Thomas Finn ...dodging the censuses?

[Nettie]

My great grandfather, Thomas Finn, seems to have eluded both censuses and I have spent a lot of time trying to locate his whereabouts. I'm hoping someone else will have better luck.

Thomas was born in 1872 in Killorglin, Kerry.
He was the 6th of 8 children born to James Finn and Julia Connor.

With a number of his brothers he is believed to have traveled to Australia and possibly New Guinea before the turn of the century although I haven't been able to track any records for this. This may account for his absence in 1901.

On June 13, 1907, he married my great grandmother, Catherine Clifford, in Killorglin.

On Sept 8, 1908 my grandmother, Julia Finn, was born in Callinafercy, Milltown, Killarney

Tragically, Catherine died along with their newborn son, James, in August 1909 also in Callinafercy.

On June 5, 1910 he married Johanna Doyle in Beaufort, Kerry.

On the 1911 Census, Johanna and Julia are in house 2, Callinafersy and while Thomas' name has been recorded it has been crossed out and no additional details were given.
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai002544069/

There are many Finn family homes in and around the area, including his aged parents with some brothers, but he is not with any of them.

Any help in this matter would be much appreciated.  Thanks

[dathai]

What was his occupation on marriage certs, if fisherman or something like that he could have been at sea for the census.

[Milliepede]

Yes the link you posted would indicate he was a member of the household but abscent at the time.
Fisherman would be a good reason for that.  Dodging the waves rather than the census one might say 

[Nettie]

On the marriage cert, he was a farmer. His wife, father and father-in-law are all listed as Cottiers.Not too sure why there would be a differentiation between the two but that's how they have been recorded.

[conahy calling]

http://www.yourdictionary.com/cottier

  One explanation of "cottier" given on link.  There are several variations of what it means if you google it.  Basically it generally means a small holding.

[Nettie]

Thanks conahy calling, I was aware of the meaning. I just wasn't sure why he would be a farmer and his wife would be a cottier. You would think they would both be one or the other. 

[GAJM1]

Hi Nettie,

I have found records for Thomas Finn of Callinafercy in the Irish Petty Sessions Courts Book mostly for small cases he took against some of his neighbours and vice versa. In the following years 1910 to 1913. In one of the cases he was done for being drunk on the street in Milltown. A few more silly cases like being a nuisance on a public road 

Castlemcauliffe

[Nettie]

Thanks Castlemcauliffe, I will follow that up.  I thought I tried searching by initials to see if he was locked up at the time but I will try again.  Alas it doesn't surprise me that his charges involved drink. Apparently he was an alcoholic and not a very nice one at that.

[GAJM1]

If you want to PM me etc. I could send you the details of what I found save you having to go look for it. Half the country seemed to have being done for being drunk at one stage by them books 

Castlemcauliffe