Author Topic: Tracing Irish deaths  (Read 7872 times)

chrish1978

  • Guest
Tracing Irish deaths
« on: Friday 20 January 12 11:23 GMT (UK) »
Apologies if this topics has been posted in the wrong place but I'm trying to trace a number of deaths in Ireland and I'm becoming very baffled about where best to search.

I've got a number of birth/marriage certificates from the GRO in Ireland but unfortunately they only search a limited time frame so I need something more concrete in terms of dates of death before I can look into getting a certificate.

Which site would be the best to look at? What I really need is a site like findmypast where I can search the death indexes and then try and find a likely death and go from there. Does such a thing exist for Ireland? I've had a look on sites like Rootsireland and Familysearch but they aren't helping me at all :(

I'll list the names and what I know in case any kind person can shed any light or help me at all as I'd really like to trace these deaths to complete my family tree,

Edward Connolly - Age 67 on 1901 census, living in Tullamore and born in Kings. Co. Not listed as deceased when son marries in 1907 but can't find him in 1911 (unless his age in 1901 was way out)

Anne Connolly - Formerly Cassells. Age 57 in 1901, wife of the above, born in Kings.Co. Again, can't find her in 1911 unless her and Edward's ages were wrong in 1911 as there is an Edward & Anne Connolly in Tullamore region but the ages don't match up.

James Fagan - Age 55 in 1901. Living in Drumanure, Born in Co. Longford. Listed as deceased when daughter marries in Oct 1907 but GRO Ireland say they cannot find a death there between 1901 & 1907  :-\

Ellen Fagan - Formerly Moran. Age 46 in 1901. Wife of the above. GRO cannot find a death up to 1905. Can't locate her in 1911

Michael Connolly - Born Dec 1878, Tullamore. Married in 1907, still alive in 1925 in Tullamore when daughter is born. Not listed as deceased in 1945 when daughter marries.

Anne Connolly - Formerly Fagan. Born Co. Longford. Married the above in 1907 and settled in Tullamore, still alive in 1925 when daughter born. After that I'm not sure.

As you can see I have some details to work with but no firm dates of death and it's possible that the deaths of Michael & Anne Connolly are going to be 1940's onwards? Can anyone help out at all or offer any advice on how I may be able to find out as I'm stumped at the moment and getting ever more baffled about where best to look?

Thanks in advance

Offline shanew147

  • RootsChat Honorary
  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 16,777
  • Dublin, Ireland
    • View Profile
Re: Tracing Irish deaths
« Reply #1 on: Friday 20 January 12 11:59 GMT (UK) »
The Irish BMD Index is available free on the FamilySearch website.

 see : http://www.rootschat.com/links/0c8o/

The index is based on the same Index books that the GRO use.

You can narrow down the search by date of death, year of birth and registration. One of the common problems with locating deaths is the location - e.g. sometimes people moved to another area to live with a son or daughter making it more difficult to locate the correct record.

If a death cannot be found in the district expected then often the immediate neighbours are worth checking next. There's a map of the districts available at this link

  http://www.rootschat.com/links/05d7/



Shane
Remember to check the Resource boards :  Ireland, Dublin, Antrim & Cork (and stickies at the top of other county sub-forums)    
My Surname Interests

Offline shanew147

  • RootsChat Honorary
  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 16,777
  • Dublin, Ireland
    • View Profile
Re: Tracing Irish deaths
« Reply #2 on: Friday 20 January 12 12:10 GMT (UK) »
using James Fagan as an example. There are 8 deaths between 1901 and 1907 for that name for people with a reported year of birth during the 1840s. See :  James Fegan deaths

One is the registration district of Ballymahon, which fits with the district for Drumanure townland ... have you tried this cert already ?

  Name: James Fegan
  Registration district: Ballymahon
  Event type: Death
  Quarter and year: Oct - Dec 1903 
  Age: 60   (est. year of birth   1843)
  Volume: 3 / page : 16

There's also a James Fagan death in the neighbouring district of Mullingar during 1907 that might be worth trying if the Ballymahon one is incorrect...

Note Longford can refer to the county, the town, or the district, and is north of Ballymahon district.


Shane
Remember to check the Resource boards :  Ireland, Dublin, Antrim & Cork (and stickies at the top of other county sub-forums)    
My Surname Interests

chrish1978

  • Guest
Re: Tracing Irish Deaths or Marriages
« Reply #3 on: Friday 20 January 12 15:53 GMT (UK) »
using James Fagan as an example. There are 8 deaths between 1901 and 1907 for that name for people with a reported year of birth during the 1840s. See :  James Fegan deaths

One is the registration district of Ballymahon, which fits with the district for Drumanure townland ... have you tried this cert already ?

  Name: James Fegan
  Registration district: Ballymahon
  Event type: Death
  Quarter and year: Oct - Dec 1903 
  Age: 60   (est. year of birth   1843)
  Volume: 3 / page : 16

There's also a James Fagan death in the neighbouring district of Mullingar during 1907 that might be worth trying if the Ballymahon one is incorrect...

Note Longford can refer to the county, the town, or the district, and is north of Ballymahon district.


Shane

Thanks for that info Shane, I'm not at all helped by my total lack of geographical knowledge regarding Ireland so it's much appreciated :)

I hadn't checked that death for James Fagan. I asked the GRO to try to locate it between 1901 & 1907 and they said they couldn't, surprised they didn't come up with that entry as it looks a likely one? Is it possible that the Fegan rather than Fagan is a transcription error?

I've found some possible deaths for most of them apart from Ellen Fagan where it's not so obvious unless I'm missing something? I couldn't seem to find her in 1911 so I assumed she had died, but could she have remarried? Bearing in mind she would have been well in her 40's was that common practice for a widow in Ireland?

I thought I'd also look for the marriages and I think I have got James & Ellen Fagan but again not so obvious with Edward Connolly to Anne Cassells.
According to the Irish Births section on there, there are a number of children born to them in Tullamore, the earliest I can find being 20 May 1872 but her surname varies and is transcribed as Cassens/Casson/Cassell. It looks to me on the certificate I have that she has formerly been Ellen Cassells though.

I guess it's now a case of sending off for the certificates of the possible candidates and hoping for the best? But any further input much appreciated for those missing ones :)


Offline Bhoy

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 224
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Tracing Irish deaths
« Reply #4 on: Friday 20 January 12 16:53 GMT (UK) »
There's a death of a Michael Connolly in Tullamore in Quarter 1 1955, aged 77.

Index reference is Volume 3, Page 409.

If he was born in Dec 1878, he would have been only 76 in early 1955, but it's a decent match nonetheless.


chrish1978

  • Guest
Re: Tracing Irish deaths
« Reply #5 on: Friday 20 January 12 17:04 GMT (UK) »
There's a death of a Michael Connolly in Tullamore in Quarter 1 1955, aged 77.

Index reference is Volume 3, Page 409.

If he was born in Dec 1878, he would have been only 76 in early 1955, but it's a decent match nonetheless.



Thanks for your help!  :)

I'd also come across that one and I agree it seems a good match. There's also an Annie Connolly, died Jan - Mar 1954, age 74. I wonder if that could be Anne? (Although there is another Annie Connolly of the same age in Kings Co in 1911 so a bit more dubious on that one, especially with it saying Annie)

I think I may also have found Edward Connolly & his wife Anne, both Apr - Jun 1909 in Tullamore, they seem decent matches too?

It's Ellen Fagan I can't seem to find nor the marriage for Edward to Anne Cassells  :-\

Offline shanew147

  • RootsChat Honorary
  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 16,777
  • Dublin, Ireland
    • View Profile
Re: Tracing Irish deaths
« Reply #6 on: Friday 20 January 12 17:39 GMT (UK) »
.....
Edward Connolly - Age 67 on 1901 census, living in Tullamore and born in Kings. Co. .....
......
Anne Connolly - Formerly Cassells. Age 57 in 1901, wife of the above, born in Kings.Co.
.....

.... nor the marriage for Edward to Anne Cassells 

do you have an estimate for the year of marriage for Edward Connolly and Anne Cassells - e.g. from years of birth of their children ?



Shane
Remember to check the Resource boards :  Ireland, Dublin, Antrim & Cork (and stickies at the top of other county sub-forums)    
My Surname Interests

chrish1978

  • Guest
Re: Tracing Irish deaths
« Reply #7 on: Friday 20 January 12 18:02 GMT (UK) »
.....
Edward Connolly - Age 67 on 1901 census, living in Tullamore and born in Kings. Co. .....
......
Anne Connolly - Formerly Cassells. Age 57 in 1901, wife of the above, born in Kings.Co.
.....

.... nor the marriage for Edward to Anne Cassells 

do you have an estimate for the year of marriage for Edward Connolly and Anne Cassells - e.g. from years of birth of their children ?



Shane

Hi Shane,

Their son Michael was born 12 Dec 1878. I have the certificate for that.

According to the Ireland Births and Baptisms, 1620-1881 on Familysearch there are also the following children all born in Tullamore:

James - 20 May 1872 - Parents Edward Connolly & Anne Cassens
Mary - 25 May 1874 - Parents Edward Connolly & Anne Casseus
Julia - 18 Sep 1876 -  Parents - Edward Connolly & Anne Casson
Ellen - 24 Jan 1878 -  Parents - Edward Connolly & Anne Cassell
Edward  - 19 Nov 1879 - Parents Edward Connolly & Anne Cassel

Not sure how accurate the information above is as Michael doesn't appear in the search yet I have his birth certificate but it looks to me like it's the same parents, despite the variation in surname for Anne. I can't find any births before James in May 1872. That's all the information I have I'm afraid

There is a marriage for an Edward Connolly in Edenderry in 1870 but I can't find a corresponding entry for an Anne Cassells :-\

Offline culbaire

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 227
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Tracing Irish deaths
« Reply #8 on: Friday 20 January 12 22:39 GMT (UK) »
There is a birth of a Michael Connolly registered in first quarter of 1879 in Tullamore.