MDKA Profile – Patrick Spierin c1802-1872 (IRL4-DUB1)

Patrick SPIERIN is the MDKA (Most Distant Known Ancestor) of the family branch IRL4-DUB1. The purpose of this profile is to characterise this individual and allow comparisons to other MDKA profiles of other family branches, in the hope that the parents of this individual can be identified or links with other family branches can be established.

Summary

There are no clues from wedding witnesses or baptism sponsors as to the names of his parents or siblings, but based on Catholic naming convention his father may have been John and he may have had a brother called Nicholas. Where he was born is not known – the earliest evidence for his residence is his marriage record (Killenaule, Tipperary).

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Birth

No birth or baptism record has been found for Patrick. His 1872 death certificate[1] records his age as 70, suggesting a year of birth as 1802. However, a death notice in the Freeman’s Journal[2] reports his age as 64, giving a birth year of 1808. His wife (Mary MORGAN) has an estimated birth year of 1800 so the 1802 estimate may be closer to the truth than the 1808 estimate. His birth location is unknown.

Marriage

A church marriage record reports that he married Mary MORGAN on 21^st Jan 1828 in Killenaule, Co. Tipperary (about 10 miles east of Cashel).[3] He was apparently a member of the Peace Preservation Force (armed militia) and it may have been customary to post officers outside of the county in which they had been born in order to avoid any chances of intimidation of their family.

Witnesses at his Wedding

These were Bridget MORGAN (possibly a sister of the bride) and Ellen SAVAGE. No men are mentioned as witnesses.

Children

They had 7 known children, according to church baptism records (some from Cashel & Emly, North Tipperary). Interestingly, the children were born in different places, suggesting that the family moved house frequently. This would be in keeping with Patrick being a member of the militia and thus being posted around the country from station to station. After their marriage in Killenaule (1828), they moved around northern Tipperary and resided in Rodus, Emly (1830); Killenaule (1833); Peake, Boherlan (1835); Donaskeagh, Knockavilla (1838); and then Dublin (about 1845).

Sponsors at children’s baptisms

As Patrick is likely to have been stationed quite a distance from his “home county”, the sponsors at the baptisms of his children are unlikely to have been from his family. And in fact there are no sponsors named SPIERIN. The MORGAN woman who acted as sponsor may have been a sister of his wife who travelled from Limerick to stay with her during her confinement.

1830 Catherine – Gerald FITZGERALD, Catherine MORGAN (possibly a sister of Mary)[4]

1833 John – Patrick MCCORMACK, Ann KENEDY[5]

1835 Edward – Michael COLLINS, Margaret STACK[6]

1838 Catherine – Elenora KELLY, Edmund TIERNY[7]

1842 Patrick – no baptism record found. 1901 census reports he was born in Dublin (1841-1842) but no record on www.irishgenealogy.ie

1842-1844 Nicholas – born in Dublin per 1881 UK census

1846 William – 1901 census says born in Dublin but baptism record (1846 Sandyford, Dublin) does not list sponsors

Occupation

He was a sergeant of police, according to baptism records of his children. He probably worked for the Peace Preservation Force as there is no record of him in the Royal Irish Constabulary. The PPF were an armed militia and apparently there are no records extant. There is a Constable Speering mentioned in several newspaper articles and this is believed to be Patrick Spierin. He was the arresting officer in the murder case of Wayland & Cooper, an "agrarian outrage" which eventually sparked the Devon Commission.

Parents

No direct information available.

But if Patrick & Mary followed Catholic naming conventions, their children’s names would imply the following family first names:

Deductions from male children’s names:

Father’s father:                     John

Mother’s father:                    Edward

Father:                                    Patrick

Father’s oldest brother:       Nicholas

Mother’s oldest brother:      William

Deductions from female children’s names:

Mother’s mother:                  Catherine

Father’s mother:                   Catherine (uncertain, as this was a “replacement child” for the one who died previously)

Mother:                                  n/a

Mother’s oldest sister:          n/a

Father’s oldest sister:           n/a

The precise dates of the births of the last 3 children are uncertain and so the above naming convention may be incorrect, but the presence of the first name Nicholas among the children’s names links this family branch to the Early Limerick Spierin’s of the late 1600’s/early 1700’s.

Siblings

No direct information available.

Other information

Further details of Patrick Spierin can be found on the online trees available at the following links:
Ancestry - http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/51571701/person/13221454654
Rootsweb - http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=spearin%2Dirl%2Ddub1&id=I43

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[1] Transcription: 16-Jan-1872 17 James Street Patrick Speirin married 70 porter on railway ch. Bronchitis, infirmity, 6 months, uncertified Mary Fowler present at death 17 James Street 27-Jan-1872

[2] Transcription: Patrick Speirin, 17 Jan 1872 at 17 James St, aged 64, employed in GSWR for 24 yrs (Great Southern & Western Railway)

[3] Transcription: On 21-1-1828, in the KILLENAULE Parish Register reference: K/AUL211 The Marriage of PATRICK SPIERAN and MARY MORGAN Groom's Address: Bride's Address: KILLENAULE Groom's Occupation: Bride's Occupation: Witnessed by: MORGAN BRIDGET SAVAGE ELLEN Priest: Comments: SPIERAN/SPIEREN IN REG.

[4] Name: CATHERINE SPIRIN Date: Date: 11/1/1830 Parish: EMLY Address: RODUS Father: SPIRIN PATRICK Mother: MORGAN MARY Occupation: Sponsor: FITZGERALD GERALD Sponsor: MORGAN CATHERINE Priest: Register: Comments: Comments:

[5] Name: JOHN SPIERAN Date: Date: 5/8/1833 Parish: KILLENAULE Address: KILLENAULE Father: SPIERAN PATRICK Mother: MORGAN MARY Occupation: Sponsor: MCCORMACK PATRICK Sponsor: KENEDY ANN Priest: Register: KILLEN\1106 Comments: SERGENT OF POLICE Comments:

[6] Name: EDMOND SPEARIN Date: Date: 8/9/1835 Parish: BOHERLAHAN Address: PEAKE Father: SPEARIN PATRICK Mother: MORGAN MARY Occupation: Sponsor: COLLINS MICHAEL Sponsor: STACK MARGARET Priest: Register: B/LAHAN/565 Comments: Comments:

[7] Name: CATHERINE SPEARMAN Date: Date: 28/1/1838 Parish: KNOCKAVILLA Address: DONASKEAGH Father: SPEARMAN PATRICK Mother: MORGAN MARY Occupation: Sponsor: KELLY ELENORA Sponsor: TIERNY EDMUND Priest: Register: K/AVILLA/342 Comments: (POLICE) Comments: