Elizabeth McCusker and her brother Francis McCusker
 

Two discoveries that brought a big smile to my face, and it is still here :)

Great-Granny's sister Elizabeth is in the find my past site's Civil Service Evidence of Age section - I had never thought I would know her actual date of birth because she was born before the commencement of civil registration for births in Ireland - now I know that she was born 1st July 1851 :)

Also in the find my past site, in the recent military records uploaded, I found a new relative - another brother for Great-Granny: Francis McCusker :)

That's brilliant, Joy.

Thank you :-)

Of course I cannot be 100% certain that Francis is my Great-Granny's brother. However, going by the naming pattern - that is, John was named after their father, William was named after one grandfather, and Francis would have been named after the other grandfather - and the facts that, according to his army papers, Francis was born in Killererin, the same town as William five years later, and his next of kin was his father John, I feel that 99.99% certainty is good enough. Oh, also, McCusker is such a very unusual name in Galway, too.

I am still smiling very much :-)

Of course now I want to know even more about him!

No one could understand the feeling of awe and wonder and extreme delight - if they are the right words - that I have right now other than people like you and other like-minded people - a cousin went to the Society of Genealogists today and obtained a copy of the Evidence of Age and Certificate of Baptism for my great-great-aunt Elizabeth McCusker. I am over the moon!!! :)

An update: Elizabeth was a witness at Francis' wedding; and Francis' widow and their children attended the wedding of Elizabeth's daughter - the latter I learned from contact with a descendant of Elizabeth :)

Great news Joy I will be in touch soon.

Thank you:)