Great grandfather

Jim:

I assume Joseph was born before 1881. I did locate the civil marriage index record for his marriage to Johanna. You can get a copy of the record from the General Register Office for around 4 euros. the record will show the names of the fathers of the bride and groom. If you want to get a copy let me know and I will forward instuctions.

Roger McDonnell

I would also be interested in getting a copy of the marriage record, eventually the offspring of Joseph married a Daly

thanks again

jim

Joseph was born in 1851, in Abbeyleix, Laois, would a birth certificate exist?

He joined the British Army and served from 1869, eventually returning to Ireland in 1893 and marrying Johanna O Donohoe, he also served in the militia 5th batallion Irish regt. after 1893 for a few years. I have no record of his death, however it appears that he lived out his days in Kilkenny, also no record of Johanna's death, do you think these records exist?

 I think that he lived in the St Patrick District, Kilkenny.

In the 1901 census he is living at 96 Walkin street, Kilkenny, aged 51 years

then in 1911 census he is living at 8 Robinsons lane Waterford no 3 Urban Waterford, however for some reason his age is recorded as 68, Johanna also seems to have played around with her age, not sure if there was some reason for this that would have made sense at the time.

Jim

Jim:

Birth registration started in 1864 so only a church record would exist. I looked on Roots Ireland www.rootsireland.ie  which is a pay site and did not find an 1851 Joseph Conway baptismal record in Co. Laois. There was an 1849 record but not in Abbeyleix.

I looked for some possible death index records in the Kilkenny civil registration district but did not see a record that made sense. However, since you indicated they were in Waterford city in 1911, I looked at the Waterford registration district and located a possible record for Johanna in 1931.  There is also another Johanna Conway record born 1847 died 1920

www.irishgenealogy.ie now has the civil index records online for free (as of a week ago). You may want to search for yourself.

Generally, the ages shown for adults was understated in the 1901 census. Most people were not that concerned about ages. However, the Old Age Pension Act was passed in 1908 which provide a pension at age 70 for people with lower income. As you would expect, people became very interested in the accuracy of their age. As a result you sometimes saw a jump of 20 years in age from 1901 to 1911. You were still required to have proof that you were at least 70.

Roger

Great information Roger, thanks for all your trouble, can I ask,does the death cert. give any other information such as family members, addresses etc?

 I took Josephs age from his army record attestation paper, these were completed on 3rd July 1869 and have him down as 18 years 3 months, he is recorded as from the parish of Abbeyleix, near the town of Abbeyleix in the county of Queens, he is recorded as Roman catholic. He joined up in Maryborough.

Do you think that a death record exists for him? or did they go unreported.

jim

Jack:

The death record will show cause of death, where the deceased lived and the name of the informant and sometimes the relationship of the informant to the deceased.

It is possible that there is no civil death record even though they were required to be reported. I have two great-grandmothers that I have not yet found their death record. They died in the 1920s and 1930s.

I did find this record in Waterford. The year of birth was provided by the informant and sometimes they did not know the age of the deceased. However, this one is 15 years. off.

Roger

Joseph Conway remarried in 1893 to Johanna Godfrey, a child was also born in 1893, Christine, is it possible to confirm her parents as named on the birth certificate?.

 I asjk because I am having difficulty tracing Josephs first wife Mary Ann Dunn(e), they were married in India in 1880 and family chitchat says she died before 1893, I have a record of their son William Henry being born in Allahabad, India in 1890, so I am assuming she died between 1890 and 1893. 

There is also a birth for Mary anne Conway in 1884 in Kilkenny, again would it be possible to find out the parents as written on the birth certificate, it is possible that Mary ann Dunn came back to Kilkenny with her husband Joseph as he was a serving soldier at this time and travelled a lot.

Jim:

A birth certificate would show the parents names. According to the 1901 census, Christina was born in Kilkenny but the only 1893 birth index record I could find was for a child born in Dublin.

Roger