Dominick and Bridget Gallagher

A John Gallagher was born 16 Jan 1830 in the parish of Kilmoremoy, Diocese of Killala, County of Mayo, to Dominic Gallagher and Bridget Doogan.

Julia,

You say that you don’t understand “what this form means.”  It relates to a pension application which  Bridget Gallagher made. The state pension was introduced in Ireland in 1909 and to qualify you had to be 70 or over and provide proof of age. Any applicant born in Ireland wouldn’t have a birth certificate (because they only started in 1864). Baptismal certificates, military discharge papers and some other documents were acceptable instead. But for those without any of those, another option was to check the 1851 (and occasionally the 1841) censuses. Obviously if you were, say 10 years old in 1851, then you must be over 70 in 1912. So that helps decide whether you qualify.

So the applicant sent in a form with details of where they thought they were living in 1841 or 1851, together with some additional data. This was then checked against the relevant census and usually where a match was confirmed the clerk transcribed details from the census on to the application.

So in this case we know that Bridget applied for a pension in November 1917. She was presumably living with or near Mrs Martin Cassidy as she used that address for correspondence. Bridget provided her parents names (Dominick & Bridget Gallagher) plus she said they all lived in Corragooly, parish of Kilbeagh, Co Mayo. She didn’t fill in the year she wanted checked, but it was most likely 1851. There’s a note on the form to say that an extract was made on 29.11.1917 so that suggest the family was found in the 1851 census and presumably Bridget got her pension.

The 1851 census itself was destroyed in the 1922 fire in Dublin but this document provides you with a little snapshot of it. Well 3 members of the Gallagher family anyway.

Griffiths Valuation for 1856 lists Dominick Gallagher in Corragooly. He had plot 12 which was a house, land and offices (ie outbuildings). He had just over 12 and a half acres. You can see where the farm was using the map on the Griffiths site.

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=nameS…

There were 3 Gallagher families in Corragooly in 1901, one with a John Dominick in it, so they may be related to the Griffiths family:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Mayo/Cloonmore/Corragooly/1598083/

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Mayo/Cloonmore/Corragooly/1598092/

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Mayo/Cloonmore/Corrago…

Julia:

Elwyn has doen a great job of finding the family and explaining the 1851 census search form. Corragooly is a couple kilometers southeast of the village of Carracastle and St. James church and not far from the Co. Roscommon border. My grandfather, Patrick McDonnell, was baptized in Carracastle church. The baptismal records for the church start in 1853 and marriage records start in 1847. I searched the subscription site Roots Ireland and did not locate the marriage record or Bridget's baptismal record both events occurred before records are available. However, I did locate transcriptions of baptismal records for two younger siblings: Nelly in 1853 and Thomas in 1858. Nelly is likely the Ellen in your note.

I don't know if you belong to Facebook but there is a Mayo Genealogy Group which you may want to join. https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=mayo%20genealogy%20group

Have you considered DNA testing? That would help with connections with people who have connections tom that area.

Roger McDonnell

Name:Nelly GallagherDate of Birth:
Date of Baptism:03-Aug-1853Address:CuragoolaParish/District:CARRACASTLEGender:FemaleCountyMAYO
Denomination:Roman Catholic
Father:Dominick GallagherMother:Bridget ReedOccupation:
Sponsor 1 /
Informant 1:John Gallagher Sponsor 2 /
Informant 2:Mary Reed 

Name:Thos GallagherDate of Birth:
Date of Baptism:06-Nov-1858Address:CuragulaParish/District:CARRACASTLEGender:MaleCountyMAYO
Denomination:Roman Catholic
Father:Dominick GallagherMother:Bridget ReidOccupation:
Sponsor 1 /
Informant 1:John Gallagher Sponsor 2 /
Informant 2:Bridget McDonnell 

Julia:

www.irishgenealogy.ie is a free site which has the original civil records for births, marriages and deaths. The death records available start in 1879. I located the death record for Dominick in 1879

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_retu…

I have not located Bridget's death record but I know she was alive when Dominick died.

Roger

Dominic's age 70 in death register may have been an under-estimation. That would give him a year of birth c1809. Anthony's estimated y.o.b.calculated from his age at emigration to Australia was c1816. 

If Anthony was born around 1816 to Dominic & Bridget,  could the same Dominic & Bridget have been parents of Nelly 1853 and Thomas 1858? That's a stretch of 42 years. It might have been the same Dominic but not necessarily the same Bridget, unless Anthony was born later. ( There are 2 instances in my FT of men whose 1st and 2nd wives had same forename. One of these couples lived near another couple of similar age with same names; most of children of these couples had same names and were similar ages.) 

Anthony had to be old enough to have a granddaughter born c1857. Was he on 1851 English census? What was the town or city where he married in 1854?

I'm just doing sums. My great-aunt was officially 74 on her death certificate. Her younger brother died 5 years earlier aged 78. Only the latter was correct. Great-aunt was nearer to 90 than to 70 and was probably over 90. Ages of all members of that family fluctuated wildly on records.

Informant of Dominic's death, John Gallagher, doesn't state a relationship to deceased.

It would be helpful to find registration of Bridget's death.

There were 2 adults in Ballaghadereen called Martin Cassidy on 1911 census. (Thinking about the census search on behalf of Bridget Gallagher's pension application c/o Mrs Martin Cassidy.)

House 31 Bogtiduff (Ballaghadereen):  Michael Cassidy & wife Bridget both aged 65  + son Martin, 34 + daughter Anne, 21.

House 16 Drumndassal (Ballaghadereen): Martin Cassidy, 65 & Anne Cassidy 65, wife.

https://www.irishgenealogy.ie 

Edit. PS. This might be birth registration of  Martin Cassidy at Bogtiduff in 1911:

Registration District Ballaghadereen, Union of Castlerea, Counties of Mayo 7 Roscommon. Born June 1875. Parents Michael & Bridget (formerly Duffy). Abode Boughtaduff.

I was hoping Bridget's maiden name would be Gallagher.

Found the correct Martin Cassidy, 3rd time lucky! Cashellahenny is in Mayo. I was confused by Ballaghadereen registration district being in both Roscommon and Mayo.

1911 Census: Kilmovee District Electoral Division: County Mayo. Cashellahenny House 2:

Martin Cassidy, 63, head, farmer. Cannot read, speaks Irish & English 

Bridget Cassidy, 63, wife.             Cannot read, speaks Irish & English 

Dominick Cassidy, 19, son.          Can read & write.

www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Mayo/Kilmovee/Cashellahenny/7…  

Dominick's birth registration: Swinford: Kilkelly District: 1893

Born January 1893. parents Martin Cassidy & Bridget (formerly Gallagher) Abode Colebrook. 

*Marriage of Bridget Gallagher to Martin Cassidy:

 Sup. District Swinford:   Reg. District Lowpark:    18th Feb. 1889 at R.C. Chapel of Carracastle.

Bridget was a spinster, abode Corragoola. Her father was Dominick Gallagher, farmer. Martin was a widower, a farmer of Coalbrook. A witness was Kate Gallagher. It doesn't say whether either father was deceased.

Were there local directories at the time? Some list farmers in an area. Another source for finding people in this era is dog licence register on Find My Past. A dog owner had to buy a licence every year or register his dog as an essential working dog and claim exemption.

* The Bridget Gallagher (daughter of Dominick & Bridget) mentioned in Julia's original post was paired with a husband Patrick Corcoran. (Do you know when & where this marriage was?) The Bridget Gallagher who married Martin Cassidy said she was a spinster. Accccording to her age on 1911 census she was around 40 when she married Martin Cassidy. Late marriage was not unusual post-Famine.

I think we're looking at 2 Dominick & Bridget couples, each with a daughter called Bridget. 

The John Dominick,  Gallagher at Carragooly on 1901 census, mentioned by Elwyn had father named John, whose wife was Mary. John Dominick was 7 on 1901 census. He looks to have been the one born October 1893,  registered Swinford Sup, Reg. District. Mother Mary, formerly Doherty.

I don't see a marriage of John Gallagher & Mary Doherty. There were a lot of John Gallagher marriages.  Gallagher was a common name. There were many Gallagher-Gallagher weddings. Beware of getting them mixed-up.

Griffiths' Valuation Corragooly townland: As well as Dominick occupying 12 acres, there were 2 other Gallagher entries,  Anthony, with a house & office, no land, (plot 5d)  and  Michael who occupied 14 acres (plot 14a). Anthony shared plot 5 with Michael Higgins  (14 acres) and 2 women, Catherine Kelly and Catherine Larkin. Corragooly is/was near the boundary with Counties Roscommon and Sligo. It was in Kilbeagh parish. Total acreage of Corragooly was 244, so not big. 

Another Dominick Gallagher entry in Griffiths' for Kilbeagh parish was in Killaturly townland. This is a few miles further West. It covered 850 acres. Gallagher accounted for 15 of 53 names listed, so almost 1/3 of total.  Dominick shared plot 2 with Michael Gallagher and Martin Gallagher, amomg others.   There were 3 Patrick Gallaghers  in the townland -  Pat'k Gallagher (Tom),  Patrick Gallagher (jun.) and one was simply Patrick Gallagher.*  

The name Dominick Gallagher has 10 more entries in Mayo on Griffiths' Valuation. Anthony Gallagher ws mentioned 32 times.

*Did this mean that Pat's father was Thomas and that the other 2 were father & son?

Re Dominic Gallagher of Corragooly who died 1879. Letters of Administration were granted to "John Gallagher of Corragooly, farmer, the son".  Effects £64. 5s.

(Irish Calendar of Wills & Administrations 1858-1922, Irish National Archives)

www.willcalendars.nationalarchives.ie/search/cwa/home.jsp

Dominic Gallagher who died 1869 should be there too but I couldn't find him. 100+  Gallaghers are in it.

Remaining on legal matters:

The name of Dominic Gallagher was in Mayo Petty Sessions Court Registers 1841 onwards. A few cases made it into the local newspapers.

Several Mayo men called Dominic Gallagher got dog licences 1871 onward. 

Maggie,

Re junior in Griffiths, it usually means father & son of the same name in the same townland.  The name in brackets (in this case Tom) is what’s known as an agnomen. It’s an alternative name or nickname, because there are 2 or more people of the same name in the same townland. The agnomen can be anything. It could be an occupation, wife’s maiden name, a physical characteristic eg red hair, black/white, tall/short, fiddler etc. In this case it’s obviously a person’s name but without further work I couldn’t say who.

If you are interested in getting more information out of Griffiths generally, see the attached article.

Elwyn,

Thanks for the explanation. I've come across agnomens before although not for members of my own families. I noticed them on a census. Just looked agnomen up in dictionary - defined as "additional name". 

I've added the Griffiths article to my reading list. 

Where can one see census search forms? I found them once when researching my Irish ancestors but I can't remember where. Although 3 of them survived into their late 70s & 80s post 1909 I didn't find their names in that collection.  Irish Toolkit website explains what they are and also mentions "Green Forms" used for applicants who paid for a search. I still couldn't locate the collection. I recommended another enquirer on this site to read your explanation of the census search form.

On the subject of this particular census search form for young Bridget Gallagher & parents, Dominick & Bridget in Corragooly townland on 1851 census.  Mrs Martin Cassidy, address Cashellahenny, Ballaghadereen, was that same  Bridget Gallagher. Mrs Cassidy was making the application on her own behalf. Her age on 1911 census was 63 so she expected to have her 70th birthday either late 1917 or in 1918. That puts her estimated birth year 1847/8. According to 1911 census transcription neither Bridget Cassidy nor her husband Martin could read. She would have needed help to complete application forms. She was still living in Corragoolly when she married, aged around 40, so unsurprisingly she had correct information about her abode and her family in 1851.

Maggie May,

Here’s a link to the census search forms site:  

http://censussearchforms.nationalarchives.ie/search/cs/home.jsp

You say that you can’t find your ancestors in that collection. Not every pension applicant needed a census search. To qualify for a pension you needed to be 70 or over and have proof of your age. Many people had baptismal certificates, military discharge papers or marriage certificates all of which could prove their age. Those applicants would normally have their pension approved without further enquiry.  The census search was used when the applicant didn’t have any of those documents. I couldn’t tell you what percentage of applications that was but perhaps just 25%. So the chances are that your 3 ancestors had some alternative acceptable proof of age, and didn’t need a census check.

Thanks for explaining who Mrs Martin Cassidy was. Without known more about the family I didn’t pick that up.

The Bridget Gallagher who became Mrs Martin Cassidy was, I presume, a different person from the Bridget Gallagher who married Patrick Corcoran. (Bridget Gallagher - Patrick Corcoran marriage was mentioned in original post by Hillsgirl.)

It may have been the case that the Bridget Gallagher who became Mrs Patrick Corcoran never made a census search application.