Library Forum

A long shot i know as no birth certificates available in 1856 but i would like to get as much family information as i can on our football founder John Purcell who left Ireland in 1880 to be a doctor in Silsden (http://www.silsden.net) West Yorkshire UK.

I have quite a bit from his entry into the medical profession but little on his family.

Thanks for reading.

Barry Thomas

Barry

Civil Registration began in 1864. There are many John Purcells born in 1865 at familysearch.org. Do you know which part of Ireland he came from?

Lucille

Yes Lucille, Feakle, County Clare, I mistakenly put 1865 instead of 1856 so i suppose no records unless parish records.

Does that mean no official birth certificate before 1864?

I have no idea of parents names or siblings but was told the first son usually carries his fathers name.
Thanks for the reply.

Actually the first son usually carries his paternal grandfathers name. You may not get a son with the fathers name at all

Thank you regarding the sons name.

I have just received a copy of John and Mary Ellen`s marriage certificate which states Johns father, also John, was a miner, what would be mined in the area? It turns out it was the wrong John Purcell.

Thanks all for the help so far.

Barry

The Clare Library website http://www.clarelibrary.ie/ is a must if you haven't already been there. Can I also suggest going back to "Home" and then to "History" for a further wealth of information.

Of particular interest for you will be the section on Feakle http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclar ... feacle.htm. There is a mention in the Lewis entry of the finding of "lead ore". I don't know if it was mined, but there were many small mines, for different minerals, in operation throughout the county.

Lucille

Thanks once again Lucille i will check both out.

There were iron works at Slieve Aughty could be something to do with that either
His father must have been reasonably well off if he went to be a doctor. Are you sure that reference was to a miner ?

Things are becoming a little clearer now, more by chance than management.

Now sure Johns father, Matthew, was not a miner but a farmer..

Its confirmed John was born in 1856 and he did join a doctors practice in the North of England, UK in 1880.

Feakle baptism records from May 1860 at http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclar ... _order.htm

Jim McNamara, who did the transcriptions and whose email address is at that link, may know whether there were earlier baptismal records from that parish (e.g. ones which he didn't index or hasn't yet got round to). Or Jim may pick the thread up here and give us the answer directly.

Paddy

Do you know where he went to college ? Some colleges like Trinity keep a record of parents names with the admission..

Hi - have a look at Familysearch.org - and put in 'PURCELL - IRELAND - BIRTHS - FEAKLE and the years 1864 to 1870 - this will show details which might help.

I have managed to contact Johns great nephew, his brother Williams son Mattie, he remembers only one thing, they called the house his granddad and great uncle were born in as Red Roof, he thought it was pronounced "Borua"

Barryt17 wrote:........Johns father, also John, was a miner, what would be mined in the area?....
Barry

Barry,

The EPA has a lot of documents about mining in Ireland in general and Clare specifically. If you fire up Google and enter "site:epa.ie lead mine clare" you will find at least two detailed reports on Clare lead mines, for example.

Paddy

miriam scahill wrote:Hi - have a look at Familysearch.org - and put in 'PURCELL - IRELAND - BIRTHS - FEAKLE and the years 1864 to 1870 - this will show details which might help.

Thanks for the link Miriam, through that link i found John and Michael`s parents were called Jack 1759 - 1841 and Mary (Redden) but could not find when they married.

Paddy, we have ruled out now that Jack was a miner, he was a wealthy farmer.