Who is my grandfather, Thomas Mcdermott?

[Terri]

Apologies for coming back so soon with another pile of confusion and apologies for it being Ireland, but I couldn't sleep last night for going over and over this. I've had a fresh look this morning, but I'm still none the wiser. Maybe I'm now overthinking this, or missing something obvious.

Firstly, as my dad had died before I started genealogy, I knew nothing about his Irish family other than his parents' names, Thomas and Mary. Dad's sister however told me that Thomas's mother was called Bridget and that he was illegitimate. She had tried to get a copy of his birth cert when she was in Ireland, and was told there was no birth registration for him. She did find a baptism record in Carrick on Shannon which confirmed he was illegitimate.

Ages ago, I found Thomas McDermott's army records, dated 11th January 1908. They give Thomas's age as 19 years 10 months, putting his birth around March/April 1888. His address is given as Kiltogert, Carrick on Shannon.
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As you can see his next of kin is slightly ambiguous. The first line says "mother" and what looks like Bridget next to it, but then it states his grandmother as being Bridget, but under the name Bridget, is very lightly written Margaret. Not surprisingly, no father mentioned.

in 1911, a 37 year old Bridget Delaney is living on The Green, Boyle (the address on the army record) with children William aged 16 and Margaret aged 14, which (more or less) confirms that a now married Bridget is the mother, and possibly, Margaret is the grandmother.

In 1901, Bridget Delaney is in Kiltogert, Carrick on Shannon as follows:

Gallagher William 65 Male Head of Family Roman Catholic
Gallagher Margaret 65 Female Wife Roman Catholic
Delaney Bridget 28 Female Step Daughter Roman Catholic
McDermott Thomas 12 Male Grand Son Roman Catholic
Delaney William 6 Male Grand Son Roman Catholic
Delaney Margaret 4 Female Grand Daughter Roman Catholic
Delaney Patrick 2 Male Grand Son Roman Catholic

Places - names - a perfect fit on all accounts! So obviously, after Thomas's birth, Bridget married a Delaney.

I found William and Margaret Delaney's births - father is Patrick Delaney and mother's maiden name should be Bridget McDermott. But it's not. It's Bridget Keegan.

To be continued ................

[Terri]

Starting with the Keegan connection.

Bridget Keegan married Patrick Delaney in Boyle, Roscommon in 1893. As she is barely 21 when she marries, it is unlikely she was married before, plus she is “spinster” on marriage reg. She names her father as William Keegan. As she is “stepdaughter” to William Gallagher; the head of household, then his wife, Margaret, must have been married before, presumably to a Keegan.

On census, Bridget names her birthplace as Sligo, (1873) but there is no birth there for her, nor any Keegans with a mother called Margaret.

I found a birth for a Bridget Keegan in Boyle, Roscommon in 1873, but to a Thomas Keegan, mother Mary, not Margaret, but maiden name McDermott ..........!

Alternatively, this was William Gallagher’s 3rd marriage – having previously been married to a woman before Margaret, who was previously married to a Keegan, or whose maiden name was Keegan and she had Bridget out of wedlock. Bit convoluted!

Where does Thomas McDermott fit into all this? Where does the name McDermott even come from? If Bridget Keegan/Delaney has no connection with him, why has he put her address on his army from as next of kin?

I can't think straight any more and I've no idea where to go from here. This is my name and so is awfully close to home! I'm starting to have doubts about my own identity here!

[kiterunner]

So we have birthplaces etc, this is my transcription of the 1901 census entry:
1901 - house no 99, Carrick on Shannon Town, Co Leitrim
William Gallagher Head of family RC 65 Glazier Married born Sligo
Margaret Gallagher Wife RC 65 Married born Sligo
Bridget Delaney Stepdaughter RC 28 Married born Sligo
Thomas McDermott Grandson RC 12 Scholar born Leitrim
William Delany Grandson RC 6 Scholar born Roscommon
Margaret Delany Granddaughter RC 4 born Roscommon
Patrick Delany Grandson RC 2 born Roscommon

and the Gallaghers in 1911:
William Gallagher Head of family RC 80 No occupation Married born Co Sligo
Maggie Gallagher Wife RC 77 Married 30 years, children born to present marriage none, born Co Sligo
Thomas Hanley Boarder RC 65 Pedlar Single born Co Roscommon

and the Delaneys in 1911:
Bridget Delaney Head of family RC 37 Widow born Co Sligo
William Delaney Son RC 16 Serving 4th Conn Rgs Single born Co Roscommon
Margaret Delaney Daughter RC 14 Scholar Single born Co Roscommon

[kiterunner]

Terri, have you managed to find Thomas's baptism (which you mentioned in post #1) in the online RC records, please?

[kiterunner]

Never mind, this looks like his birth registration under the surname of Keegan:
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy..../02494/1925018

Superintendent Registrar's District Carrick on Shannon, Registrar's District Jamestown, Counties Leitrim & Roscommon
Date and place of birth: 1888 16th Oct, Workhouse, Carrick-on-Shannon, County Leitrim
Name: Thomas
Sex: M
Name and Maiden Surname of Mother: Bridget Keegan
Informant: John McGreevy, Occupier, Union Workhouse, Carrick on Shannon
When registered: 18 Oct 1888

[Terri]

Originally Posted by kiterunner

Never mind, this looks like his birth registration under the surname of Keegan:
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy..../02494/1925018

Omg, well done Kate! No wonder my aunt couldn't find his birth reg under McDermott.

Even more bewildered now though. How on earth did he become a McDermott?

[kiterunner]

I am so wishing that I knew which registration districts were in which county!

[kiterunner]

Originally Posted by Terri

Omg, well done Kate! No wonder my aunt couldn't find his birth reg under McDermott.

Even more bewildered now though. How on earth did he become a McDermott?

Maybe his father was a McDermott?

[Merry]

Does this help with districts?

http://www.findmypast.com/articles/h...ges-and-deaths

(click on the map)

[Terri]

I considered that, but it seemed a bit odd. That doesn't happen in England with illegitimate children .................

On his marriage certificate, he puts "Thomas McDermott" as father, but I just assumed he put that name rather than admitting there wasn't a father.

He was a proud man by all accounts, not sure he'd have liked admitting to having been born in a workhouse out of wedlock