IRELAND: Family mystery!!

[mags913]

Why would my grandparents bring a baby with them on their journey from Dublin to Manchester circa 1900, when the child was born to married parents and the father had a reasonable income as a printer?

Mags

[liverpool annie]

Hi Mags

Maybe if you can find out some of the history of what was going on at that time - you'll find that they probably brought the baby for safety - there was a lot of aggitation going on - did the parents come later by any chance? you never know - they could have been caught up in the aggitation too...

That would probably be a good starting off point

Annie

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/timelines/ni/growth_belfast.shtml

[Carmela]

Hi Mags,
Not knowing any of the circumstances, it's hard to guess
why the baby was taken to England by your grandparents.
I can think of a few possibilities such as the mother being unable to care for the baby due to illness or mental instability, following the birth. Another possibility is that the parents for whatever reason did not want the baby, perhaps it was not normal in some way or it was not really
their baby, but the illegitimate child of a sister or older daughter that they had been passing off as their own.
If there were no stories passed down in the family, I don't think there is any way that you will ever know the truth.
 
Carmela
 

[aggiebagwash]

Hi Annie and Carmela

Thank you both for your ideas each makes common sense and have broadened my ideas about her early life. I did think that maybe her parents couldn't afford another child and as my grandparents had no children of their own at the time it would have opened up greater opportunities for her as she grew up. I would love to have traced her family but getting any information about Dublin around the turn of the century is almost impossible without visiting Dublin and spending time doing the research myself.

I have placed numerous messages on various messageboards asking for help even if it was only the 1901 census but so far had no replies.

I hope one day that I will find out a little more about her.

Thank you both most sincerely.

Margaret

[liverpool annie]

Hi Margaret!

I'd be more than happy to help if I can - if you would like to post some details - date of birth names etc.

Annie

[aggiebagwash]

Hi Annie

Thank you for the offer of help. I have a copy of her original birth certificate dated 20th April 1943.

Registered N. City 2
Date and place of Birth. 11th November 1899 Rotunda Hospital

There is no Christian name given but it was Kathleen.

Name of Father. James Fanning 16 North Cumberland Street

Name of Mother. Esther Fanning formerly Wigmore
Profession of Father. Printer

Signature, Qualification and Residence of Informant. C. Sloane present at Birth in Rotunda Hospital.

When Registered. 16th November 1899

Basically that is all that is on the certificate.

My grandparents were James Richard and Bridget Fewings formerly Masterson who were married 30th April 1899 at the Pro-Cathedral.  I have then identified them in Manchester about 1903.  I just don't understand why they would bear the added burden of someone else's child when they were obviously poverty stricken themselves as their first child died from TB aged 18 months and was buried in a paupers grave.

I would be so grateful for any information no matter how small.

Regards

Margaret

[liverpool annie]

OK Margaret - (sounds so much better than Aggiebagwash) 

I talked to a knowledgable Irishman on this board -
and  there was unrest at that time with the labor movement etc.
Connolly and Larkin were active in early part of century.
Perhaps your printer James was involved in movement???

http://www.irishdemocrat.co.uk/reviews/rebel-city/

and that's why they brought the baby out of the country 
We may never know - I think what we should concentrate on the baby - I realise that you find it hard to understand why they would take on an extra mouth to feed - but grandchildren are very special people!!! and until we find out more details - we don't know!!

Indeed the unrest was not confined to Ireland as you can see from this item. 

http://www.tgwu.org.uk/Templates/RegionInternal.asp?NodeID=90304&PrintFriendly=True

Let's try working on it - and see what we can come up with OK? and if you can think of anything else that might help -  just post it !

Regards

Annie

[liverpool annie]

I was just thinking -
it's also possible that the parents decided to try America or Canada
to start a new life and then were going to send for the baby later!!

[Chattykathy]

Margaret,  your mystery is an interesting one!

Is that date for the GP marriage (1899) correct?   

Is it a second marriage and that's why the connection to who's son/dau are James Fanning and Esther Wigmore isn't obvious.

Was wondering how they could be GP's, married in 1899, with the gchild b. the same year and have also lost an 18 mo. old to TB. 

I assume the 1943 date was when the Birth Certificate copy of the original 1899 birth was reissued?

 kathy