Am I missing something?

ninatoo · Post by **ninatoo** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 7:21 am

Hi all,

I have spent a lot of time and money trying to find a marriage of John O'Brien to Ann McMahon, probably in Glasgow, Lanark before 1886, when John died. I have a rather narrow time line for it, as it appears John was with his mother and sister in the 1881 census, and unmarried. When he died, his registration lists Ann McMahon as his wife.

The only marriage for these names in this time line occurs in Blantyre and the parents for John as well as his occupation are incorrect. His parents should be Thomas O'Brien and Mary Glancy. Also I have searched a bit, and there was another John O'Brien in Blantyre in the 1881 census as well as an Ann McMahon with the correct parents for that registration living in Blantyre. So it seems this is not my couple.

As for Ann McMahon, I have a possible death certificate for 1916 where she mentions her parents are John McMahon and Martha previously Stevenson, MS McMahon (I also found them with unmarried daughter Ann in Glasgow in the 1881). It also mentions she had been married twice, the first time to to John O'Brien (labourer) which was always what John was noted as. The second marriage was to William Ronald which took place in 1901. The parents listed there differ from the previously mentioned marriage registration to John O'Brien in Blantyre so it seems obvious they were two different couples.

So...I can't find a marriage for my John O'Brien and Ann McMahon. Have I missed something...I have tried all sorts of wildcard combinations but nothing even close comes up. I would like to be absolutely certain that they never married before I enter it into my tree...so I thought I would post it here, because I know if there is anything to find, you guys will find it!!!

Nina

isobelc · Post by **isobelc** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 10:44 pm

Hi Nina,

Don't know if it ties in at all, but there is an Ann O'Brien or McMahon listed as a prisoner in the North Prison in Glasgow in 1881. She was born in 1854 in Greenock.

Regards,
Isobel

ninatoo · Post by **ninatoo** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 12:20 am

Thanks Isobel,

When my own pc is working again I will investigate this further.

Nina

ninatoo · Post by **ninatoo** » Sun May 27, 2007 6:11 am

Still no luck with this search. Is anyone willing to have a try for me?

Nina

Post by **AndrewP** » Sun May 27, 2007 9:25 am

Hi Nina,

I went for the wildcard approach and searched for John *Br*n and Ann* *M*h*n from 1855 to 1891 and got only two results. Ignoring the McPherson of Aberdeen result, it left only the 1881 Blantyre marriage of John McMahon and Ann O'Brien - the one you have already discounted. Even changing her surname to *M*n doesn't help. It returns 19 results, but no hopefuls apart from the 1881 Blantyre one.

So it does look like either they were never had a 'regular' marriage, or there is a record, but it is so bafly misindexed that no reasonable search is finding it.

All the best,

AndrewP

ninatoo · Post by **ninatoo** » Sun May 27, 2007 10:21 am

Hi Andrew,

You seem to have covered everything I have done....thanks for that because it lets me know that I have searched this thoroughly.

I suppose the only other way of finding them is the death registrations for the 'other' John O'Brien and Ann McMahon or at least some proof that the Blantyre John O'Brien lived a longer or shorter time than mine did. I have even tried looking for children, hoping to get a marriage date for the Glasgow couple...but it is a stab in the dark online....and too many wasted credits.

Mind you, the O'Briens are a very elusive lot at times. I can't find some other registrations for them, and some had been abducted by aliens right at census times, too. How frustrating!!!

Still I love this family branch because they did it hard. They came to Scotland during the potato famine, worked hard and lived in the poorest areas of Glasgow, so I can imagine them very well.

Nina

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Sun May 27, 2007 11:08 am

Just a thought...... it's not at all impossible that O'BRIEN has been indexed as BRIEN (or BRIAN for that matter), i.e. the " O' " omitted, - I've several examples of this in the censuses...........

David

Post by **AndrewP** » Sun May 27, 2007 11:26 am

DavidWW wrote:Just a thought...... it's not at all impossible that O'BRIEN has been indexed as BRIEN (or BRIAN for that matter), i.e. the " O' " omitted, - I've several examples of this in the censuses...........

Not in this case. I covered these options with the search for *br*n. If they are there, they are more elusive than that.

All the best,

AndrewP

ninatoo · Post by **ninatoo** » Sun May 27, 2007 11:39 am

Yep I tried the same as Andrew, and even the ? at the start as mentioned in David's new thread as well.

Nina

Cathy · Post by **Cathy** » Sun May 27, 2007 4:13 pm

Hi Nina,
we have corresponded about this family before.
Did I send you P/H application for Mary Glancy?
Mary Glancy was living with Mrs. McMahon 1887.
I feel I have come across Ann McMahon in the searches I have done on this family, but can't remember quite what for. I don't have her in any branch, so may have discounted her, as I couldn't prove her.