Tracing my Irish heritage further

[The Wannabe Toff]

I have two brick walls in my maternal grandfather's lineage that have been completely immovable for a couple of years now. To avoid bombarding everyone, I'll split them up into separate posts, but anyway. I have managed to trace my grandfather's heritage back to his great-great-grandparents (and thus my 4x-great-grandparents) who both came from Ireland. Dennis Mullins and Ellen House were married in Southwark, London on 6 Sept 1835 - Dennis was born in Cork c. 1817, and Ellen in Cork c. 1814. The circa is there because the census is inconsistent with their ages. Tracing their backgrounds is tough; I think I have found Dennis' parents, apparently a Jeremiah and Mary Mullins (her maiden name McCarthy) but I don't have much confidence in that at all. Two people who I believe to be Ellen's much younger brothers - John and Charles House - were living with the Mullins family in 1851 in St. Luke's in London, but any attempts to find either Ellen, John or Charles in Cork has always come to nothing. Also House might be a misinterpretation of Howes - Ellen is marked as 'formerly Howes' on one of her kids' baptism certificates. Howes looks more Irish to me, but that's just what I think. Any help in firmly finding more Mullins/Howes evidence would be MUCH appreciated. Of course, if finding Irish immigrants in their homeland is impossible, I understand, as it sure looks that way!

[kiterunner]

Welcome to the forum. Do you know whether Dennis and Ellen were Catholic or Protestant? Or one of each?

[The Wannabe Toff]

Welcome to the forum. Do you know whether Dennis and Ellen were Catholic or Protestant? Or one of each?
I don't know their religion, no. I'm lucky I found their marriage, to be honest - information about them is VERY scarce, at least in my parameters of research.

[kiterunner]

For reference, here is the 1851 census entry that you mentioned:
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/8860/MDXHO107_1521_1522-0200/2842483?backurl=&ssrc=&backlabel=Return#?imageId=MDXHO107_1521_1522-0199

7 Adam & Eve Court, St Luke Old Street
Dennis Mullins Head Mar 34 Bricklayers Lab Ireland
Ellen Do Wife Mar 32 Do
Fenwick Do Son 14 Scholar Middx St Luke
Mary Do Daur 12 Do Do
Catherine Do Daur 11 Do Do Do
William Do Son 10 Do Do
John Do Son 7 Do Shoreditch
James Do Son 5 Middx Shoreditch
Ellen Do Daur 1 Do St Luke
Charles House lodger U 17 Sawyer Ireland
John Do Lodger 15 Do Do
Mary Riley Visitor U 30 Ser Out of Place Do

[kiterunner]

This is Dennis and Ellen's marriage record:
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/1623/31280_198008-00422?pid=3453821&treeid=&personid=&rc=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=Ctf12569&_phstart=successSource
Witnesses Jeremiah Mullins, Catherine Mullins, and William Stead, so Jeremiah does look likely for Dennis's father.

[Merry]

I was hoping this death might turn out to be a possible match for Dennis's father (if his father was named Jeremiah), but the age suggests it's more likely to be for Dennis's son (if connected at all!):


MULLENS, JEREMIAH
4
GRO Reference: 1837 D Quarter in SAINT LUKE MIDDLESEX Volume 02 Page 273

EDIT - I hadn't realised they were only married in 1835, so perhaps not their son after all (unless the 4 is four months or four weeks etc)

[kiterunner]

There is this family in 1841 who may or may not be connected:
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/8978/MDXHO107_723_724-0295/7980698?backurl=&ssrc=&backlabel=Return

Trinity Place, Holy Trinity the Less, London
Jerry Mullins 45 Labr Ireland
Margaret Do 45 Ireland
Thos Do 20 Tailor (or Sailor?) Ireland
Catharine Do 20 N
Ellen Do 1 N
Margaret Do 3 weeks N.

[kiterunner]

I realise you already have the 1861 census record, but again just for reference, here it is:
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/8767/MDXRG9_231_235-0877/5519892?backurl=https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/person/tree/57447985/person/40458364085/facts

6 Lyons Buildings, Shoreditch
Dennis Mullins Head Mar 42 Labourer Ireland Cork
Ellen Do Wife " 47 " "
James Do Son 16 Scholar Middx Shoreditch
Ellen Do Daur 12 " " "
Arthur Do Son 8 " " "
George Do " 5 " " ".

I was looking at someone's tree on ancestry, and they have this as the 1901 census entry for the same family - in Ireland:
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai000532189/
Windmill Road, Cork
Denis Mullins Head 80 Carriage Builder Widower City of Cork
Ellen Mullins Daughter 50 Living at home Not married Do
Arthur Mullins Son 48 Carriage Builder Not married Do
Maria Mullins Granddaughter 8 Do
Bridgett Crowley Servant 30 Cook Domestic Not married County of Cork
All Roman Catholic.

On the face of it, this looks like the wrong family as they are all supposedly born in Ireland, but the ages for Ellen and Arthur match with your family, so I thought we should check into it.

[kiterunner]

And this is the English probate record for that Denis Mullins:
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/1904/31874_222356-00375/5027303?backurl=https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/person/tree/157994381/person/292076360242/facts

1904 MULLINS Denis of 17 Windmill-road Cork died 7 August 1904 Probate Cork to Jeremiah Mullins, Matthew Mullins and Arthur Mullins coach-builders. Sealed London 21 November. Effects £552 in England.

The Irish probate record shows his estate in Ireland to be over £9,000.

Can I take it that this definitely isn't your Dennis?

[kiterunner]

?1871 census?

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/7619/LNDRG10_413_418-0322/29041128?backurl=&ssrc=&backlabel=Return

1 Montague Court, Bishopsgate, London
Ellen Mullins Head W 53 Laundress Ireland
Arther Mullins Son Unm 18(?) Bricklayers Labourer Middlesex Shoreditch
George Mullins Son 13 Carters Boy Do Do

1881 census:
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/7572/LNDRG11_368_372-0503/14838672?backurl=https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/person/tree/41765719/person/19676038303/facts
6 Montague Court, Bishopsgate
Nellie Mullins Head Widow 66 Laundress Ireland Cork
George - Son Mar 24 Plasterer Middlesex Bishopsgate
Nellie - Daughter in Law - 21 " "

[Merry]

George - Son Mar 24 Plasterer Middlesex Bishopsgate
Nellie - Daughter in Law - 21 " "

George and Nellie's marriage cert:

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/1623/31280_198855-00230/4082179?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.uk %2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3dlmamarriages%26gsfn%3dgeorge% 26gsln%3dmullins%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln_x%3d1%26cp%3d 11%26msgdy%3d1879%26msgdy_x%3d1%26msgdp%3d2%26qh%3 dAtEjXHW%252buR%252fGDT63FXfdeQ%253d%253d%26hc%3d5 0%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26uidh%3d672%26redir%3dfals e&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults

Denis's occupation is given as Smith.

[Merry]

There is this family in 1841 who may or may not be connected:
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/8978/MDXHO107_723_724-0295/7980698?backurl=&ssrc=&backlabel=Return

Trinity Place, Holy Trinity the Less, London
Jerry Mullins 45 Labr Ireland
Margaret Do 45 Ireland
Thos Do 20 Tailor (or Sailor?) Ireland
Catharine Do 20 N
Ellen Do 1 N
Margaret Do 3 weeks N.

I think it's more likely Jeremiah Mullins who witnessed the 1835 marriage of Dennis would be his brother (or other relative) rather than his father.

In 1871 Jeremiah and Margaret say they are from Cork (Hopefully it's the same couple!)

1851:

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/8860/SRYHO107_1559_1559-0059/643458?backurl=&ssrc=&backlabel=Return

1861:

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/8767/SRYRG9_313_316-0948/6047633?backurl=&ssrc=&backlabel=Return

1871:

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/7619/LNDRG10_623_625-0627/5421674?backurl=&ssrc=&backlabel=Return

Their ages are a bit all over the place!

[Merry]

I can't see a birth reg for Margaret, but this one is possible for Ellen:

MULLINS, ELLEN
CRAWLEY
GRO Reference: 1840 M Quarter in ST OLAVE'S UNION SOUTHWARK Volume 04 Page 445

On the Irish Genealogy site there is a RC marriage transcribed as JERRY MULLANE and MARGT CROWLY 28 Jan 1823 in the Parochial area of ENNISKEANE & DESERTSERGES.

There's an image for it, but if I try and increase the size I can't centre the page to see the entry I want. In any case, whilst we don't know if they are a connected couple it doesn't help much!