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My GGran Was Catherine Meegan. married 1909 Keighley Yorkshire fathers name Parick Meegan
she was age 24 when married, I I have sen for a few birh cer Keithley and Leeds. but there saying Patrick is not her fathers name. she was known by Kate. not sure if she was born in Keighley or Leeds. but married keighley and spent he rest of her days there . she married a Thomas Johnson. I have all his details. Catherine had 3 children . Tom, Jack and Margaret Veronica, Margaret was my gran and had a son called Peter. so the names. Peter, Jack, Margaret Veronica Patrick and Catherine are the Meegan names. when Catherine was married she was living at 15 Mount Street Keighley Yorkshire.I have no idea where else to look. could someon please give me some advice or help in any way.Thankyou
Debbie

Deborah,

She must therefore be born approx 1884/85 then. What did you think?

BW

Jane

What was Patrick's profession?

Bw

Jane

Deborah

Have you traced Catherine in the 1891 and 1901 Censuses?

Deborah,

Who are the witnesses?

There are only a few Patrick Meegan's who get married in that area. The 2 that I feel are more likely and this is just a hunch are this one

England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index: 1837-1983
about Patrick Meegan
Name: Patrick Meegan
Year of Registration: 1885
Quarter of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep
District: Leeds (1837-1929)
County: Yorkshire - West Riding
Volume: 9b
Page: 727 (click to see others on page)

and this one

England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index: 1837-1983
about Patrick Meegan
Name: Patrick Meegan
Year of Registration: 1883
Quarter of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar
District: Hartlepool (1859-1938)
County: Durham
Volume: 10a
Page: 196 (click to see others on page)

These hunches are because on each page there is a Catherine. It does not mean that either guy married a Catherine but on first impression these are the ones I would go for and I personally like the first one!!

Will see if I can trace her in a marriage after 1885

BW

Jane

Thank you all, Catherine Meegan married in 1909 in Keighley St AnnsChurch to a Thomas Johnson. Catherine was a spinner at a mill and her father was Parick Meegan General labourer living at 15 Mount Street Keighley. the winesses at the marrage of Catherine and homas was Joseph Seward and Alice Mc Hale.
Catherine lived in Keighley when she married and stayed there. she was 24 at the time of her marrage. but cant seem o get her marrage cert as the cert I have sent for it is not Patrick Meegan as her father. also Catherine was known as Kate.
Debbie

Deborah

These Census records could relate to your Catherine/Kate:

1891
124 Westgate, Keighley, Yorkshire (2 rooms occupied)
Patrick Molloy, Head, age 65, Masons Labourer, born Ireland
Hannah Molloy, Wife, age 66, House Keeper, born Ireland
Bridget Molloy, Daughter, age 27, Wool Comber, born Ireland
Kate Meegan, Grand-daughter, age 5, Scholar, born Keighley

(Kate’s age has been entered as 25 but the 2 has been crossed out and alongside the entry the figure 5 has been written)

1901
124 Westgate, Keighley, Yorkshire (2 rooms occupied)
Patrick Battle, Head, age 39, Mason’s Labourer, born Middlesborough
Bridget Battle, Wife, 39, House keeper, born Ireland
Hannah Battle, Daughter, age 3, born Keighley
Catherine (name not clear but discernible letters are “M…ihan”), Niece, age 15, Worsted Spinner, born Keighley

There seems little doubt that the respective occupants of 124 Westgate, Keighley are the same family group.

It seems that Bridget Molloy was married 1893

Marriages Sep 1893
Battle, Patrick Keighley 9a 333
Driver, Thomas Keighley 9a 333
Feather, Sarah Jane Keighley 9a 333
MOLLOY, Bridget Keighley 9a 333

These records indicate that Catherine was born in 1885 or 1886 at Keighley.

However, if this is your great grandmother, there must have been some reason why she was with her grandparents in 1891 and with her aunt and uncle in 1901 and may explain why there is some confusion about whom her father was.

May we ask, please, which birth certificates you already have.

Regards

Ivan

Hi Ivan
I only have Catherines Marrage cert. I sent to Keighley for the cert , but a leter came back saying James Meegan was the father,. then I wrote to Leeds reg office and again a leter came back saying Parick was not the father..and also Burnley, they have also said Parick is not Catherines dad. .. on the marrage cert it does say her occupation is a spinner at a worsted mill ..Thank you for helping me
Debbie

Hi all
I have checked the 1881 census, and found the family still at that same address..
Patrick Mulloy Ireland
Hannah Mulloy Ireland
Margaret daughter age 27 Ireland married
Mary daugter unmarried 23 Ireland
Bridget daughter 23 Ireland unmarried
John son 12 Ireland
Thomas Mughan grandson 4 monhs
124 Pinfold Westgate Keighley.
Could Margaret daughter age 27 be the mother of my Catherine Meegan. and also Thomas Mughan be he brorher of Catherine.. Dad Parick Meegan.
could the name Meegan have been spelt wrong. marrage of Margaret Mulloy and Patrick Meegan .. just had a look on freebmd site and there is a marrage in Keithley in 1872 with a Patrick Maken. but I am not sure if I have read it right. if it is the right one.
Debbie

Debbie

I think that Catherine’s surname was subject to a lot of different spellings which makes it difficult to track down births and marriages.

The family were living in Keighley in 1871:

1871 Census
Baptist Square
Patrick Molloy, Head, 32, Mason’s Labourer, born Ireland
Honoria Molloy, 33, born Ireland
Margaret Molloy, Daughter, 18, Worsted Spinner, born Ireland
Mary Molloy, Daughter, 17, Worsted Spinner, born Ireland
Bridget Molloy, Daughter, 10, Worsted Spinner, born Ireland
John Molloy, Son, 2, born Keighley.

Since Bridget was born in Ireland in c1860/1 and John was born in Keighley in 1868/9 this indicates that Patrick Molloy and his wife came to England at some time between those dates.

There is birth registered for a John Molloy in Keighley at about the right time:

MULLOY, John: Keighley 2nd Qtr 1869 Vol. 9a Page 170

Regarding Thomas Mughan in the 1881 Census, it is possible that he was the son of one of Patrick’s 3 daughters who were living at home. Margaret is possibly his mother as she is shown as being married but her surname is shown as Molloy (which could be a mistake).

The 1881 Census was taken on the night of 3 April 1881 and as Thomas was 4 months old he would have been born in the last quarter of 1880 but I can’t find a birth record to suit.

Thomas does not seem to feature in the 1891 Census but there is a possible death record for him:

Deaths 1st Qtr 1882
Maighen, Thomas, aged 1, Keighley Vol. 9a Page 145
(If this is him then it is yet another spelling variation of the surname!)

The death certificate may reveal some information although perhaps not very much.

The only likely marriage for Margaret Mulloy is the one you have found – Patrick Maken in 1872.

I did check the 1901 Census to see who was living at 15 Mount Street in 1901 and it was a family called Brayshaw with no obvious connection to the Mulloys/Meehans.

I hope the above is of some help.

Regards

Ivan

Hello Ivan
Thank you so much, you have been a big help, I have been trying to research my Catherine Meegans for the past few years. I even wrote to the church in Keighley. I got a email back with the address of the records office in Bradford. . I had no probs with her marrage cert. but the birth. I think I have sent for them all, but got a letter back Patrick Meegon not the dad..I am so pleased I asked for help, every body is so kind. Thank you again.
Debbie. take care.

Hello, again, Debbie

Thank you for your message.

I think that the best lead at the moment seems to be the Molloy family although it is by no means certain that this family provides the answer.

One has to bear in mind that the Molloys were a poor immigrant family from Ireland and probably spoke with broad Irish accents. As the officials recording information often relied on what people told them it is perhaps not surprising that surnames in the records can vary. However the Molloys do seem to have registered important events which does enhance the possibility that you might eventually find the data which you seek.

In 1901 Patrick Molloy was living with his daughter, Mary who had, by then, married:

1901 Census
186 Westgate, Keighley (Number of rooms illegible)
John Lofthouse, Head, 45, Mason’s Labourer, born Selby, Yorks
Mary Lofthouse, Wife, 43, born Ireland
Edward, Son, 8, born Keighley
Annie, Daughter, 11, born Keighley
Thomas, Son, 1, born Keighley
Thomas Moolley, Father-in-law, Widower, 68, Corporation Night Watchman, born Ireland

The marriage record on the BMD for Mary Molloy and John Lofthouse is:

Marriages Dec 1888
CALEY Frederick Keighley 9a 352
LOFTHOUSE John Keighley 9a 352
MULLOY Mary Keighley 9a 352
SMITH Sarah Elizabeth Keighley 9a 352

From that 1901 Census record, Patrick was a Widower and therefore Patrick Molloy’s wife, Honor (also known as Hannah, Honoria), died between 1891 and 1901. From the BMD a possible death record is as follows:

Deaths Keighley 1st Qtr 1893 Volume 9a Page 149
MOLLOY, Honor: aged 55,
(born 1837/8)

It seems that Patrick Molloy died in 1906:

Deaths Keighley 2nd Qtr 1906 Vol. 9a Page 138
MOLLOY, Patrick: age 65
(born 1840/1).

It is possible that there might be a funeral notice or obituary notice in the local Keighley newspaper either for the death of Honor in 1893 or Patrick in 1906 (or both) and therefore it might be worth checking with Keighley library. I don’t know if that Library holds newspaper records but local Libraries often do hold such information and if Keighley do not they might be able to tell you whom to approach. Funeral notices and obituaries (if there are any) should give the names of children etc. Also the respective death certificates of Honor and Patrick may give you further clues.

As Catherine’s father Patrick was supposedly living at 15 Mount Street, Keighley in 1909 when Catherine was married it could be that he was still living there at the time of the 1911 census. You may be able to get more information when those census records are available. The records are due to be made available in the next couple of years or so but some records – for the major conurbations - could be available during 2009. If you can’t wait until then you can apply to the National Archives for the record for a particular address but it does cost £45 so you may prefer to wait.

I wish you good luck with your research and by all means let me know if you think I can help.

Please let Jane and me know if you do make progress.

Regards

Ivan

Thank you Ivan and Jane
You have been such a big big help.
I could never have found them without your help.I have been tring for a couple of years, I put it down and try again, with no luck. I have sent away for the marrage cer of Margaret Molloy. I cant wait to see it. hope it does say Patrick Meegan, will jump for joy. You have been so very busy, Thank you so very much from the bottom of my heart. .. you have gave me a good star on the Molloy family. . when i get he cert of marrage it will give me Patricks birth. and will find out if he was born Ireland or Leeds. and his fathers name. cannot wait. thank you
Debbie

sorry about missing letters, I need a new keyboard.
Debbie

Just receved Marrage cert of Margaret Molloy and Patrick Maken ( Meegan) 1872 Keighley
Patrick was age 21 occupation labourer ,and Margaret age 19 years. . Patricks dad was called Patrick Maken occupation Farmer..
Debbie

Hi Debbie

Could you give us the details on the certificate, please.

Name of the church, any addresses for Margaret and Patrick, Witness names, Margaret's father's name and occupation, etc. Is the spelling of "Maken" clear or could it be something else.

Ivan

Hello Ivan
Just had a look on here again, and never saw there was page wo sorry.
The Marrage cert for Margare Molloy or Molloy and Patrick Maken
married april 1872 cannot make out the date, married Catholic Chapel north road Keighley
Patrick Maken 21 years Bacheler Masond Labourer not sure if the address is Mallengton StreetKeighly his dad was also called Parick occ Farmer
Margaret Mulloy age 19 spinser occ spinner Damside Keighley Father Patrick Mulloy not sure if it says farmers labourer
hard to read this cer not clear.
boh sighned x for here names.
in the presence of Thomas Walsh and Matthew piowly. hard o read.
on Catharines marrage cert she was age 23 married 1909 Keighley it says Catherine Meegan living at 15 mount st Keighley fathers name Patrick Meegan General Labourer presence of Joseph Seward and Alice Mc Hale who both later married.St Anns Church Keighley.
also Ivan . how we have freebmd site is there one for Ireland. as I have relitives in Durham my dads grandad who was Irish. wondered if there was a site for them ieland. thanks again
Debbe

Debbie my grandmother was Catherine Meehan like you could not find her marriage she married as Kate also found Meehan transcribed as mehan mahon meahan meighan mechan and evan mayall as as been said broad irish accents and often illiteracy can make for mistakes also pinfold area seems to be a irish community my ancestors were there in the 1800s before going to B lackburn later moving to Oldham prob for work all avenues worth exploring if i can help get in touch Ann

Hi Ann
sorry I read your message wrong, I thought you said it was the same one lol just woke up.
Debbie