Bit of a long shot, but the more I think on this, the more I think my great great grandfather may have been adopted, and I am wondering is there a record of adoptions in the 1800's in Ireland?
The reason I ask, is that my Gx2 grandfather was 'allegedly' born in Donegal, Ireland in 1816 - but no records exist of birth/baptism (that I can find) although he is splatted throughout the 1901 census records, and all those records match together with the rest of the family history...
His mother is 'apparently' Anne Reilly, and his father is just simply unknown.....But I have just come across a record of a Mary Anne O'Reilly, 'having a son' that matches my Gx2 grandfather's name, year of birth, and country of birth but ..... she is married to a man with a completely different surname to my Gx2 grandfather, and all there other 10 children are listed as "his" surname.....and I just wonder, if / possibly my Gx2 grandfather was adopted into that family?? It won't answer how/why different surname's but...
Out of all the birth/baptism records I have looked at, the above is the absolute closest (full name, year and country of birth) that I have come to matching my family together.....
Any information would be greatly appreciated.....thanks Dale
