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Family mystery man!

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  • 28-08-2014 12:41pm
    #1
    th283
    Registered Users Posts: 286 ✭✭


    Hi guys, I was wondering if any of you could give me some advice / pointers in how to solve a family mystery!

    I am attempting to trace my great grandfather, john McCaffrey. We know practically nothing about him before he married my great grandmother in 1917. All the information we have is:

    -his marriage cert lists him as 20 in 1917, and his father as john McCaffrey plumber

    -he served in the army. I have a letter addressed to him from the pensions minister in 1937, with the royal Munster fusiliers written as his regiment on it. However 2 separate royal Munster fusiliers historians have looked into it and neither have been able to find any record of him. Their theory is he transferred to the regiment just before the war ended

    -we think he was posted in Tipperary and Tralee, can't find any records of this though

    -my gran aunt says he spoke with a accent, perhaps northern irish. Her sister (his stepdaughter aged 7 when they married) said that his family did not go to the wedding and never visited but thought his mothers name was Elizabeth Johnson

    This is all we know about him, I've tried the census records but can't find any matches in age anywhere in ireland. I thought perhaps he lied about his name but he would have to have gotten a letter of freedom to get married and this would have had his real name on it.

    I'd appreciate if any one had suggestions/ ideas of what to try next!


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    #2
    Ponster
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 10,911 Mod ✭✭✭✭Ponster


    Where in Ireland did they get married ?


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    #3
    shanew
    Registered Users Posts: 2,777 ✭✭✭shanew


    looks like the marriage took place in Tralee..

    what was John jnr's occupation and residence at time of marriage, also names of witnesses ?


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    #4
    th283
    Registered Users Posts: 286 ✭✭th283


    Hi, thanks for the replies. The wedding took place in Tralee, his occupation was down as soldier and address was down as Tipperary command depot- unfortunatley all their records were destroyed years ago. The witnesses were members of my great grandmothers family


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    #5
    shanew
    Registered Users Posts: 2,777 ✭✭✭shanew


    There are quite a few WW1 medal cards and military records on Ancestry for the name John McCaffrey, but none that I've found so far with a likely connection to your John, or that mention the Munster Fusiliers...

    There are details of the RMF here on the 1914-1918 website, none of the postings specifically mention Tipperary, but the postings for the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, include Tralee and later parts of Cork before being moved in November 1917 to Devonport and later Plymouth.


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    #6
    th283
    Registered Users Posts: 286 ✭✭th283


    shanew wrote: »
    There are quite a few WW1 medal cards and military records on Ancestry for the name John McCaffrey, but none that I've found so far with a likely connection to your John, or that mention the Munster Fusiliers...

    There are details of the RMF on the 1914-1918 website, none of the postings specifically mention Tipperary, but the postings for the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, include Tralee and later parts of Cork before being moved in November 1917 to Devonport and later Plymouth.

    Thanks for your reply, from the research I've done the Tipperary command depot was also used as a military hospital/ base for rehabilitation, we know he was injured so perhaps he was there to recover and that could be the reason for that address.


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    #7
    CeannRua
    Closed Accounts Posts: 470 ✭✭CeannRua


    Have you checked the church rather than civil version of the 1917 marriage record to see if there's anything extra about his origins recorded?


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    #8
    th283
    Registered Users Posts: 286 ✭✭th283


    Hi guys sorry to drag up an old thread but it seemed easier than starting a new one :) I'm still trying to trace my great grandfather as mentioned in the op, I recently came across the attached medal information for J mccaffrey on ancestry, the dates and the regiment seem to match. My question is where can I use the regiment number on this document to check if it's the right person? Thanks


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    #9
    shanew
    Registered Users Posts: 2,777 ✭✭✭shanew


    I'm not seeing any attachment - can you post the Service Number


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    #10
    th283
    Registered Users Posts: 286 ✭✭th283


    Hi hopefully the attachment is visible this time. The regiment number is 5085 Private J Mccaffrey. Thanks


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    #11
    shanew
    Registered Users Posts: 2,777 ✭✭✭shanew


    The 1915-15 Medal shows up straight away, but I'm not seeing any service or pension record for that name & number.


    (p.s. I'm not seeing any attachment...)


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    #12
    th283
    Registered Users Posts: 286 ✭✭th283


    shanew wrote: »
    The 1915-15 Medal shows up straight away, but I'm not seeing any service or pension record for that name & number.


    (p.s. I'm not seeing any attachment...)

    Thanks Shanew for some reason the site keeps rejecting the attachment, hopefully this link will work

    https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0qFZtEjrhRFMGFjOVBwWThBSWs


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    #13
    shanew
    Registered Users Posts: 2,777 ✭✭✭shanew


    yes - that, the listing I saw... unfortunately I'm still not seeing anything else for that service number - possibly nothing else substantial survives for him, as most of the WW1 service records were lost during the Blitz. Maybe someone else can spot something for him...


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