Mary Jane Magill marriage 1857. Need help with reading record.

[tracey clarke]

Mary Jane Magill age 15? From?  Married James McCullagh 25 from Drumhillah on 25th Feb 1857 Killinkere church.

One witness is Thomas Waller.

Sorry but I cannot make out their fathers names, where Mary comes from nor the other witnesses name. I might be reading her age wrong.

The record is on irishgenealogyie
Please would someone have a look at it and tell me what they think.
Thank you

[Pennines]

Strangely I couldn't find this marriage on Irishgenealogy - but that's probably my incompetence!

I have found a transcription with a note saying 'marriage date unclear could be 1856'.

The transcription shows Mary Jane's age as 18 and she is from Graghlough.

Grooms father Alexander McCullagh (Farmer).

Bride's father; Thomas Waddell!!!

Witnesses transcribed as Thomas Magill and Thomas Waller.

It's a Church of Ireland marriage at Killinkere.

[heywood]

Here it is
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1857/09522/5451322.pdf

[Pennines]

Oh thank you Heywood -- I wonder why I couldn't find it?

I also wonder why the transcription states the year could be 1856. (Unless that has been taken from the previous page).

The record is quite faint isn't it  -- I think the age is meant to be 18 though, with the ink even fainter on the curves of the '8'.

[Kiltaglassan]

James McCullagh residing at Drumhillah (sic) townland in Knockbride C.P.
https://www.townlands.ie/cavan/clankee/knockbride/canningstown/drumhillagh/

It's about 10 km north of the village of Killinkere.
https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/5730827#map=12/53.9314/-7.0327


KG

[tracey clarke]

Thank you.

Would it be usual practise that the majority of witnesses on marriage records  in the 1800s are other family members?

Can the father of the bride / groom also be a witness ? Would they have to be a witness if their daughter/son was a minor?

I think that  there is a possibility that the Thomas Waller (witness)  could be Mary Jane Magill 's step father.

[Pennines]

Hi Tracey -- but Mary Jane's father is shown as as Thomas Waddell - who may indeed be a stepfather. The witness is shown as Waller.

The other witness --- named Magill, MAY be her brother. I can't find a baptism for Mary Jane at the moment.

[aghadowey]

Would it be usual practise that the majority of witnesses on marriage records  in the 1800s are other family members?

During this same period at our church by far the two most common witnesses (usually as a pair) were the church sexton (who lived across the road from the church) and the schoolmaster (school was attached to the church). Likely because they were the two men nearest the church if witnesses to a marriage was needed.

[tracey clarke]

Would a witness have to be of a certain age. Over 16?
Thank you