Twins Mary and Jane MITCHELL born May 4, 1868, Fermanagh

[MargaretQD]

I would like to find the birth certificates and/or the baptismal records of twin girls, Mary MITCHELL and Jane MITCHELL, who were born May 4, 1868, somewhere in Fermanagh.  I believe that their parents belonged to the Church of Ireland.  Their father's name was James MITCHELL and their mother's maiden name was GILROY.  Her given name may have been Katherine, Katherina, or Mina (all names found in the twins' records).

I have found likely candidates to be the twins' parents:  James MITCHELL and Jemima GILROY who were married August 6, 1856, in Aghalurcher:

In the 1864 Griffith's Valuation, James MITCHELL was living in Castle Balfour Demesne in close proximity to another James MITCHELL and a William MITCHELL. 

In the 1901 Irish Census, James and Jemima MITCHELL were living in Lisnaskea; he was age 83 and she age 70.

In the 1911 Irish Census, James and Jemima MITCHELL were living in Castle Balfour Demesne; he was age 93 and she age 83. 

I have found a record that indicated that Jemima MITCHELL died 1918 in Lisnaskea.  I am assuming that James MITCHELL died several years before her.

I am also seeking the death and burial records of James MITCHELL and Jemima (Gilroy) MITCHELL, and also obituaries, if possible, to prove or rule out that they were the twins' parents.  One of the census records (and one of the twins' medical records) stated that Jemima and James MITCHELL had 8 children. 

I have a lot of information about the twins after they came to America c1888 and settled in New York and Connecticut.  Jane never married, but Mary did marry and had 3 daughters, including my grandmother who had a large family and has many descendants living today up and down the eastern seaboard of the United States, except for one great grandchild in Wyoming. 

If anyone can help me with this family, I would deeply appreciate it!

[aghadowey]

Here's a link to an extract of the marriage record for James Mitchell & Jemima Gilroy-
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FGCL-HB1

Some of their children-
son (1866) https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FR9L-G8S
Edward (1867) https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FP4F-CZ1
Francis George (1869) https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FPSD-FLS
Joseph (1871) https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FPTC-TPF

1901 census- James' wife listed as Jemimia:
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Fermanagh/Lisnaskee/Castlebalfoar_Demesne/1358468/
Sons William and James at home plus a daughter Jane (age 38 so born c1863 before the start of civil registration).

1911 census- note grand-daughter named Jemima Cathalina:
www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Fermanagh/Lisnaskea/Castle_Balfour_Demesne/524366
Along with the 4 children above we now have William Robert (c1864) and James Irvine (c1867- so possibly the son born 1866).

So, the big question is exactly when did your Jane Mitchell go to America (or when is the first sighting of her there)? If she went after 1901 then the above family might be correct but it's likely she was born before birth registration and not in 1868. Also, son Edward born Dec.1867 which makes it impossible for another child/twins to be born May 1868.

[MargaretQD]

Thank you for your reply.  It is my theory that the Jane MITCHELL with the family in the 1901 Irish Census is actually one of the twins. 

My mother always told me that the twins came to America the year of "The Great Blizzard" (there was a bad blizzard in 1888).  The census records report conflicting dates for year of emigration, and I have found no ship's manifest on which the girls names appear.  My mother told me that her grandmother's twin (Jane MITCHELL) got sick and died the year she came.  Within the past year I discovered that wasn't true.  Jane died in 1925.  Mary died in 1937.  Jane's gravestone states she was born in 1868.  Mary doesn't have a gravestone.

It is my theory that Jane did become ill that first year and returned to her family in Ireland.  I did find a ship's manifest from October 1901 in which a Jane Mitchell stated that she was traveling from Fermanagh to New York, that she had been there previously, and that she was going to reside with her brother, Frank, in New York City.  I have done some preliminary investigation on Frank and he stated in one of the census records that he emigrated in 1888.  Frank was dead by the date of Jane's death, and an intriguing note in Jane's medical file stated that her brother was notified that her death was imminent; that would seem to indicate she had another brother in the US.  It's strange that the doctor or nurse didn't note that they notified Jane's twin that her death was imminent.  The twins were both living in Connecticut at that time, although not in the same town.

[brionne]

The 1901 shipping entry you mention for a Jane Mitchell is possibly this one.
 
          Jane Mitchell b 1866 General Servant age 35.
          Ship Astoria,, Londonderry to New York
          4th October 1901.

Brionne

[aghadowey]

Is 'Frank' the Francis George born 1869? Any helpful details in Frank's record (death or marriage certificates, etc.)?

It is possible that Jane went to U.S., came home and then went back to U.S. Wouldn't put too much trust in age from gravestone as it could have been erected years after she died or the person who ordered the stone didn't know her correct age.

Is Mary also buried in Putnam Cemetery? (not sure what sort of records they kept or still survive)

[MargaretQD]

Yes, Brionne, that was the ship's record I saw.  I found it on Ancestry.com, but under occupation, it said "None", although she actually was a servant.  Are there two lists, an outgoing list and an incoming list, I wonder?  The manifest I saw stated the SS Astoria departed Londonderry on October 4th and arrived in New York on October 15th, 1901.  Her name is the first on the list.  Her age in that manifest would indicate she was born in 1866.  I wonder whether it's possible that the girls didn't actually know the year of their birth?  The year varied from record to record, but "May 4th" is pretty consistent.

Thank you for your reply, Brionne.  I appreciate it!

[MargaretQD]

Yes, both twins:  Jane MITCHELL and Mary (Mitchell) McELHINNEY were buried in Putnam Cemetery, Greenwich, Connecticut.  Mary's daughter, Minnie McELHINNEY, shares a gravestone with Jane, but Mary doesn't have a gravestone.  It is curious as to why none of Mary's three daughters thought to have her name added to her twin's gravestone. 

I have both twins' death certificates and Mary's marriage certificate.  I have only recently learned about the possibility that they had a brother named "Frank" in New York City.  I have been in contact with one of Frank's descendants, but Frank died relatively young (about 1902 or 1903, if I remember correctly) when his son was very young, and he doesn't know much about him.  (He had two step-fathers after his father died.)  I need to order Frank's marriage and death certificates to learn more information about him.

[aghadowey]

Yes, there are records of passengers leaving the U.S. and separate manifests for those arriving in U.S.- sometimes the details vary between the two.

The twins might not have known the exact year they were born- my father-in-law born early 1900s never remembered his birthdate. It's also possible that if one of them subtracted a few years then it would have been assumed that the other was also a few years younger than her actual age.

Have you tried checking the newspaper index in Greenwich Library (used to be in a card file near the microfilms/readers) but perhaps now converted to a computer database?

Don't think Knapps would be any use for records as they aren't the family firm they were years ago.

Is Mary buried in the same plot as her sister Jane? Perhaps it was the family's intention to erect a separate headstone for Mary but they never got around to it.

[MargaretQD]

Yes, I visited the Greenwich Library two years ago.  What a wonderful place!  Everything is so organized.  I pored through the old newspapers on microfilm and it was very easy to print out copies of obituaries, etc.  I also visited the Greenwich Town Clerk's office and they were very nice and helpful in providing me with documents and land records.  It was a very productive trip!  I also photographed some of the homes my family lived in.  At one home, I met a woman just emerging to go on a jog.  I explained that I was photographing the house because my great great grandfather used to own it.  I was about to blurt out, "and several of my relatives died in that house", but I thought better of it and kept my mouth shut, hahaha.