Where is Michael Purcell's Birth certificate and who is his Mother.

[titch]

It certainly looks to be too much for coincidence especially with James as their Father. What does not add up me is Mary. 1901 she is Purcell, 1902 she is Dillon, and 1905 marries as nee Dillon. As a step sister I am assuming that this means John, Edmond, Michael and Mary have the same birth Mother, but Mary has a different father. If this is true then surely Cathrine must have married twice. If Michael Purcell and Ellen Dillon are part of the tree, then it makes Michael as the boys father, taking us away from MPs marriage to Ivy and a father named James.

[Hardwork]

Edward and Edmund look to be often interchangeable in English parish registers in my experience and indeed, when handwritten it can be extremely difficult to differentiate between the w and m, a and u, and r and n in the two names, in which case, if the record is itself a transcript of someone else's handwriting in the original (e.g. such as a parish clerk might make), it can easily lead to a mistranscription in what we see as an original document

[titch]

Did the death certificate for Edmond say how old he was.

[avaline]

The website is currently down, but I believe his age was given as 36.

I think that only Edmond & John have the same father. James may have been his grandfather & he used his name to cover up that he was illegitimate. Or perhaps Edmond & John had another brother named James, and it was him who was Michael's father.

Mary & Michael's parents are still unknown, and there are lots of question marks over both of them, eg what was Michael's real (birth) name? Why did Mary have different surnames?

Its also possible that Michael considered Mary to be his step-sister simply because they were both apparently raised by the same man (John Purcell), but they may not have been siblings in the normal sense of the word.

I can't find birth certificates for either of them, but I'll try some more searches when the site is up again.

[avaline]

The website is back up, and I was wrong... Edmond was said to be 34 when he died, so born c1870*. This obviously doesn't fit with his birth registration (1866), or his age in the 1901 census (born c1869), but John's age varies too - the 1901 census says born c1865 but the 1911 says born c1869 (which appears to be correct - see final paragraph below).

*He actually died on 14 Nov 1904 but his death wasn't registered by Mary Dillon (present at the death) until 10 Jan 1905. He was unmarried and a labourer, and the cause of death was 'probably cancer of breast'. He'd been ill for 5 months.

While the website was down I had a look through the Catholic records, and it looks like James Purcell (recorded as Purcill) & Catherine Kelly married at Ballycallan, Kilkenny on 16 Oct 1852. The only abode given was Pottlerath, and the witnesses were Pat Purcill (Purcell) and Onny Mara (?).

Baptisms found (in addition to Edward already mentioned)
8 Jun 1856 at Ballingarry, Tipperary – Richard s/o James Purcell & Cath Kelly
14 Mar 1858 at Ballingarry, Tipperary – Mary d/o James [???] & Cath Kelly
28 Apr 1861 at Ballyadams, Laois (Queen's) – Judith d/o James Purcell & Catherine Kelly of Wolfhill. Sponsors Thomas Redmond & Margaret Quigly(?) (surname transcribed as Pareel)
18 Oct 1863 at Ballyadams, Laois (Queen's) – Bridget d/o James Purcel & Catherine Kelly of Wolfhill. Sponsors Peter McManus & Anne Brown.

Birth registrations start in 1864, so this looks like John, Registered at Urlingford RD
20 Apr 1869, Kilbra, John s/o James Purcell, Kilbra, Occupation: Smith, and Catherine Purcell nee Kelly. Registered by Catherine Purcell, Mother, 9 July 1869.

[titch]

all of it seems to fit in nicely. The marriage and the births were all within about 15kmm of Kilkenny. It also answers one of my doubts. in those days couples usually had a bout a child every one or two years. John was 14 ish years after the marriage, and Michael 13 years after Edmond. The ages of John and Edmond on the 1901 census and the 1911 were both out by 4 years.
I found a birth of a James Purcell on FMP on 4th August 1835 in Urlingford (this ties in with James dying aged 60), father Tim mother ??? nee Walsh.
With Mary Dillon still being involved with the Purcell's in 1895, as you suggested may be she was unofficially fostered by John and Janey. The only thing unresolved is aa birth of Michael in the kilkenny in 1883.

[titch]

Just found on FMP, a birth of Patrick Purcell to Cathrine and James Purcell, in I believe December 1883. The image is of an entry burnt around the edges.

[avaline]

Sorry but I cant read that at all, nor can I replicate your details from a search. Can you provide the exact details from the transcript on FMP please.

[avaline]

Its OK, I've found it by searching for Richard Eagan.

If you scroll back to page 1 you'll see the microfilm is headed Parish of Muckalee, Baptisms, 30 Oct 1801 - Sept 1806, and you an see the year 1802 on the top right on the image you posted.

Unfortunately this puts it about 80 years earlier than you suggest.

[avaline]

I found a birth of a James Purcell on FMP on 4th August 1835 in Urlingford (this ties in with James dying aged 60), father Tim mother ??? nee Walsh.

I wouldn't be too quick to assume that's the correct birth/baptism. They married in 1852, so if 1835 is correct that would make him underage.

Catherine Purcell was said to be 83 at death (born c1828), but on the 1901 census she was aged 65 (born 1836), so they weren't exactly 'hot' on being accurate about ages!

Also they married in Kilkenny but spent some years in Laois & Tipperary, so James's origins could be anywhere. For example, there was also a James Purcill (transcribed as Jas Parcell) baptised Johnstown 12 Aug 1832, Parents John & Bridget Purcill nee Delainy.

The first child found to James & Catherine was named Richard, so if he really was the first & they followed the traditional naming pattern, then perhaps his father was named Richard? There's just too many to choose from.