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Widows and Surnames

I have been researching neighbors of my Cavan family to try and learn more about the community they came from; specifically the Gillans and McCauls.

I located a church marriage records between Patrick McCaul and Catherine Gillan in 1849. The couple seemingly disappear from church records.

In Civil Records, I found a 1864 record for the death of Catherine McCaul, aged 5 (placing her birth circa 1859) who died in neighboring townland. Mother was listed as Catherine McCaul, laborer.

There is another Civil Record from 1865 listing the birth of Biddy Gillan/Carolan, illegitimate, in the townland where I suspect the Catherine Gillan (who married Patrick McCaul in 1849) was from. The mother is listed as Catherine Gillan.

Finally, there is a Civil Death record from 1866 for a Catherine Gillin, widowed laborer, again in the same townland.

My hunch is Catherine Gillan and Patrick MCCaul were laborers meaning they and their family did not show on any land records of the day. Patrick McCaul died at some point leaving Catherine widowed. She returned to live with her Parents/siblings in the townland where she was raised and reassumed her maiden surname in civil records.

Is this highly unlikely? Has anyone identified other instances where this occurred and can reference them?

Thanks,

MaineRoots85

6 replies

In 1857 in Griffith's VaIuation of Cavan, there were a number of Patrick McCauis (source: RootsIreiand).

Source Surname First Name Townland Parish County

Griffith McCaul Patrick Corcashel Annagh Co. Cavan

Griffith McCaul Patrick Ardamagh Annagh Co. Cavan

Griffith McCaul Patrick Dresternagh Annagh Co. Cavan

Griffith McCaul Patrick Drumbartagh Annagh Co. Cavan

Griffith McCaul Patrick Mullacroghery Annagh Co. Cavan

Griffith McCaul Patrick Keelagh Annagh Co. Cavan

Griffith McCaul Patrick Drummany Glebe Drumlane Co. Cavan

Griffith McCaul Patrick Duncollog Drung Co. Cavan

Griffith McCaul Patrick Lisboduff Drung Co. Cavan

Griffith McCaul Patrick Tullybrick Drung Co. Cavan

glanvil3@aol.com

These GiIIans were Iisted in Griffith's in Cavan...

Source Surname First Name Townland Parish County

Griffith Gellan John Blackhills Lower Moybolgue Co. Cavan

Griffith Gellan Matthew Blackhills Lower Moybolgue Co. Cavan

Griffith Gillan John Tullybuck/v/b'bridge/main Castleterra Co. Cavan

Griffith Gillan Patrick Kilnaglare U. /v/but'b. Mai Castleterra Co. Cavan

Griffith Gillan Patrick Blackhills Lower Moybolgue Co. Cavan

Griffith Gillan Patrick Killcrossduff Shercock Co. Cavan

Griffith Gillan Philip Mullaghard Drumgoon Co. Cavan

Griffith Gillan Terence Drumsillagh Castleterra Co. Cavan

Griffith Gillen Laurence Greaghrahan Drumlane Co. Cavan

Griffith Gillen Patrick Keelagh Annagh Co. Cavan

Griffith Gillen Simon Mullaghkeel Crosserlough Co. Cavan

Griffith Gillon James Doon/t/b'connell/main St. Tomregan Co. Cavan

Griffith Gillon Mary Carrickcreeny Shercock Co. Cavan

glanvil3@aol.com

Hi,

I am looking at your information and if we look at Patrick McCaul & Catherine Gillan due to the records not being complete, while it looks like they married in the Bailieborough area of the parish of Killann, but we do not have a townland or name of parents for either nor do we know what age they were. The Great Famine in Ireland dates from 1845 to 1852, so we have no way of knowing if they survived or emigrated or if they had children.

There were McCaul families in Lisagoan, Lecks, Shercock and in Bailieborough, which are not too distant from one another.

I found the birth of Margaret McCall to Patrick & Kitty McCall (no maiden name given, so it looks like she was also McCall) in 1840 in Tullybrick, again close to your research area.

I found a marriage for an Anne McCaul in 1877 to a Dan McCabe, her father was Patrick McCaul, she was of full age, but I failed to find her birth record, if she was born after 1849, she could fit.

In 1877 Catherine McCaul, daughter of Patrick McCaul married James Smith, one of their witnesses was Mary Jane Gillen, Mary Jane may have been a cousin, so that looks promising.

The image for the death record for Catherine in 1864 was unavailable online, so I was unable to view the townland, which townland was it?

In 1872, I found a baptism for a Margaret Gillan, Killcrossduff the two sponsors were John & Anne McCall, if they were not related, they were certainly neighbours.

Neighbours did marry neighbours, if a man was widowed, he may have married his wife's sister and visa versa, with many records lost for that period, it makes it difficult to be sure.

I have never heard of a woman reverting to her maiden name in those days, unless it was recorded by mistake.

I hope I have been of help to you & likewise with Patricia's selection of land records.

Regards & Best of luck Carmel

Bailieborough CavanIrelandXO Volunteer

Carmel,

Thanks for your detailed response!

The Catherine McCaul, aged 5, laborer, who died in 1864 was living in Taghart Townland at the time of death. I am aware there was a concentration of McCauls in Lisagoan Townland too, so it’s uncertain which McCaul family the child belonged to, save for the fact her mother was also named Catherine McCaul.

Regarding whether a widow ever reverted to using her maiden name, my hunch was due to the birth record of Biddy Gillin in 1865, born illegitimately to Catherine Gillin (father apparently Edward Carolan). I wondered what surname the illegitimate child would assume considering a Gillin male was not the father. As such, I thought the practical implications for record keeping was the child’s mother’s maiden name was listed on the birth record, not the married name. I would imagine there might be some rumpled feathers if a widow gave her deceased husband’s surname to another man’s child but perhaps I’m wrong in that regard.

MaineRoots85

Hi,

Yes, I know of several cases of illegitimate children that carried their mothers maiden name, but the neighbours usually were aware of who the father was, often if the mother then married, the child assumed the name of the step father, whether he legally adopted the child or not, just for convenience sake so the child was not different to the other children in the family.

In my own family an illegitimate child's surname on her baptismal was 'unknown', but to compound it her mother was married and I was surprised that in 1907, she had not given the child her husbands surname, it took a while for me to crack it....her husband was in America when she got pregnant, raped by the local Sergeant, as he took a court case against him on his return!.  During her life she used her mother's married name and when she got married, named her father as the local Sergeant, but yes the neighbours knew who she was.

If her husband was dead, would the registrar have been aware??  Who knows what people managed to do.

Another thing that happened was that the child's grandmother pretended she was pregnant and named the child as hers!  When I look at the census and the age of the mother and the youngest child and the eldest daughter....I wonder.

Here is a link to another Gillen, a very different story:

https://www.anglocelt.ie/2022/07/03/francis-james-gillen-the-19th-century-aboriginal-activist/

Regards Carmel

Bailieborough CavanIrelandXO Volunteer

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