... 1901 & 1911 Census of Ireland

Joseph Cecil, John, Eliza Ann & William Geoffrey Mulholland, circa 1921

In October 1997, I obtained a copy of my Great Grandfather's death certificate, it revealed that John Mulholland died on 1 December, 1951 at the age of 79. His parents were Robert Mulholland and Nancy Pertey (this was a name that was going to give me trouble for quite some time)...he was born and married to Elizabeth McWilliam, in Randlestoun, Northern Ireland (Randlestoun turned out to be Randalstown). It also revealed that John was a widower, which confirmed what I had understood from the stories my father told me, Dad had never mentioned his grandmother, and had always referred to his Grandfather as Puppy Mul. He would remember Puppy Mul and Uncle Geoff visiting when he was a child in Fairfield. Dad would say that he and his brother Paddy, would walk up to meet their grandfather and uncle when the train was due from the city. Puppy Mul and Uncle Geoff would bring a big bag of oranges for Dad's family when they would visit. The death certificate also revealed that William G 53 living and one male deceased (Dad's  father) were his only issue. Some years later I would find that there was also an infant female that had died young.

I don't recall exactly when I found this, but some time between December 2007 and June 2009 the Census of Ireland for 1901 & 1911 was made available online.

The 1901 Census of Ireland, household Form A

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Cromac/Beech_Street/968223/

Residents of a house 57 in Beech Street (Cromac, Antrim)

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Surname	Forename	Age	Sex	Relation to head	Religion	Birthplace	Occupation	Literacy	Irish Language	Marital Status	Specified Illnesses
Mulholland	John	28	Male	Head of Family	Church of Iriland	Antrim	Bootmaker	Read and write	-	Married	-
Mulholland	Joseph Cecil	3	Male	Son	Church of Iriland	Belfast	-	-	-	Not Married	-
Mulholland	William Geoffery	1	Male	Son	Church of Iriland	Belfast	-	-	-	Not Married	-
Mulholland	Lizzie	29	Female	Wife	Church of Iriland	Antrim	Housewife	Read and write	-	Married	-

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai000331294/

The 1911 Census of Ireland, household Form A

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Down/Ormeau/Rosebury_Road/217042/

Residents of a house 43 in Rosebury Road (Ormeau, Down)

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Surname	Forename	Age	Sex	Relation to head	Religion	Birthplace	Occupation	Literacy	Irish Language	Marital Status	Specified Illnesses	Years Married	Children Born	Children Living
Mulholland	John	38	Male	Head of Family	Church of Ireland	Co Antrim	Boot Maker	Read and write	-	Married	-	15	3	2
Mulholland	Eliza Ann	40	Female	Wife	Church of Ireland	Co Antrim	-	Read and write	-	Married	-	15	3	2
Mulholland	Joseph Cecil	13	Male	Son	Church of Ireland	Co Antrim	Scholar	Read and write	-	Single	-	-	-	-
Mulholland	William Geoffrey	11	Male	Son	Church of Ireland	Co Antrim	Scholar	Read and write	-	Single	-	-	-	-

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai002172531/

It turned out that John was one of  fourteen children. According to the 1911 Census of Ireland, household Form A, my Great Great Grandparents Robert and Nancy Mulholland, had been married 46 years; nine of their fourteen children were still alive, and one of their daughters Julia was also recorded on the census form with them.

The 1911 Census of Ireland, household Form A

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Down/Ormeau/Glendower_Street/227229/

Residents of a house 6 in Glendower Street (Ormeau, Down)

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Surname	Forename	Age	Sex	Relation to head	Religion	Birthplace	Occupation	Literacy	Irish Language	Marital Status	Specified Illnesses	Years Married	Children Born	Children Living
Mulholland	Robert	68	Male	Head of Family	Church of Ireland	Co Antrim	-	Read and write	-	Married	-	-	-	-
Mulholland	Nancy	64	Female	Wife	Church of Ireland	Co Antrim	-	Read	-	Married	-	46	14	9
Mulholland	Julia	28	Female	Daughter	Church of Ireland	Co Antrim	-	Read and write	-	Single	-	-	-	-

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai002197386/

The marriage clue in the census enabled me to find an entry in the Irish marriage index on the Familysearch website, and some time later I located a marriage entry on the Rootsireland website, and I also managed to obtain a transcribed copy of the marriage certificate -

On 18 May, 1864, Robert Mulholland, aged 21 years, a labourer, of Aughaboy, Drummaul, son of John Mulholland, a labourer, married Nancy O'Neill, aged 18 years, of Ballytresna, Drummaul, daughter of James O'Neill, a shoemaker, in the Ballymena Registry Office. The marriage was witnessed by Eliza Macartney and Andrew Lamont.

Aughaboy and Ballytresna were Townlands, located in close proximity to Ballymena and Randalstown.

I have managed to find the names of ten of Robert and Nancy's children, the other four are out there somewhere, but locating their children's birth records was not as easy as one would expect. It seems that Nancy was known under various different names, and as I would find later, when each of her children passed on, the record of their mother's name would also vary. Six of the children were found in the 1901 Census living with Robert and Nancy -

The 1901 Census of Ireland, household Form A

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Shankhill/Snugville/949868/

Residents of a house 48 in Snugville (Shankhill, Antrim)

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Surname	Forename	Age	Sex	Relation to head	Religion	Birthplace	Occupation	Literacy	Irish Language	Marital Status	Specified Illnesses
Mulholland	Maria	25	Female	Daughter	Church of Ireland	Co Antrim	Linen Yarn Winder	Read and write	-	Not Married	-
Mulholland	Joannah	12	Female	Daughter	Church of Ireland	Co Antrim	Scholar	Read and write	-	Not Married	-
Mulholland	Mary Agnes	21	Female	Daughter	Church of Ireland	Co Antrim	Linen Yarn Winder	Read and write	-	Not Married	-
Mulholland	Ellen	30	Female	Daughter	Church of Ireland	Co Antrim	Linen Yarn Winder	Read and write	-	Not Married	-
Mulholland	Julia	14	Female	Daughter	Church of Ireland	Co Antrim	Linen Yarn Winder	Read and write	-	Not Married	-
Mulholland	Robert	58	Male	Head of Family	Church of Ireland	Co Antrim	Retired Linen Lapper	Read and write	-	Married	-
Mulholland	James	17	Male	Son	Church of Ireland	Co Antrim	Cropping Machine Worker	Read and write	-	Not Married	-
Mulholland	Nancy	54	Female	Wife	Church of Ireland	Co Antrim	-	Read	-	Married	-

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai000302399/

© Geoff Mulholland 2013-2016