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John Joe & Bridget McNamara (nee O'Gorman)

I'm trying to find out about my grandmother Patricia Josephine McNamara, daughter of John Joseph McNamara from Galway city.

Patricia, DOB 29/03/21, DOD 1969, Bury England, had four children: Gerry, DOB c1939, Kevin, DOB c1942, Dolores, 1944, Peter, 1946, DOD 2025

The family history is that Gerry was born out of wedlock. Patricia was seeing an older man who owned a toy shop in Galway city and Gerry was subsequently raised by his grandparents, as a McNamara,

believing Patricia to be his sister.

Patricia went on to marry Clifford Faulkner, RAF, and have Kevin, Dolores, and Peter Faulkner. Kevin was raised by the McNamara's as well, but Dolores and subsequently Peter were placed into care.

Dolores went to a convent in Clifden, and Peter to the Christian Brothers.

The family story is that Gerry found the truth when he needed his birth cert' to get married in England in the late 50s, early 60s.

John Joe McNamara. DOB 1870, DOD 1939, and Bridget (nee O'Gorman), DOB 1871, DOD 1938, had four daughters:

Mary Kate DOB 20/10/1919 DOD c1999

Patricia Josephine DOB 29/03/21, DOD 1969

Margaret DOB 13/06/22, DOD?

Clare DOB 20/11/23, DOD?

All four sisters moved to Bury, England, where Patricia married Ronald Harlick and had three more children.

I'm trying to understand who raised Gerry and Kevin, if by 1940, both John Joe and Bridget had deceased.

John Joe was said to have been a stonemason on Galway Cathedral.

If you can shed any light into the shadows of my complicated family history, I'd be extremely grateful.

Tony1945

7 replies

CIick beIow for information about St. Joseph's IndustriaI SchooI in CIifden run by Sisters of Mercy.

https://www.google.com/search?q=convent+in+cIifden+took+care+of+chiIdren&sca_esv=d5a5f35ee25e06b2&sxsrf=APpeQnuUEZam_NiDTf7xK9RLExyX8sv0Dw%3A1782313450419&source=hp&ei=6vE7aq2QF9-mptQP9bTAmQs&iflsig=ABILxe8AAAAAajv_-sN3tKSanhBTXv5uqaFeUcRA8GC6&ved=0ahUKEwitrdqAk6CVAxVfk4kEHXUaMLMQ4dUDCD4&uact=5&oq=convent+in+cIifden+took+care+of+chiIdren&gs_lp=Egdnd3Mtd2l6Iihjb252ZW50IGluIGNJaWZkZW4gdG9vayBjYXJlIG9mIGNoaUlkcmVuMgUQABjvBTIIEAAYgAQYogQyCBAAGKIEGIkFSKBgUABYtl5wAngAkAEAmAGFAqABmiWqAQcxNS4yNi4xuAEDyAEA-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&sclient=gws-wiz

glanvil3@aol.com

Tony:

John Joe and Bridget also had a son born 1925  see last record at the link https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/birth_returns/births_1925/01078/1453497.pdf

Mary Kate was not listed in the 1926 census with the rest of the family. I found her listed living in Galway Hospital as a patient.

I was not able to locate a death record for either John Joe or Bridget. I was looking for the informants.

You asked "I'm trying to understand who raised Gerry and Kevin, if by 1940, both John Joe and Bridget had deceased".  Did all of her sisters go to Bury at the same time as Patricia? Is it possible that one of the sisters took care of Gerry and Kevin and then emigrated?

Roger McDonnell

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Tony,

I found a death record for a Bridget McNamara on Irishgenealogy (free site). She died in 1959 at the same address she was living at in 1926. Her husband was alive and was a stone mason. When John and Bridget got married in 1919, his occupation was stone mason. His father was also a mason.

Irish Genealogy - Explore your Family History

Name:Bridget Mcnamara
Date of Death:1959
Group Registration ID:2004495
SR District/Reg Area:Galway
Deceased Age at Death:71
View record image

mtvrdk@gmail.com

I found this death record on Ancestry. It might be your John.

NameJohn J McNamara
Death Age74
Birth Dateabt 1890
Registration DateJul 1964
Registration QuarterJul-Aug-Sep
Registration DistrictBury
Inferred CountyLancashire
Volume10b
Page691

@@@@@@@@@

NameJohn Joseph McNamara
Death DateSep 1964
CemeteryNew Rahoon Cemetery
Burial or Cremation PlaceGalway, County Galway, Ireland
Has Bio?N
URLhttps://www.findagrave.com/memorial/231552454/john-joseph-mcnamara

mtvrdk@gmail.com

Tony

I meant to mention on the 1926 Census John and Bridgets' date of births are about 1890

John and Bridget's son who Roger mentioned above.

John McNamara

SpouseHermine Farthofer
FatherJohn Joe McNamara
MotherBridgette Gorman
Birth5 Jun 1925 Galway, Ireland
Death26 Dec 1992 Bury, Huntingdonshire, England
mtvrdk@gmail.com

Tony,

John's parents were John McNamara and Bridget (Delila) Cunningham. They moved from Clare to Galway around 1897. They had at least 8 children. John died in 1913, age 55.

Party 1 Name:John Macnamara
Party 2 Name:Bridget Cunningham
Date of Event:19/07/1885
Group Registration ID:2338645
SR District/Reg Area:Corofin
Marriage Ceremony
Registration Information
Image path:marriage_returns\marriages_1885\10877\5972747.tif
View record image

@@@@@@

Name:John Macnamara
Year of Birth:1889
Group Registration ID:8477556
SR District/Reg Area:Corofin
Mother's Birth Surname:Null
View record image
mtvrdk@gmail.com

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