An American "Boarder" in Clogheen - 1901

[cathaldus]

I hope that I am posting this on the right "channel".
Looking at the 1901 census of my maternal grand parents, Patrick Maher and Ellen Maher (nee Mason), living in Clogheen, Co. Tipperary,  there are two "boarders" shown upon the census form.  1.  Mary Kelly, aged 50yrs. a Widow and 2. Private John Kelly aged 24yrs,  Royal Fusiliers,  born in America.  It seems that Mary would be the mother of the soldier and I am intrigued to find out all I can about him.
What does "Royal Fusiliers" mean - is it an accurate title or could it e.g. mean the Royal Munster Fusiliers etc.?   I am asking my pals at RC to give me some help at discerning the clues which may help me in my search!!  Many thanks in advance!

Bill

[anniedwyer84]

Hi...

I had a look at the 1901 Census your grandparents are on...You should google the Royal Fusiliers and see what comes up. There may be a service record for him out there on Ancestry or Find My Past.

I don't know if you have the marriage of Patrick and Ellen though - I can see a marriage for a Patrick Maher and Ellen Mason in 1894 in Clogheen but it doesn't make sense as the first child on the 1901 Census - Patrick is born in 1891 and the next child Kate is born in 1896....From www.rootsireland.ie - I found 8 children for Patrick and Ellen - don't know if you have any of this already either. According to the 1911 Census - Ellen and Patrick had eight children born alive but six were living by the 1911.

Kate Maher 1896 - Clogheen
James Maher 1898 - Clogheen
George Maher 1900 - Clogheen
Ellen Maher 1902 - Clogheen
Margaret Maher 1904 - Clogheen
Thomas Maher 1906 - Clogheen
Christopher Maher 1908 - Clogheen

There is one more child but I can't find it right now. However, I went to look at deaths and there is a Patrick Maher dying in 1908 in Clogheen - could this be the first child as he's not on the 1911?

I can't see a birth for the first child, Patrick on www.rootsireland.ie. I can see Ellen on the 1911 alone with her children: http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai003293078/.

Hope this helps in some way...

Annie

[Mick_Dolan86]

The Royal Fusiliers was a regiment of the British Army. Also known as the London Regiment.

[cathaldus]

My sincere thanks to anniedwyer84 and Mick Dolan86 for responding to my enquiry about the "boarders" listed upon my maternal grand parents 1901 census.  Now knowing that the Royal Fusiliers was a "precise" regimental title gives me the chance of locating this guy, so that is progress and I will keep RC advise of progress!
Annie,  I am "au fait" with the genealogy of Patrick and Ellen.  The son Patrick,  shown upon the census is actually Patrick Mason,  my grans "first born" illegitimate child and is therefore Patrick Mason.  He was KIA on the Somme on the 14th July 1916.  The daughter Margaret (b 1904) is my Mother,  she died in 1988 in Manchester, UK.   On the 1911 census,  Patrick Mason was living with the family Coughlan in Flemingstown, Clogheen,  being employed as an Ag Lab and the nominal Head of the family Patrick Maher was actually working at Clogheen Hospital (Workhouse) which explains why both were absent from the "family" home.   I am not aware of any additional siblings,  but if you have any further information in that direction I would appreciate your input to my family "tree" ,
Sincerely,     Bill

[anniedwyer84]

Not sure if you have this but I also just found Patrick Masons birth 1891 in Clogheen to Ellen Mason - if you buy this record - it may give Patrick's father's name. What is Ellen's fathers name? Might be able to get back further with that

Annie

[cathaldus]

Dear anniedwyer84,
Thank you for your further comment.   I have not pursued the "father" of my Uncle Patrick as I did not consider it relevant to the family tree I was following and my own Mother was not forthcoming in that regard either.  If her son Patrick was called Mason (being my gran's maiden name) it would seen very unlikely that his birth certificate would have his natural father's name on it.
My gran Ellen Maher (nee Mason) was born 1869,  in Moancrea , Ardfinnan, Co. Tipperary and she was married to Patrick Maher in 1894.
Her parents were George Mason (father) and Catherine Moloney (mother) and they had I believe three  children,  Catherine (Ardfinnan) b.1864,  Ellen (Ardfinnan) b. 1869 and Thomas (Kilronan, Waterford) b. 1878.  There may well have been other issue,  but I have no further knowledge of that. It seems that George Mason must have been from Ardfinnan and he died in 1883 at the age of 40yrs. giving a birth year of 1843.   The knowledge of Catherine Moloney is very sparse shown only "officially" upon birth certificates.   I have never been able to locate any marriage details for George and Catherine,  basically because I do not know where they were (if they actually were) married. 
One can,  by a process of elimination and assumption, locate a George Mason, b. 1843, in Greenmount, Ardfinnan, in the family of George Mason and his wife Bridget,  but is this our George (?),  one cannot be certain and that, together with the total lack of "official" knowledge of Catherine Moloney leaves one in something of a cleft stick and any searches in that direction,  without any real evidence,  can be very frustrating.  However,  hope springs eternal and one day,  the missing diamond will be found!!