A Genealogist’s Dream…. or Nightmare?
Few of the clergy, many of whom appear to have hated record-keeping, were as considerate as the parish priest of the Roman Catholic parish of Tacumshane (also known as Our Lady’s Island) in Co. Wexford. While researching another family, I found the following note at the bottom of a page (spacing and punctuation changed for clarity) below the entry for 27th July 1848 (not necessarily related) :
“For the guidance of my successor, it would be necessary to know the intermarriages in the families of Murphys of Reidstown and of Cardiffs of Tacumshane.
- John was married to Bridget Cardiff;
- His son Billy was married to Ann Cardiff, his step mother’s sister;
- Their Brother Frank [Cardiff] was married to John’s daughter Susana and sister of Billy, his son.”
I’m sure that many of the later clergy of the parish must have been very grateful for the explanation.