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Trying to Discover why a Kinship Dispensation was needed for a marriage...

I am so happy to have found this very kind community!  Thank you all for being so helpful.

Having confirmed that my great grandmother's second marriage received a "kinship dispensation," I am now on a quest to determine why this dispensation was necessary -- was her second husband related to her first, deceased husband?  Or was she related to her second husband? My inquiries to family have been unfruitful -- this is what I have gathered, so far:

 

My great grandfather was John Reid of Coppelcurragh, Mayo, born 1843.  His father was Michael Reid of Carracastle.  Michael was born in 1805, and he died on 2 February 1890.

 

Great grandfather John Reid married my great grandmother Mary Regan on 28 February 1889 in the Carracastle Church, Mayo ("Lowpark").  Their first child, Michael Reid (my grandfather) was born on 29 March 1890.  Great grandfather John died suddenly on 22 February 1893 at age 50.

 

My widowed great grandmother Mary Regan Reid remarried on January 24, 1894.  She married:

James Reid, approximately 34 years old (born approximately 1860-61).  He lived in Cloonlimney at the time of the marriage, and his father was Thomas Reid.  The marriage records of James and Mary include a notation of a Latin dispensation that indicates that permission was granted for the marriage despite a kinship.  The notation may also indicate that the kinship was "in the third degree."  I'll try to include a photo of the notation.

 

James and Mary enjoyed a long marriage, and produced ten children (John and Mary had four children survive).  I have communicated with two Descendants to James and Mary, and they do not think that John Reid and James Reid were related.  Some records reflect that some Regans and some Reids did marry in the late 1800's.

 

So my questions are these:  why was a "kinship dispensation" needed when my great grandmother remarried?  Can I determine that James Reid from Cloonlimney was related to John Reid from Coppelcurragh?  Was Mary Regan Reid related to the "Cloonlimney Reids" and to James, completely apart from having been married to John, a Coppelcurragh Reid?  How does one begin to solve a mystery like this? 

 

Any guidance or assistance or thoughts that help would be deeply appreciated -- thanks!!

 

Michael

21mkr21@gmail.com

2 replies

Michael:

Cloonlumney townland is in Kilcolman civil parish which is part of the RC parish of Castlemore and Kilcolman which is commonly known as the parish of Ballaghaderreen. The Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Nathy's is the name of the church and it is the cathedral for the Diocese of Achonry where all the parishes are in East Mayo on South Sligo except for Ballaghaderreen.

On the subscription site Roots Ireland there is an August 8 1861 baptismal record in Ballaghaderreen church for a James Reid with father Thomas Reid and the mother is Mary Roddy. The register shows Rody but the common spelling is Roddy. The surname is very common in that area. My grandmother is a Roddy and she came from a townland about a mile outside of Ballaghaderreen.

Mary Regan came from Palmfield officially known as Gortanure. RC parish was Carracastle. Palmfield was 3.5 miles from Cappulcorragh where John Reid lived. John and Mary lived in Cappulcorragh. John died and Mary married James from Cloonlumney but they went to live at Cappulcorragh as reflected in the 1901 census. I think it is very likely that John and James were either first cousins or possibly first cousins once removed.

I don't think that Mary was related to the Reids otherwise the 1889 marriage should have shown a dispensation granted.

I think that Patricia was correct in that the dispensation was related to Mary marrying a relation of her first husband when she married James in 1894.

Have you tested your DNA? 

Roger McDonnell

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

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