Mc Cabe family Rockville Street Belfast.

[Gerry Burroughs]

Thank you so much for the research and information you have provided. Needless to say my wife is delighted and is working her way through the information provided. It is really sad that she new so little about her granny on her dads side and is only now getting to know her past.

[gaffy]

I'm struggling to gain any traction on the McCabe side.  The 1915 civil marriage registration indicated John James' birth c. 1890 and named his father as James McCabe, a policeman in the R.I.C. A transcript of the St. Malachy's church record of that same marriage added into the mix the name of his mother as Annie McKinstry. The relevant 1911 Ireland Census return showed Annie as a widow, born in Co. Antrim c. 1867 and married c. 1887, with all 3 children born in Belfast - c. 1894 (Kathleen), c. 1892 (John James) and c. 1890 (Mary).

I can't yet find a marriage for James McCabe (there is one of a so named policeman to an Anna Meek in St. Malachy's Belfast in 1886, but I can't see how it would fit). I can't yet find a 1901 Ireland Census return for the McCabes. I can't yet find births for John James or his sisters. So fresh eyes needed I think, in case I'm looking but just not seeing.

[Gerry Burroughs]

I asked my wife when her dad died 1993 (James Mc Cabe) born 1924. His mother my wife’s granny died early 70s or late 60s . His brother Jack died before 1993. There were 2 sisters Eileen and May now deceased.

[gaffy]

I'm struggling to gain any traction on the McCabe side.  The 1915 civil marriage registration indicated John James' birth c. 1890 and named his father as James McCabe, a policeman in the R.I.C. A transcript of the St. Malachy's church record of that same marriage added into the mix the name of his mother as Annie McKinstry. The relevant 1911 Ireland Census return showed Annie as a widow, born in Co. Antrim c. 1867 and married c. 1887, with all 3 children born in Belfast - c. 1894 (Kathleen), c. 1892 (John James) and c. 1890 (Mary).

I can't yet find a marriage for James McCabe (there is one of a so named policeman to an Anna Meek in St. Malachy's Belfast in 1886, but I can't see how it would fit). I can't yet find a 1901 Ireland Census return for the McCabes. I can't yet find births for John James or his sisters. So fresh eyes needed I think, in case I'm looking but just not seeing.

One day on and I'm still none the wiser about the McCabe side, this really ought not to be so difficult, so I'm starting to smell a rat.  The only thing I did find was the following return in the 1901 Ireland Census, if you ignore the big anomalies in age (par for the course back then) and focus instead on the names and birth places, I could almost swear that this is the same family as in 1911, but calling themselves McKee rather than McCabe:

https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/St__Anne_s/Burnaby_Street/982126/

Other than that, I've found nothing. 

[Gerry Burroughs]

My wife was on aware that her great grandfather was in the Royal Irish Constabulary and my friend Jim Herlihy is the author of at least 6 books on them and he holds the entire record of them. I have passed on your information to him and he will get back to me. I think there will be information where he was recruited and his wife’s details and I will let you know this information when Jim gets back to me.

[Kiltaglassan]

I think there will be information where he was recruited and his wife’s details and I will let you know this information when Jim gets back to me.

The main series of R.I.C. service records are the registers. The registers normally give the following information:

•   full name;
•   age;
•   height;
•   religious affiliation;
•   native county;
•   trade or calling;
•   marital status;
•   native county of wife;
•   date of appointment;
•   counties in which the man served;
•   length of service; and
•   date of retirement and/or death.

The name of a wife is not given, nor any information about parents.

[Gerry Burroughs]

Yes you’re right there. My grandfather was a head constable RIC and I have all the details listed. Things happen in families and my grandad was no exception to that , posted to Belfast and married my granny twice , one outside the regulations and another to comply with the 7 year rule!! I told my wife about the name Mc Kee and she said that she remembers there was confusion in the Hospital years ago when kitty Mc Cabe or Kathleen Mc Kee ?? She said if it was possible to see the birth certificate of Kathleen Mc Kee it might show a connection with Mc Cabe or her mother.

[Gerry Burroughs]

Some further information to the story of kitty (Kathleen ) my wife said she left her mother at the hospital after she had been admitted and asked to see Kitty Mc Cabe but was told that there was no Kitty Mc Cabe my mother in law told the receptionist she had been with her to the hospital earlier that day and they must have her. The receptionist went and checked and when she returned my mother in law said the lady’s name was Mc Kee. !!!

[Kiltaglassan]

Things happen in families and my grandad was no exception to that , posted to Belfast and married my granny twice , one outside the regulations and another to comply with the 7 year rule!!

Likewise, my gt grandfather was a constable in the RIC posted to County Sligo. Married my gt grandmother in County Leitrim, first in Killanummery Parish Church in 1860, then in the Registrar's Office, Manorhamilton in 1864.