I think I found her
My great grandma is rumored to have been from Castlebar, County Mayo. Married in Chicago, IL, 17 Nov 1909 at her wedding she gave a birthdate of “about” 1886, and later in life gave a birthdate of 25 Aug 1888, reflected in her obituary. A passenger manifest through Ellis Isl. arrived 24 Sep 1908, same name, said from “Sungboro, Mayo” (sic), with nearest relative her father’s name, 21 years of age, headed for Chicago, IL (looking at the manifest, the only one to do so - others with no destination, or Brooklyn, or NYC). I couldn’t find anyone with her name from Mayo or elsewhere born 25 Aug 1888. I found a birth record from Snugborough, Co. Mayo, 22 Jan 1887, same name, same nearest relative (father) on the emigration record, and would have been 21 years of age as of Sep 1908. I found her, her mom, and her dad in the 1901 census. I think I found her. What I think resulted in the birthday confusion:
Her husband was born 24 Feb 1887. I have no reason to doubt it. If she was born a month and 2 days earlier, and claimed “about” 1886, but then didn’t want to be older than her husband, could you lyrically imagine a birthday of a year and a half and a day later, 25 Aug 1888? Wouldn’t you know, younger than me dear spouse by a year and a half and a day?
I dug deeper. I found what I suspect was her parents’ marriage in Co. Mayo. Her mom is given an age of 18 years (1885). I then dug for her mom’s birth record and found her and same father’s name - I think she was only 16 years at the time of her marriage, born 1869. This then matches the 1901 census when she is recorded as 32 years of age and literate, unlike her farmer spouse (40).
So would it make sense my great grandma might have had a flexible date of birth (giving her a more youthful record) when her mom seems to have been claimed a more acceptable age of majority when it seems clear she was yet a young teen at the altar? What conversations could they have had? Through the irishgenealogy website I found copies of all of these records in longhand cursive.
What else might be needed for my dad to claim FBR?