Did John Clancy from Clare marry his brother's widow (1924)?
Posted: Thu Aug 26, 2010 12:31 pm
My paternal grandparents had several first cousins in the Royal Irish Constabulary who met violent deaths, including Patrick (Paddy) Clancy of Killard. The RIC was disbanded on 31 Aug 1922 and Paddy was shot dead in Cork less than six weeks later.
The Irish Times of 16 Oct 1922 p.6 reported the incident as follows:
EX-CONSTABLE
MURDERED.
Criminals' Motive Supposed to be
Robbery.
At Leitrim street, near the centre of Cork
City, on Friday, a man, since identified as ex-
Constable Clancy, was fired on by three armed
men and fatally wounded. The armed men lay
in wait for their victim at a tramway standard,
and when he passed, they fired with revolvers at
close range. Two bullets entered his back, pass-
ing through the lung, and a third passed
through his arm. The three men ran through
John street and disappeared. Their victim was
taken to the North Infirmary, where he died an
hour later.
At an inquest on Saturday evening the body
was identified as ex-Constable Patrick Clancy,
a native of the County Clare. He served in the
Royal Irish Constabulary for 12 years, being
stationed in Cork, Dunmanway, and Bandon.
For the past three months, he had been living
with his wife at Barrackton, Cork. On the day
he met his death he had drawn £ 30 from a
bank, which was in his possession when at-
tacked, but was missing when his body was
brought to the infirmary.
The evidence went to show that the motive
of the attack was robbery.
The jury returned a verdict of death from
gunshot wounds, fired by persons unknown.
Family tradition is that he was on duty with the newly established Garda Síochána, but he does not appear in the list of ex-members of the RIC who later joined the Garda Síochána which was published in Jim Herlihy's The Royal Irish Constabulary: A Short History and Genealogical Guide (1997, pp.154-231). Neither is their any mention of this in the above Irish Times report of the shooting.
According to a local expert, Paddy Cotter (1912-2004), whom I spoke to on 26 Aug 1997, Paddy Clancy was shot by mistake and brought home and buried in Killard (probably in his grandfather's grave to which no names have been added since 1871). He was a Sinn Féin member and supporters of The Cause were instructed to turn out in force for his funeral.
He is the very last RIC casualty listed at http://www.policememorial.org.uk/Forces ... C_Roll.htm
I have seen a letter from another first cousin saying that Paddy had married a widow, who later married as her third husband his brother John Clancy, also formerly of the R.I.C. My grandmother's 1953 diary has this entry:
`Jack Clancy, Killard, a bank porter in Birmingham, R.I.C. pension, one son, wife dead.'
Seeking to confirm this, I have recently obtained two marriage certificates which pose more questions than they answer:
23 Apr 1922 at St. Joseph's, Cork, Patrick Clancy, bachelor, policeman, residing at Gormanstown, Co. Meath, son of John Clancy, farmer, married Alice Parr nee Dunne, full age, widow, daughter of Patrick Dunne, Labourer.
14 Mar 1924 at St John the Evangelist's, Balsall Heath, Birmingham, John Clancy, bachelor, ex-Police Constable (Pensioned), residing at 69 Oldfield Road, Balsall Heath, son of John Clancy, farmer, married Alice Clancy, widow, same address, witnesses D. A. Dunne and J. P. Dunne.
So far so good, but this certificate names Alice's father as John Noonan (deceased), Private, South Lancashire Regiment.
This has left me flummoxed!
I think I've found the birth of John and Alice's son and the deaths of both John and Alice in English civil registration indexes and will order those certificates in the hope that they provide further clues.
It has also occurred to me (prompted by one of the Who Do You Think You Are programmes) that at one time it was illegal to marry one's deceased spouse's sibling. Does anyone know when this law was repealed? Did it apply to both widows and widowers? Could this explain why Alice gave false details on her third marriage certificate? Have I got the wrong certificate for one or both brothers? Why can't I find a marriage record for Alice Dunne and Mr. Parr or for Alice Noonan and Mr. Parr?
Any other suggestions?
\pw
The Irish Times of 16 Oct 1922 p.6 reported the incident as follows:
EX-CONSTABLE
MURDERED.
Criminals' Motive Supposed to be
Robbery.
At Leitrim street, near the centre of Cork
City, on Friday, a man, since identified as ex-
Constable Clancy, was fired on by three armed
men and fatally wounded. The armed men lay
in wait for their victim at a tramway standard,
and when he passed, they fired with revolvers at
close range. Two bullets entered his back, pass-
ing through the lung, and a third passed
through his arm. The three men ran through
John street and disappeared. Their victim was
taken to the North Infirmary, where he died an
hour later.
At an inquest on Saturday evening the body
was identified as ex-Constable Patrick Clancy,
a native of the County Clare. He served in the
Royal Irish Constabulary for 12 years, being
stationed in Cork, Dunmanway, and Bandon.
For the past three months, he had been living
with his wife at Barrackton, Cork. On the day
he met his death he had drawn £ 30 from a
bank, which was in his possession when at-
tacked, but was missing when his body was
brought to the infirmary.
The evidence went to show that the motive
of the attack was robbery.
The jury returned a verdict of death from
gunshot wounds, fired by persons unknown.
Family tradition is that he was on duty with the newly established Garda Síochána, but he does not appear in the list of ex-members of the RIC who later joined the Garda Síochána which was published in Jim Herlihy's The Royal Irish Constabulary: A Short History and Genealogical Guide (1997, pp.154-231). Neither is their any mention of this in the above Irish Times report of the shooting.
According to a local expert, Paddy Cotter (1912-2004), whom I spoke to on 26 Aug 1997, Paddy Clancy was shot by mistake and brought home and buried in Killard (probably in his grandfather's grave to which no names have been added since 1871). He was a Sinn Féin member and supporters of The Cause were instructed to turn out in force for his funeral.
He is the very last RIC casualty listed at http://www.policememorial.org.uk/Forces ... C_Roll.htm
I have seen a letter from another first cousin saying that Paddy had married a widow, who later married as her third husband his brother John Clancy, also formerly of the R.I.C. My grandmother's 1953 diary has this entry:
`Jack Clancy, Killard, a bank porter in Birmingham, R.I.C. pension, one son, wife dead.'
Seeking to confirm this, I have recently obtained two marriage certificates which pose more questions than they answer:
23 Apr 1922 at St. Joseph's, Cork, Patrick Clancy, bachelor, policeman, residing at Gormanstown, Co. Meath, son of John Clancy, farmer, married Alice Parr nee Dunne, full age, widow, daughter of Patrick Dunne, Labourer.
14 Mar 1924 at St John the Evangelist's, Balsall Heath, Birmingham, John Clancy, bachelor, ex-Police Constable (Pensioned), residing at 69 Oldfield Road, Balsall Heath, son of John Clancy, farmer, married Alice Clancy, widow, same address, witnesses D. A. Dunne and J. P. Dunne.
So far so good, but this certificate names Alice's father as John Noonan (deceased), Private, South Lancashire Regiment.
This has left me flummoxed!
I think I've found the birth of John and Alice's son and the deaths of both John and Alice in English civil registration indexes and will order those certificates in the hope that they provide further clues.
It has also occurred to me (prompted by one of the Who Do You Think You Are programmes) that at one time it was illegal to marry one's deceased spouse's sibling. Does anyone know when this law was repealed? Did it apply to both widows and widowers? Could this explain why Alice gave false details on her third marriage certificate? Have I got the wrong certificate for one or both brothers? Why can't I find a marriage record for Alice Dunne and Mr. Parr or for Alice Noonan and Mr. Parr?
Any other suggestions?
\pw