Civil Registration Index

[wicklow way]

My gg grandmother was one of triplets born in 1873. I have the baptism records for the three children but have been unable to find her other two siblings on the civil registration index. Has anyone come across this before?

[aghadowey]

Did all the children survive? were they all given names (and not registered as male/female)? could the other two children have been stillborn?

If you want to give us the details for your great-great-grandmother's registration we could try searching also.

[RichardK]

Are you sure they were triplets and not just three siblings who happened to be baptised on the same day? (therefore the siblings' births would have been registered at different times).

[wicklow way]

Thanks aghadowey and Richardk,

The triplets were born on 9th April 1873 and baptised on 9th July 1873. Each baptism record states 'Triplet' in notes. Their names were Isabella (my gggrandmother), Abner Patrick and Elizabeth Atkinson - Parents: David Atkinson and Maria Caffrey.
I do know that Elizabeth died between 1873 & 1880 as another child was born in 1880 and named Elizabeth. David and Maria also had a son David and only his death is recorded in 1906 - no sign of birth record for him either!

Many Thanks
Ww

[RichardK]

Could it be that the Isabella Caffrey in the civil registration index insn't your gg grandmother, but someone else of the same name, and that none of the triplets' births were registered?  Non-registration of births was very common, especially (as here) in the early years of civil registration in Ireland.  I agree it does seem unlikely to have registered one and not the others.  Try obtaining the Isabella Caffrey birth certificate and see what it says.
R

[wicklow way]

No, my ggrandmother is Isabella Atkinson. Her mother was Maria Caffrey

I just find it strange that given the triplets were born in April and all baptised 3mths later, Isabella is the only one on the civil registration.

I have the extracted birth record from familysearch, baptism record and marriage cert for Isabella and everything fits so its definitely her.

[DudleyWinchurch]

Is there a time of birth on Isabella's registration record.  If so, the others would be registered but perhaps mistranscribed?

[aghadowey]

I don't think they were triplets at all!

First a few questions. Have you seen the actual entries in the register? When the birthdates were registered are they written in separately or is the first one written and then the others indicated by a mark (such as " or -)? Is 'triplet' written in same ink and hand or could it have been added later?

Isabella Atkinson's registration- 1873 Rathdrum volume 7 page 1049

Abner Atkinson 1869 Rathdrum volume 12 page 942

?Eliza Atkinson 1865 Rathdrum volume 17 page 933

I suspect that the 3 siblings were baptised together in 1873 (wasn't uncommon for several children in a family to be baptised at the same time) and at some point it was assumed they were triplets because they shared the same parents and were baptised together.

[CBGenealogy]

Usually with multiple births, you'll get a time of birth recorded on the register...it's the only time you get a time of birth in fact.