Useful (and unhelpful) things you may find in a marriage register

I've been trawling the Irish marriage registers at the London Family History Centre today.

I found an example each of the brilliantly useful and the rubbishly unhelpful things that make up the spectrum of the information in the registers.

Firstly the unhelpful. Considering how many Mary Fitzhenrys are in the database, the least the priest could do at the marriage of Mary Ann Fitzhenry and Christopher Boyne was to record her father's name so at least there was some way of differentiating her from the others

October 27th 1868
Marriage solemnized in the Roman Catholic chapel of Leixlip, in the Registrar's District of Lucan, in the Union of Celbridge in the county of Kildare.
Christopher Boyne, aged 30, bachelor, ploughman, residence Ravensdale Leixlip, father Thomas Boyne blacksmith.
To
Mary Ann Fitzhenry, aged 25, spinster, servant, residence Leixlip, parents dead.

And now to the really helpful:

16 January 1867
Marriage solemnized in the Roman Catholic chapel of Cushinstown, in the Registrar's District of Old Ross, in the Union of New Ross in the County of Wexford.

Patrick Fitzhenry, aged 23, bachelor, farmer, father Laurence Fitzhenry, farmer
To
Ellen Byrne, full age, spinster, father James Byrne, farmer
Residence at the time of marriage: "on their way to America, formerly Ballyleigh, Rathgarogue"

So we know that Patrick and Ellen planned to emigrate in very shortly after their marriage. Unfortunately, a quick trawl through the 1870 and 1880 US censuses haven't revealed a Patrick and Ellen Fitzhenry yet, but if you recognise this couple then please drop us a line here at the blog.

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