Thomas Clifford, Shoemaker, Kilmeedy, Limerick circa 1851

Alan:

Catherine Clifford Keane filed for the Old Age Pension on March 11 1916  (as you correctly surmised). You had to be 70 to receive the pension. Since she did not have proof of baptism, the 1851 census was searched. The 1821-1851 censuses were fully available in 1916. They were not destroyed until the Public Records Office fire in 1922. I can't tell from the form if they found the record for her family and it proved her age.

The subscription site Roots Ireland indicates that they have baptismal records back to 1832 and marriages starting 1850. I did a search for Feenagh/Kilmeedy parish and found one Clifford baptismal record in 1840 (for a different Clifford family) and the next Clifford record was for Catherine's brother Patrick who was baptized March 17 1851. I also found the other brother Michael baptized June 23 1853.

Likely there is a gap in records for the 1840s which includes Catherine's baptism.  ( I'm sure Catherine checked with the parish office in 1916 when she was filing for the Old Age pension since a baptismal record would have been conclusive proof of her age. Since a record was not available, she had to get the 1851 census.)

Let me know if you have any questions.

Roger McDonnell

Thanks for the information Roger. So that would explain why only Catherine is listed on this extract as it was for her pension claim. It also explains the name Keane appearing on the extract being her married name. Knowing that, I was able to find her marriage on Irish Civil Records…..she married Michael Keane in Feenagh in 1884.

You mention finding Michael baptized on June 23, 1853. This of course precedes the online Catholic registers available. I found the attached record for the baptism of Michael on September 30th, 1855 on the Feenagh Catholic register (top entry left hand corner). I guess it’s possible that the first Michael died and the next born boy, a couple of years later, was then named Michael. However, according to Thomas Clifford’s marriage record (also attached) he was 21 on marrying in 1876, so born around 1855. He remarried in 1899 but his age is given as “Full age” so no help there. Census data for 1901 shows him as 46 so consistent with his marriage record for birth in 1855. In 1911 he is 56, so again, consistent with a birth around 1855. I’ve scanned the Catholic baptism register from the start in August 1854 up to 1861 when Margaret Clifford was baptised but no baptism for Thomas. Could one of the Michael’s be Thomas? Would seem odd!

Thanks very much. Alan

Alan:

Sorry, I made a mistake the 1853 baptism was for Thomas not Michael.

Roger

That's a good mistake Roger! That baptism date fits fairly well with the marriage record and census data, Many thanks,