Help with Thomas Wilkinson/Bridget Duggan

[SkyeSpotter]

Hello all,

For a while I have been researching my 2x great grandfather, Thomas Wilkinson, and have always hit a brick wall. What I know: He was lived in Barton Upon Irwell/Manchester area. He was born 1852 (always stays the same in the censuses he appears in). First confirmed census is 1871 as an apprentice cordwainer to the Allen family. Married Elizabeth Watkins in 1873, no father's name on certificate for Thomas. Died in 1907.

I have posted here about Thomas before, however I have (hopefully) made a development and would appreciate any help/suggestions, I hope that is ok.

He always listed his birth location as unknown/not known until 1901 when he stated Not known, England. However, we did come across a census for a Thomas Wilkinson for 1861 in Manchester, where he was classed as born in Ireland in 1852, but no other Wilkinson's were on this census though, so we did put it to a side.

However, the development I have made is that of one other person on that census, Bridget Duggan, a widow. On Ancestry, a few days ago, I found a catholic baptism for a Thomas Wilkinson in 1852, Manchester, with the mother listed as Bridget Duggan. There is a father's name (Thomas) but it has been crossed out. Could that be a mistake or could it mean something else? It also classes Bridget as widow or could be unmarried. I shall attach a screenshot of the baptism record.

Both my Mum and I are confused why she would class herself as a Duggan. Could that be her maiden name or married name? If Thomas was illegitimate, why is he a Wilkinson?

I would appreciate any possible ideas, suggestions or help, but I do understand this is a difficult situation to figure out.

Thank you.

[softly softly]

Is this possibly Thomas's GRO birth registration.

SS

[softly softly]

1861 census.
Piece   2943 Folio   57 Page number   25

Household Members (Name)   Age   Relationship
Patrick Lynan 61 Head
Catherine Lynan 42 Wife
Savannah Lynan 12 Daughter
Bridget Duggan   42   Boarder
Thomas Wilkinson 9 Boarder
Catherine Roach 24 Boarder
Catherine Farrell 20 Boarder

SS

[SkyeSpotter]

1861 census.
Piece   2943 Folio   57 Page number   25

Household Members (Name)   Age   Relationship
Patrick Lynan 61 Head
Catherine Lynan 42 Wife
Savannah Lynan 12 Daughter
Bridget Duggan   42   Boarder
Thomas Wilkinson 9 Boarder
Catherine Roach 24 Boarder
Catherine Farrell 20 Boarder

SS

Hi SS,

Yes that looks like his birth record. And that is the census I had found and address, is 7 Back Smith Street, which is similar to the one on the birth record.

Thanks for your help!

[Cas (stallc)]

There is this marriage.. who Thomas & Bridget are with in 1861. Marriage address back of Smith Street.

Name   Patrick Tynam (image is Tynan)
Birth Year   abt 1810 (widower)
Marriage Date   13 Mar 1855
Parish   Manchester, St Mary, St Denys and St George
Father's Name   Kyran Tynan
Spouse's Name   Catharine Ryan
Spouse's Father's Name   John Haverty
Archive Roll   723

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/2967/records/7562

Posting as godmothers name is Mary Tynan, so I think surname for family is Tynan not Lynan, if it helps.

Cas

[SkyeSpotter]

Thank you for your replies yesterday.

I think from the birth record we can confirm Bridget's maiden name was Duggan, since there was no 'formally ...'? But this does raise the question why she called herself a widow?

Does anyone have any ideas/suggestions of where I should look next?

I really do appreciate this help as I have been stuck with this line for a very long time.

[Mabel Bagshawe]

Some unmarried women called themselves widow for respectability's sake if they had a child out of wedlock. THomas's father might have been a Wilkinson and she used that name for her son

I thought this could be her death, but there's a Bridget Degan ( in Ancoats the right age on 1871, with a number of grown up children.  They can be found in Preston in 1861. So probably not ours

Bridget Deegan
Age    54
Q4 1874
Manchester, Vol 8d p 147

Catholic burial in Salford - Death 9 Dec 1874, burial 14 Dec 1874 of Brigitta Deegan, of Manchester

 

[SkyeSpotter]

Some unmarried women called themselves widow for respectability's sake if they had a child out of wedlock. THomas's father might have been a Wilkinson and she used that name for her son

I thought this could be her death, but there's a Bridget Degan ( in Ancoats the right age on 1871, with a number of grown up children.  They can be found in Preston in 1861. So probably not ours

Bridget Deegan
Age    54
Q4 1874
Manchester, Vol 8d p 147

Catholic burial in Salford - Death 9 Dec 1874, burial 14 Dec 1874 of Brigitta Deegan, of Manchester

Thank you for your reply!

That's good to know. As I understand, his birth was registered as surname 'Duggan' from the image posted above and looking at FindMyPast and then baptised as a Wilkinson. There is a James Duggan born a year later in 1853 with mothers name Duggan too. Could this possibly be his brother I wonder?

Thomas always noted his place of birth as not known which would possibly mean that Bridget died when he was young?

This is a difficult case to crack!

Thanks again.

[jorose]

Technically the birth was not registered with any surname at all; there is no space on the certificate for a child's surname.  The surname is presumed, for indexing, to be that of the father, if married, and that of the mother, if no father's name given.  Later, when you have births with both parents listed but they are not married, you will see births indexed twice.

At this time, though, there was also no way for her to list the father on the birth certificate other than (a) lying about her status or (b) possibly giving him a middle name.

Similarly, if you look at the wording of the baptism it may be that Wilkinson is intended as his middle name.  This was a common way of indicating the birth father within the constraints of the system. There would have been nothing to stop her raising him as "Thomas Wilkinson" after that.