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Illegitimacy in the 1870s

MayoShrule (Mayo)

In tracking my grandfather's birth cert for a dual passport application, I have done well. I found my great grandfather's name FRANK (not Francis) Walshand his wife, Margaret Farraher (or sometimes Farriher) and have myself visited their cottage in Shrule many times (listed as Brodella,Boherbee or Brodullahor Shrule--if someone can explain that to me I'd be grateful) but here's the thing: Frank was born in 1834, married Margaret in 1861 and dutifully (according to their baptismal records) produced:

Peter in 1863

Mary in 1866

Cath in 1868

John in 1873

Winny in 1875

Margaret in 1876

Pat Frank (a locally famous musician) in 1877

and the one I am searching for, Michael J Walsh in 1882. (I can't find a birth cert or baptismal record for him, naturally, and that the one I need! Any help would be very welcome before I have to cough up a fortune to someone over there to dig it up.)

But, here's the rub--in 1871, when old Frank seems to have given Margaret a break for breeding, another child named Mary was baptisedat Shrule, born of Margaret Henehan (!) and FRANK (not Francis) Walsh. Shrule is not a very big place and Frank (not the saintly Francis) not a usual name. Was this a bit of hanky-panky on Frank's part and would the Church have baptised an illegitimatechild born of the union between an unmarried woman and a married man? (It may be why Frank (died 1913) is buried in Shrule's St. Joe's cemetery with only his name on the tombstone?

Does anyone know about this sort of thing?

Thanks in advance...kittwalsh@yahoo.com

IrelandXO member

4 replies

Hi Kitt,

Not sure about the illigimitacy question but I hope this record from www.rootsioreland.ie/ may save you the fortune you mentioned:

Name:Michael Walsh

Date of Birth:04-Feb-1879
Registration Date:
Address:Brodela

Parish/District:Cong district

Gender:Male

CountyCo. Mayo
Denomination:Civil Parish
Father:Francis Walsh

Mother:Margaret Faragher

Col

ColCaffIrelandXO Volunteer
Gerard, Parish Liaison Lackagh

Gentlemen, You are both magnificent and I thank you (especially you Col for saving that fortune). Gerard, unkind? Oh no. I was willing to stand in admiration at the stamina of Frank--to have all those children and then manage to have a love affair that produced another (sinful though it was). I did find, after checking for a few more hours, that Mary WAS born of Frank and Margaret and where Margaret HENEHAN came in is anybody's guess. (Having wandered knee deep in Walsh, Sheehan, Brennan, McCarty's and Cassidy's for days now, given the variety of the spellings, the total invention of some names shouldn't surprise me.) I will beg forgiveness of the shade of my great-grandfather and thank you both so very much. I seek you out to stand you to a pint (or a cup of tea) next time I am over. Many thanks. Kitt

IrelandXO member

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