opinions wanted: could Eugene also be Owen?

**lisabyrne** · 18-03-2011 10:17 AM

wanted to know what you think...
are Owen McNicholl & Martha Irwin the same people as Eugene McNicholl & Martha Erwin?

I am tracing Owen McNichol/ McNickel/ McNickle. born c1838

I have them in 1901: (think these ages are wrong) living house no 7 Drain, Co Tyrone, Ireland.
Owen McNickel, age 50 Farmer.
wife: Martha McNickel. age 49
grandaughter Rose Farrelly, age 9.

In 1911 living house no 5 Drain, Co Tyrone.
Martha McNicholl age 73, widow.
Mary McNicholl, age 44. Daughter. (cant find mary in 1901)

I know they had the following children:
Catherine b c1862-1865, married Francis Farley1882. (their daughter is Rose - in 1901 with grandparents, catherines marriage cert says father Owen McNichol)
more on catherine:
possible Church baptism record 28 jan 1862, father Eugene McNichol, mother Martha Erwin, address Drain. Informants Carol, Mary Downey.

Mary c1867.

Francis c1867
more on francis:
(have found Civil Birth record 02 feb 1867- father Owen McNickle, mother Martha Irwin. address Drain.Informant owen)
(also got Church Baptism Record 23 nov 1866 - father Eugene McNichol, mother Martha Erwin.,address Drain. informants: James, Ann McMullan).

Ellen c1869 (maybe an ellen and an Eleanor, ellen 1868 & Eleanor 1869 - or same person?)
more on ellen?
church baptism record: 27 dec 1868, father Owen McNichol, mother Martha Erwin, address Drain. informants: Michael, Mary Hughes.
civil birth record: 25 feb 1869, father Owen McNichol, mother Martha Irwin, address drain. informant owen.

Felix c1872
more on felix:
Civil birth record: 02 jan 1872 -father Owen McNicoll, mother martha Irwin. address drain. informant Owen.
Church Baptism record: 26 dec 1871 - father Owen McNichol, Mother Martha Erwin, address Drain. informants: Thomas, Mary Hughes.

another possible child? Brigid McNichol c1870
church baptism record 12 mar 1870 address Drain. Father Eugene McNichol, mother Martha Erwin. informants Peter, Eleanor McMullan.

other thoughts:
there is no eugene McNickle/McNicholl in 1901.
cant find mary (age 44 in 1911) in 1901 census.
think owen died pre 1911 census.

any advice grately received..... not sure where to go next.
thanks
lisa xx

**Elwyn** · 18-03-2011 11:48 AM

Owen and Eugene can be interchangeable. See:

www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/1/Owen

I think it’s the one family.

Drain was a small townland with only 7 families in it in 1901, and about 9 families in 1860 (Griffiths).

www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Tyrone/Brantry/Drain/
www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml

It’s just possible that there were 2 cousins with 2 wives of the same name giving their children the same names at the same time, but somehow I doubt it.

RC practice was to baptize a child as soon as possible after birth, so I’d say the baptism dates are very close to the real birth date. It is possible that the father just left it a few weeks to register the births with the Registrar, (some miles away in Dungannon) and when he did so he must have told the Registrar the child was just born (for fear of a penalty for late registration perhaps?) So the civil date of birth is later and differs from the baptism (and real date of birth).

Birth registration only started in 1864 in Ireland and in the early years a lot of births weren’t registered at all. So late registration wouldn’t be surprising.

I see that Griffiths has a Patrick McNicholl renting a house, offices (outbuildings) and 5 acres of land in Drain in 1860. It’s plot no 6 on the Griffiths map. Modern address would seem to be Cadian Rd, Eglish. You should be able to find that easily enough today if you went there.

**lisabyrne** · 18-03-2011 11:53 AM

thank you so much . that is really helpful.
we are hoping to go there in May
x

**Elwyn** · 18-03-2011 01:08 PM

Glad to have helped. Re Mary McNicholl in the 1901 census, I can't find her either. She wasn't living locally in the Brantry DED. I have tried various spellings of her name but there is no sign of her anywhere in ireland. I'd guess that she was away working in Scotland or England in 1901 and was asked to come home when her father died. As an unmarried duaghter, the family would probably have asked her to look after her mother who otherwise would have been living alone. That also suggests there may not have been any other close family living in the vicinity of Drain by then.

**lisabyrne** · 18-03-2011 01:15 PM

that sounds plausable. I have searched uk 1901 and cant find her there either !

thanks again

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