Is isabella Duggan the mother of Alice monaghans ?
Which is why I asked.
Many errors were made on registrations, often depending on how overawed the informant was when faced with questions from someone 'in authority'
If the informant, having given details of the child, birth date and address, name of father, mother's maiden name was asked and who are you? she may have said 'mother' BUT she MAY have been the mother of the lady who had just given birth, rather than the mother of the child being registered..
Accents/ misinterpreted questions/ illiteracy (through lack of opportunity rather than ability) etc etc contributed to many errors on registrations.
I searched for a very long time for a registration of Michael McGarrighal/McGargle/Macgarrigle/ cobble together any combination of letters that may equate to McGarrighal, in Newcastle 1879. He was one of 11 and I had the other 10 but this one eluded me.
This being prior to council budget cuts and the Registrar still had the time and enough staff to take time to answer, I emailed the registrar in desperation.
I explained my theory that, as this man had probably 'wet the baby's head' prior to going to register the birth and he likely had a strong Irish accent, the Registrar may have written down his best guess for a surname - could the registrar help me find a registration? I gave the father's name, occupation, mother's first name and maiden name and the date of baptism I had from the church records (RC so likely to be very soon after birth but possibly prior to registration)
Bingo! He found it,bless him! The child had been registered with the surname McGallagher :-)
<have a drink or two, affect an Irish accent and put yourself in the place of a Registrar who is just getting used to a North Eastern accent and it all makes sense!>
Boo
