Hello,
My great grandparent's marriage certificate from Liverpool in 1876 has Mary Ann Sherriff, widow, formerly Smith, father Joseph Smith. Tracing her throughout Eng. census her birthplace is always Ireland. She did have a child in 1868, Thomas George, with first husband John Sherriff and he shows on 1881 census with the new family and marriage. Looking at George's Catholic baptismal record shows Joseph Smith and Mary Catherine Smith as Godparents. Appears she had 4 other children all with at least one Smith as a Godparent other than a daughter that had Owen Corrigan listed.
Traced these Smiths back and ended up with a Joseph Smith family in 1871, also in Liverpool, that had all these Godparent's names. Only one missing is Mary Ann (the one I am most interested in) who was married by then. One had married an Owen Corrigan June 1871. Only 2 of the Sherriff children survived, Mary Ann took son Thomas George with her and surviving daughter was found in Yorkshire with an Esther Hawe (formerly Smith) as a niece.
In 1911 census two sisters show Blessington, Ireland as birthplace. Looking at available parish registers ( Blessington, Church of Kilbride, Eadestown) last 3 born, Esther 1852, Joseph Patrick 1854 and Helen Sarah 1858 appear. Earlier children Mary 1843, Elizabeth 1846, Thomas 1848, Catherine 1850 do not. I did find a Mary Smith in 1843 in Wicklow but parents were Jno and Mary Smith. Is Jno always the abbreviation for John?
My one clue to the maiden name for Mary, mother of the above born in Ireland, is on last child's entry in parish register. Helen Sarah transcription shows Mary Byrne as the mother although I can not read the microfilmed copy.
Apologize for the length of this post but have gone so far afield and have put together a Smith family tree without definitely linking the person I am most interested in. Any suggestions on other sources or places to look would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for any help you can offer.