911. This prompted me to look for his civil registration death record, which I found at the irishgenealogy.ie website. Patrick Geraghty died on Henry Street, Roscommon Town, on 7 August 1908. At the time of death he was an 87 year old widower. His occupation was mason. The cause of death was “Bronchitis six months Certified.” The person who was present at the death and who was the informant who reported the death to the local registrar was Patrick’s son, James Geraghty of Roscommon. No street name is given for James’s residence. The registrar, Joseph McDonnell, recorded Patrick’s death in the Roscommon Registration District on 5 October 1908. Patrick’s death is on Line 334, or the third entry down from the top of the death register. His death is attached to this reply.
Your information shows that James Geraghty had lived and worked in South Africa. The Hampshire Telegraph obituary for the death of 37 year old John Geraghty in Johannesburg, South Africa, dated 30 March 1901, and submitted by Rua, also shows that James was in Pretoria, South Africa at the time of the death. The exact date of John’s death is not in the obituary. The date of 30 March 1901 is the date the obituary was filed, and not necessarily the date of John’s death.
James came back to Ireland and County Roscommon with his wife and children, as I found him and his family in the 1901 census, house 38, Henry Street, Roscommon. This census was taken on 31 March 1901, a day after the dateline in The Hampshire Telegraph of John’s obituary, which means that James may not have been in Pretoria at the time of his brother John’s death.
The 1901 census shows that James Geraghty is a 35 year old builder who was married, a Roman Catholic, and who could read and write. He was born in Roscommon. His wife is 25 year old Marion, a Roman Catholic who could read and write and who was born in Uitenhage, C Colony. Uiethage is in South Africa, but I don’t know what the “C Colony” stands for.
John and Marion’s oldest child is 2 year old Reginald, born in Tramond, Pretoria, South Africa. The youngest child in the household is 10 month old George, born in Dublin City. Also in the household is James’s 26 year old sister in law, Margaret Harford, born in Uitenhage, C Colony. If Margaret is James’s sister in law, then she would also be Marion Geraghty’s sister. Diane, your information shows that James’s brother George had married Maggie Harford. Maggie is short for Margaret, not Marion. This prompted some further research which I’ll have a little bit later. Also in the household in the 1901 census is 17 year old Susan Mulhall, a servant born in County Sligo.
The 1901 census transcription below is from the National Archives of Ireland (NAI) website:
1901 Census of Ireland
Residents of a house 38 in Henry Street (Roscommon Urban, Roscommon)
Surname Forename Age Sex Relation to head Religion Birthplace Occupation Literacy Irish Language Marital Status Specified Illnesses
Geraghty James 35 Male Head of Family Roman Catholic Roscommon Builder Read and write Married
Geraghty Marion 25 Female Wife Roman Catholic Uitenhage, C Colony Read and write Married
Geraghty Reginald 2 Male Son Roman Catholic Pretoria, Tramond Cannot read Not Married
Geraghty George 10 months Male Son Roman Catholic Dublin City Cannot read Not Married
Harford Margaret 26 Female Sister in Law Roman Catholic Uitenhage, C Colony Read and write
Not Married
Mulhall Susan 17 Female Servant Roman Catholic Co Sligo Read and write Not Married
____
To view a copy of the original 1901 census for the household of James and Marion Geraghty, go to the following NAI website link: http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai003854972/
The oldest child in the household of James and Marion Geraghty is 2 year old Reginald, born in Pretoria, Tramond, South Africa. At the Ancestry.com website I uncovered a directory listing called, “Longlands Directory Pretoria, which may be an ad pertaining to James Geraghty. In the listing however, only the initial J of the first name is used. The last name is Geraghty. The occupation of J. Geraghty is “Builder.” There are three addresses listed for J. Geraghty. One is the street address of Church Street, West. I take this to mean the business address, as the second address if the residence, giving the name Skinner Street West. The third address is P.O. Box 682. There is also a note with the listing stating, “See advert on plan.” I am wondering if J. Geraghty had an advertising image of his masonry business in the directory that went along with his three addresses. The directory listing that follows is a transcription. The original listing from the directory itself, did not come as a link with the Ancestry.com index:
South Africa, City and Area Directories, 1813-1962 No Image
Name: J Geraghty
Directory Year: 1899
Directory Place: Pretoria, Transvaal, South Africa
Profession: Builder
Street address: Church Street, West
Residence: Skinner Street, West
Post Box Address: P. O. Box 682
Notes: See advert on plan
Source: 1899 Longlands Directory Pretoria
Source Information
Ancestry.com. South Africa, City and Area Directories, 1813-1962 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.
____
A Google Map shows that Church Street and Skinner Street are 4/10ths of a mile away from each other in Pretoria. In 2012 the name Skinner Street was changed to Nana Sita Street to reflect a shared heritage of South Africa. See the map at: https://is.gd/zLCPEz
The 1901 census shows that Marion Geraghty is from Uitenhage. For more information about Uitenhage, go to the Wikipedia article at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uitenhage
A Google Map shows that Uitenhage, located on the south coast of South Africa on the shores of the Indian Ocean, is about 700 miles below Pretoria: https://is.gd/en5qEH
Proceeding from the 1901 census I looked for James and Marion Geraghty in the 1911 census of Ireland. I didn’t find James but did locate his 35 year old wife Marion Geraghty living in the household of 33 year old George Geraghty. Both George and Marion are listed, not as being married to each other, but as widower and widow. I know that this is your George Geraghty as his occupation is mason living in house 18, Henry Street, Roscommon. In the 1901 census James and Marion Geraghty and their children were also living on Henry Street.
It took a few minutes to process the 1911 census before I determined that Marion was George’s sister in law, though the census doesn’t say she is. The census does not give her relationship to George at all. On the census line for George Geraghty you’ll see the numbers 7, 3, and 3. This means that George had been married for 7 years and in that time had 3 children with all 3 children still living. On the census line for Marion Geraghty you’ll see the number 14, 6, and 6. This means that Marion, who was born in South Africa, had been married for 14 years and in that time had 6 children, with all 6 children still alive. The tern “Relation to head” in these census returns means the relationship of a person in the household to the head of the household. George is the head of the household. There are 9 children in the household but 6 of the children are listed as either sons or daughters to the head of the household, George, which doesn’t agree with number of children that George actully had (3), over the course of the 7 years he had been married. This leaves Marion with 3 children in the household. The numbers of children on the census lines for George and Marion, are reversed, if you go by the relationships of the children to the head of the household.
I know this sounds confusing, but for example, 12 year old Reginald, who was born in South Africa, is listed as a son, ostensibly to the head of the household. But he would be the son of Marion, not the son to the head of the household George.
Next in age is 10 year old George, born in Dublin. Unless the elder George had lived and worked in Dublin for a time, 10 year old George would actually be Marion’s son.
After young George is 8 year old Ellen in the census, who is listed as a daughter to the head of the household. She was likely George’s daughter.
Ellen is followed by 6 year old John, born in Roscommon, who is listed as the nephew to the head of the household. This implies that he is Marion’s son.
After John are 5 year old Edmond and 5 year old Frederick, both born in Roscommon. Edmond is listed as the nephew to the head of the household, which also implies he was Marion’s son, but Frederick, born in Roscommon, is listed as being the son to the head of the household, George.
Also enumerated as George’s son is 3 year old Sidney, born in County Roscommon, followed by George’s niece, 3 year old Eileen, born in Roscommon.
The youngest child in the household is 2 year old Margaret, listed as the daughter of the head of the household.
After I view the 1911 census transcription and copy of the original census, I attempted to straighten out the confusion about which child belonged to George Geraghty and which child belonged to Marion Geraghty. We don’t have to worry about the oldest child in the household, 12 year old Reginald. He was born in South Africa and would be Marion’s son.
Speaking of Marion, the census shows that she could speak English and Dutch.
The 1911 census transcription for both Geraghty families is from the NAI website, follows:
1911 Census of Ireland
Residents of a house 18 in Henry Street (Roscommon Urban, Roscommon)
Surname Forename Age Sex Relation to head Religion Birthplace Occupation Literacy Irish Language Marital Status Specified Illnesses Years Married Children Born Children Living
Geraghty George 33 Male Head of Family Catholic Roscommon Mason Read and write Irish and English Widower 7 3 3
Geraghty Marion 35 Female Catholic South Africa Read and write English and Dutch Widow 14 6 6
Geraghty Reginald 12 Male Son Catholic South Africa Scholar Read and write Irish and English Single
Geraghty George 10 Male Son Catholic Dublin Read and write Irish and English Single
Geraghty Ellen 8 Female Daughter Catholic Roscommon Read and write Irish and English Single
Geraghty John 6 Male Nephew Catholic Roscommon Read and write Irish and English Single
Geraghty Edmond 5 Male Nephew Catholic Roscommon Read and write Irish and English Single
Geraghty Frederick 5 Male Son Catholic Roscommon Cannot read or write English Single
Geraghty Sidney 3 Male Son Catholic Roscommon Cannot read or write English Single
Geraghty Eileen 3 Female Niece Catholic Roscommon Cannot read or write English Single
Geraghty Margaret 2 Female Daughter Catholic Roscommon Cannot read or write English Single
____
You can view a copy of the original 1911 census for the Geraghty household at the following NAI link: http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai003231672/
If you view a copy of the original 1911 census you’ll see that the years George had been married (7), and the number of children he had (3), have been faintly lined through. In addition you’ll see the number of years Marion had been married (14), and the number of children she had (6), have also been faintly lined through. I’m not sure what this signifies. It could be that George drew lines through the numbers pertaining to himself and Marion, or the census enumerator drew lines through the numbers pertaining to George and Marion. You’ll see that the name of the enumerator, Thomas Mulleady, is recorded toward the bottom-left of the census form, while George Geraghty’s signature, as the head of the household, is toward the bottom-right of the census form.
To see if I could straighten out the confusion of which child belonged to George Geraghty and which child belonged to Marion Geraghty in the 1911 census, I’ve indexed the names and birth dates of their children below who were born in Ireland. If you would like the full birth records for any of these children, I can send them to you in a follow-up reply:
George Geraghty's children in the 1911 census as found at the irishgenealogy.ie website:
John Francis Geraghty, 16 November 1904, Roscommon Town
Edmond James Geraghty, 24 February 1906, Roscommon Town
Aileen Geraghty, 6 January 1908, Roscommon Town
____
Marion Geraghty's children in the 1911 census as found at the irishgenealogy.ie website:
George Harford Geraghty, 20 May 1900, Dublin City
Ellen Kate Geraghty, 14 March 1903, Roscommon Town
Frederick Peter Geraghty, 29 September 1905, Roscommon Town
Sydney Geraghty, 9 Agust 1907, Roscommon Town
Margaret Mary Geraghty, 20 June 1909, Roscommon Town
____
All 9 children listed in the two indexes above were the first cousins of your great grandmother Annie Geraghty.
Because Marion Geraghty is shown to be a widow in the 1911 census, I next looked for her husband James’s death record, and found it. James died on Henry Street, Roscommon, on 2 April 1910, just about a year before the 1911 census was enumerated in Ireland. At the time of death he was 43 years old, married, and employed as a builder. The cause of death and contributing causes of death were “Nephritis & Albuminuria, duration not known. Homoptysis & Heart failure one month certified.” The person who was present at the death and who reported the death to the local registrar was James’s brother, George Geraghty of Roscommon. The registrar, Joseph McDonnell, recorded James’s death in the Roscommon Registration District on 5 May 1910. James’s death is on Line 5 of the death register. His death record is attached to this reply.
I next found the marriage of George Geraghty. He married Margaret Harford in the Roman Catholic Chapel of Roscommon, on 7 January 1904. He was 26 when he married and Margaret was 28. George is shown to have been a bachelor before he married. His occupation was Builder. His residence is Roscommon. His father was Patrick Geraghty, also a builder.
Margaret Harford was shown to have been a spinster before she married. Her residence was Roscommon. Her father was James Harford, a builder. Father Francis McPartland married George and Margaret. The witnesses to the marriage were James Geraghty and Katie Geraghty. They were likely George’s brother and sister. The marriage record is attached. Theirs is the last marriage on the marriage register page.
I next found Margaret Geraghty’s death record. She died on Goff Street, Roscommon, on 28 January 1908. At the time of death she was 33 years old and married. She is listed as a “Builder’s Wife.” The cause of death was, “Puerperal septicemia 14 days. Pneumonia 3 days, Certified.”
The widower, George N. Geraghty reported the death to the local registrar, Joseph McDonnell, who recorded Margaret’s death on 3 February 1908. Margaret’s death entry is the 2nd to the last on the death register page, which is attached to this reply.
Puerperal septicemia is also known as “childbirth fever.” See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postpartum_infections
George and Margaret’s daughter Aileen, as you see above, was born on 6 January 1908. Her mother Margaret died 22 days later, and so it would appear that Margaret may have died of septicemia and pneumonia as a result of childbirth.
I went back to the 1911 census because I had become curious about the birth of Marion’s son George, who was born in Dublin. I thought this merited a little more research, as I wanted to see where his parents were living in Dublin when he was born.
I found George’s birth record at irishgenealogy.ie showing that he was born on Cullenswood Place, Dublin, on 20 May 1900. His father is James Geraghty, employed as a mason and residing at 3 Cullenswood Place, Dublin. George’s mother is Marion Geraghty, formerly Harford. The father, J. Geraghty, was present at the birth and was the informant who reported the birth to the local registrar, Richard Thomas Hearn, who recorded the birth in Dublin on 18 June 1900. George’s birth is on Line 109, which is the second to the last entry in the birth register. The birth record is attached to this reply.
I also found a copy of George’s original church birth and baptism record at the Find My Past website. He was baptized in St. Mary’s Church, Donnybrook, Dublin. Attached to the transcription is a link to a copy of the original birth/baptism record for George. This record shows that George was born on 20 May 1900. His parents are James Geraghty and Marion Harford. In this record the residence of the parents is given as S. Winifreds Cullenswood Pl. The record also shows that George was baptized by S. Rourke, Vic, in St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Donnybrook, on 3 June 1900. The godfather is George Geraghty, while the godmother is Margaret Harford, the older George Geraghty’s future wife. Baby George’s baptism/birth record can be accessed at the following link: https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls000633730#page/163/mode/1up
The entry for George in the St. Mary’s Church register is on Line 2412, which is the 6th entry up from the bottom of the page.
I couldn’t find a S. Winifred, 3 Cullenswood Place in Dublin or in the Donnybrook section of Dublin City, south of the Liffy River. Neither could I find a St. Mary’s Church in Donnybrook on a Google Map.
I now wonder if James had really been in South Africa when his brother John died, given that the Hampshire Telegraph dateline reporting John’s death was datelined Saturday 30 March 1901.
Next I found that George Geraghty was married for a second time in 1918. His first wife Margaret Harford Geraghty, as you recall, died 10 years earlier in 1908. George married Ellen McDermott in the Roscommon Catholic Church on April 22, 1918. At the time of the marriage George is shown to have been a widower of “full age.” The marriage record also shows that George’s occupation was “Builder,” and that his residence at the time of marriage was St Patrick’s Terrace. His father is listed as Patrick Geraghty, who was also a “Builder.”
The marriage record also shows that Ellen McDermott was a “Spinster,” of full age at the time of marriage. No occupation is listed for her. Her address at the time of marriage was Castle Street, Roscommon. Her father is John McDermott, a “Shoe Maker.” Father T.H. Cummins married George and Ellen. The witnesses to the marriage were Henry J. Finley and Harriet McDermott. The registrar, Joseph McDonnell, recorded the marriage in the Roscommon Registration District on 22 April, 1918, the same day the marriage took place. The marriage record is attached, and is the 2nd record on the marriage register page.
I looked for St. Patrick’s Terrace in Roscommon Town on a Google Map but didn’t find it. The name of the street may have been changed since 1918. But I did find Castle Street, which you can view on a Google Map at: https://is.gd/18UHa3
The following link will bring you to a Google Street View of Castle Street: https://is.gd/d4CDYU
Below are the 1901 and 1911 census enumerations for Ellen McDermott and her family living on Castle Street, Ballypheasan, Roscommon Town. In both census returns her first name is Nellie. In the 1901 census she is employed as a dress maker. The 1901 census also shows that her 70 year old widowed father is a shoe maker. Nellie’s three older siblings, Patrick, Harriet, and Jane are in the household with her. Nellie and her siblings are not married.
By the 1911 census 30 year old Nellie McDermott’s ’s father John, and her brother Patrick, are not in the household. Her 45 year old sister Harriet, who is single, is the head of the household. Her older older sister Jennie is also in the household. Nellie’s occupation in the census is “Typist.” The three sisters are single. The 1901 and 1911 census transcriptions are from the NAI website. Each census is followed by a link that will take you to a copy of the original census enumeration for that census year:
1901 Census of Ireland
Residents of a house 9 in Ballypheasan (Castle St.) (Roscommon Urban, Roscommon)
Surname Forename Age Sex Relation to head Religion Birthplace Occupation Literacy Irish Language Marital Status Specified Illnesses
McDermott John 70 Male Head of Family Roman Catechal Roscommon Boot Maker Read and write English Widower
McDermott Patrick 40 Male Son Roman Catechal Roscommon Boot Maker Read and write English Not Married
McDermott Harriet 32 Female Daughter Roman Catechal Roscommon Dress Maker Read and write English Not Married
McDermott Jane 28 Female Daughter Roman Catechal Roscommon Dress Maker Read and write English Not Married
McDermott Nellie 23 Female Daughter Roman Catechal Roscommon Dress Maker Read and write English Not Married
____
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai003854771/
1911 Census of Ireland Nellie McDermott
Residents of a house 9 in Castle Street (Ballypheasan) (Roscommon Urban, Roscommon)
Surname Forename Age Sex Relation to head Religion Birthplace Occupation Literacy Irish Language Marital Status Specified Illnesses Years Married Children Born Children Living
McDermott Harriet 45 Female Head of Family Roman Catholic Roscommon Read and write Single
McDermott Jennie 38 Female Sister Roman Catholic Roscommon Dressmaker Read and write Single
McDermott Nellie 30 Female Sister Roman Catholic Roscommon Typist Read and write Single
____
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai003231295/
Next I found the likely birth record for Ellen (Nellie) McDermott at the irishgenealogy.ie website. She was born on Castle Street, Roscommon Town, on 21 April 1876. Her father is John McDermott residing on Castle Street. John’s occupation is “Shoe Maker.” In the 1901 census you saw that his occupation was shoe maker. Ellen’s mother is Mary McDermott, formerly Fineran. The first name of the person who was present at the birth and who reported the birth to the local registrar was Bridget. I couldn’t clearly make out her last name, which begins with G. Bridget’s residence is Castle Street, Roscommon Town. The registrar, Joseph Heily, recorded Ellen’s birth in the Roscommon Registration District on 1 May 1876. Ellen’s birth record is on Line 384 of the birth register, which is attached.
I also found Ellen McDermott’s combination birth/baptism record in the Roscommon Catholic Church. I first uncovered the transcription of her birth and baptism at the Find My Past website. Attached to the transcription is a link that takes you to a copy of the original Roscommon Catholic Church register where her birth and baptism are recorded. The link can be accessed at: https://registers.nli.ie//registers/vtls000633982#page/96/mode/1up
In the church register Ellen’s name is recorded in the Latin, “Ellenora.” She was born on 21 April 1876, which agrees with her date of birth in the civil birth record that is attached. Her father is John and her mother is Margaret Finneran. The residence of the parents is Roscommon. Ellenora was baptized on 30 April by Father Thomas Judge. The godparents are Francis Connor and Kate McDermott. Ellenora’s birth and baptism can be found on Line 828 of the Roscommon Catholic Church register. Be careful here as there are two Line 828s in the register, one above the other. Ellenora’s is on the first Line 828.
I also found the church marriage transcription for John McDermott and Mary Finneran at Find My Past, and their full marriage record at the National Library of Ireland website. They were married in the Roscommon Catholic Church on 14 September 1851. If you would like this I can send it to you in a follow-up reply.
I then found the death record for John McDermott, Ellen (Nellie) McDermott Geraghty’s father. He died on Castle Street, Roscommon on 6 February 1910 at the age of 88. His occupation was “Boot Maker.” The cause of death was, “Bronchitis 5 Months Certified.” The informant who was present at the death was John’s Daughter, Nellie McDermott of Castle Street. She reported the death to the local registrar, Joseph McDonnell, who recorded the death in the Roscommon Registration District on 14 February 1910. I can send John McDermott’s death record to you as an attachment if you’d so like.
GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS FOR 1918
The marriage of George Geraghty and Ellen McDermott was the good news for 1918. The bad news for 1918, as you already know, was that Katie Geraghty had also died that year. I found her death record at the irishgenealogy.ie website, which shows that she died on Antogher Rd, Roscommon, on 20 November 1918. At the time of death she was recorded as being a 47 year old spinster, and a “Builder’s Daughter.” The cause of death was, “Influenza 10 days. Pneumonia 5 days Certified.” The person who was present at the death and who was the informant who reported the death to the local registrar was Marion Geraghty of Roscommon. If you recall, Marion was the South African-born widow of James Geraghty. The registrar, Joseph McDonnell, recorded the death in the Roscommon Registration District on 20 January 1919. Katie’s death is on Line 410 of the death register, which is attached.
A Google Map shows that Antogher Road is just south of Roscommon City Centre: https://is.gd/inHo2p
The following link will bring you to a Google Street View of Antogher Road: https://is.gd/y13Q2K
For a fascinating book about the flu epidemic of 1918, I highly recommend "The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History," by John M. Barry. This book will tell you that the 1918 flu was worse than the plaque in medieval Europe. The 1918 flu killed over 100 million people around the world, including soldiers on both sides of the conflict who fought in World War I. This flu, erroneously called the, “Spanish Flu,” is what took Katie Geraghty’s life at the age of 47 on 20 November 1918. Coincidentally, this coming Tuesday, November 20, 2018, will be the 100th anniversary of Katie Geraghty’s death from the flu.
Diane, in your first message to the XO Message Board for Roscommon, you had mentioned your great grandmother Annie’s brothers William and Joseph. You wrote that William had married Margaret Somerville and that they had a son named George. The obit for John Geraghty submitted by Rua, also mentions William, noting that he was living in Galway at the time of John’s death. I’ll have more about William and his family in a little bit.
I didn’t find a birth or baptism record for Joseph Geraghty. You had mentioned him in your first query to Ireland XO for Roscommon as being Annie's eighth brother. The closest I came was for Martin Joseph Geraghty, who was born to Patrick and Catherine Moran Geraghty in 1875. Also, while the obit does mention Martin, it does not mention Joseph. Diane, do you know approximately when Joseph was born?
Getting back to George Geraghty and his second wife Ellen McDermott, I looked for but did not find their death records at the irishgenealogy.ie website. Full death records are available at the website from 1878 to 1966. They may have lived past 1966 or I may have missed locating their death records. In addition, I wanted to see if perhaps James Geraghty’s widow, Marion Harford Geraghty had married again. She was the informant who reported Kate’s death to the local registrar in 1918, and had used her married name of Geraghty when she reported the death, which means she hadn’t remarried up to and including the year 1918. I looked for a marriage record for her after 1918 but didn’t find one. Nor did I uncover a death record for her. I wonder if she went back to South Africa where she was born?
Concerning Annie’s brother William, he was born a year before the civil registration of births. But if you recall from a previous reply, he was baptized in the Roscommon Catholic Church on 26 February 1863.
Based on your information that William married Margaret Somerville, I found his and Margaret’s civil marriage record at the irishgenealogy.ie website. The couple were married in the Clonbur, County Galway Catholic Church on 21 March 1888. Clonbur is the Catholic Parish that had been located within the Civil Parish of Ross. At the time of marriage both were of “full age.” William is recorded as having been a bachelor, and employed as a Mason. His residence at the time of marriage is just recorded as, “The Ferry.” His father is Patrick Geraghty, whose occupation was “Builder.”
Margaret Somerville was a spinster when she married. She had no occupation recorded on the marriage cert. Her residence too was also “The Ferry.” Her father is Nicholas Somerville, employed as a “tenant farmer.” A Catholic priest named James Butler married William and Margaret. The witnesses to the marriage were Pat Kearny and Kate Kearny. The marriage was recorded on 10 June 1888. Theirs is the 2nd marriage recorded on the register, which is attached.
A Google Map for Clonbur, which is also known as Cloonbur, and in the Irish language as, “An Fhairche,” can be viewed at: https://is.gd/mHJz3n
The church in Clonbur is called St. Patrick’s. I looked for more information about St. Patrick’s, especially about when it was constructed, but I couldn’t find the year it was built, which means I don’t know if the current St. Patrick’s is the same church structure where William Geraghty and Margaret Somerville were married in 1888. For a Google Map of the location of St. Patrick’s Church in Clonbur go to: https://is.gd/7emSnb
For a Google Street View of the church see: https://is.gd/LoTMPK
I also found the Clonbur R.C. Chapel on an Ordnance Survey Map of Clonbur from the 1837 to 1842 time period. The map comes from the GeoHive website and can be viewed at: http://bit.ly/2QOF91P
If you toggle between the Google Map showing the location of the church, and the Ordnance Survey/GeoHive Map showing the location of the church, you’ll see they appear to be in the same location, or nearly the same location in Clonbur, though once again, I can’t tell if the current church building is the same church building where William and Margaret were married in 1888.
On another Ordnance Survey Map in black and white from the 1888 to 1913 time period you can now see the name of the church is the “St. Patrick’s R. C. Chapel” in Clonbur. The map can be accessed at: http://bit.ly/2QPWNlM
For a Digital Globe View of St. Patrick’s Church, Clonbur, from the GeoHive website, see:
http://bit.ly/2QKCyWG
After finding the marriage record for William and Margaret I located them and their several children in the 1901 and 1911 Irish census enumerations. Both enumerations show the family living in Newcastle, Galway. A Google Map shows that Newcastle is 30 miles south of Clonbur. The town is below the southern tip of Lough Corrib. See the Google Map at: https://is.gd/lQIjhR
The 1901 census shows that William Geraghty is 38 years old and employed as a mason. But, the census gives his place of birth as Galway, rather than Roscommon. His wife Margaret is 30 years old and also born in County Galway. The eight children in the household range in age from 10 year old Margret down to 2 month old Peter . You had mentioned in your first query to the XO Message Board for Roscommon that William and Margaret had a son named George. He is in the 1901 census which shows he was 5 years old.
The 1901 census transcription below is from the NAI website link:
1901 Census of Ireland
Residents of a house 31 in Newcastle (Galway West Urban, Galway)
Surname Forename Age Sex Relation to head Religion Birthplace Occupation Literacy Irish Language Marital Status Specified Illnesses
Geraghty William 38 Male Head of Family Roman Catholic Galway Mason Read and write Married
Geraghty Margret 30 Female Wife Roman Catholic Galway Read and write English and Irish Married
Geraghty Margret 10 Female Daughter Roman Catholic Galway Scholar Read and write Not Married
Geraghty Patrick 9 Male Son Roman Catholic Galway Scholar Read and write Not Married
Geraghty Nicholas 8 Male Son Roman Catholic Galway Scholar Read only Not Married
Geraghty Willie 6 Male Son Roman Catholic Galway Scholar Cannot read Not Married
Geraghty George 5 Male Son Roman Catholic Galway Scholar Cannot read Not Married
Geraghty James 3 Male Son Roman Catholic Galway Scholar Cannot read Not Married
Geraghty John 2 Male Son Roman Catholic Galway Cannot read Not Married
Geraghty Peter 2 months Male Son Roman Catholic Galway Cannot read Not Married
____
To view a copy of the original 1901 census for the family of William and Margaret Geraghty, go to the NAI link at: http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai000810399/
The 1911 census shows that William and Margaret Geraghty now have 9 children in the household in Newcastle, the youngest being 8 year old Eileen The census also shows they had been married for 22 years, and in that time had 11 children, with 10 of the children still alive. However, only the 8 children who were in the household in the 1901 census, plus the youngest Eileen, are in the household in the 1911 census, which means one living child, still living, and whose name we do not know, is missing from the residence. This census shows that William is employed as a mason and that his daughter Margaret was a teacher, while two of his oldest sons were carpenters. The rest of the children except Eileen, are scholars, that is, students. For example son George is shown to be a 14 year old scholar.
The 1911 census shows, like the 1901 census, that 48 year old William was born in County Galway rather than in County Roscommon. His 44 year old wife Margaret was born in County Galway.
The 1911 census transcription below if from the NAI website:
1911 Census of Ireland
Residents of a house 26 in Newcastle (Galway West Urban, Galway)
Surname Forename Age Sex Relation to head Religion Birthplace Occupation Literacy Irish Language Marital Status Specified Illnesses Years Married Children Born Children Living
Geraghty William 48 Male Head of Family Roman Catholic Galway Builder Read and write Married 22 11 10
Geraghty Margaret 44 Female Wife Roman Catholic Galway Read and write Irish and English Married 22 11 10
Geraghty Margaret 20 Female Daughter Roman Catholic Galway Teacher Read and write
Irish and English Single
Geraghty Patrick 19 Male Son Roman Catholic Galway Carpenter Read and write Single
Geraghty Nicholas 18 Male Son Roman Catholic Galway Carpenter Read and write Single
Geraghty William 16 Male Son Roman Catholic Galway Scholar Read and write Single
Geraghty George 14 Male Son Roman Catholic Galway Scholar Read and write Single
Geraghty James 13 Male Son Roman Catholic Galway Scholar Read and write Single
Geraghty John 12 Male Son Roman Catholic Galway Scholar Read and write Single
Geraghty Peter 11 Male Son Roman Catholic Galway Scholar Read and write Single
Geraghty Eileen 8 Female Daughter Roman Catholic Galway Scholar Read and write Single
____
To view a copy of the original 1911 census for the Gerghty family go to the NAI link at: http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai002383541/
The next search involved looking for the birth and baptism records for William’s wife, Margaret Somerville. Her marriage record shows that her father was Nicholas. The year she was born is another matter, as the 1901 census puts her age at 30, with a birth year ostensibly of 1871. The 1911 census gives her age as 44, with a birth year of 1867. I looked for her birth record at the irishgenealogy.ie website for the years 1864 to 1874 but didn’t find it. Neither did I find her baptism record. I did a pretty extensive search for these records but without success, though it’s possible both records exist and that I missed locating them. I used various combinations of the spelling of her surname Somerville to look for her birth and baptism records, viz: Sommerville, Sommersville, Sumerville, Sumersville, Summerville, Summersville, etc.
It was unfortunate not being able to locate her birth and baptism records, as these would have revealed the first name and maiden name of her mother.
I figured that Margaret Somerville would have been born in or near Clonbur, Galway, as marriages traditionally took place in the bride’s parish. Clonbur, as mentioned earlier, is the name of the Catholic Parish which was situated within the civil parish of Ross.
I found the person who could be Margaret’s father Nicholas in Griffiths Valuation. Griffiths Valuation for County Galway was completed by the year 1855. Nicholas was leasing property the townland of Cappaghnagapple, Civil Parish of Ross. Cappaghnagapple was also known as Petersburgh. A Google Map shows that Cappaghnagapple is only 2.4 miles northwest of Clonbur: https://is.gd/ipqE94
For a Google Street View of Cappaghnagapple, see: https://is.gd/TL9rXi
It’s not out of the realm of possibility that Margaret Somerville was born in Cappaghnagapple, or Petersburgh, just a short distance away from Clonbur.
The Irish spelling of Cappaghnagapple is, “Ceapach na g-Capall,” which means, “Plot of the horses.”
I next looked for William Geraghty’s death record and found what I believe to be the index for his death, but the link to the death record from irishgenealogy.ie was the wrong one, and so I couldn’t access a copy of his full death record. But I did find what I believe to be another index of William’s death. This was discovered at Ancestry.com, and is below:
Ireland, Civil Registration Deaths Index, 1864-1958
Name: William Geraghty
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1863
Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1927
Death Age: 64
Registration district: Galway
Volume: 4
Page: 131
FHL Film Number: 101737
Source Information
Ancestry.com. Ireland, Civil Registration Deaths Index, 1864-1958 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
Original data: “Ireland, Civil Registration Indexes 1845–1958,” Index. FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, Utah. General Register Office, Republic of Ireland. "Quarterly Returns of Deaths in Ireland with Index to Deaths."
____
If you would like a copy of William’s death record I can give you instructions on how you can obtain it from the GRO in Roscommon Town. Or, if you go to Roscommon in the coming year, you can stop by the GRO at an address of “Government Offices, Convent Road, Roscommon,” and purchase the copy. Photocopies of birth, marriage, and death records from the GRO are 4 Euros. You can use the death index for William shown above, to obtain his death record.
I did manage to find Margaret Geraghty’s death record, which is attached. The place of death listed for her is Somerville, Newcastle. I wonder if she and her husband William had named their home after Margaret’s family name Somerville? Margaret died on 25 February 1947 at age 79. This places her birth in 1868. She is shown to have been a “Building contractor’s widow.” The cause of death is difficult to read, but in part it appears to have been “Hemiplegia 3 years,” and also what appears to be a pulmonary condition. The informant who reported the death was her son, J. Geraghty of Somerville, Newcastle. The Assistant Registrar, William Hurley recorded Margaret’s death in the Galway Registration District on 1 March 1947. Margaret’s death is on Line 187 of the register. If you go to the top of the register you’ll see the headings describing the date and place of death, name of the deceased, age, occupation, etc. are in the Irish language as well as in English.
If you go back to the 1901 and 1911 census enumerations, you’ll see that Margaret could speak both Irish and English. Galway is in one of the Irish language speaking areas of Ireland called the “Gaeltacht.” For more information on the Gaeltacht, go to the Wikipedia article at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaeltacht
There are 10 attachments accompanying this reply. They include:
Patrick Geraghty’s 1908 death record
James Geraghty’s 1910 death record
George Geraghty’s 1904 marriage to Margaret Harford
Margaret Geraghty’s 1908 death record
George Harford Geraghty’s 1900 birth record
George Geraghty’s 1918 marriage to Ellen McDermott
Ellen McDermott’s 1876 birth record
Kate Geraghty’s 1918 death
William Geraghty’s 1888 marriage to Margaret Somerville
Margaret Geraghty’s 1947 death record
____
CONCLUSION
Diane, you’ve seen over the past week several records pertaining to your Geraghty and Moran ancestors, as well as the Geraghty and Moran collateral lines. If you have any doubts about any of these records belonging to your ancestry, don’t add them to your genealogical record until you’ve had time to confirm the accuracy of the information on your own.
Also, if you have any doubts or questions about any of the records I’ve sent to you, please let me know. Also let me know if there are any other people in Ireland you’d like me to look for, and I’ll do the best to see what I can find. I usually don’t find this many records in this short period of time, but I’ve had a holiday from work for the past week, and so, could get a lot accomplished working a few hours each day on the genealogy. I was surprised to have found so many records concerning your Geraghty and Moran ancestors, including their children, their children’s spouses, and their grandchildren. The discoveries in great part were due to the availability of free records that can be accessed at the Find My Past, National Library of Ireland, rishgenealogy.ie, and National Archives of Ireland websites. These sites have opened up a whole new world into Irish genealogical research online, and I wish these sites had been available when I started my own Irish genealogy many years ago.
Best Wishes Diane, and don’t hesitate to write with any questions or research requests that you may have. You have quite an ancestry!
Dave
