I would presume James Butler McTernan may well have been the son of another man (possibly Mr Butler), and kept the McTernan name as he wasn't actually the son of James Barr. If she was working in domestic service, she was likely dismissed when she had the child and returned home, meeting James Barr later.
When/where did James Barr die? I wonder if that's the source for him being born Ireland?
Hi Jorose,
I was thinking the same! After looking at similar name changes on records, lots of Mothers kept their own surname going as a middle name for their child. I was also wondering if it was the Butler who was the Dad!! You never know...
They married outside Edinburgh, possibly in James Barr's Parish. I'm intrigued that Margaret could marry in a Catholic Church having had a child out of Wedlock, but that also might explain the distance from her stated home at Oak Villa in Edinburgh. My twin sister happens to live in Edinburgh, so is going to drive out to see the address and find St Margarets R.C. Church. I've also asked her to find the Parish Records, as I think they are more detailed-or they were when I got married! Of course they then had to do a Civil Registration, which is the document I have now.
I don't have a death certificate for James Barr, but my Dad's sister recently told me her Grandad was a red-headed Irishman who died young. Since I'm not sure how old he was when he married, I'm going to work backwards from her age to a date when she was 10 or under, as both her and my Dad cant remember him. Do you have any other tips for finding him?
Thanks!