Burns from Limavady area?

[gaffy]

As it looks like the father of Hugh Burns was not documented, turning instead to Elizabeth Callaghan...

Further to the 1911 census return posted at Reply #24, here was the Callaghan family in 1901:
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Londonderry/Lough_Enagh/Moydown/1528015/

The couple in these returns (Elizabeth's parents) were Charles (O')Callaghan and Sarah McGinley, here are Elizabeth's 1888 birth registration and her parent's 1887 marriage registration:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1888/02516/1932605.pdf

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1887/10802/5939416.pdf

[gaffy]

The 1887 marriage of Charles Callaghan to Sarah McGinley showed the bride's residence as 'Bonemaine' (likely Bunnamayne in Burt civil parish) and the 1901 and 1911 census returns indicated that her birth was c. 1863-7.  In that light, note the following possibility in the Burt and Inch RC parish registers, a baptism on 8 March 1863 of a Sarah McGinley for parents Hugh McGinley and Eliza Doherty of Elaghbeg (right page):
https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls000633002#page/6/mode/1up
   
A couple with these names had several other children - can provide details if required - but note this civil registration for a son called Hugh, who was born in 1875 in... Bonemaine, Burt:
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1875/03091/2133155.pdf

There was a marriage for a couple called Hugh McGinley and Elizabeth Doherty in Fahan RC parish on 21 November 1855.

[gaffy]

Although it looks like Thomas Burns was not the father of Hugh, he was nevertheless the father of Hugh's half siblings Michael b.1907 and Martha b.1911 and my guess is that he was the one from Eglinton you mentioned in your original post, born in 1869 to Michael Burns and Mary McKeever of Donnybrewer.  This looks like a possibility for the family in 1901 and 1911:
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Londonderry/Eglinton/Doneybrewer_Level/1527681/
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Londonderry/Eglinton/Donnybrewer_Level/598650/

Possibly Thomas in 1901?
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Londonderry/Lough_Enagh/Greenan/1528067/

That would mean that the age of the Thomas Burns who died in the Waterside Infirmary was very light, but that said, the informant was someone in the infirmary and the duration and nature of the paralysis condition might have played a part.

I also wondered if the middle names of McLeese and Carr for Elizabeth (Callaghan) Burns' 2 children in 1913 and 1914 were a nod to the identity of the fathers.  There again, one could speculate if James Lynch was the father of one or more of the children from 1913 onwards (in addition to  Sarah). The 1928 record of marriage to Elizabeth (Callaghan) Burns described James Lynch as a bachelor and labourer, but his father's details were blank. Other than his address of Edenreagh, Eglinton ('More' or 'Beg', it didn't say - Elizabeth's address was Gortnessy), the only other information were the names of the two witnesses - Sarah and Ellen McLaughlin. The marriage was conducted by Rev. Edward McNamee at 'Mullobuoy' - I can see a RC PP of that name and era. There are several candidates for James in the 1911 census, maybe fresh eyes will see something.

[rutennotou]

Thank you so much for the very informative replies! A lot to think about there! I'd been trying hard to move forward with this but became stuck as I couldn't find him at all and didn't know what other surnames to try. Very much appreciated

[gaffy]

You're welcome, I imagine some of that has come as a surprise, the key has to be the 1941 marriage which brings together the same 4 people in the same location as  the 1943 marriage you posted, the smoking gun being that Sarah was a Lynch.  Once you track back through Sarah's 1921 birth and her parent's 1928 marriage to arrive at her mother's name Elizabeth Burns daughter of Charles Callaghan, the rest of the story before 1921 (Elizabeth's prior marriage to Thomas Burns followed by the births of the various children and Thomas' hospitalisation) comes together quite plausibly.

Added: BTW, in the 1934 marriage of Martha Burns to Joseph Forsythe, neither party's  fathers were recorded.  If I'm right, Martha would have seen very little if anything at all of her father due to his illness.

[Stacey082]

Michael burns and Jean Todd were my grandparents. How can I help?