ARC TBC - Catherine Fitzunknown

[MarkCDodd]

In an effort to resolve my Great Great Grandmother's maiden name I ordered 4 birth certificates for the Murphy's born in Oldbury.

http://bcconnections.tribalpages.com/tribe/browse?userid=bcconnections&pid=34453&bpid=34453&bview=0&view=0&ccpid=34453&rand=147066174

Unfortunately one of them is for another Catherine Murphy and not the one I wanted

Anyway, the other three didn't help.

The three spellings are Fitzgarmen, Fitzjordon, Fitzjare.

Grrrrrr!!!!

I think it will end up being Fitzgerald, Fitzgordon or Fitzjohn as they are families I can find around Rathdrum, Wicklow.

But at the moment, nothing Fitz

[Northern Lass]

Oh heck Mark

[MarkCDodd]

The Saint Francis Xavier parish records might be our only hope.

The Baptism and Confirmation records should record Catherine's maiden name.

You would hope the clerks there were more used to strong Irish accents.

Unfortunately they are in latin and have not been transcribed.

They are held at the Birmingham Archdiocesan Archives

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archon/searches/locresult_details.asp?LR=1480

[Northern Lass]

Mark have you contacted them and asked if they will look it up for you?
Some of the archives are really helpful on the odd one if you have the day month year etc.

[MarkCDodd]

Under no circumstances will they do a look up for you.

There are several fairly expensive genealogists specialising in their archives.

[Dennis]

So no pressure on me there then, folks! I worked on the St Francis archives when they were still kept at the church, of course my Woods were all hatched, matched and despatched there. I've never yet been in to St Chad's, but I did Latin to university level so no probs. It's just finding the time... I can't do anything next week, I'm afraid, I'm in Vienna.

[MarkCDodd]

You would prefer Vienna over the dusty vaults of the Archdiocesan Archives

Strange man

[Northern Lass]

rite going to move this to Brickwalls then when our Den has been
he can add it to this thread!

[MarkCDodd]

Article is in the Bugle this week so hopefully I get some clues....

[Northern Lass]

Article is in the Bugle this week so hopefully I get some clues....

will get that one!

[MarkCDodd]

No luck with the Bugle on the Murphy side.

Had some Lavenders contacts me which helps with my Ford branch.

Looks like I am going to have to hope Dennis visits the Arch Diocese and finds something in the Church Registers.

[MarkCDodd]

Found them in the Rathdrum workhouse just before they made their way to Wales.

The workhouse books are quite detailed so I may have to pay somebody to have a look at them for me.

I would say they stopped off there for a short time whilst they arranged work in Oldbury and a passage to Wales.

The workhouse records should show where they came from, which is supposed to be Dublin according to family gossip.

If they were moving from one Poor Law parish to another this will be detailed.

Catherine would have been entitled to support by the Rathdrum Parish if she was born there as she claims in one census.

I found one child baptised whilst they were there and that confirms Catherine's maiden name as Fitzgerald.

[MarkCDodd]

I now have a cousin visiting the Birmingham Archdiocesan Archives so the Murphy's will soon reveal their secrets......

[MarkCDodd]

The trip to the archives proved her maiden name is Fitzgerald.

Unfortunately the archives do not have the Bishops transcripts, burials or weddings. They must still be at the Church itself.

What they did have is marriage notes alongside some of the baptism records which was usefull.

So a few Murphy secrets were revealed but not the information I really need to trace them to Ireland with any certainty.

[BC Wench]

Is this still a Brickwall, or have you solved it?

Unless otherwise advised this will be moved to the Brickwalls Archived section
within 24 hours