Trying to sort out the Mulvihills in South Australia

Question

I am decended from John Patrick Mulvihill born 28 Feb 1885 in South Australia, register number 346/6 He married Anna "Annie" George McLaren 17 Oct 1907 at the residence of Walter Clough in Broken Hill, NSW.

I believe that the ancestry for John Patrick goes like this:

fa: Patrick Mulvihill b19Oct1851 m Ellen Hill(s)  bc 1857.  However Patrick & Ellen were married AFTER the birth of John Patrick. Cert no 155/205 in 1888 in Adelaide (3 years after John Patricks birth, although they're both listed on his birth cert).  Ellen is listed as Ellen HILLS on all birth cert and marriage cert.  Patrick's name is spelt MALVIHILL on marriage cert.  Patrick & Ellen also had children Mary Ellen (1887) Edward James (1888) Thomas William (1890).  Both of John Patrick's parents are listed as dead at the time of his marriage in 1907.  

Patrick's father is listed as John Mulvihill on marriage cert.

What I'm trying to work out is if this Patrick Mulvihill is definately related to (the son of) the John Mulvihill & Mary Cleary who arrived in Adelaide in 1847 aboard the Trafalgar with three children.  OR Was there another John Mulvihill that Patrick is the son of??

To further confuse things, Bridget Julia Mulvihill b 11Jun1855, Dry Creek, South Australia, youngest daughter of John Mulvihill of County Clare, IRE (from her obit) marries Patrick Hackett of Pekina.  Her father is listed as John in her obit, marriage cert to Hackett lists father as "Sam Mulvihill" marriage announcement in Trove lists father as "Thomas"!!!!   There can't be two Bridget Mulvihill's who marries Patrick Hackett, so her father is listed variously as Sam, Thomas AND John!!!    I beleive that Bridget Julia is the sister of Patrick John.  

Can anyone shed any light on this rather confusing family?  Thanks!

My WikiTree ID is Way-1810.

Answer 1

You're right Scharyn it is a very confusing family, and maybe I'm going to confuse you more.

In Trove, there is a list of Unclaimed Letters from 31 March 1854 and there is 'John or Thomas Mulvihil', so maybe he went by both names or they were brothers?  

Some transcriptions of death records in South Australia in the FamilyHistorySA website also have the death of two children at Dry Creek with what I presume is the father's name of Thomas

MULVIHILL John died 1853-06-27 aged 8 d at Dry Creek; relative/informant Thomas (F)

MULVIHILL Mary died 1853-06-30 aged 12 d at Dry Creek; relative/informant Thomas (F)

I'm presuming the (F) stands for father?

I don't know if you have seen the actual marriage certificate for Bridget Julia Mulvihill or just a transcription, but I'm wondering if the father's name Sam might actually be Tom?  That would cut the father's down to only two?

My best guess would be that the father was Thomas John, preferred name John or John Thomas?  Or the father's name was Thomas and the obituary got it wrong.

As I said I've probably made the confusion even worse.

Comments

Thanks John, I appreciate your time on this.  I had wondered about a transcription error myself in at least one instance.  Your theory about John Thomas, or Thomas John is a good one too.  

I have not sighted the original docs - apart from Trove - so am relying on the accuracy of a third party (and a fourth if you count the person writing the original record!  John Mulvihill could very well have been illiterate!)

Quite a few Mulvihills came to SA at different times.  While it's quite likely that they are related at some level - one member of the family writing home about the good conditions they found etc - It's difficult to know exaclty where they all fit.  If anyone has verbal family history out there it would be really helpful!

Cheers!

Scharyn.

---

Good morning

I am hoping that you may be able to assist me. I have a Winifred Mulvihill(e) who married Patrick Guerin on 6 Sept 1847 registered in Adelaide, South Australia. Witnesses were Patrick's  sister Catherine Guerin and John O'Callaghan. No record of Father. She died 10 Mar 1901 at Hackham, South Australia and was recorded as 81 years at death. On an Adelaide Hospital Admission 30 Oct 1876 it says in Colony 26 years from Co Galway and arrived on Trafalgar. I can find no record for her arrival. A John Mulvihill arrived on the Trafalgar in July 1847 with wife and 3 children but I would have thought she would have been old enough to be named.

Only child John was born 11 Sept 1847 according to his baptism. His baptismal sponsors were Patrick's sister Bridget O'Brien (married to Joseph O'Brien and James McNamara who was Patrick's sister Catherine's husband).

(No definite proof that Patrick, Catherine, Bridget, Lawrence and John Guerin were siblings but they probably were.)

Do you have any knowledge of her?

I would appreciate any assistance or direction

Virginia

---

Hi Virginia,

I have no knowledge of Winifred.  Certainly there were those other Mulvihills who arrived on board the Trafalgar, and with some unnamed children.  I've been trying to sort out the Mulvihill side of the tree for years!! Interestingly I also have Guerin ancestry (though probably not directly related).  

I can see that Winefred died 10 mar 1901, (patrick was her deceased husband), suburb Hackham (genealogy sa). I can't see any births attributed to Winefred & Patrick.  I've had a quick look at Trove and can't see any articles or newspaper notices about her death either.  Sorry I can't be of any further help.  Those early irish people were a mystery!

---

Hi Scharyn

Thank you for your response. Can you keep me posted if you find out anything about Winifreds family.

Patrick Guerin and Winifred Mulvihill had one son John.

Where is your Guerin ancestry?

Virginia

---

My guerins arrived in Adelaide from Ireland in 1840 aboard the Birman.  Originally from France, Germany or Belgium (I believe them to have been hugenots) michael, his wife and infant daughter Bridget, my ggg grandmother.  They settled in Bulls creek (for some reason!) with some other Irish families.  How about yours?  

Have you had your dna done? We could see if we’re related.  Mine is loaded to familytreedna and gedmatch.

I’ve pretty much exhausted my definitive mulvihill research, but if I find anything out about Winifred I’ll let you know,

Cheers!  I’m off to bed now, currently living in the USA and it’s almost 23:30.  

Scharyn.

Answer 2

Just to add a bit more info:  

Patrick Mulvihill's wife is definitely Ellen HILLS (not Hill as listed in some places).  She was born June 1857 in St Thomas, Devon to John Burcher HILL and Ellen HOCKING.