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Doe anyone know anything about the Irish Census? I believe that some of my family were in Ireland in 1891, probably in Belfast and wonder if there is any way of checking.

To my knowledge, the Irish census were destroyed in the 1922 fire...1911 being the only one in existence. I think it is this reason that research in Ireland can prove difficult.

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Mel

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Thankyou so much for the info Mel. As the whole family is missing from the UK 1891 census and then appear again in 1901, I shall just assume they went to Ireland and returned.

Mel, it looks like I get to correct you for the very first time!

Both the 1901 and 1911 are still extant. The 1911 has been wonderfully catalogued and scanned (and is free) here:
http://www.genealogybranches.com/irishcensus.html

Various 1901 bits can also be found there (entire census to go live soon)

Some small fragments of the 1821 and 1851 censuses also live at the page shown above. Also, Irish research is greatly aided by the fact that every parish record is also viewable online (although it is at a cost).

Thanks Stephen
Although I have Irish ancestors, they are not even on the fire (let alone the backburner) yet as I cannot make any headway into Co. Mayo at all. One day when I am a lady of leisure (I hear hubby shouting 'more of a lady of leisure than now') I will pick up my Irish trail and become an expert on all research in Co. Mayo

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Mel

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Mel,

If you'd like to give me a few pointers/names re: your Mayo ancestry, I can spend a bit of time looking into them to kick start your project if you like...?

Stephen

Offers like that don't crop up every day! Thanks Stephen.

Family tale told by a couple of different people -
John Dacey was illiterate and not too bright. During WW1 he stayed with his daughter who also had her grandchildren to stay. They would tease him because he didn't know his birthday. 'All I know, I was born on the night of the big winds' would be his response.
I did a bit of digging into the storm and it was the 5/6 January 1839. Apparently many people in Ireland would say this when state pension came to be....many didn't know their age but if they remembered the big winds, they were old enough for pension. So, more than probably that it's not his birthday unfortunately.

He came to England, stopping in Manchester in 1861 and marrying Catherine Buckley there in 1862. By 1863 they were in Staffordshire having started a family. Catherine was also from Ireland though I haven't a clue where.
I believe this is the census reference for John Dacey in 1861

RG9/2940 folio 133 pg 81
39 Bridgwater Street Manchester.
Boarder with John & Bridget Carrigan

and with his family in 1871.
1871
Rg10/2833 folio71 pg 37
10 Leopard Yard Newcastle under Lyme
John Darcey Head 36 Labourer b.Ireland
Catherine Wife 36 b.Ireland
William Son 8 Scholar b.Kidsgrove
Ellen Dau 5 Scholar b.Burslem
Mary Dau 3 b.Newcastle. Dumb and Deaf
Catherine Dau 1Mo b.Newcastle

I have found Dacey spelt many ways - Dacey, Deasy, Deacy, Darcey, Darcy, Dasey to name a few.

I believe John had a brother, his name was Owen. He came to England sometime between 1861 and 1871 and was found in Staffordshire on the 1871 census.
The census ref. is
RG10/2832 folio 82 pg 25
2 Yard off Ch St., Newcastle-under-Lyme

Owen went to Massachusetts in the early 1870s, he was there on the 1880 census. There are letters with a cousin that were received from Owens family during the early 1900's from MA. I am in contact with a descendant of Owen in The USA. I think he told me Owen had the same story re: birth and big winds.
As you might know, when a death is registered in the USA, they ask for the parents names. When Owen died, these were given as Dominic Dacey and Catherine Corrigan. John Dacey, if it is the correct census ref., was staying with a Corrigan in 1861 when he first arrived in England. I have found no other reference to the name Dominic. Both Owens and Johns marriage certicates give fathers name as William. Probably the informant for Owens death was mistaken and it was just an error?

And that's the lot. I do have the US and UK census for John and Owen but only put the ones you see here to help build the picture of the family. Owen would have been born about 1845 and John a few years earlier, about 1839 according to census and his death cert. - Johns age does vary throughout the years.

There are other Darcey's in Staffordshire but I have never made a connection with them.

There are quite a lot of Parish Records on this site http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.anc ... eesegenes/ for Co. Mayo, I've trawled through them a few times but found nothing familiar. Not looked for a couple of months though, she seems to update her site often.

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Mel

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I forgot to add, John and Owen were both Catholic.

Thanks again.

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Mel

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With regards to the spellings, my Nan came within a whisker of marrying a Jeremiah D'Arcy!

Surely the only woman in the world to turn down an engagement offer by "Mr. D'Arcy"!

Oddly, the D'Arcys lived just down the road from Nan's cousins, the Corrigans. This will perhaps indicate the common-ness of both surnames!

I'll take a look into the facts you've handed over, although a c1839 birthdate would make things rather tricky (as it's in the very earliest years of parish records being kept).

Do you have his age on the 1861 census, and also for his 1862 marriage? Do you know whether he was Catholic or Protestant...?

Also, do you have the ages that Owen has given in various censuses?

I didn't know that info: re: American deaths. That gives me some hope for some of my own Irish migrants who went out there never to be seen again!

Finally, how d'you know John and Owen are from County Mayo?

Mel,

Have conducted a bit of research into this for you. See below:

There are 111 John Daceys (and variants) baptised in Eire up to 1911.
Limiting this to just Co. Mayo we get 76 of them. The earliest fall in 1843.
As for Johns baptised to William in Co. Mayo, there are just 2 in the Parish Records. They are baptised 1872 and 1881. Far too late for our John. Spreading this search Nationwide just results in one more, in 1870 (Co. Armagh).

No John Daceys are baptised to Dominic Dacey in either Mayo or Nationwide!

Now, giving John “Darcey” (and variants) a go, we’ve got 570 of them Nationwide! Reducing it to Mayo gives us 23 of the fellers, two in 1814, one in 1839, one in 1841 and 1843. The next lot are from the 1850s. However, the only one to have William as a father isn’t baptised ‘til 1872. Nationwide however, we have 18 John Darcey (and variants) baptised to “William”. 1802 Tipperary, 1825 Westmeath, 1833 Westmeath, 1839 Tipperary, 1839 Meath, 1842 Wicklow, 1843 Cavan being the earliest.

No John Darceys are baptised to anyone called Dominic in this time.

Now, for Owen.

Eight Owen Daceys are baptised Nationwide between 1858 and 1878. Every one of these is baptised in Mayo! None are baptised to either William or Dominic, though.

We have seven Owen Darceys baptised Nationwide – Louth 1822, Tipp 1831, Armargh 1844 being the earliest. None are baptised to William or Dominic.

Nationwide, we have 49 William Darceys being married up to 1911 (one in Mayo, 1826).
16 William Daceys are married Nationwide. Eight of these being in Mayo, but not until 1856.

Dominic Dacey is married twice Nationwide (both times in Mayo – 1854, 1857).
Dominic Darcey is married four times Nationwide. Each time being in Galway.

Owen was aged 22 when he married in 1867 in Newcastle (Staffs). John was aged 26 when he married in 1862.
Owen died in 1922 aged 74. John died in 1922 aged 83.

Census ages for John
1871 - 36
1881 - 34
1891 - 57
1901 - 65
1911 - 71

Census ages for Owen
1871 - 27
1880 - 33
1890 - could not find him
1900 - 55
1910 - 64
1920 - 70

Both were illiterate.

With regards to 'how do I know Mayo', it was passed by word of mouth in both my own Dacey line and the Owen Dacey line. I thought it interesting that Owens descendant told me the same story re: the birthdate that I had heard from my own line. There has been no contact between these two lines since the 1920s.

As for religion, they were Roman Catholic.

I think the Dominic was an error on the part of the informant. It's the only tme the name has cropped up.

I know Dacey and it's variants is common in some regions....not so much in Staffs.

Thanks for your help on this Stephen. I'm not sure if any of the above could be John, John beong such a common name but you would think that Owen was a little less popular wouldn't you?

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Mel

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Just one more question:

John's age in 1861? Can't find the census record myself to check...

Stephen

Aged 28 and the 1861 census also lists birthplace as Mayo.

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Mel

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