Triplet births in the 19th Century

Genealogy, Archaeology, History, Heritage & Folklore

Moderators: Clare Support, Clare Past Mod

Post Reply
murf
Posts: 365
Joined: Fri Mar 20, 2009 12:58 am
Location: Qld Australia

Triplet births in the 19th Century

Post by murf » Sat Nov 14, 2020 1:57 am

On 14th January 1892 Jane Frawley Barry, wife of Anthony Barry of Illane, Kilfarboy Parish, gave birth to triplets, all girls. Unfortunately, none of the three survived. The first died after 1 hour, the next after 2 hours, while the third struggled for two days before she also succombed. The births were registered on the fifteenth of January. The following day the name Bridget was allocated to the longest surviving triplet.

But that's not the end of this story for I noticed that Bridget aged 7 was part of the Barry family in the 1901 census. So it turns out that the couple's next baby (a girl) born on 18 January 1894 was also given the name Bridget.

I then remembered coming across a baptism of triplets in the Clondagad/Kilchreest register.
Fortunately this event occurred in 1865, so I was able to find the civil birth record. The parents were carpenter Patrick Molony and Catherine Callaghan Molony of Furroor. In this case the children were all named, viz. Thomas, John and Nancy. Interestingly, John and Nancy are recorded as being born on third of January 1865, but Thomas not until the fifth of January.
The civil death registrations are not yet available, but the death index lists all three at age 0, so it would appear that they all died at or soon after birth.

This made me wonder how common was the birth of triplets during this period, and if anyone knows of a set of triplets that survived early childhood :?:

Sduddy
Posts: 1826
Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2010 10:07 am

Re: Triplet births in the 19th Century

Post by Sduddy » Sat Nov 14, 2020 10:58 am

Hi Murf

Here are some sets of triplets from baptism registers. I haven’t checked the civil registrations for the births those born after 1864, and I haven’t checked for any deaths. I imagine it was very rare, in the 19th century, for all three of a set of triplets to survive.

St. Senan’s (Kilrush), 15 Apr 1829: Catherine, Ellen and Honor Burke, of Richard Burke and Ellen Buckley (no address given).

St. Senan’s (Kilrush), ?? Nov 1842: Denis?, Thomas and Michael? Culligan, of Michael Culligan and Cate Walsh, Knockerra.

Killard, 21 Aug 1858: Patrick, Catherine and Anne Crowley, of Thomas Crowley and Catherine Cahill, Clohanes.

Liscannor, 9 Aug 1857: Pat, Tim and Honor Fitzmaurice, of Michael and Anne Fitzmaurice, Quay (mother’s maiden name not given).

Tulla, 19 May 1865: Patrick, John and Mary Powell, of John Powell and Mary Murphy, Liscullane.

Lisdoonvarna, 1 Mar 1866: Thomas, Judith and Mary Kinnane, of John Kinane and Mary Howley, Carnane.

St. Senan’s (Kilrush), 15 Oct 1867: Lydia, William and Eliza Austin, of William Austin, R.A., and Anne Emerson, Fermoy [Co. Cork].

Kilmanaheen, 19 Oct 1875: Susan, Bridget and Jeremiah McInerney, of Michael McInerney and Susan Nagle, Ennistymon.

New Quay, 16 Dec 1878: Thomas, Winifreda and Cecelia King, of Patrick King and Elizabeth Linane, Skehmreda, Dooneen (also called Bridget’s Bush).

Sheila

murf
Posts: 365
Joined: Fri Mar 20, 2009 12:58 am
Location: Qld Australia

Re: Triplet births in the 19th Century

Post by murf » Sun Nov 15, 2020 5:04 am

Hi Sheila
Thanks for that.
I had no joy tracking the pre-1864 families.
Of the others I found:
Powell triplets 1865. All three died at age 0.
Kinnane triplets 1866. All three died at age 0.
Austin triplets 1867. No trace.
McInerney triplets 1875. Bridget died in 1883 aged 8. No trace of other two.
King triplets 1878. Thomas, Serah & Winifred on civil birth record. Serah died on 16 Jan 1879. Thomas & "Nennie" King in Dooneen in 1901 census.

Just for interest I fed the search term Clare Triplets into the Irish News Archive and found these:

Evening Herald 1891-current, Friday, November 29, 1940; Page: 5
Clare Triplets.—The wife of Mr. Patrick Downes, of Malbay Hotel, Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare, has given birth to three baby girls. Mother and babies are in excellent health. Mrs. Downes is already the mother of five children.

Irish Examiner 1841-current, Thursday, May 23, 1929; Page: 5
CLARE TRIPLETS
Mrs. B. Dickson, Maurice's Mills, Corofin gave birth to triplets (all boys), two of whom are living.

Irish Independent 1905-current, Friday, May 28, 1926; Page: 5
Co. Clare Triplets. The wife of James McNamara, labourer, Sixmilebridge, has given birth to triplets (sons). Mrs. McNamara is the mother of 5 children, four of whom are twins.

Irish Independent 1905-current, Friday, September 07, 1951; Page: 7
Girl Triplets
Mrs. Joseph Geraghty, wife of a farmer, of Clondanna, Tulla Co Clare, gave birth to triplets, three girls, at Clarence Hospital. Entile. The mother and babies are progressing satisfactorily under the charge of Dr W. P O'Keeffe. Co. Physician, who was in attendance at the birth.

Now I realise that these four comprise a very small sample, but it does appear that the survival rate is improved - as would be expected.

Sduddy
Posts: 1826
Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2010 10:07 am

Re: Triplet births in the 19th Century

Post by Sduddy » Tue Dec 08, 2020 1:57 pm

The Clare Journal, Thur 9 Jun 1859:
Three Boys at Birth. Nancy Morony, an active and industrious vendor of bread at the far-famed watering place of Kilkee, gave birth to three sons upon the occasion of her recent accouchement. They are as hardy little fellows as need be desired, and with their mother, enjoy excellent health. Nancy is "up and stirring," and following her usual avocation in supplying visitors with the staff of life.
Sheila

Sduddy
Posts: 1826
Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2010 10:07 am

Re: Triplet births in the 19th Century

Post by Sduddy » Thu Feb 11, 2021 1:24 pm

Clare Journal, Mon 19 Mar 1866:
Three at a Birth. Last week the wife of Sub Constable Keeshan, of the Ogenoloe police station, near Killaloe, was safely deliverd of three children, a boy and two girls, all in good health and likely to live. She was attended by Dr Burke, medical officer of the Scarriff Union. It is expected an application will be made to her Majesty of her usual bounty in such interesting cases, and which has been granted in another case reported elsewhere.
The births of triplets, Patrick, Agnus and Cecelia Keeshan, to John Keeshan and Bridget McKey, on 13th March 1866, were registered in Scarriff Union. The bounty from the queen was £3.

Sheila

Sduddy
Posts: 1826
Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2010 10:07 am

Re: Triplet births in the 19th Century

Post by Sduddy » Sun Apr 11, 2021 10:15 am

Clare Freeman, Sat 6 Nov 1875:
Mrs McInerney the wife of Mr Michael McInerney of Ennistymon was safely delivered of three children two girls and a boy, all of which with the mother are doing well.
The triplets were Jeremiah, Bridget and Susanah, born on 29 Oct 1875 to Michael McInerney, Shop-keeper, and Susanah Nagle, Ennistymon: https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... 127596.pdf

Sheila

Sduddy
Posts: 1826
Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2010 10:07 am

Re: Triplet births in the 19th Century

Post by Sduddy » Fri Sep 29, 2023 10:07 am

These children are quadruplets, so, strictly speaking, don’t belong to this topic:

Frederick, Winny, Eustace and Margaret Nolan (alias Conolan) were born to Mortimer Nolan (alias Conolan) and Margaret Quirk in Cahermarga, Ballyvaughan Catholic parish, on 3 Jun 1865. Their briths do not seem to have been registered, but their baptisms, on the same day, were recorded in the Ballyvaughan Catholic parish register 1854 – 1876: https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls ... 3/mode/1up . The priest’s note contains the word “Protestant”, but I can’t make out what exactly it says.
According to the baptism register a Charles Conolan was born to Murty Conolan and Margaret Nolan, in Caheramaraga, and baptised on 12 December of that year (1865). I can only think that this Margaret Nolan was not Margaret Quirke: https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls ... 6/mode/1up. Again, I failed to find a civil registration of the birth.

Caheramaraga is the Caherwarraga described by T.J. Westroppe here. I gather that it was situated in the townland of Newtown, Drumcreehy civil parish: https://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/cocla ... arraga.htm
In the Ordnance Survey Letters, John O’Donovan is very brief on the subject of Caher a Mhargaidh; he writes: “Caher a Mhargaidh, in Newtown, all destroyed and even blotted off the surface of the land. It would appear from the name of this, i.e., Caher of the Market, that a fair of some kind was held at it”.

Mortimer Nolan died on the 17 Aug 1881, in Newtown, aged 58; married; Army Pensioner; informant: Frederick Nolan, Newtown: https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... 846381.pdf
Hopefully, Frederick was one of the quadruplets.

Sheila

Post Reply