Loughlinstown Workhouse

[Wexflyer]

Here is William Carr as "W.C" on the 1901 census, 1 month old.
https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai003741860/

[Wexflyer]

There are two female "C.C." in the workhouse in the 1901 census, one aged 22, one 20.

The one aged 22 was in the lunatic asylum, described as "congenital," so she can be discounted.

That leaves the 20 yo "C.C." on the same page as William as the remaining candidate for Catherine (Kate) Carr
https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai003741860/

She is listed as an unmarried servant, born Co. Dublin, residing in Kingstown (Dun Laoghaire).

[Wexflyer]

This may be Kate's birth in 1881, if we believe the 1901 age of 20 [Edit - see later posts showing variable age]
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1881/02807/2030071.pdf

However, as Kate's son was named William, this 1879 birth may be more likely, as father William
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1879/02908/2065645.pdf

Parish records show another birth of a Catherine Carr in 1881 in Kingstown, which appears to have gone unregistered - parents Hugh Carr and Maria Keating.

[Wexflyer]

I can see four workhouse admissions that may be for Kate, all under name "Catherine," between 1900 and 1904. They have different addresses, and ages, so not clear that they are all the same person.

01/04 to 4/5/1900, age 23, address 5 Doluns(?) Petersons Lane
Reason for admission - Dr. Garand's note. Arrested at Chancery St. Dispensary PC 203D
[Latter is presumably policeman's ID number]

9/2/ to 3/5/1901, age 20, address Kingstown, reason pregnant. William born during this period.

5/11 to 12/11/1904, age 26, address Bray, reason pregnant.

15/11/1904 to 2/5/1905, age 26, address Bray, reason pregnant. James born and died during this period.

If the first admission is Kate, then I think it reasonable to suppose that she may not have known the identity of the father.

[Wexflyer]

01/04 to 4/5/1900, age 23, address 5 Doluns(?) Petersons Lane
Reason for admission - Dr. Garand's note. Arrested at Chancery St. Dispensary PC 203D
[Latter is presumably policeman's ID number]

The Irish Prison registers contain over 50 (!) records for a Kate Carr, born ca 1876/77, Tralee, nee Curtis, but living Dublin north side. Married John Carr in Dublin in 1892 as a minor.

Prison records from late 1890s to 1910s, for offenses including assault, drunkenness, prostitution, child abuse, obscene language, begging, and soliciting. Clearly a different Kate Carr from the mother of William - but possibly the Catherine in the above entry? The Chancery St. dispensary was certainly in the north inner city, consistent with where she lived. The potential issue with that though, is that someone from the north city should have been admitted to the North Dublin Union. Difficult to see why that Kate would have been brought to Rathdown Union workhouse.

[Wexflyer]

In the Dublin resources sub-forum there is a post with a link for a history of the Rathdown Workhouse, 1838-1923.

https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=674660.0

[ourgang]

Wexflyer what wonderful posts. I have not looked in here for a long time and was delighted to see your posts just now.
Catherine Carr (Kate) was my grand aunt. Although she and her sisters were very close to my mother her four children born out of wedlock and who their fathers were was never discussed. James born 1905 sadly died soon after birth and the three remaining children were kept by Kate. In those days that was an amazing thing as church and peer pressure must have been huge.
I have checked all baptism records and the fathers were not named on any cert. The family was Roman Catholic and lived in Kingstown.
Thank you for clarifying the role of nuns in the workhouse.
William never knew his father's name and there is a blank in that space on William's marriage cert.
Kate is listed on the 1911 census with her father and brother at the family cottage but I don't know where the two children were staying.
Thank you for the information for where Kate was living in 1904 Bray ( I never knew that).
Kate would have been the 20 year old listed on the records in 1901. She was born in 1881.
You have the correct birth record 7 Nov 1881 father Christopher.
Some of William's grandchildren have done DNA tests and have found potential leads to probable father.
I must return to rechecking my info on Kate. 

[DescendantsofMaryChambers]

How do you edit posts in this blog please? I realise that I wrote 1950 instead of 1850 several times. I can't find an edit button.

[Wexflyer]

How do you edit posts in this blog please? I realise that I wrote 1950 instead of 1850 several times. I can't find an edit button.

There is a limited time window in which editing is possible. After that, you can't make changes.