Skibeereen Marriage Cert no father listed for Groom

[AlanR83]

My Ancestor Cornelius Sweeney married a Mary Hallihane in Castlehaven, Skibbereen Union on July 17, 1865. The bride was from Castlehaven and listed her father name and occupation on the marriage cert but Cornelius leaves the section for his father name & occupation blank. I was wondering what is more likely in 1865 that this means he was an orphan or that he was raised by a mother and Sweeney is his mother's surname?

[shanreagh]

On Anc I can see a Mary Hullihane marrying a Cornelius Sweeny on that date and place. Her father's name is Timothy Hullihane. 

Without being able to see a copy of the certificate it is difficult to say whether your suppositions are correct.  Have you got a copy or seen the original in the parish records? 

Have you found his death certificate?  From that you should be able to get an age and then look for a birth.  Parish priests at the time of a baptism were fairly unflinching as far as far as noting whether a child was illegitimate.

More usual may be that his father died while he was very young and he had no idea what his name had been. 

[shanreagh]

Where is Cornelius from according to the marriage certificate? 

I have found a birth certificate for a Mary Houlihane dau of Timothy Houlihane and Bridget Doody 17/11/1833 in the parish of Fermoy* Cork and across the top of the entry is written 'illegitimate'.  Not sure if it applies to her birth or to the one above.  Spons are Patrick Hely and Hanora Higgins.
*Anc has Mallow, Cork. 

[Kiltaglassan]

Marriage 1865
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1865/11585/8263547.pdf

KG


Edited to Add:
Cornelius residing in Skibbereen

[shanreagh]

yes KG - 'residing' an important point

Also this will be a handwritten copy taken from Church register.  It does not mean that C did not know but stranger things have happened than the priest losing/mislaying a piece of paper that the details had been written on.

Age at death of Cornelius and/or any census ages along the way will be able to search for possible births. 

[AlanR83]

I don't have an age for Cornelius, his age on marriage cert was listed just as Full Age, I do know that in 1894 when his daughter (My Great Grandmother) Mary Ellen McSweeney married Abraham Smith, she lists him on the Marriage cert as deceased and that his occupation was a Harness Maker / Saddler. I have no other information on Cornelius other than that. I do know that Mary Ellen did not have any siblings and by all accounts did not have any family by the time she married - which would make sense if her father was an orphan.

His Wife Mary Halihane, daughter of Timothy Halihane was from Castlehaven, I have information concerning the Halihane side of my ancestry from Skibbereen Loan Database

[shanreagh]

Have you located the birth certificate for Mary Ellen?  Was Cornelius still alive then?  So between 1865 and 1894 Cornelius dies.  When did Mary Houlihane Sweeney die?  Who was the informant? 

We all lose our parents at some stage and technically, sadly, I guess that makes us all orphans.  He may have been estranged from his family at the time of his marriage.  His father may have died young.  I am sure he will have family there. 

Another clue about possible names for a father or other members is to look at the names of the children.  You say there was only one, Mary Ellen.  My gt grandfather also used to say that he was an only child but I have since found a brother and a sister. 

I would still keep searching for other children.  Anyway you can look at childrens' names and then see a possible link to older generations by looking at Irish naming patterns. 

Being a saddler/harness maker is quite a skilled occupation.  Do you know where the family lived after the marriage?  He could be employed in a small town, attached to a large estate and possibly have learned his trade in the Army.  If he was attached to a large estate some of the estate records have been deposited in various public institutions and can be searched.  His father may have been a saddler? 

[AlanR83]

This is the birth cert for Mary Ellen in 1866:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1866/03524/2296727.pdf

I know nothing else for certain, this could be the death cert for her mother but not certain:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1872/020722/7270744.pdf

If this is the death cert for Mary, then it says she was married not a widow which means Cornelius was still alive in 1872.

[shanreagh]

Glad to see that the birth of Mary Sweeny was one I had noted myself as being a likely one.
Mary Sweeny 10/5/1866 where Cornelius is stated as living at North Street. Father Cornelius (living) mother Mary, the informant also living. 

Possible death certificate 13/8/1872 for Mary Sweeny has her occupation as servant and she died from a ruptured uterus - a condition associated with maternity or childbirth so she was either pregnant or giving birth at the time of her death. 

Abraham Smyth and Mary Mc Sweeney (NB Mc) were married on 1/8/1893 at Springhill Chapel and Michael Flynn and Mary Sullivan are the witnesses.

Mary's address is Richmond Cottage. 
Have you searched for this address? 

Possible other children to this couple may be between 1866 & 1872. 

So a 6 year old with a widowed father.