Query on Residences mentioned in Church Records

Leeside

I'm wondering whose residence (domicilium) is referred to in the church marriage records of Iveleary i.e. is it the husband's or the wife's. I assume it is unlikely to be their future residence but I could be wrong. All marriages mention a townland.

Take this page for example:

https://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/display-pdf.jsp?pdfName=cork%20%26%20ross.ivleary%20%28inchigeela%29.p4795.00016

Vetch

I checked a few against the Tithe Applotment and it appears to be the bride's address (although I really only did check a few). Makes more sense as the bride will normally marry in her home parish.

BarryD2

I'm sure somebody may know for definite but my guess would be the townland listed is the husbands townland of residency, simply on basis that men were considered more 'important'.

These are townlands that are listed as far as I can see. So whilst the marriage might well be in the brides parish, said parish could contain anything from half a dozen to hundreds of townlands.

It's possible that in some cases that both parties are from same townland but more likely to be neighbouring or nearby as people didn't travel too far to get married then.

If you knew one or two with certainty, you could establish the rule, but my guess is the mans townland of residence.

Leeside

Vetch wrote: »

I checked a few against the Tithe Applotment and it appears to be the bride's address (although I really only did check a few). Makes more sense as the bride will normally marry in her home parish.

Thanks Vetch. That's interesting. I checked the baptisms for the children of marriages picked at random and in most cases, but not in all, the townlands shown for the baptisms are the same as for the marriages. In others, it seems to be a neighbouring townland. I'm not sure what that's telling me but I imagine in most cases the woman, once married, would have moved to live with her husband in his townland.

BarryD2 wrote: »

I'm sure somebody may know for definite but my guess would be the townland listed is the husbands townland of residency, simply on basis that men were considered more 'important'.

These are townlands that are listed as far as I can see. So whilst the marriage might well be in the brides parish, said parish could contain anything from half a dozen to hundreds of townlands.

It's possible that in some cases that both parties are from same townland but more likely to be neighbouring or nearby as people didn't travel too far to get married then.

If you knew one or two with certainty, you could establish the rule, but my guess is the mans townland of residence.

In the transcription of the records, the townland is shown after the husband's name, even though in the actual church record, the townland is written in after the wife's name.

See here for an example: https://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/search.jsp?namefm=&namel=creedon&ddBfrom=&mmBfrom=&yyBfrom=&ddBto=&mmBto=&yyBto=&locationB=&type=M&ddMfrom=&mmMfrom=&yyMfrom=1830&ddMto=&mmMto=&yyMto=1833&locationM=iveleary&ddDfrom=&mmDfrom=&yyDfrom=&ddDto=&mmDto=&yyDto=&locationD=&member0=Choose%3A&namef0=&namel0=&keyword=&submit=Search

The link in my first post shows how it is written in the actual church record.

I agree Barry that someone must know for definite but the more I think about it, I think it could be the husband's townland -by the way, Iveleary (Inchigeelagh) has over 100 townlands. If marriages took place almost always in the wife's townland, then it would make sense to write the husband's place of residence rather than the wife's in the church record.

I'd like to more certain though.

However, the 'domicilium' mentioned in the church record is a townland and not a parish so that may nullify the argument that it is likely to be the husband's townland.

BarryD2

I suppose it's possible that it's the townland where they intend to reside after marriage either literally or nominally? In many cases the woman would move into the husband's farm (rural area) but men also married into the wife's, particularly if she'd no brothers in residence etc. On balance, though I reckon man's townland of residence. Can you compare any later ones against Civil Registrations where both are often given?

blue banana

My experience has been that when only one address was provided in a marriage record that it was the bride's address.

Leeside

BarryD2 wrote: »

Can you compare any later ones against Civil Registrations where both are often given?

Thanks for that excellent suggestion Barry! I compared the church record against the civil record for marriages in the 1870's and in every case, it was the bride's townland that had been entered in the church record.

I guess the same rule applied back in the 1830's etc.

blue banana wrote: »

My experience has been that when only one address was provided in a marriage record that it was the bride's address.

Your experience has proven to be correct - at least in the parish of Iveleary.

Problem solved! Thanks to all who contributed.