Genealogy Chat

Hi All,
We have hit a brick wall with some ancestors, we have found out that an Owen McCabe appears to have been originally Eugene before becoming Owen, his name on his first child's birth records in 1821 has him as Eugene McCabe married to Mary Wolohan but then susequent births have his name as Owen and Mary's surname spelt 4 different ways Wolohan, Wholohan, Wholahan, Wholigan. We know the children's names and year of births and place of birth Carlow Ireland. We cannot now find any records of Eugene/Owen's birth or Mary's nor any record of their marriage. I have been able to find a Mary Wolohan but 1787 and 1790 but that would make her 31 having her first child which seems a bit old for those days.... We know they lived in Brown Street Carlow, which back in 1841 was spelt Browne. Eugene/Owen apparently dies a couple of weeks after his last child Joseph was born in 1836 but can't find anything about his death either. I am knew to all this and would greatly appreciate any advice, suggestions or help...
Thank you,
Peta

Peta...

The Christian name Eugene/Owen is the Anglicised version of the Gaelic EOGHAN... so the name of Eugene on some and Owen on other records would be dependant on who wrote the information in the records.
Marys surname would no doubt have been Houlihan (or variations)
Where did you obtain all the info. you have so far as not to spend time searching for what you already have...It would also help be able to cross ref.the details.

Yes I had researched the links with the name... so there is the possibility of the names meaning the same name or Owen was a Eugene then changed to Owen and then it doesn't help in trying to locate birth or marriage, have used both Owen and Eugene and Eugenis, yes with Mary's surname we know it would have been one of those names on her children's baptism records but which one is the correct spelling to narrow done her birth record....
We have used findmypast and ancestry and they were Ireland Catholic Baptism Records. We also have personal family visit to the church they were baptised in and visited the street where they lived in Brown Street Carlow. I did find a Mary McCabe in Browne Street Carlow in 1841 and her valuation/house books?? Owen had passed away a couple of weeks after their last child Joseph was born in 1836 (that information came from Joseph's grand daughter in old letters she wrote many years ago) so that makes sense that Mary would have been head of the household in 1841. And the children were all baptised in the church in their street? or at the top of their street?
Thank you for your quick response to my posting and hoping you may know some other avenues to locate the info we are stuck on, very much appreciated,
Thank you,

Peta

A long shot! Their first child was 'Mary' and they later had 'Edward' so it might be that 'they' were named after Mary' parents? This is the same parish/diocese as the children's baptisms


Name: Mary Houlaghan

Baptism Age: 0
Birth Date: 1795
Baptism Date: 29 Nov 1795

Baptism Place: Carlow, Carlow and Kildare, Ireland

Parish Variants: Carlow and Grague, Grague

Diocese: Kildare and Leighlin

Father: Edward Houlaghan

Mother: Mary Redmond

Wow yeah that could match I think Owen might have been born about the same year.
But how hard is it when they don't spell surnames correctly, on four of her children's birth records it's spelt differently but all spelt with a "W" again I guess it comes down to the priest and their literacy abilities. So there is a strong possibility that Mary Houlaghan ends up becoming Wholohan how can it be confirmed??
I would guess finding their marriage certificate would confirm the find.... Thank you Gins.... will see if I can locate a marriage record now.
Thank you for your help,