We always want more

The quantity of information collected on census returns has steadily increased with time. It does seem that providing more information can lead to more questions. In 1911, couples were required to state the duration of the marriage. It is clear that either some memories were faulty or powers of arithmetic were lacking. Not all the…

Massachusetts Bridget

This is the fourth blog exploring what happened to the children of the marriage between John Stanley and Winifred Kenney after they arrived in America. This time it is the turn of Bridget. Bridget’s exact date of birth is not known. Working back from the age recorded on her death certificate would indicate 1865. A…

Massachusetts John

This is the third blog exploring what happened to the four children of the marriage of John Stanley to Winifred Kenney. See Massachusetts Mary and Massachusetts Thomas for the previous two articles. John was born in Islands, Roscommon on American Independence Day 1874. The best fit for his voyage to America is on the Cephalonia…

Massachusetts Thomas

I am continuing to explore the descendants of John Stanley and Winifred Kenney. (See Massachusetts Mary) This time it is the turn of Thomas. Civil registration started in Ireland in 1865. This doesn’t mean that all births after that time were recorded, but the majority of them were duly registered. Thomas was born on 21st…

Massachusetts Mary

If you can’t go back, then go forward! I realise that not everyone is as obsessive in hunting down obscure clues as me. I found a whole chapter of my wife’s ancestry when I googled the name of one of her relatives. It turned out that a second cousin had been publishing a blog for…

Mary Kenny and others

As explained in ‘Room at the Inn’, Uriah Senior and his wife Catherine/Kate (nee Stanley) seemed to be willing to share what little they had with others. In 1881 Uriah and Kate have Irish born Mary Kenny, born 1859, lodging with them. This was before they started their family.  Unfortunately, the census does not have…

Room at the Inn

Despite living in extremely cramped accommodation in Dewsbury, Uriah Senior and his wife Catherine/Kate (nee Stanley, in Roscommon) always seemed to find room for someone else. At the time of writing (mid December) this seems particularly relevant. The family first came to my attention when I was looking for Patrick’s brother John. In 1891, they…

Dewsbury once more

It seems that the researchers with whom I am in contact are not my relatives. (see ‘Multiple Clans’ https://www.roscommonstanley.me.uk/geography/ireland/multiple-clans/) And most of my relatives do not appear to be researchers. This all changed when the wonders of DNA threw out a solid connection to someone with a sizeable family tree. At long last! A very…

From Roscommon to Birmingham

I have looked high and low for members of the Stanley family. In the 1851 UK census I came across the following family: Jane Stanley, born 1811 in Roscommon. She is a lodging house keeper in Newhall Street, Birmingham, England. Two children are with her. Both were also born in Roscommon. John, born 1832, is…

From Islands to America

On the post “Island Lower and Upper”, (https://www.roscommonstanley.me.uk/geography/island-lower-and-upper/ ) I referred to American records as providing answers to the question about what happened to the rest of the Stanley/Kenney line. (Bridget, Thomas, Mary and John) Bridget Stanley married William Simpson on 29th June 1887 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. He was born in Darnford, New York in…