John Brannan, A Plaster's Laborer, and his Wife Mary (Sarah) in the Huddersfield, England Census Records: An Analysis of their Migration from Ireland to Huddersfield England

The Connaught Counties of Galway, Roscommon, Mayo and Sligo are heavily represented in the Huddersfield England Census Records when the county names are given as a place of birth. 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 Brannan (Brennan) Families in Huddersfield 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 Brannans that I am identifying in the Catholic Church Records in both County Mayo and County Roscommon Ireland. 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.

Analysis of Findings:

There is another John and Mary Brannan family living next door to this family on Black Lion Yard in the 1861 Huddersfield England Census. That family hails from County Sligo according to the 1851 Huddersfield England Census. There is an obvious discrepancy right off the bat with the mothers given name: Mary in the 1861 census, Sarah in 1871 and then husband John is listed as a widow in 1881. The children's names appear to be a match but this family tree needs a lot more research.

In a BMD England marriage record search for Huddersfield England between 1846 and 1858 there were two possible marriage records for this family John Brennan December 1846 vol 22 page 317 and a more likely propect John Brannan September 1851 volume 22, page 323. There were 8 people on that page of the Huddersfield Records: John Branan, Richard Crossley, Elizabeth Woodhead (I think Richard and Elizabeth were a match because I found John Woodhead living with Richard and ELizabeth Crossley in the 1861 census), Thomas Cryan, Thomas Hirst Smith, Mary Godfrey, Mary McKew and Mary Roberts. Could one of these three Mary's be this John Brannan's wife or could they have been married in Ireland before they got here? Since Thomas wasn't born until about 1854-1855, I would have thought they would have had children before then. The only way to be sure would be Birth Record from the GRO or a Baptismal record from the church. The first child that appears in the 1861 census was Thomas (age 6, born about 1855). I found a BMD birth record in Huddersfield for a Thomas Brannan in September 1854 and one for a Mark Branan in March 1856 that are possibly matches. There are baptismal records for a variety of other Brannans between 1851 and 1857 in Huddersfield including Ann Branan in June 1851, a male Branan September 1852, Thomas Brannan September 1852, Martin Branan December 1853, Bryan Branan March 1854 and Martin Branan in June 1856. Keep in mind the other John and Mary Brannan family from Sligo living next door to them in 1861 had children Mary, Agnes, Winnie, Thomas and James.

May 2012 Updated research on this family: Special Kudo's go to: Caroline, a Genealogist researching the Huddersfield Duffy's who has just cleared up the confusion on this family tree by sharing the following record from the St Patrick's film: Mark Brennan, son of John Brennan and Mary McKew was baptized at St Patrick's Church January 1856 (this matches with the Mark I found in the 1861 census listed below!! Kudo's to Caroline for her huge contribution to this page!!!

It appears that John Brennan hails from Sligo, Ireland and that he married Mary McKew in Huddersfield I am still unsure at this point where Mary McKew comes from in Ireland, as she died some time before the 1881 census and Sligo isn't listed until John appears living with his brother Thomas and his family in the 1891 census. I accidentallly created two pages on this family- this one and one on John and Sarah Brennan of Hudderfield.

I welcome any and all feedback, corrections- they benefit us all. If you believe that your ancestors might be related to this family please contact me! If you decide to order baptismal or marriage records from the GRO based on what you see on my website, please be sure to assess the accuracy of my research first and verify the volume and page number before you order in the event I made a typo!

Census Yr/ District Address Name Age Born Occupation and Miscellaneous Info Marital Status
Free BMD England Marriage Index- Huddersfield, England (likely marriage record)   John Branan married Mary McKew Huddersfield, England quarter ending September 1851     Volume 22; page 323  
Free BMD England Birth Index- Huddersfield (Possible birth record)   Branan, Thomas   Quarter ending September 1854 Volume 9a, page 314 Huddersfield England  
Free BMD England Birth Index possible   Branan, Mark   March 1856 Volume 9a, Page 303 Huddersfield, England  
1861/ District 9 3 Black Lion Yard Brennan, John, Head 32 Ireland Plaster's Lab. M
1861/ District 9 Possible 3 Black Lion Yard Brennan, Mary 31 Ireland   M
1861/ District 9 3 Black Lion Yard Brennan, Thomas, Son 8 Yorkshire, Huddersfield, England Scholar  
1861/ District 9 3 Black Lion Yard Brennan, Mark, Son 5 Yorkshire, Huddersfield, England    
1861/ District 9 3 Black Lion Yard Brennan, James, Son 2 Yorkshire, Huddersfield, England    
1861/ District 9 3 Black Lion Yard Brennan, Catherine, Daughter 5 mos. Yorkshire, Huddersfield, England    
1871 District 20 Kirkgate Brannan, John, Head 40 Ireland Plasterer's Labourer (sic) M
1871 District 20 Kirkgate Brannan, Sarah, Wife 36 Ireland   M
1871 District 20 Kirkgate Brannan, Thomas, Son 18 Yorkshire, Huddersfield, England Labourer (sic) U
1871 District 20 Kirkgate Brannan, Mark, Son 15 Yorkshire, Huddersfield, England Labourer (sic) U
1871 District 20 Kirkgate Brannan, Kate, Daughter 10 Yorkshire, Huddersfield, England Scholar U
1871 District 20 Kirkgate Brannan, Anny, Daught 8 Yorkshire, Huddersfield, England Scholar U
1871 District 20 Kirkgate Brannan, James, Son 12 Yorkshire, Huddersfield, England Scholar  
1871 District 20 Kirkgate Brannan, John, Son 6 Yorkshire, Huddersfield, England Scholar  
1871 District 20 Kirkgate brannan, Thomas, Brother 38 Ireland Plasterer's Labourer (sic) M
1871 Distirct 20 Kirkgate Brannan, Kate, Daughter (likely Thomas' daughter?) 13 Ireland Factory Hand  
1881 District 20 Kirkgate Brennan, John, Head 54 Ireland Plasterer's Labourer (sic) W
1881 District 20 Kirkgate Brennan, Thomas, Son 28 Yorkshire, Huddersfield, England Bricklayer's Labourer (sic) U
1881 District 20 Kirkgate Brennan, James, Son 22 Yorkshire, Huddersfield, England Bricklayer's Labourer (sic)  
1881 District 20 Kirkgate Brennan, Kate, Daughter 20 Yorkshire, Huddersfield, England Mill Hand  
1881 District 20 Kirkgate Brennan, Annie, Daughter 18 Yorkshire, Huddersfield, England Housekeeper  
1881 District 20 Kirkgate Brennan, John, Son 16 Yorkshire, Huddersfield, England Stone Mason  
1881 District 20 Kirkgate Brennan, Thomas, Relation 52 Ireland Plasterer's Laborer M
1881 District 20 Kirkgate Brennan, Kate, Relation? 22 Ireland Mill Hand U
1881 District 20 Kirkgate Brennan, Patrick, Relation? 30 Ireland Bricklayer's Labourer  

Free BMD England Marriage Index

possible

  Dougherty John/ Kate Brennan Huddersfield     Huddersfield December 1886, Volume 9a, Page 567  
1891 District 8 possible link Bottomleys Yard, Upperhead Row Dougherty, John, Head 33 Kilkastrin, Galway, Ireland Mason's Labourer (sic) M
1891 District 8 Bottomley's Yard, Upperhead Row Dougherty, Kate, Wife (is this Thomas Brannan's Dtr or John's Kate?) 29 Yorkshire, Huddersfield, England   M
1891 District 8 Bottomley's Yard, Upperhead Row Dougherty, John, Son 3 Yorkshire, Huddersfield, England    
1891 District 8 Bottomley's Yard Upperhead Row Dougherty, Margt A, Daughter 1 Yorkshire, Huddersfield, England    
1891 District 8 Bottomley's Yard, Upperhead Row Brennan, Thomas, Brother (likely Kate's Brother) 39 Yorkshire, Huddersfield, England Mason's Labourer (sic) U
1891 District 8 Bottomley's Yard, Upperhead Row Brennan, John, Brother (likely Kate's brother) 23 Yorkshire, Huddersfield, England General Labourer (sic) U

Ancestry.com 1861 England Census (Database On-line) Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc 2005

Ancestry.com 1871 (and 1881) England Census (Database On-Line) Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc 2004