2020 in Review – Accentuate the Positive

As 2021 begins, it offers an ideal opportunity to reflect on the year just gone. 2020 was a bizarre year, to say the least. It presented us all with so many new challenges. But, as Jill Ball of GeniAus always says, we should focus on the positives, and for 2020 that means the positives that arose in spite of Covid19, or maybe even because of it. And surprisingly, there were quite a few positives in 2020. Here are some of mine... with Jill's prompts highlighted in bold.

An elusive ancestor I found was Mary, the wife of John Radcliffe, and the mother of my maternal GG-grandmother, Anne (Radcliffe) Carroll from Malahide, Co. Dublin. At least, I suspect I found Mary - her maiden name being Mary Leonard. She was living with the Slattery family in Liverpool in 1841, quite probably with her mother Mary (Riley) Slattery, which gave me two new ancestors for the price of one!

A DNA discovery I made was a previously unknown GG-grandaunt, Mary Anne Hynes, in Western Australia. Mary Anne married Jerome Rodoreda in Perth in 1856. The register of their marriage included her parents’ names, confirming the maiden name of my GGG-grandmother as Margaret Hayes. Her maiden surname had not been recorded in any of the marriage records relating to Mary Anne’s siblings in Ireland, emphasising once again the importance of tracing ALL collateral lines.

My 2020 New-Year’s resolution was to attend more genealogy events, in person, and meet other like-minded folk. The year started well with a very enjoyable weekend in Belfast in February, where I attended the Back to Our Past/Genetic Genealogy Ireland Conference. We had so much fun, my cousin Aileen and friend Claire decided to overnight in a hotel and attend the equivalent event scheduled for September 2020, in Dublin. Sadly, Covid19 put paid to that.

But I joined Twitter (@DaraMcgivern) and met up with many other genealogists online, and especially enjoyed participating in #Ancestryhour and #ANZAncestryTime. Virtual conferences became the norm, and Zoom gave me an opportunity to catch up with Aileen and Claire throughout the year and talk all-things-genealogy, among other topics.

A genea-surprise I received was a batch of digital photographs from my half third cousin Rose, a descendant of my GG-Grandfather Maurice Carroll and his first wife Mary Anne Frazer. Rose requested assistance identifying some of the people pictured in the photos. So far, I have been unsuccessful in naming any of the unknowns. Perhaps someone reading this blog may be able to help.

James Carroll (1865-1943), Bardon Mill,
my half-great-granduncle

Maurice Joseph Carroll (1887-1964),
my half first cousin, twice removed

Maurice’s son, James Carroll and his wife Anne Molyneux emigrated to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, about 1901, bringing their children Maurice Joseph Carroll and John Joseph Carroll with them. Maurice Joseph Carroll married Mary Agnes Leckey in St Joseph’s Church, in Benwell, Newcastle in 1915. These photographs have been passed down through their family, in England.

Mary Agnes (Leckey) Carroll in white hat (1889-1946),
Others unknown

Two striking ladies (identity unknown), at Bardon Mill,
home to James and Anne Carroll, later 1930s, maybe

I am excited for 2021 to share with you some stories about a newly discovered branch of our Carroll family. A previously unknown GG-Granduncle, Thomas O’Carroll, suspected as being a brother of Maurice Carroll senior, has come to light. Thomas emigrated to New Zealand in the early 1860s, where he soon reinserted the 'O' in his surname. My Aunt Anne, her cousin Larry, Aileen and I share varying amounts of DNA with descendants of each of his four children. It's so exciting! Thank you for doing the DNA test, Anne, we have so many more connections concealed in your DNA.

And finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my readers for their support, for reaching out to me, for leaving comments on my blog, for liking and sharing my posts and generally for taking an interest in my family-history research. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

So, out with the old, and in with the new. Here's to a safer, joyful and more successful 2021 for all!

On the far side of a brick wall #7 ~ Conclusions

After much searching, no further sign of Rosanna (Slattery) Corcoran / Cochrane's family has been uncovered, not since they were all together in Manchester, England, in 1881. You'd think some of her six children would have left a trail of breadcrumbs for me to follow. None of them did. Maybe someday one of their descendants will turn up among our DNA matches. 🙏

Circumstantial evidence suggests Rosanna was a half-sister to Mary Anne Leonard, and both were daughters of Mary (Riley, Leonard) Slattery. Chances are Mary Leonard was my third-great-grandmother, who married John Radcliffe in Liverpool in 1848. My goals have been 1) to find documentary evidence definitively stating Mary Leonard was a daughter of Mary [Riley] Slattery; 2) to confirm this Mary Leonard was the one who married John Radcliffe; and 3) to 'prove' John Radcliffe and Mary Leonard were my third-great-grandparents.

Confirming Mary Leonard as the daughter of Mary (Riley) Slattery
Prior to the COVID-19 lock-down, I ordered the copy death register for Mary Slattery, aged forty, who died in Liverpool, in the second quarter of 1847. The hope was it would show the informant as 'Mary Leonard, daughter.' But the record arrived in my in-box recently, with no such luck!

Copy death register, Mary Slattery, 1847, Liverpool, General Register Office

Mary Slattery died of phythisis (tuberculosis) at home in Sawney Pope Street. As a bonus, her occupation was shown as the 'widow of Thomas Slattery, labourer'. So the record is for the right woman. But the informant was 'Mary Slattery, present at death, Sawney Pope Street', not 'Mary Leonard, daughter'. Who was this other Mary Slattery? Was she Mary Leonard using her step-father's name - nothing unusual in that - but if so, it is unusual her relationship to the deceased was not stated (going by the practice in Ireland, anyway).

There was a death of a another Mary Slattery, aged forty, in Liverpool, in the same quarter of 1847 - too much of a coincidence to be ignored. This copy register will be obtained when the General Registry Office staff get back to normal after the lock-down. It may possibly throw further light on the situation.

Confirming it was this Mary Leonard that married John Radcliffe
It's now apparent, documentation likely never existed directly connecting the Slatterys to the Radcliffes (other than John and Mary's marriage record, that is). Mary and Thomas Slattery died in the Spring of 1847, while Mary Leonard and John Radcliffe did not marry until January 1848, and Mary [Leonard] Radcliffe supposedly died in April 1853, four years before Rosanna Slattery married James Corcoran.

The circumstantial evidence collected, including the census listing Mary Leonard among the children of Mary and Thomas Slattery, in Liverpool, in 1841, and the records confirming the Slatterys, Mary Leonard and John Radcliffe all lived in Sawney Pope Street, Liverpool in 1847/1848, will have to suffice.

'Proving' Mary (Leonard) Radcliffe was my third-great-grandmother
A final objective of this research has been to find further evidence confirming John and Mary (Leonard) Radcliffe were my John and Mary. Much available evidence suggests they were (discussed previously here and here), bar two minor conflicts.

First, their daughter, Anne Radcliffe, was born in Liverpool, in 1849. My great-great-grandmother, Anne Radcliffe, daughter of John and Mary (maiden name not documented) Radcliffe, was born about 1849, but both surviving Irish census returns say she was born in Co. Dublin, Ireland. Granted, she grew up with her father's family in Malahide, Co. Dublin. Her mother died when she was a toddler and her father emigrated to Australia in 1858. Probably, she didn't remember her time in Liverpool. Maybe she did not know she was born in England, or just felt no connection to the country.

Secondly, the marriage of John Radcliffe and Mary Radcliffe was held in the Church of St Nicholas, according to the rites of the Established Church in Liverpool, i.e. a Protestant church. My John Radcliffe was from a Catholic family. He was baptised in 1827 and his father in 1798. But the fact that Anne, daughter of John and Mary (Leonard) Radcliffe, was baptised in St Anthony's Roman Catholic church, in Liverpool, suggests theirs was a mixed marriage. If Mary Leonard was my third-great-grandmother, she was probably Protestant.

Thomas and Mary (Riley) Slattery's children (Ellen, Thomas and Francis) were baptised in St Anthony's RC Church. Infants, Thomas and Francis, were buried in St Anthony's RC graveyard, as was Thomas Slattery himself - all in paupers graves. But when Mary (Riley) Slattery died, within weeks of her husband death, she was not buried in the same graveyard as her family. Why not? Was she buried in a Protestant graveyard instead? Is this another hint to seek out Protestant records to further the research on this branch of the family?

But where?

Sources: Copy death register, Mary Slattery, Apr-Jun 1847, Liverpool, General Register Office. All other sources referred to have been cited in previous posts in the 'On the far side of a brick wall' series:

• #1 ~ Just Mary;
• #2 ~ Mary Leonard and the Slatterys;
• #3 ~ but is it the right Mary Leonard?;
• #4 ~ Death of Thomas and Mary Slattery;
• #5 ~ Rosanna and Ellen Slattery;
• #6 ~ The hunt for DNA cousins.

On the far side of a brick wall #6 ~ The hunt for DNA cousins

Probably the only greatest chance of finding 'proof' of the relationship between my known Radcliffe family and the Radcliffe/Leonard-Riley-Slatterys in Liverpool/Manchester is with DNA. But first, there'll need to be living descendants on both sides to test.

On the far side of a brick wall #5 ~ Rosanna and Ellen Slattery

So, if both Thomas and Mary Slattery died in Liverpool in 1847, what happened to their children, Rosanna and Ellen, my would-be half third great-grandaunts? In 1841, they had lived with their parents and their older stepsister Mary Leonard in Liverpool, England, but they were not found in the city in the 1851 census.

There is no trace of them in the marriage, or civil death records for Liverpool either, certainly not in the decade before 1851. And, neither were they found in the burial register for St Anthony’s RC graveyard, where their baby brothers Thomas and Francis Slattery were buried. Presumably, they had left the city.

Rosanna was about eleven years old when she was orphaned, and Ellen only eight. Their half-sister Mary was about twenty-one, so presumably she took care of them. She married John Radcliffe in Liverpool in 1848 (if I've identified the right Mary Leonard) and their daughter Anne Radcliffe was born there in 1849. The Radcliffe family then moved to Rainhill, not far from Liverpool, and my preferred theory has the Ellen Slantey living with them there in 1851 was actually Ellen Slattery. But there was no sign of Rosanna. By then, she would have been fifteen years old and probably working, in service perhaps, someplace else.

The only potential subsequent record of Rosanna was found in Manchester, about thirty-five miles from Liverpool. The England civil marriage index has a Rosa Ann Slattery marrying either James Corcoran or James Kennedy in the second quarter of 1857, in the Chorlton registration district, not far from Manchester city.

It's easy to conclude she married James Corcoran, as the civil birth registers then show James Corcoran born in the fourth quarter of 1857 and Mary Corcoran in the third quarter of 1859. And, the mother's maiden name for both was Slattery. I'll order Rosa Ann's marriage certificate when the COVID 19 restrictions are lifted.

Corcoran family in the 1861 England census, 10 Smith Street, Manchester

In 1861, the Corcoran family lived at 10 Smith Street, Manchester. James was twenty-one years old, and born in Ireland. He worked as a labourer in a sugar works. His wife Rose Ann was also said to have been twenty-one years old, so born about 1840, and not 1836, but she was born in Liverpool, like my 'aunt'. Their children James, aged four, and Mary, aged two, born in Manchester, lived with them.

Another child, Rosanna Corcoran was born in Manchester in 1864, mother's maiden name Slattery. She seemingly died as an infant in Manchester that same year. This is the last potential record of the Corcoran family so far found in Manchester. 

And, no confirmed record of Ellen Slattery has been found since 1851.

Other evidence suggests my third-great-grandmother Mary (theoretically Leonard) Radcliffe died in April 1853, though the register of her death was not found in England. Perhaps she had returned home to Ireland beforehand, as death registrations only commenced there in 1864. We know John Radcliffe emigrated to Australia in 1858, without his daughter Anne, who was left with John's family, in Co. Dublin.

So, what became of the Slattery girls? Another family that seemingly just upped and vanished!

Continued, here.

Sources:

1. Slattery household, Ellen Place, Liverpool, Lancashire, Enumerators' Book, 1841 England Census, accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
2. Burial of Thomas Slattery, 16 September 1841 and burial of Francis Slattery, 18 March 1846, St Anthony's 'Liverpool, England, Catholic Burials, 1813-1985', accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
3. Church of England marriage register, Radcliffe-Leonard marriage, 1848, St Nicholas Church, Liverpool, Lancashire, England, accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
4. Baptism register, Ann Radcliffe, 28 October 1849, St Anthony's RC Church, Liverpool, 'Liverpool, England, Catholic Baptisms, 1802-1906', accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
5. Ratcliffe household, Rainhill, Prescot, Lancashire, Enumerators' Book, 1851 England Census, accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
6. Marriage of Rosa Ann Slattery, Apr-May-Jun 1857,  Chrolton, Lancashire, 'England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005', accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
7. Birth of James Corcoran, 1857, D Quarter and birth of Mary Corcoran, 1859, S Quarter, Manchester, GRO Online Index, accessed HM Passport Office.
8. Corcoran household, Deansgate, Manchester, Lancashire, Enumerators' Book, 1861, England Census, accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
9. Birth of Rosanna Corcoran, 1864, M Quarter, Mother's maiden name Slattery, and death of Rose Ann Corcoran, 1864, S Quarter, Manchester, GRO Online Index, accessed HM Passport Office.
10. Marriage certificate, John Radcliffle and Bridget Flanagan, no. 486, 1861, purchased at $ Births, Deaths and Marriages, Victoria (John Radcliffe, a 'widower from April 1853').

On the far side of a brick Wall #4 ~ Death of Thomas and Mary Slattery

Mary Leonard, potentially my third great-grandmother, was living with the Slattery family, in Liverpool, England, in 1841, probably with her mother Mary (Riley) Slattery, but the Slattery family were not found in the 1851 census.

The question this week remains the same - was Mary the same Mary Leonard who married John Radcliffe in Liverpool in 1848?

I do believe she was, as examined last week here. She was certainly the only woman found with that name who married in Liverpool in the decade prior to 1851, though further evidence supporting my theory could only be welcome.

So, this week I set out to ascertain what became of the Slattery family (Thomas, Mary and daughters Rosanna and Ellen) after 1846, when the infant Francis Slattery was buried. In particular, I hoped to discover what happened to my would-be fourth great-grandmother, Mary (Riley) Slattery.

And, death records in Liverpool support the possible deaths of both Thomas and Mary in 1847. There was no mention of Rosanna or Ellen, at least not during the decade in question.

Excerpts from deaths index, GRO for England & Wales online ordering service

Thomas Slattery
The death of Thomas Slattery, aged forty-nine years, was registered in the second quarter of 1847 in Liverpool. Given 'our' Thomas was thirty five years old in 1841, and based on the age rounding rules of that year's census, he would have been between forty-one and forty-five years old in 1847 - not forty-nine. But, the ages quoted by my Irish ancestors in census returns were often completely unreliable, though they were more usually understated.

A man named Thomas Slattery, aged forty-five years, was buried in St Anthony's parish on 19 March 1847. He may have been the same man that died aged forty-nine above, as only one potential death was reported in Liverpool in the year. In any case, this one was probably the Thomas we are seeking. His home address was in Sawney Pope Street, Liverpool, the same address 'our' Slattery family lived. And notably, it was where Mary Leonard lived when she married John Radcliffe ten months later. St Anthony's was also the parish where the Slatterys had buried their infant sons, Thomas and Francis.

The copy death register for Thomas Slattery likely does not contain any further family information - not unless the informant was a known or stated relative. And, at £7 a pop, a somewhat selective approach to purchasing English 'certificates' is required. So moving on...

Mary Slattery
Two women named Mary Slattery died in Liverpool in 1847, both deaths were recorded in the second quarter, and both women were forty years old. Our Mary would have been between about thirty-six and forty years of age in 1847, based on being thirty years old in the 1841 census, though probably at the upper age. So, either one of these death records, or both, may have been for Mary (Riley) Slattery. Which one should I check first?  Neither deaths were found in the records of St Anthony's parish, Liverpool, surprising perhaps, given her would-be husband was buried there around the same time. But a line by line search of its burial register revealed nothing.

The only thing I can think to do now is to pick one, order the copy death register and see what gives. It may have to wait until the Covid 19 restrictions are lifted, but I can follow up on Rosanna and Ellen Slattery, in the meantime.

Continued, here.

Sources:

1. Slattery household, Ellen Place, Liverpool city, Lancashire, Enumerators' Book, 1841 England Census, accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
2. Church of England marriage register, Radcliffe-Leonard marriage, 1848, St Nicholas Church, Liverpool, Lancashire, England, accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
3. Death of Thomas Slattery, 1847, J Quarter, Liverpool, GRO Online Index, accessed HM Passport Office. 
4. Burial of Thomas Slattery, 19 March 1847, St Anthony's, 'Liverpool, England, Catholic Burials, 1813-1985', accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
5. Death of Mary Slattery, 1847, J Quarter, Liverpool, GRO Online Index, accessed HM Passport Office.

On the far side of a brick Wall #3 ~ but is it the right Mary Leonard?

Mary Leonard, potentially my third great-grandmother, was found living with the Slattery family, in Liverpool, England, in 1841, probably with her mother, Mary (Riley) Slattery. So, Mary (Riley) Slattery was potentially my fourth great-grandmother.

This week, I set out to further investigate the Slattery family, hoping to link this Mary Leonard to the Mary Leonard that married John Radcliffe in 1848.

And, some progress was made in this regard, perhaps : -

Thomas Slattery, son of Thomas and Mary Slattery, was born on 13 September 1841 and baptised the following day in St Peter's Priory, Liverpool. This poor little mite only lived a few days and died at home in Sawney Pope Street, on 16 September 1841. He was buried in St Anthony's graveyard in Liverpool that same day. While his birth was seemingly not registered with the authorities, his name does appear in the death index during the third quarter of 1841.

Francis Slattery, son of Francis (not Thomas) Slattery and Mary Reily, was baptised in St Anthony's Roman Catholic Church, Liverpool, on 25 September 1842, with his date of birth given as 14 September 1842. Chances are his father's name was actually Thomas, but recorded incorrectly. His birth was registered in the third quarter of 1842 with the surname Slatry, and mother's maiden name Riley. The original copy birth register would confirm his father's name. Little Francis died at home in Liverpool in March 1846, aged three years and six months. His home address was listed as Addison Street. He was buried in the graveyard for St Anthony's parish on 18 March 1846.

Francis Slattery's burial register is the last record so far found for this family.

So, what if anything ties this family to the Mary Leonard that married John Radcliffe?

Marriage of John Radcliffe & Mary Leonard, 1848, St Nicholas Church

• When Mary Leonard and John Radcliffe married in 1848, they lived in Sawney Pope Street, and when their baby Anne was born in 1849, they lived in Addison Street. These are the same streets, in the same tiny corner of Liverpool city (shown on a historical map of Liverpool,here), where the Slattery family had lived with babies Thomas and probably Francis.
• A witness to John Radcliffe and Mary Leonard's marriage in 1848, as seen above, was Charles Riley, i.e. Mary Slattery's maiden name. He signed the marriage register, with his mark.
• If the rest of the Slattery family had died, and no longer lived in Liverpool city in 1851, explaining why they did not appear in the English census that year, it might also explain why the child Ellen Slanety (an invalid surname, which may in fact have been Slattery) was living with the Radcliffes, at that time. i.e. with her half-sister Mary (Leonard) Radcliffe.

How many coincidences does it take before they become 'evidence'? I'm now nearly sure the Mary Leonard living with the Slattery family in 1841 was the same girl that married John Radcliffe in 1848. Definitely worth pursuing further!

What happened to the Slatterys after 1846? Did they emigrate? Did they perish? Or, have I just not located them yet?  Tune in next week and hopefully we'll find out.

Continued, here.

Sources:

1. Slattery household, Ellen Place, Liverpool, Lancashire, Enumerators' Book, 1841 England Census, accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
2. Baptism of Thomas Slattery, St Peter's Priory, 'Liverpool, England, Catholic Baptisms, 1741-1916', accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
3. Death of Thomas Slattry, 1841 S Quarter, Liverpool, GRO Online Index, accessed HM Passport Office.
4. Burial of Thomas Slattery, 16 September 1841, St Anthony's 1840-46, 'Liverpool, England, Catholic Burials, 1813-1985', accessed Ancestry.co.uk.
5. Birth of Francis Slatry, 1842 S Quarter, Liverpool, GRO Online Index, accessed HM Passport Office.
6. Baptism of Francis Slattery, St Anthony's, 'Liverpool, England, Catholic Baptisms, 1741-1916', accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
7. Death of Francis Slattery, 1846, M Quarter, Liverpool, GRO Online Index, accessed HM Passport Office. 
8. Burial of Francis Slattery, 18 March 1846, St Anthony's 1840-46, 'Liverpool, England, Catholic Burials, 1813-1985', accessed Ancestry.co.uk.
9. Church of England marriage register, Radcliffe-Leonard marriage, 1848, St Nicholas Church, Liverpool, Lancashire, England, accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
10. Baptism register, Ann Radcliffe, 28 October 1849, St Anthony's RC Church, Liverpool, 'Liverpool, England, Catholic Baptisms, 1802-1906', accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
11. Ratcliffe household, Rainhill, Prescot, Lancashire, Enumerators' Book, 1851 England Census, accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.

On the far side of a brick Wall #2 ~ Mary Leonard and the Slatterys

On Saturday, I mentioned a girl named Mary Leonard, aged fifteen years, living in Liverpool, on the night of the English census, 6 June 1841. She was living with the Slattery family, at Emma Place, Liverpool city. Mary may have been my third-great-grandmother. That's my current ancestral hypothesis anyway.

The 1841 census didn't specify relationships between household members. So, it's not confirmed where exactly Mary fit in. The household head, Thomas Slattery, was thirty-five years old, born in Ireland, and worked as a labourer. Next listed was Mary Slattery, aged thirty years, also born in Ireland. Then came Mary Leonard, aged fifteen and born in Ireland. She was followed by Rosanna Slattery, aged five and Ellen Slattery, aged two, both born in Lancashire, and then John Slafferra, aged fifty and born in Ireland. He may have been a Slattery too, with his name either misheard, or mangled in the transcription to the census enumerators' book.

Slattery household, 1841 Census, Liverpool, Lancashire, England

It's easy to imagine that Thomas and Mary Slattery were husband and wife, that Mary Leonard was Thomas Slattery's stepdaughter and Mary's daughter from a previous marriage, and that Rosanna and Ellen were Thomas and Mary's children. It looks like Mary Slattery was only fifteen years old when Mary Leonard was born, except in this census, adults' ages were normally rounded down at five year intervals, e.g. 34 became 30, 38 became 35, etc. So, she was probably a few years older.

Rosanna Slattery was born about 1836, just too late for her birth to have been registered. Recording civil births, marriages and deaths commenced in 1837 in England. But, if she was born in Liverpool, a record of her baptism might have reasonably been expected, except no Rosanna Slattery was found.

Ellen Slattery's birth, in the first quarter of 1839, was registered in Liverpool, with her mother's maiden name recorded as Riley. She was baptised shortly thereafter, on 17 February 1839, in St Anthony's Roman Catholic Church, Liverpool. The baptism register confirms she was the daughter of Thomas Slattery and Mary Rielly, born on 12 February 1839.

Have I really just discovered the name of my fourth great-grandmother ~ Mary Riley (a variant of Reilly) 💛.  That would be so cool, even if she was another Mary!!!

But, will I ever be able to prove, or even disprove, it? Tune in next week to see how I get on.

Continued, here.

Sources:

1. Slattery household, Ellen Place, Liverpool, Lancashire, Enumerators' Book, 1841 England Census, accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
2. Birth of Ellen, 1839 M Quarter, Liverpool, GRO Online Index, accessed HM Passport Office.
3. Baptism of Ellen Slattery, St Anthony's Church, 'Liverpool, England, Catholic Baptisms, 1802-1906', accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.

Just Mary

We know very little for sure about my third great-grandmother, Mary.

It's true, her husband was John Radcliffe, the eldest surviving son of Peter Radcliffe, born in 1827. John started out work as a plasterer, while his father worked as a painter and plasterer at Malahide Castle, in Co. Dublin. The couple probably married about 1848, and their first daughter, Anne Radcliffe, my great-great-grandmother, was born about 1849.

Mary's christian name was recorded in the church marriage register when Anne married Maurice Carroll, in 1869. She supposedly died shortly after Anne was born, in April 1853 (where, we don't know). Anne was raised in Malahide, presumably by her grandparents and uncle(s), after her father emigrated to Australia in 1858. And that's it - everything we 'know' about Mary's life and death - not much to go on, you'll agree. Just the name, Mary, by far the most common christian name in all Ireland.

A couple found living in Liverpool, England between 1847 and 1851 match nearly all the criteria known about my ancestors and, despite an odd reservation or two, there's a good chance they were my Radcliffe family.

John Radcliffe married Mary Leonard in St Nicholas Church Liverpool on 25 January 1848. This was an Anglican church, when my John Radcliffe was most certainly Catholic. However, their daughter Anne was baptised in St Anthony's Roman Catholic Church, Liverpool on 28 October 1849. So, maybe there's a reasonable explanation for the protestant marriage.

The family had moved to Rainhill, ten miles from Liverpool city, by 30 March 1851, when the English census was enumerated. They lived at Kendrick's Cross, in the Village. The census shows Mary Ratcliffe* was a little older than John, born about 1825. Additionally, John’s sister-in-law, Ellen Slanety, aged ten years, lived with them - another clue maybe - if this was our family.

Ratcliffe household, 1851 Census, Rainhill, Lancashire, England

So what else would we now 'know' about Mary? In the marriage register, Mary Leonard's father was named as John Leonard, a labourer. John Leonard was probably dead before about 1840, as Mary's mother had presumably remarried, and had a ten year old child, Ellen Slanety, by 1851.

Except, Slanety was most likely not Ellen's actual surname. It may sound fairly Irish, but I've never heard of the name. And there was not one single person named 'Slanety' listed in the birth, marriage and death indexes for all England, nor indeed in the indexes for all Ireland. It's times like these when it would be handy to have the original census schedules, i.e. the ones completed by each household, rather than these copy enumerators' books. Maybe Ellen's surname was somewhat illegible and merely mistranscribed.

Perhaps her name was actually Ellen Slattery, for example, a valid Irish surname originating in the east Co. Clare area.

I say that based on this record found in the English census taken in Liverpool on the night of 6 June 1841:-

Slattery household, 1841 Census, Liverpool, Lancashire, England

Here, Mary Leonard, aged fifteen years, so born about 1826, lived in the same household as an Ellen Slattery, aged two years, which would have made her twelve in 1851, not ten as stated, but who's counting! Reported ages are notoriously unreliable in census returns anyway. They lived at Emma Place, in Liverpool city.

Maybe it's a long shot! But, as it's the only shot currently available, it's worth investigating this Slattery family a little further. Sure what else would I be doing anyway, in lockdown!

Continued here.

* The surnames Ratcliff(e) and Radcliff(e) were used by my family nearly interchangeably in the early nineteenth century. John seemingly favoured the name Radcliffe, given the opportunity, though his daughter finally settled on Ratcliffe.

Sources:

1. Baptism register for Swords Parish, John Ratcliff, 15 June 1827, Catholic Parish Registers, accessed National Library of Ireland.
2. Copy marriage register, Maurice Carroll and Anne Ratcliffe, 22 August 1869, General Register Office (stated age of Anne Ratcliffe '20 years', so born c. 1849).
3. Marriage register for Swords Parish, Maurice Carroll and Anne Radcliffe, 22 August 1869, Catholic Parish Registers, accessed National Library of Ireland.
4. Marriage certificate, John Radcliffle and Bridget Flanagan, no. 486, 1861, ordered at $ Births, Deaths and Marriages, Victoria (John Radcliffe, a 'widower from April 1853').
5. Passenger list, John Radcliffe, Liverpool to Melbourne, 2 November 1858, 'Victoria, Australia, Assisted and Unassisted Passenger Lists, 1839–1923', accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
6. Church of England marriage register, Radcliffe-Leonard marriage, 1848, St Nicholas Church, Liverpool, Lancashire, England, accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
7. Baptism register, Ann Radcliffe, 28 October 1849, St Anthony's RC Church, Liverpool, 'Liverpool, England, Catholic Baptisms, 1802-1906', accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
8. Ratcliffe household, Rainhill, Prescot, Lancashire, Enumerators' Book, 1851 England Census, accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.
9. BMD register indexes, accessed at Free BMD and IrishGenealogy.ie.
10. Slattery household, Howard Street, Liverpool city, Lancashire, Enumerators' Book, 1841 England Census, accessed $ Ancestry.co.uk.

Historic Liverpool ~ Mapping John Radcliffe

John Radcliffe has always been an enigma to me, ever since I commenced this genealogy journey. I’m especially drawn to his ‘missing years’ now – that decade between about 1848 when he married Mary  (maiden name not confirmed), and 1858 when he emigrated to Melbourne, Australia. I suspect he was in Liverpool, England, for at least part of this time. His probable marriage to Mary Leonard in St Nicholas Church, in 1848, has been noted, as well as the birth of their daughter Ann(e), my would-be great-great-grandmother, in October 1849.

'John Ratcliffe, plasterer' was listed in Gore's Directory of Liverpool in 1848 and 1849, when he lived at 66 Bispham Street, Marybone. I'd say these records both refer to my third great-grandfather. His name was not mentioned in the 1847 directory, the directory for 1850 is unavailable, and he was not listed in 1851.

John Radcliffe's residences in Liverpool
John Radcliffe resided at Sawney Pope Street on 25 January 1848 when he got married, then at 66 Bispham Street in 1848 and 1849, and at Addison Street by the time Anne’s birth was registered on 2 November 1849. It turns out, these three little streets all ran parallel to each other, off Marybone, in the same small area in Liverpool city.

MA Gage’s Trigonometrical plan of Liverpool, 1836

During this period, Liverpool city saw a massive influx of impoverished immigrants, mostly destitute Irish fleeing the potato famine back home. The whole neighbourhood was densely overcrowded. Sadly, people lived in squalid, disease-ridden conditions. The following map, with the relevant street names added, provides a better indication of the buildings involved. The family probably rented just one room of the house.

Ackermann’s Panoramic view of Liverpool, 1847

What would bring John Radcliffe here, from the relative comfort of his birthplace, at Malahide, Co. Dublin? Malahide is situated on the east coast of Ireland, and certainly did not experience the worst effects of the potato famine.

It now makes a little more sense why John would move the family to Rainhill, a smaller village, more like Malahide, less than ten miles from Liverpool city. This is where my Radcliffe family were found in the 1851 (30 March) Census of England, explaining why John Radcliffe was not listed in the Liverpool city directory from 1851 onward.

Sources:

1. Church of England marriage register, Radcliffe-Leonard marriage, 1848, St Nicholas Church, Liverpool, Lancashire, England, accessed ($) Ancestry.com.
2. Copy birth register, Ann Radcliffe, 1849, General Register Office, England & Wales.
3. Gore's Directory of Liverpool and its environs, 1848 and 1849, accessed FamilySearch.
4. MA Gage, Trigonometrical plan of the town and port of Liverpool, 1836; Ackermann’s panoramic view of Liverpool, 1847, accessed Old maps of Liverpool, Historic Liverpool.
5. Ratcliffe household, Rainhill, Prescot, Lancashire, 1851 Census of England and Wales, accessed ($) Ancestry.com.

Birth of Ann Radcliffe

Happy New Year, everybody!

There were no new genealogy discoveries made in this house over the past week - I’ve been spending my time with living family. But, Ann Radcliffe’s birth certificate arrived in the post. She was born at 40 Addison Street in Liverpool, England, on 19 October 1849.

Birth Ann Radcliffe, Liverpool, October 1849

She was baptised on 28 October 1849 in St Anthony's Roman Catholic Church on Scotland Road nearby, though this record gives her birthday as 20 October.  

I'm fairly certain both documents relate to my great-great-grandmother, Anne Ratcliffe, who grew up in Malahide, Co. Dublin, and married Maurice Carroll in 1869. So far, she’s the only one of my ancestors found born outside of Ireland.

Her parents were named as John and Mary Radcliffe, which is correct. And, although Radcliffe was a common name throughout Lancashire, her father worked as a plasterer, also correct, narrowing things down a bit more.

Plus, a matching family were found in Rainhill, just ten miles east of Liverpool, at the time of the 1851 census. John, a plasterer, Mary his wife, and their two-year-old daughter, Ann, lived at 127 Kendrick’s Cross in the village. True, the Ann born in October 1849 was only seventeen months old when this census was taken, not yet two years as shown, so it’s not a perfect match.

Also, it’s still unclear who Ellen Slanety was, the ten-year-old school-girl sharing the Ratcliffe family's home in Rainhill. She was listed as John’s sister-in-law, so presumably Mary’s sister.  But, as far as I can tell at this point, Mary’s surname was Leonard, or Lennard - another kink yet to be overcome. 

Nevertheless, the John Ratcliffe in Rainhill in 1851 was born in Ireland, where the Radcliffe/Ratcliffe surname was extremely rare. Our John was a widower and living in Australia by the end of the decade, and this family were not found in any subsequent census returns in England. So, with all the matching criteria, the family cannot be easily dismissed.

It's also interesting to find a Thomas Leonard heading up a household of Irish-born agricultural labourers at 125 Kendrick’s Cross in 1851, just two doors down from the Ratcliffe family. Perhaps, he was related to Mary and maybe he’ll open the door to her past.

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© Black Raven Genealogy

Genealogy Highlights of 2016

As 2016 ends, it’s time for a recap of the year’s genealogy achievements. And, quite a few proverbial brick-walls, once considered insurmountable, have come crumbling down this year. It’s easy to visualise the progress via numbers. 

In short, I can now prove 50% of my direct ancestors from the last seven generations. That’s up 5%, or seven people, from when I last quantified the position back in 2015. There’s still a lot of work to do, obviously, but it’s progress none-the-less.

Ancestor Scorecard*

The year started off spectacularly well - I uncovered the origins of my elusive great-grandfather, Michael Byrne. He had been a slippery quarry, and it was only by discovering and tracing his little brother Tom that I finally made any headway. Not only did Tom lead me to the boys’ birthplace in Dun Laoghaire, but from there I found the names of their four grandparents (my third great-grandparents), and traced our Byrne lineage back as far as Athgarvan, Co. Kildare, in the 1830s. 

The other two probable third great-grandparents discovered in 2016 were also on Dad’s side. Laurence Coyle and Bridget Corcoran lived in Dublin city from at least the 1820s. These were Granny Lena’s ancestors. 

But, my mother’s family were not to be outdone. Just this month I located the long-sought marriage of my third great-grandparents, John and Mary Radcliffe, in Liverpool, England, in 1848.  This provided Mary’s maiden name, and the name of my fourth great-grandfather, John Leonard, a labourer. 

Rita and Moira (probably)

Still, it’s not just about discovering their names. I also want to learn about their lives. And, in 2016, blogging proved to be one of the best ways of accomplishing this. When I share stories about my ancestors, their other descendants sometimes find my blog. These long-lost cousins then frequently help fill in the gaps in my story and occasionally even send me pictures of our relatives.

This year I ‘met’ Carli from the U.S. She is the granddaughter of Moira Mapes. Moira, born Mary Pauline, was the daughter of James Percival Wynne, granda’s first cousin. Moira was probably once better known by her stage name, Moira Martell. She was part of a famous juggling act, the Martell Sisters. I wrote about them last year, here.  

From the same branch of our family tree, I also ‘met’ Kerry. Kerry’s grandmother, Nora (Wynne) Fogarty was James Percival’s sister, making her Moira’s aunt. Nora emigrated to Australia in the 1920s and raised her family there. I shared her story, here, and wrote about her father, my great-granduncle, James Wynne, here.

Probably, Nora and John Fogarty (standing) with

 John’s brother Thomas and Nora’s sister Moira (seated), 
Wedding photo, 1920

And, on Mam’s maternal line, I ‘met’ Margaret. Although born in Dublin, she has made her home in Canada. It was with Margaret’s help that I finally discovered what happened to my granduncle, John Byrne. 

Can you imagine if we all had a crazy big family reunion! What stories we'd have to share! 

Roll on 2017! If it’s even half as good as this year, it will be great. Will you be coming along for the ride? 

* 'Family History All Done? What’s Your Number?', Ancestry blog, 16 August 2012.

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© Black Raven Genealogy

More about Mary

Here’s my mother’s pedigree chart. See the blanks to the right where the names of her great-great-grandparents should appear. Well this week, I filled in one of those blanks!!! I even added the name of another of her great-great-great-grandfathers!  

Before the Wynnes get too excited, John Wynne’s parents have still not introduced themselves - they’re proving to be a shy and retiring bunch, quite unlike their living descendants. On the other hand, the names of John Devine’s parents are within my grasp and 2017 should see them brought back to the fold - I’m nearly sure of it. As for Margaret, the wife of John Hynes, there’s a strong chance her maiden name was Hayes, which just leaves Mary, the wife of John Radcliffe.

And, this week, I finally found a record of John and Mary’s marriage.

So, what did we already know about Mary?

Well, when her daughter Anne Radcliffe married Maurice Carroll in 1869, her parents were named as John and Mary Radcliffe from Yellow Walls (in Malahide, Co. Dublin). They didn’t give Mary’s maiden name but did record John’s occupation – he was a plasterer. We also knew Anne, who was born about 1849, grew up in Yellow Walls and married in the neighbouring town of Swords, her parish church.

We can surmise John was only about twenty-two years old when Anne was born. His baptism took place in Swords, in June 1827.  So, he was presumably not long married. His and Mary’s wedding ceremony probably took place about 1848.

In the 1901 and 1911 Irish census returns, Anne claimed she was born in Co. Dublin. But, there is no mention of her baptism in the Swords parish registers. There is no record of John and Mary’s marriage there either.

We also knew that by the mid-1850s, John Radcliffe was a widower. He left Anne with his parents in Yellow Walls for a new life in Australia. When he remarried in Melbourne in 1861, he claimed his first wife had died in April 1853, leaving only one child – presumably my great-great-grandmother. 

The only potential sighting of Anne as an infant with her parents was in Rainhill, in Liverpool, in the English census of 1851. There, I found a family meeting all the known criteria. John Ratcliffe, a plasterer (tick), aged twenty-four years (tick), born in Ireland (tick), lived with his wife Mary (tick), and their two-year-old daughter, Ann (tick, tick). Additionally, John’s sister-in-law, Ellen Slanety, aged ten years, lived with them. If this was my family, and I still suspect it was, the Slanety surname remains more a mystery than a clue.

Because, if I really have found John and Mary’s marriage, it took place in Liverpool and Mary’s maiden name was Leonard.

John Radcliffe and Mary Leonard were married in the Church of St Nicholas, Liverpool, on 25 January 1848, according to the rites and ceremonies of the Established Church. The marriage date is as expected, though it’s a surprise to find it taking place in a Protestant church. John’s family were Catholic. It makes me wonder if Mary was Protestant, and if perhaps they eloped.

Radcliffe-Leonard marriage, 1848, Liverpool, England

John’s claim to be ‘of full age’ was five months premature. But, as a minor, he needed his parent’s permission to get married. And, his parents were back in Ireland. So, perhaps he fibbed. That’s if he knew how old he was in the first place.

Everything else in this marriage document is consistent with the known facts. John was a plasterer. His father was named as Peter Ratcliffe, a painter. John was literate and, like Mary, he could sign the register. Both their witnesses only made their mark.

The birth index for England and Wales confirms a baby girl named Ann Radcliffe was born in Liverpool, in the last quarter of 1849. Her mother’s maiden name was ‘Lennard’. She may have been my great-great-grandmother. I’ve ordered her birth certificate to be sure.

Granda’s path to John and Mary Radcliffe

At the time of her marriage, Mary Leonard named her father as John Leonard, a labourer. Now, I wonder how we’ll ever find out more about him. There’s not much to go on.

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© Black Raven Genealogy