Ellen Helen Brannigan, born 1817 Ireland, possibly County Monaghan

[Maiden Stone]

ETA Re Ellen/Helen has OP put up the marriage cert or refs Brannigan/Appleton marriage in 1834 at Port Glasgow?  If she was born in 1817 then she would have been 17 at the time of her marriage and usually parental consent was required. 

Parental consent wasn't needed in Scotland for anyone 16 or over. That's why English couples eloped to Gretna Green + other places on the Scottish side of the border. An Act to raise marriage age to 18 in England and Wales was passed at Westminster this week. It doesn't apply to Scotland which has a separate legal system. 

[Maiden Stone]

1865 census brings John, Patrick and Mary together.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6WJS-2QD?i=302&cc=1491284&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AQVNJ-BVK3

Mary states she has had 10 children and is widowed.

John’s death? 1869. - parents unknown 
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WQG-6G6

1865 census confirms that he was the same John as on 1860 census. Patrick was naturalised and had been in the army.
Would Peter's death certificate have any useful information?
If that's the right John Brannigan death registration, the birth country of his mother was wrong, Scotland instead of Ireland. John Brannigan was buried at Holy Cross cemetery. Is there a gravestone?

[Maiden Stone]

Maiden Stone
1855 census. There was another Brenigan (?) family a bit further up page, number 81. Thomas & wife Mary, both born Ireland + baby Margaret born Kings.

Interesting information. Thank you!


Do we definitely know surname of Peter's wife?

Mary's maiden name has not been confirmed; however, a birth record for Catherine Brannigan has Mary's last name as Malone. But the dates would make Mary Brannigan 12 years old. It could be a transcription error, the wrong family, or perhaps the true age of Mary.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6CT4-Y5RN


Published trees have Mary as Malone and as posted previously have this Catherine - where is she? Is she connected?
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WFK-KL3

Thomas may be worth further investigation as he was living so near Peter. The family may have been following the chain migration pattern. 1 or more members, often a single young man or a young couple or a young family emigrated first. When they were established they saved money to pay fare/s for next relative/s. The second relative or group of relatives did the same, and so on. Some Irish people lived and worked in Britain for a few years until there was an opportunity to emigrate.

I think we're inclined to think that Catherine may not belong to your family. The only common fact is that her father was Peter. There's no evidence that she ever lived in Scotland.
Which church is Catherine's baptism record from?
Is there any real evidence that your Peter's wife was Mary Malone? 

[Maiden Stone]

Scotland’s People shows this Catholic baptism
Glasgow St Andrew’s 1834
Patrick Braningan - parents Peter Braningan and Mary Smith

There are also baptisms to this couple:
Mary 1832
Francis 1836

Possible Marriage
Paisley, St Mirin’s 1826
Peter Brannigan or Smith  and Mary Smith

(I mentioned that marriage earlier but then thought that it was the wrong place)

That Patrick fits with the Patrick on 1855 U.S. census.
Any notable sponsor names?

St. Mirin, Paisley was built 1808, the first stone-built Catholic church in Scotland since the Reformation.
St. Andrew, Glasgow was a bit later, 1816. St. Mirin and St. Andrew are now cathedrals for their dioceses.
Port Glasgow didn't have a Catholic church until 1854. St. Mirin and St. Andrew may have been the nearest R.C. churches for many years. Catholics in the county of Ayrshire were ministered to by 1 riding priest. I don't know if Renfrewshire had a riding priest.

Do you think "Peter Brannigan or Smith" is an error? Irish variants of the surname Smith are Gowan and McGowan. 

[heywood]

I have seen other marriages and they all seem to be written like that - groom’s surname and bride’s.

[Maiden Stone]

Baptisms - St Peter’s Drogheda, Louth.    https://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0211
Parents Peter and Mary Malone

1822
Ellen Branagan

An Ellen Branagan married at the same church in 1846.
Added. Also Catherine marriage 1852 same church.

[Maiden Stone]

Comparing names of children of Thomas & Ellen Appleton with children of Peter & Mary Branigan (Replies #2 and #43), they have Sarah and John in common. If Ellen and Peter were full brother and sister and if they both followed the traditional naming pattern for their children, those seem to be significant names.
Mary Branigan stated on 1865 U.S. census that she had 10 children. Do you have a complete list in birth order, lyrerosess?
Are there any more Appleton children to add to those in reply #2?
Were any names repeated in either family if a child died young?
Do you know names of Thomas Appleton's parents so that we can put those names out of the reckoning?
 

[lyrosesss]

Maiden Stone

Would Peter's death certificate have any useful information?
If that's the right John Brannigan death registration, the birth country of his mother was wrong, Scotland instead of Ireland. John Brannigan was buried at Holy Cross cemetery. Is there a gravestone?

I do not have Peter Brannigan’s death records; however, John A. Brannigan’s gravestone, although badly deteriorated, has his father and other family names attached.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/129269076/hn-a-branigan?_gl=1*xrcyj7*_ga*NzgyNDAyMTg5LjE1OTU3NDU3MDk.*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTY1MTM0NjI0Mi42LjEuMTY1MTM1MzU0My4w

FYI: Patrolman john Brannigan was killed in an accident

http://www.odmp.org/officer/16972-patrolman-john-a-branagan

As you see, I have done a great deal of research into the Brannigan family.

[shanreagh]

......
As you see, I have done a great deal of research into the Brannigan family.

So are you happy with the finds in Drogheda, Co Louth made by Heywood and MS and the case is closed? 

There are a huge number of Brannigan links on this site that you could follow up to see if your Co Louth family is related further back, also some in Belfast
https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/en/
and of course through the Church registers that the wizards, Heywood and Maiden stone, have found.

We can leave it to you to follow up Thomas on the census and Catherine.