Mary Kelly - She's a bit of a puzzle

[kate_82]

Hello

I hope someone will be able to help me make sense of my Mary Kelly puzzle. (Sorry it's a bit long)

Mary Kelly is my maternal great grandmother. 

There are some facts about Mary Kelly that I have been told by my grandmother (now deceased) and so I believe to be true, from her I was told her father was Andrew, and she had 3 sisters, Christina, Kathleen and Elizabeth (you will see the relevance of this when I mention the census)

My grandmother had a copy of her parents marriage certificate and it is the same as a copy I have found online,  there is a civil record of the marriage for 18th October 1903 which states that Mary Kelly is a minor, that her Father is James Kelly and that they are at 23 Stoney Batter.

There is also a church record of the marriage which lists Mary's parents as James Kelly and Mary Clarke, the address again is 23 Stoney Batter.

This is where the puzzle begins.

In the 1901 census I've found James Kelly and his wife Mary living in Stoney Batter with their children, including Mary who is listed as being 20 years old.  So birth would have been around 1881.

Everything adds up to this being my Mary Kelly apart from the age.  If she is 20 in 1901 then in 1903 (the year of her marriage) she would have been 22 and therefore not a minor as listed.  Also in the 1911 census I believe I've found the correct Mary (now married and Mary Fegan) but the age stated is 26 so birth would have been around 1885.

I'm 100% sure the Mary Fegan in the 1911 is the correct one, she is married to Andrew and she has 3 children, Christina, Elizabeth and Kathleen - this I know to be true from my grandmother.  Also the age of 26 would have made her 18 in the year of her marriage and therefore possibly a minor.

So I guess my question is - do you think the Mary Kelly in the 1901 census isn't my Mary Kelly?  Everything else apart from the age seems to add up.
I've viewed the actual census documents and they look like they have been transcribed correctly.

In addition I'm unable  to find a birth record for Mary with parent of James Kelly and Mary Clarke.  I've found a few Mary's with James and another mother but none with James and Mary Clarke.  I suppose if I could find that it might answer the question about when she was actually born!

Like I say - a bit of a puzzle.  Any ideas, input or suggestions would be gratefully received.

[Sinann]

Census ages are often incorrect.
Have you tried searching for her birth as Unknown Kelly, many children were registered without a first name.
Unknown is used on Irish Genealogy
Female is used on Family Search

Also bear in mind the months the census was taken, think it was March for 1901.

[dathai]

For reference the marriage
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1903/10255/5732289.pdf
Andrew Fegan ''23'' Coleraine St
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Dublin/Arran_Quay/Coleraine_Street/1278071/
1911
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Dublin/Arran_Quay/Queen_Street/101046/
Mary Kelly ''33'' Stoneybatter
Stonybatter 1901 where are the Kelly's
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Dublin/Arran_Quay/Stonybatter/

one birth found 1878 James at 74 Prussia St
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1878/02966/2086645.pdf

[kate_82]

Thank you for the responses.

I've searched the unknowns without much luck either

Dahai's post with the church record looks promising for the brother James mentioned on the 1901 census, the ages match up too.  Just no sign of Mary anywhere.

The Kelly's are here on the 1901 census dathai
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Dublin/Arran_Quay/Clark_s_Cottages_off_Stoney_batter/1338422/

[annclare]

Just a thought- A Minor in 1903 meant under 21 I believe.
annclare

[kate_82]

I thought under 21 was a minor then too.

So one census makes her a minor at marriage and one doesn't.

I think she'll remain a mystery a bit longer.  Her death is equally mysterious - which is why I was hoping to find a more accurate birth date.  She died (according to my grandmother) around 1922 when my grandmother was 3, but I've never found any evidence of this either.

I may just park her for now and move on to her husband Andrew - who also has his own mysteries to solve - don't they all?

[Sinann]

If they lived in Purssia St. or that general area when the children were born they would probably have used Aughrim St, and only Ancestry has their register.
http://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0511
https://www.johngrenham.com/records/rc_church.php?churchid=0511&parish=Aughrim%20St.,%20Dublin%20city

[dathai]

any idea of an address for Mary at time of death

[kate_82]

I have an ancestry subscription so I'll continue looking there.

I believe they were still in Dublin but unsure where exactly.

The story goes that Norah was born in 1919. Her mother died when she was 3 and her father Andrew took them all to England after her death.

On Norah's birth certificate her name is spelt Fagan.