As a proud Canadian of Irish ancestry, I have always had the requisite coat of arms and family history on my wall. One day, I came across this…
Me? Eligible for an Irish passport? Able to make my Irish heritage official? I must make it so. Gramma was born in Belfast. All I had to do was gather the documents…
Gramma’s marriage certificate.
Born in Stratford? My mother assures me she was born in Belfast. Father, Edward McIlroy. Mother Elizabeth Loughran.
Wrong birthplace. Right father and mother’s name.
Who would have given this info?
Gramma’s death certificate.
Born in Belfast.
Father, Theodore McIlroy.
Mother, Elizabeth McLaughlin.
Right birthplace. Wrong mother’s last name.
Grampa gave this info?
Mom’s birth cerftificate.
Gramma named here as Jean McIlroy.
On 3-Mar-07, at 8:13 AM, Mick McCullough (Gramma’s son) sent me an email:
Hi Doug,
Just to confuse the issue a little more, our records show that mom’s mothers maiden name was spelt (Elizabeth) *Loughram or Loughran*. They (Elizabeth, and Jack 9 years, Edward 7 years, Dolly 3 years, Lilly 11 months and Mary 14 day and her sister Margaret ) arrived on the Laventic on April 16th. in New York from Liverpool, (sailed April 1st).
We think in 1911 Mom was baptized in St.Pauls Catholic church in Belfast Ireland on January 19th 1908. We think under the name of Jane Alaine McIlroy (Dolly?). Parents:
Edward and Elizabeth
Hope this doesn’t muddy the water too much and actually helps.
Mystery, Part 2
At Ellis Island I got a copy of the manifest for the Laurentic which gave me the names the family was travelling under.
Manifest for SS Laurentic from Liverpool, April 8th 1911, Pg. 1
name relationship age sex race destination
Margaret Loughran mothers sister 27 female irish Stratford
Eliz McIlroy mother 33 female irish Stratford
Jack McIlroy son 9 male irish Stratford
Edward McIlroy son 7 male irish Stratford
Dolly McIlroy daughter 3 female irish Stratford
Lilly McIlroy daughter 11 mo female irish Stratford
Mary McIlroy daughter 2 wk female irish Stratford
Clearly this is how Gramma got to Canada.
Manifest Pg. 2
This information was then forwarded to Bob Murray of Root and Branch Irish Family Research.
“An examination of the 1901 census for Manor street shows a 25 year old, Catholic grocer, Edward McIlroy, with his 23 year old wife, Eliza, and a 16 year old servant John Quinn.”
1901 Census Pg. 1
1901 Census Pg. 2
note:
Eliza’s age of 23 on census of 1901, agrees with age of 33 on the manifest of 1911. Also John wouldn’t have been born for another year.
This leads the investigation to Edward and Elizabeth and their children:
John McIlroy, born March 3rd 1902 at 154 Manor St., Belfast.
John’s Birth Registration
John’s Baptismal Certificate
note: Elizabeth’s name given as Loughran. John’s age of 9 agrees with manifest.
Edward McIlroy, born March 3rd 1904 at 154 Manor St., Belfast.
Edward’s Birth Registration
note: Edward’s age of 7 agrees with manifest.
Including! Bingo! Jane McIlroy, born January 16/1908.
Gramma’s Baptismal Certificate
note: Gramma’s name given as Jane McIlroy, and syncs with Dolly’s entry on manifest.
She was…
She was born in Belfast on January 16th 1908 as Jane McIlroy.
She was baptized at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Belfast on January 19th 1908.
She was Dolly (on manifest), and Jean Marie (on her marriage certificate and her daughter’s birth certificate),
and Jane Jean (on her death certificate),
I knew her as Gramma Jean.
Her father is listed on the death certificate as Theodore McIlroy (Grampa supplied info?), and on the marriage certificate as Edward (Gramma supplied info?).
Her mother is listed on the death certificate Elizabeth McLaughlin (Grampa supplied?) and on Marriage cerificate as Elizabeth Loughran (Gramma supplied?).
I think it is important to understand who gave the information at each place, so the correct names are Edward McIlroy (father) and Elizabeth Loughran (mother).
Here is a copy of Bob Murray’s report on my branch of tha Delaney family tree.
Report Pg. 1
Report Pg. 2
Report Pg. 3
Report Pg. 4
Bob sent a large number of relevant photos’ which can be found here.
