The John Corcoran and Mary Redde Family of Yorkshire, Leeds England: An Analysis of Their Migration from County Mayo, Ireland to Yorkshire Leeds England

The earlier years of the Leeds Census records (1841 and 1851) rarely provide the specific County, Civil Parish or Townland of Origin in Ireland of the Irish immigrants residing there, but are available in increasing frequency in later census years. In my analysis thus far of both Huddersfield and Leeds Yorkshire, England census records, there appears to be a higher concentration of immigrants coming to the area from the Connaught areas of Mayo, Sligo, Roscommon and Galway than elsewhere in Ireland. The amazing research compiled on the Irish in England by great authors like Donald Macraid, Roger Swift, Donald E Jordan Junior, Sheridan Gilley, Kevin O'Connor, John Belchem, Frank Boyce and L. W. Brady among others seems to support repeated migration trails from certain counties in Ireland to certain places in England.

My objective in this research is to analyze the Corcoran Families in Huddersfield, Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool England Census records over the years to see migration pattern trends from certain counties, possible Civil Parishes in Ireland and even with families of the surname itself. I hope to eventually connect them to the Corcorans that I am identifying in the Catholic Church Records in both County Mayo and County Roscommon Ireland and hopefully find my Corcoran connections in the process! This will most definitely be a work in progress and all findings I speculate on would have to be proven for accuracy with GRO of England marriage records, church baptismal records and death records among other genealogical records. Please use this information with that caveat in mind so that nothing is assumed and no stones are left unturned to assure it's your family and the connection is accurate.

Fellow Genealogist, Anne Marie is researching this family, was an inspirational factor and significant contributor to this page on John Corcoran and Mary Redde. Please contact us if you feel that you may be descendents of this line so that we can try to link this Corcoran line together and work toward finding out their specific origins in County Mayo, Ireland. Jackie, an England Genealogist who is a descendent of Ellen, the daughter of John Corcoran and Mary Redde, has generously provided further details on that branch of the family leading to three more developing Corcoran pages! Kudos to them both!

Regarding Ellen Corcoran: There were two Birth records in the Yorkshire BMD that could be the same Ellen, both were in the Leeds North registration District. The most likely one was in 1852 (Reference #North/40/493), but there was also a record in 1853 for an Ellen Corcoran in Leeds North (North/44/52). I have yet to find Ellen in a census after 1861, but apparently one of the Ellen Corcorans dies in North Leeds in 1866 (North/72/360) and one married a James Corcoran at St Mark, Woodhouse Leeds (CE69/#/135) in 1868. This is the same church/registration office listed in Thomas Corcorans marriage record (whom I believe is her brother).

Regarding Catherine Corcoran: There were three birth records for Catherine Corcorans in North Leeds: one in 1857 (most likely- Ref North/56/389), one in 1858 (North/58/214) and one in 1859 (North/62/439).

Regarding John Corcoran and Mary Redde Death records: I have been unable at this point to find records in the Yorkshire BMD death index that would fit either John or Mary. There was a John Corker who died in June 1896 per the England BMD at age 75 in Leeds but that is a real stretch.

Census Year District or other Record Address Name Age Born Occupation Marital Status and other misc. info.
Yorkshire BMD (part of UKBMD) Marriages Leeds Registered Building, Leeds Corcoran, John and Redde, Mary married 1848       Reference RB/8/156
Free BMD England Marriages for Leeds   Corcoran, John and Redde, Mary Quarter September 1848       Volume 23, page 296
GRO Marriage Record - Leeds, Yorkshire, England   Corcoran, John age 22 married Mary Redde 21 on August 13, 1848 Catholic Chapel of St Patrick Leeds (according to Jackie this is different that St Patrick's Church and was built around 1901 at the bottom of York Road!)       John was the son of Thomas Corcoran a Farmer and Mary the daughter of Patrick a Stone Mason; This info was most graciously passed along by Jackie a Descendent of this family- Kudos to her! She said Brussels street was given as their address.
1851 Leeds North Leeds District 2P (likely census record for this family) 8 Randall's Yard Corkrane, John, Head (Surnames Freeman and Faukland Lodgers from Ireland and Clindon from Leeds live with them) 24 Ireland Brick Layer's Laborer M
1851 Leeds North Leeds District 2P 8 Randall's Yard Corkrane, Mary, Wife 24 Ireland   M
1851 Leeds North Leeds District 2P 8 Randall's Yard Corkrane, Mary, Daughter 11 mos Leeds, Yorkshire, England    
Free BMD England Births for Leeds   Corcoran, Ellen was born quarter ending September 1852 Leeds       Volume 9b, Page 350; according to England genealogist Jackie, Ellen was born July 15, 1852 in Randall's Yard on the site of Quarry Hill to John Corcoran and Mary Reddy.
Yorkshire BMD Birth Index (Possible birth record for Daughter Mary)   Corcoran, Mary born Leeds North Sub District, Leeds, North       Ref # North/34/67; There is also a birth for a Mary Corcoran in 1850 in North Leeds but I think that is a year early.
Yorkshire BMD Birth Index (Possible birth record for son Thomas) Leeds North Leeds Corcoran, Thomas born in 1856       Reference number North/52/158
Yorkshire BMD Birth Index (Possible birth record for Daughter Bridget) Leeds North Leeds Corcoran, Bridget 1859       Reference # North/62/220; there was also a birth record for a Bridget in 1859 from Southeast Leeds
Yorkshire BMD Birth Index (Possible Record for daughter Elizabeth) Leeds North Leeds Corcoran, Mary Elizabeth 1860       Reference# North/66/5
1861 Leeds, North Leeds, Yorkshire England Census, District 32 2 Line Fold Corcoran, John, Head 35 Ireland Laborer M
1861 Leeds, North Leeds, District 32 2 Line Fold Corcoran, Mary, Wife 32 Ireland   M
1861 Leeds, North Leeds, District 32 2 Line Fold Corcoran, Mary A, Daughter 11 Yorkshire, Leeds, England Scholar  
1861 Leeds, North Leeds, District 32 2 Line Fold Corcoran, Ellen, Daughter 9 Yorkshire, Leeds, England Scholar  
1861 Leeds North Leeds, District 32 2 Line Fold Corcoran, Thomas, Son 6 Yorkshire, Leeds, England Scholar  
1861 Leeds, North Leeds, District 32 2 Line Fold Corcoran, Catherine, Daughter 4 Yorkshire, Leeds, England Scholar  
1861 Leeds North Leeds, District 32 2 Line Fold Corcoran, Bridget, Daughter 2 Yorkshire, Leeds, England    
Yorkshire BMD Birth Index (possible birth record for Julia) Leeds North Leeds Corcoran, Julia T 1863       Reference # North/62/295; the Free England BMD showed her name to be Julia Teresa- quarter 1862
1871 Leeds, North Leeds, Yorkshire England Census, District 31 3 Line Street Corcoran, John, Head 45 Ireland General Laborer M
1871 Leeds, North Leeds, District 31 3 Line Street Corcoran, Mary, Wife 40 Ireland   M
1871 Leeds North Leeds District 31 3 Line Street Corcoran, Mary, Daughter 20 Yorkshire, Leeds, England Rag Sorter U
1871 Leeds North Leeds District 31 3 Line Street Corcoran, Thomas, Son 15 Yorkshire, Leeds, England Woolen Cloth Mill  
1871 Leeds North Leeds District 31 3 Line Street Corcoran, Catherine, Daughter 13 Yorkshire, Leeds, England Tobacco Mill  
1871 Leeds North Leeds District 31 3 Line Street Corcoran, Elizabeth, Daughter 11 Yorkshire, Leeds, England Tobacco Mill  
1871 Leeds North Leeds District 31 3 Line Street Corcoran, Winey, Daughter 9 Yorkshire, Leeds, England Scholar  
1871 Leeds North Leeds District 31 3 Line Street Corcoran, Julia, Daughter 7 Yorkshire, Leeds, England Scholar  
1871 Leeds North Leeds District 31 3 Line Street Corcoran, Margaret, Daughter 5 Yorkshire, Leeds, England Scholar  
Yorkshire BMD Marriages for Leeds (possible marriage for Thomas) Leeds, St Mark, Woodhouse (Church/ Record Office) Corcoran, Thomas married Mary E Dunn 1877       Ref # CE69/F/127
Free BMD England Marriages (another source for possible marriage record for Thomas) Leeds Corcoran, Thomas married Mary Elizabeth Dunn Quarter March 1877       Volume 9b, page 610
1881 Leeds, North Leeds, Yorkshire England Census District 30 3 Line Street Corcoran, John, Head 53 Mayo, Ireland Bricklayer's Laborer M
1881 Leeds, North Leeds, District 30 3 Line Street Corcoran, Mary, Wife 53 Mayo, Ireland   M
1881 Leeds, North Leeds, District 30 3 Line Street Corcoran, Winey, Daughter 16 Yorkshire, Leeds, England Machine Hand Boot?  
1881 Leeds, North Leeds, District 30 3 Line Street Corcoran, Julia, Daughter 14 Yorkshire, Leeds England Tobacco Worker  
1881 Leeds North Leeds, District 30 3 Line Street Corcoran, Margaret, Daughter 12 Yorkshire, Leeds, England Tobacco Worker  
Yorkshire BMD Marriages Leeds (possible marriage record for daughter Winifred) Leeds Registered Building Corcoran, Winifred married Taylor, Walter 1883       Reference # RB/79/66;and in Free BMD England in quarter June 1883- Volume 9b, page 602
1891 Leeds North Leeds District 11 9 Line Street Corcoran, John, Boarder with Hefferon Family from Mayo 66 Mayo, Ireland Bricklayer's Laborer W