Look up of baptism of Michael Russell of Kilrush (1894-1962)

Genealogy, Archaeology, History, Heritage & Folklore

Moderators: Clare Support, Clare Past Mod

Post Reply
JPJC
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Jun 19, 2014 6:57 am

Look up of baptism of Michael Russell of Kilrush (1894-1962)

Post by JPJC » Wed Aug 20, 2014 3:29 am

Dear All,

I was wondering if I could please (again) impose on the generosity of the members of this Forum for assistance in finding the record of the baptism of Michael Russell, a relative of my grandmother’s.

Michael’s birth was not registered, but information provided by relations notes he was baptised on 22 August 1894 at, I believe, St Senan’s in Kilrush.

I’ve found a Russell family in the 1901 and 1911 censuses that may be his, but am not able to confirm this as I do not know his parents’ names. I am hoping the Parish Registers will contain this information so I can see if I have a match.

Another reason for my request is that I am hoping to find his Great War service records to see where he was posted and knowing the names of his parents may assist with this.

Michael joined to Royal Muster Fusiliers and served in France and India. After the War, he was granted one of the cottages in Kilrush’s famous “Shellshock Road”. He is buried in the old cemetery there, the Old Shanakyle.

I have a copy of a photograph of Michael in his RMF uniform and his Mass card, which I attach for the Library’s collections.

If anyone is able to assist, I can look up material relating to Australia (especially convicts) at the famous Mitchell Library, which is near where I work. This offer is transferrable if whoever can assist would like me to look up material on behalf of someone else.

Many thanks, JPC.
Attachments
Michael Russell's mass card.jpg
Michael Russell's mass card.jpg (798.51 KiB) Viewed 29156 times
Michael Russell, RMF.jpg
Michael Russell, RMF.jpg (73.13 KiB) Viewed 29156 times

miriam scahill
Posts: 197
Joined: Thu May 07, 2009 7:18 pm

Re: Look up of baptism of Michael Russell of Kilrush (1894-1

Post by miriam scahill » Sat Aug 23, 2014 8:42 pm

Hello - I live in Dublin now - but growing up in Kilrush - I remember some members of the Russell family - including Mr. & Mrs. Russell - I think he was called Miko. Now - a few years ago - maybe 3 or 4 - there was a discussion/post on the Facebook page of Kilrush Local History Group - lots of info - I think it was posted by a grandson - maybe Keane was the surname. So - if you are on Facebook I suggest you put a post there. - Re age - Census of 1901 for Crofton St., Kilrush, shows 'Michael Russell, aged 12 - so born c.1889. Father Michael - and his wife Lucy - with two younger children - Henry, 3 yrs. and Martin 7 months. In the Census of 1911 Lucy is a widow - and living at Pound St. - Census says '5 children born alive - 2 living' - and living with her in 1911 is Henry aged 13 and Patrick aged 6 - as well as a cousin Michel Hennessy. Michael/Miko would be 22 by then - and must have left to join the army. It looks as if Michael Russell, senior, was married twice - maybe the second time in 1891 - as per Familysearch.org.
So - I suggest you put a post on Facebook - Kilrush Local History Group - and maybe someone in Kilrush will check the Baptism Register for Michael - say 1888 to 1889. There was also a discussion about The Soldiers Houses' - Miriam.

miriam scahill
Posts: 197
Joined: Thu May 07, 2009 7:18 pm

Re: Look up of baptism of Michael Russell of Kilrush (1894-1

Post by miriam scahill » Sat Aug 23, 2014 10:03 pm

Back again - on reading my post - date wrong - it looks as if second marriage for Michael Russell was April/June 1896. !! Miriam.

pwaldron
Posts: 730
Joined: Sat Aug 09, 2008 9:31 pm
Location: Ballina, Killaloe
Contact:

Re: Look up of baptism of Michael Russell of Kilrush (1894-1

Post by pwaldron » Sun Aug 24, 2014 8:01 pm

This family was the subject of a lengthy discussion over in the Kilrush Local History Group on facebook back in 2011.

pwaldron
Posts: 730
Joined: Sat Aug 09, 2008 9:31 pm
Location: Ballina, Killaloe
Contact:

Re: Look up of baptism of Michael Russell of Kilrush

Post by pwaldron » Sun Aug 24, 2014 8:44 pm

Michael Russell married Lucy Hennessy in Kilrush parish on 7 May 1896. Their first four children baptised in the same parish were Pat on 2 Feb 1897, Henry on 25 Jan 1898, Mary on 30 Jun 1899 and Martin on 27 Jul 1900.

There was a Michael Russell baptised in Kilrush parish on 31 Aug 1894. His mother was Anne Russell but it seems that the father was not named.

There was also a Michael Hennessy baptised in Kilrush parish on 20 Aug 1888. His mother was Lucy Hennessy, but it again seems that the father was not named. His birth is registered:

Ireland, Civil Registration Births Index, 1864-1958 about Michael Hennessy
Name: Michael Hennessy
Date of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep 1888
Registration district: Kilrush
Volume: 4
Page: 276
FHL Film Number: 101062

The only Lucy Hennessy baptised in Kilrush was the second of about 14 children born to Michael Hennessy and Mary O'Connell, baptised on 11 Jun 1866.

It looks like the child baptised in 1888 changed his surname and is the one in the 1901 census with his mother.

However, the age of the child baptised in 1894 fits more closely with the age on the in memoriam card posted above.

pwaldron
Posts: 730
Joined: Sat Aug 09, 2008 9:31 pm
Location: Ballina, Killaloe
Contact:

Re: Look up of baptism of Michael Russell of Kilrush (1894-1

Post by pwaldron » Sun Aug 24, 2014 9:07 pm

There was another Michael Russell born not far from Kilrush, at Cree, on 16 Dec 1896. See his Bureau of Military History Witness Statement.

JPJC
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Jun 19, 2014 6:57 am

Re: Look up of baptism of Michael Russell of Kilrush (1894-1

Post by JPJC » Mon Aug 25, 2014 2:03 am

Dear Miriam and Paddy,

Many thanks to you both for your help: it is most kind. I hope you or someone you know will put me to work one day on the records here in Sydney.

I'm not on facebook, but have seen the discussion you mention there about the Russells and the houses in Shellshock. John Keane is my second cousin and it looks like we've both hit a bit of a brick wall with tracking down Michael Russell.

I agree it is possible he was a member of the family at Crofton St Kilrush in the 1901 census and at Pound Street Kilrush in 1911. My reason for believing this is that his entry in the list of Kilrush men who served in the Great War gives his address as (among others) Pound Street. But I have not been able to confirm this connection. I hope to meet some relatives soon who might be able to shed some light on this.

Thank you also Paddy for the reference to the witness statement: it provides a great deal of background material about the War of Independence at the local level. When I first started researching my Irish family history back in the 1980s, this material was either not available or difficult to access. Thanks to the internet and some recent local publications, we can finally get some idea of how the War affected ordinary people.

Thanks again, JPJC.

mick o
Posts: 50
Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2010 4:39 pm

Re: Look up of baptism of Michael Russell of Kilrush (1894-1

Post by mick o » Tue Sep 02, 2014 5:29 pm

message from michael oloughlin.
hello
2 medal cards ww1 regiment r m f name michael russell.

russell michael j
r m f
service no 8101.

russell michael
rmf
service 9785

also a ww1 military record.
henry russell.
pound street
kilrush
apparent age 30
r m f
joined 20- 01 1915
discharged 25-2 1915
total service 27 days
regards michael oloughlin

JPJC
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Jun 19, 2014 6:57 am

Re: Look up of baptism of Michael Russell of Kilrush (1894-1

Post by JPJC » Thu Sep 04, 2014 4:41 am

Many thanks Mick, much appreciated. Cheers, JPJC.

miriam scahill
Posts: 197
Joined: Thu May 07, 2009 7:18 pm

Re: Look up of baptism of Michael Russell of Kilrush (1894-1

Post by miriam scahill » Sat Sep 06, 2014 12:35 pm

Hi- to see more info on local history at the time the Russells were in Kilrush - go to www.bureauofmilitaryhistory.ie - and search for Michael McMahon, Kilrush - his witness statement was done in 1957. He would have known the Russell family. Also there is a page on Facebook - Kilrush & District Historical Society - and they would like to get any info on your research. Miriam.

JPJC
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Jun 19, 2014 6:57 am

Re: Look up of baptism of Michael Russell of Kilrush (1894-1

Post by JPJC » Thu Sep 25, 2014 6:33 am

Hi,

This has been solved: Michael Russell was born on 22 Aug 1894 and baptised at Kilrush on 31 August 1894.

He is, as Paddy predicted, the Michael Russell who was the son of Anne, and so not the one from the family mentioned in the 1901 and 1911 census returns. I cannot find Anne or Michael in the census returns.

I attach a copy of his birth and baptismal certificate, kindly provided to me by my distant cousin John Keane.

Many thanks again to Miriam, Mick and Paddy for your help. Justin.
Attachments
Michael Russell birth and baptismal certificate.pdf
(27.71 KiB) Downloaded 636 times

pwaldron
Posts: 730
Joined: Sat Aug 09, 2008 9:31 pm
Location: Ballina, Killaloe
Contact:

Re: Look up of baptism of Michael Russell of Kilrush (1894-1

Post by pwaldron » Thu Sep 25, 2014 8:17 pm

That's great, Justin.

It might also be worth visiting the Sandfield Centre in Ennis where the civil registers of births are kept and asking the staff there to go through the Kilrush book for 1894 in case there is a Michael with mother Anne Russell registered under his father's surname. The indexes have 59 Michaels registered in Kilrush in that year, so you could just order them all, or just the 27 from the third quarter, at EUR 4 each, but that would still leave you wondering if your Michael just got skipped in the process of indexing and transcription.

There are very few McGonigals in Clare, so this looks like the baptismal sponsor:
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/p ... t/1081905/

\pw

Post Reply