Is there any way to find a marriage with one forename and one surname?

[Gr8scot227]

Hi,

I think I already know the answer to this-no- but thought someone on here may know a way.

I am looking for a marriage between a Rebecca ? and a ? McKinley. On his children's marriage and death certificates he is listed as Robinson McKinley but I have come to the conclusion that that was more than likely his middle name and on his own certificates he is ? Robinson McKinley. This family had/has an annoying habit of using their middle, not first names, and after him there are a number of first born males called William. So I am guessing his name was probably William Robinson McKinley. He was from Donegal but unfortunately there were/are a LOT of William McKinley's there.

Can anyone think of a way to look for their marriage? Their first child was born in 1852/53 and Rebecca died in 1865 age 50.

Thanks.

[shanew147]

the most important question is what denomination were your Rebecca and McKinley ?

Since the marriage was before 1864, it will only be in the civil BMD Index if it was non-Catholic..

For earlier Catholic marriages you would need to know which parish the marriage took place in first.
 

Shane

[ScouseBoy]

Have you got the death certificate for Rebecca,,    as that may contain extra clues, or one extra piece to the jigsaw puzzle.

If you knew where any of the family are buried,  Rebecca for example,  if you could make a personal visit to the cemetery, then you may get additional information from her head stone.

One of the children may have  their mothers maiden name as their middle name.

Do you know which registration district or parish the children where born in?

[maidmarianoops]

what place did they live

sylvia

[Elwyn Soutter]

Rootsireland (pay to view) allows you to conduct a search on the criteria you give. Searching on that basis for all Ireland with plus or minus 10 years from 1850 gives 2 matches. Neither was in Donegal. But as Shane says the important issue is to establish the couple’s religion. If theirs was a pre 1864 RC marriage it won’t be on the site.

[Gr8scot227]

I wrote a long reply then lost it!

Thank you all for your quick replies.

The family were not Catholic. One son says Methodist on the 1901 census (I think he married a Methodist) and the other who joined the RIC says COI. Robert was born about 1858, and William about 1853. The cemetery where Robert is buried says his birth place is listed as Malin. That is about 6 miles from Carndonagh. According to Griffith's, Robinson had a house in the town centre and land just outside so I am not sure where Malin figures. I can't  find the sons' birth entries as they were born before civil registration.

According to my FIL, the family were not from Carndonagh. He says his ggf was in the Customs or Excise in Wicklow but he left to farm in Carndonagh. He doesn't know Robinson's name though. The family is generally said to originate from the Inishowen peninsula. The name Robinson appears throughout the family as a first or middle name and there are many Robinson and McKinley families in the Dunfanaghy area so I am guessing he came from there. The only place that has the Irish Customs and Excise superannuation and staff lists are the National Archives in Dublin or Kew in London. I am in Canada so I can't go look for him there and won't be across the pond until next year at least. His son listed him as a pensioner on his marriage certificate in 1883, so I am assuming it was a Customs or Excise pension.

I have Rebecca's death certificate but it is confusing. Her name was entered as Rebecca Robinson, then Robinson is crossed out. Normally I would take it as possibly being her maiden name but because her husband went by Robinson I am wondering if that is what was entered by mistake. I can't find his death certificate under the name Robinson McKinley although I know he died between 1883 and 1894.


One more question- when I am on LDS and trying to match spouses in the marriage index, I look for entries which appear on the same page. Is that correct or can they be on different pages of the same volume?

Thanks again.

Moderator Note : full cert removed and extracts added

[aghadowey]

One more question- when I am on LDS and trying to match spouses in the marriage index, I look for entries which appear on the same page. Is that correct or can they be on different pages of the same volume?

The bride and groom MUST appear on the same page in the marriage register.

I have Rebecca's death certificate but it is confusing. Her name was entered as Rebecca Robinson, then Robinson is crossed out. Normally I would take it as possibly being her maiden name but because her husband went by Robinson I am wondering if that is what was entered by mistake. I can't find his death certificate under the name Robinson McKinley although I know he died between 1883 and 1894.

Try searching civil registration index for a McKinley death between 1883-1894 in the correct registration district to see what names come up.