Francis/Darcy family Enniscorthy-can you help?

[sulaf]

Hi
I am trying to find out more about John Francis and his wife Mary (nee Darcy). I know they lived in Enniscorthy,Fairfield.Co Wexford and were  of the Roman Catholic faith. They had at least four daughters (not sure exactly in what order) -Bridget(who eventually married and went to America), Mary Kate B,1877aprox, Margaret (story is she became a governess) and Eliza b.1883(she called herself Elizabeth). It's known they moved to England (Kent area)but do not know when. It's believed there could be a son or two but this is not certain. Would really love to find more information about John Francis and his wife Mary Darcy and of course if there were any sons.

[Sordibub]

Hello Sulaf

Our ancestors were neighbours.
My ancestor, Edward Somers, died in Fairfied in 1871 of TB. He was 32 years old and a miller.
He left a wife, Mary (née Harper) and at least one son, Moses (also known as Aidan - Moses being the usual English translation for Aidan (no, don't ask : )  !).
Fairfield is a lovely spot today, on the edge of Enniscorthy Town, with a mini lake and swans but there is a large paupers graveyard nearby (not sure when it was  in use).
I have not been researching this line for very long but intend to remedy that in the next few weeks. I will check out the parish records to try and find siblings for my Moses and maybe Edward and Mary's marriage. If you like, and if you're not in a hurry, I can look for your Francis births at the same time.

Rachel

[sulaf]

Hi Rachel
Just hope I am 'clicking' on all the right things to get a reply to you!
Yes please re your offer to look up details re  John Francis and his wife Mary Darcy. Very excited re your news and hope we may at last start getting to know more about our Irish ancestors

kind regards
Sue

[Sordibub]

No problem, Sue.
Give me a few weeks.
Rachel

[Sordibub]

Sue,

There was at least one brother, John. He was born 7 Feb 1878. Check out the FamilySearch website on line...

http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp

If this URL won't take you there, then go to the site and to "advanced search" and put in for the father "John Francis", put in "Mary" for the mother's first name and nothing else. They've messed up the spellings but this is your people.

By the way, there's also the birth of Mary (13 Feb 1876).

The familysearch website has a lot of Irish civil registration births (1864 onwards). It is really useful if you are searching for post 1864 births but, when you get your search results, only look at the category entitled "International Genealogical Index - British Isles" as this is where Irish civil registration records pop up.

Hope this will tide you over for the moment  : )

Rachel

 

[sulaf]

Hi Rachel
You are an absolute STAR! Will give that web site a try

many many Thanks
Sue

[Sordibub]

Hello Sue

Thanks for your patience.
I looked up the Enniscorthy baptisms from Jan 1862 to Dec 1880 today and found the following baptisms for John Francis & Mary Darcy :

3 Sep 1874, Bridget, witnesses : Robert Tulwe (?)  & Mary Francis
14 Feb 1879, Mary Kate, witnesses : Richard Farrell & Mary Hendriell (?)
18 Feb 1878, John Joseph, witnesses : John Francis & Mary Burke (born on 17th)
12 Mar 1880, Thomas, witnesses : David Flynn & Kate Browne (born on 10th)

There is also a note beside Thomas' birth record which states that he married Ellen Curtis in Bree 18/6/14.

I have copies of 3 of these baptisms and will scan them and post them here later today (or maybe tomorrow). I don't have a copy of John Joseph's baptismal record as it was too dark to print.

The parish records available to me only go up to 1880 so I won't be able to look for the remaining births to this couple. If you bear with me I will take a look for John Francis & Mary Darcy's marriage (probably around 1873) next week when I go back to look for my own ancestor's marriage around 1870.

By the way, the only information on the parish baptismal records is that which I have just given you and the priest's name. The civil registration records would show the father's occupation (if you don't know that already).

You may want to order the marriage record for Thomas Francis & Ellen Curtis in Bree in 1914. You can do this by post for euro 6 (specify you want a photocopy of the register) from the GRO in Roscommon. Here is the form you need to complete and the address to post it to.

http://www.groireland.ie/apply_for_a_cert.htm

Hope this fills in a few blanks.

Best wishes

Rachel

[sulaf]

Hi Rachel,
Massive massive thank you for the information you have so very kindly gathered and will be sending for marriage cert. On Eliza's marrige certificate her father is down as a farmer but a cousin since found out that her birth cert has him down as farm labourer. Also Eliza 'changed' her name to Elizabeth on her wed Cert. The witnesses at the baptisms' would they be godparents do you think? Also, do you know how we could find out when they moved to England. We think we found Mary Francis in Dover on the 1901 English census and we know that Elizabeth was in England in 1907 when she married. We think Bridget may have married in Ireland prior to emigrating to America but that is only supposition. Is there any way of finding out more about Mary nee Darcy and husband John? Are there any census reports I can order do you know please.
Many thanks once again
best wishes -Sue

[Sordibub]

Hi Sue

You're welcome.
Yes, the witnesses would be godparents.
Do you know if the parents, John Francis & Mary left Ireland? It seems not from what you write. If not then they should be in the 1901 Ireland census. It just so happens that someone indexed that census for Enniscorthy so I will take a look at that publication in the library next time I go down.
To trace further births to the couple or marriages after 1880, I can't really help.
It is always tricky trying to find out when people emigrated.
By the way, Fairfields is also known as Forgelands.
Rachel