Hello everyone. I am looking for information about my ancestor Winifred Curran who I think may have come from Sooey, Tawnagh Parish, County Sligo.
Winifred was born about 1825, married Francis Layden from Leitrim, and emigrated to Scotland between 1845-1850. A Scottish birth certificate for one of their children says they married in May 1843 in “Susie Ireland”. I think this could be the townland of Sooey in Tawnagh parish, which also seems to be close to Glackaunadarragh, Inishmagrath, where I have reason to believe her husband lived. As the tradition was for couples to marry in the bride’s home town, I think that Winifred may have come from Sooey. But I can’t find her birth record or their marriage there, nor any church records at all for Currans in that parish.
If anyone has more information that could help me, or is also looking for this name, I would be interested to hear from you.
iainlayden
Wednesday 31st Aug 2016, 05:46PMMessage Board Replies
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Date and place of parents marriage should appear on Scottish birth certificates for 1855 and then 1861 onwards, so if there were any other children born in those years, it’d be worth checking those certificates for a clearer indication of the place of marriage.
You don’t often see the townland given as the place of marriage in this situation. Usually it’s the name of the parish or location of the church. (As you say, traditionally the bride's church).
If you think the family may have claimed under the Poor Law in Scotland, it’s worth checking the files as the parish of origin in Ireland and next of kin are usually recorded. See:
http://www.myainfolk.com/Resources_files/Records_of_the_Scottish_Poor.p…
Did the family live in Troqueer in Kirkcudbright? (I see a death there in 1888 for a Francis and 1897 for a Winifred, maiden name Currans). Scottish death certs should contain the deceased’s parent’s names and occupations. You can view them on the Scotlandspeople site.
Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘
Wednesday 31st Aug 2016, 06:23PM -
Thank you Elwyn. Yes that is the same Francis and Winifred. I have a lot of information about them from Scottish records (mainly acquired through ScotlandsPeople), but so far nothing from Ireland! The other children’s birth records don’t give their wedding details, but the 1851 census says she came from Sligo.
Unfortunately Winifred’s death certificate doesn’t show her parents’ names, I assume because no-one knew their names. Her husband was already dead and she had been away from Ireland 50 years by then.
iainlayden
Thursday 1st Sep 2016, 04:30PM