Re: Illegitimacy, mid-1800's, McHale/Connolly
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In reply to:
Illegitimacy, mid-1800's, McHale/Connolly
Wanda Gleason 7/11/02
If your great-grandfather was born in 1866, you ought to be able to get a copy of his civil birth record.I'd suggest you find his death certificate.It probably gives the names of his parents.You might also look for his marriage certificate.The civil record will show the place of marriage, i.e., the name of the church.Assuming he was Catholic, the ecclesiastical records of the church may well show his place of baptism, which makes the search much easier for the birth record.If you like, write me directly and I can give you the name of a researcher who searches civil records.
I've only seen a few Irish baptismal records with a notation about the legitimacy of a child and they usually indicate the child's name is the same as the father's.I don't think it's likely that an 8 year old came to America alone.It's possible he came with someone other than his parents.Have you looked for Maura Connolly in the census?
Good luck!