Thomas Lawler married Elizabeth Roche in Wexford City and lived in Patrick Square where Mary Elizabeth was born. Film of civil registration for 1865 shows her being born on 13 November 1865 to Thomas Lawler (Dealer) and Eliza Lawler nee Roche. He could not write and he registered the birth on 1st December 1865. Considering that Mary married on 17 August 1877 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia according to the rites of the Church of England, this would have made Mary about 12 years old. She is shown as 23 years on her marriage certificate which would make her birth date more 1854.
John Hosie
Tuesday 9th Apr 2013, 02:43AMMessage Board Replies
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Hello John,
You certainly have a mystery there! The civil registration of a child’s birth would have to have been made within a limited space of time, 6 months I believe. Failure to have done so would have resulted in serious financial penalties. I also see from a familysearch.org search that there is a baptism record for a Mary, daughter of Thomas Lawler and Eliza Roche that supports a November 1865 birthdate.
Are both of Mary’s parents names recorded on her marriage documentation in 1877? If they are then that would imply the age on the marriage record is incorrectly recorded.
Best regards Michael.
Friday 19th Apr 2013, 03:40PM