Michael & Mary McMAHON, Ennis, Co Clare c1880s+

[Cherilyn]

Hi all, I am new here so please bear with me!

I have the above couple - Michael & Mary McMAHON, in Ennis, Clare.

They had at least 3 daughters, as evidenced from the 2nd & 3rd daughters marriage notices in Australian newspapers (they married in Western Australia in 1899 & 1902 repsectively).

The 2nd is Mary b. c1878 and the 3rd is Nellie Frances b. c1883.

I have the Aussie stuff but really need help getting back further. Hoping sks can help!!

I have looked at the resources, census, MI's etc., but nothing seems to quite fit.

Thank you!!!

[pwaldron]

Do the daughters' marriage or death certificates not give you the mother's maiden surname? In many parts of Australia, this is the case.

My guess is that this is the most likely family:

Baptisms from http://www.ennisparish.com/genealogy/

McMahon Bridget Michael Mary Qualey 26/11/1874
McMahon Mary Michael Mary Qualey 28/06/1876
McMahon Ellen Michael Mary Qualey 24/03/1879
McMahon Kate Michael Mary Qualey 10/04/1881
McMahon Ann Michael Mary Quealy 21/03/1883
McMahon John Michael Mary Quealy 20/05/1885
McMahon Susan Michael Mary Quealy 16/08/1887
McMahon Eliza Michael Mary Quealy 04/09/1889
McMahon Patrick Michael Mary Quealy 13/03/1891
McMahon Agnes Michael Mary Quealy 23/02/1893
McMahon Teresa Michael Mary Quealy 22/08/1896

Census returns:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/p ... t/1069767/

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/p ... et/353473/

The length of marriage and number of children born alive in the 1911 return do not match the baptismal register, so further research would be required to confirm that all these records refer to a single family. However, it would appear an extraordinary coincidence if two different families in the same town had the same parents' names and the same names for six children, in the same order, and all born within three years of each other. It is much more likely that the census return for a head of household who could not read would be slightly inaccurate.

[Cherilyn]

Thanks, p. Sadly Nellie's marriage cert only has her father's full name. Though that said I only have her 2nd marriage in WA, may have to buy her 1st marriage in NSW as well I think...

I had looked at this family but still the age of Mary does not match her year of birth based on her age at death, and I just can't find an Ellen or Nellie born around the right time either.

I thought it possible she was living away from her parents, working, in 1901 (she was in Australia by 1911) but still no luck there either (in Ennis anyway).

This one fits Mary:

McMahon Mary Michael Mary Corry 21/05/1878*
McMahon Bridget Michael Mary Corry 01/10/1879
McMahon Michael Michael Mary Corry 30/03/1881
McMahon Nora Michael Mary Corry 09/06/1882
McMahon John Michael Mary Corry 18/05/1884
McMahon Patrick Michael Mary Corry 01/02/1886
McMahon Denis Michael Mary Corry 15/11/1888
McMahon Anne Michael Mary Corry 12/09/1890

But Nellie would have to be Nora...and then I realised this fits this family:

McMahon Michael 26 October 1926 In Loving Memory of Michael McMahon 26 Parnell St. Died 9th Oct 1921 aged 76 years also his wife Mary their children Bridget Nora Denis and Michael who died 26th Oct 1931

And in the 1911 census Mary is 31 and unmarried, living with her parents in Parnell St. So there goes that theory!

I will keep you posted if I get the NSW cert.

[Cherilyn]

Hi again

Just got the marriage cert transcription from NSW. It is from 22 Dec 1908 at Abermain Catholic Church.

Nellie Frances Madeline CURRAN (nee McMAHON), housemaid, age 25, widow, born Ennis, County Clare, Ireland, daughter of Michael McMAHON (farmer) and Mary GUALY.

This does seem to fit with the notion of Mary QUEALY as her mother, perhaps poorly written and/or mistranscribed.

What do you think????

(Could also be GRADY??)

[Cherilyn]

The 1901 & 1911 censuses show Michael McMAHON (husband of Mary Q) as a bailiff/sherriff's bailiff, at 21 Old Mill St.

Just realised that the marriage cert shows his occupation as farmer in 1908.

Seems to count him out?

[pwaldron]

Hi Cherilyn

Unless you can get an image of the original handwritten record and post it here, it will be rather hard for the rest of us to help you with the interpretation!

Paddy