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Mary Cooke, Fethard (Wexford)

WexfordFethard (Wexford)

Please help.  I  have only a death record from 1886 for my great great grandfather, Charles Cooke, in Fethard, County Wexford.  It lists his wife as Mary Cooke.  Without a marriage record I am at a loss to discover her maiden name.  Perhaps there is someone out there in Fethard on Sea who might have additional information regarding her or her husband, Charles.  They had a son, Robert born in 1851, and possibly a son named Charles and others, but I have not been able to locate his birth info either.  I believe Mary lived with her son, Charles, following her husband's death if I followed the correct trail to the 1901 and 1911 census.  The only other information I have been able to discover is from Griffiths Valuation and because of the locality, that they were most likely members of St. Mogues Church of Ireland in Fethard, County Wexford, where I believe a grandaughter, Mary Ellen (nee Cooke) Auld is buried in the cemetery there.

Thanks for any additional assistance.  I am open to all possibilities.

IrelandXO member

6 replies

Judging by Charles? year of birth (1805) and Mary?s age in the 1901 census (c 1812), they probably married well before April 1845, when statutory marriage registration started. (I certainly can?t see a match after that date). I suspect therefore you?ll need to rely on church records for the marriage, if they have survived. Fethard C of I records don?t appear to be on-line anywhere.

 

Check with the RCB library in Dublin to see if they have a copy, or contact the parish.

 

http://www.ireland.anglican.org/information/63

 

Note that the Church of Ireland usually charges for searching parish records.

Ahoghill AntrimIrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you for your reply.  I visited the RCB in Dublin early this year on my first trip to Ireland.  I must say that my experience all around was wonderful in your country.  However, I found no records for Charles and Mary during my 2 days researching there at the RCB.  I visited St. Mogues in Fethard but found no graves.  I also contacted the local reverend of the parish but was unable to obtain any helpful information, although he did try.  I wish that I had been able to spend more time in Fethard on Sea itself to research with the locals.

Is there anyone else who might be able to help or perhaps another source to investigate?  Is there a local library or council in Fethard that I might be able to check with?

Thanks again for your response.

IrelandXO member

Tradition was to marry in the bride?s church so if Mary came from a different parish, then they may have married there. The other thing to bear in mind is that a lot of early Church of Ireland records were lost in the 1922 fire in Dublin where ironically they had been sent of safe keeping. (Early means pre 1880).  So perhaps there are no surviving records for that church for the era you are interested in. Hopefully you were able to establish whether that was the case from your visit to the RCB library.

Ahoghill AntrimIrelandXO Volunteer

Yes, I was told at the RCB that the records had been destroyed from that period.  That is why I was hoping for some other avenue in which to follow, possibly a more local source in Fethard.

I do very much appreciate your trying to help.  You have been most kind.

IrelandXO member

Hi,

I am a relation! My great-grandmother was Mary Ellen Cooke, and my mum has a lot of info about the family that we can share. I'm new to this page, but if you can message privately please do so. If not I'll share an email address on here!

Cammie x

cammieevans

Hi, my great grandparents Robert Cooke and Mary Rowan were married in Drumcannon Tramore 4 July 1878.

Robert Cooke died in 1909 and as far as I know Mary took all the children to USA except for Charlotte Jane who had married Richard Rowan (my grandparents).

Robert was in the RIC however I have very little record of his service except by the time he was 50 he was a pensioner.

I know nothing about Charles Cooke his father a farmer from Tramore Waterford.

olwenmccormick

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