The James and Ellen Corcoran Family of Yorkshire (West Riding) England: An Analysis of James Corcoran's Journey from County Mayo Ireland to Leeds, Holbeck and Hunslet Yorkshire, West Riding, England
James, the son of Edward and Catherine Corcoran, was born between 1840 and 1843 in County Mayo, Ireland, according to a series of England Census records. He was living with his parents in Leeds through the 1861 census, married Ellen Corcoran on March 29, 1868 in St Marks Church, Woodhouse, Leeds.
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.
There are numerous other Corcoran families hailing from Ireland in the Leeds area in the late 19th, early 20th century and I am determined to find out if the others are related to Edward and Catherine Corcoran and their descendents and if they hail from County Mayo as well.
I believe there is a significant probability of a migration trail being followed by many Mayo and Roscommon families from their roots in Ireland to their new homes (temporary or permanent) in places like Huddersfield, Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield, Halifax and Yorkshire, England. This will be a work in progress to search for the origins of these families.
Research Observations and Special Kudos to Jackie: Jackie, a Genealogist from England who is a descendent of this family, inspired this page. Her contribution on James and Ellen Corcoran helped me make the connection between the Edward and Catherine Corcoran Family and the John Corcoran and Mary Redde Family. Both families appear to have origins in Mayo. It will be interesting to see if they hail from the same Civil Parish and Townland! According to Jackie, James was a widower, age 22 and Ellen 16 at the time of their marriage. Father John was a laborer. James also apparently had a daughter Margaret by his first marriage who was 3 in 1868. That previous marriage helps clarify the grand daughter Margaret, age 6 who was living with Catherine Corcoran (Widow and James Mother) in the 1871 Census. There was a James Corcoran who was married in Leeds, quarter ending December 1862 (Volume 9b, page 589) that would fit this possible scenario. There were two possible spouses: Alice Malone or Jane McMahon (the other person listed was John Malone). Jane McMahon is the most likely probability and there was a Jane Corcoran who died in Leeds Quarter ending September 1865 (volume 9b, page 275) but this is all just speculation without proof from a GRO record. The ages given for son James in the census records are quite variable indicating a birth between 1885 and 1888. There were several possible birth dates for him the Free BMD for Leeds, the most likely being James born September 1889 (Volume 9b, Page 472) but there were two Johns born September 1885 and September 1888 that are possibilities if he were also referred to as John like his father in the 1881 census. I didn't see any obvious birth records for Annie in the free BMD around 1894, only a Nellie (March 1894), Sarah Ann (June 1894) and a Bridget Ann (December 1894). There are several possible marriage records for the children of James and Ellen Corcoran assuming that they stayed in Leeds, but so as not to make any assumptions and send someone down the wrong track and the fact that there are many Corcoran families in Leeds with many shared given names, I will not include them here.
I would love to hear from other researchers who feel they are descendents of the Mayo and Roscommon Corcoran families who settled in Yorkshire West Riding Parishes like Huddersfield, Leeds, Halifax, Bradford and Wakefield so that we might work together to discover how these families are connected and their specific origins in 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.
| Census Year District or other Record | Address | Name | Age | Born | Occupation; Misc Info | Marital Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1851 England Census Yorkshire Leeds, North Leeds District 2p | 4 Randall's Yard | Corcoran, Edward, Head (A John and Bridget Corcoran family are right next door!)and 3 McIndred ? family members are visitors living with them | 40 | Ireland | Laborer Ag | M |
| 1851 England Census Leeds District 2p | 4 Randall's Yard | Corcoran, Catherine, Wife | 36 | Ireland | M | |
| 1851 England Census Leeds District 2p | 4 Randall's Yard | Corcoran, Patrick, Son | 13 | Ireland | Dresser of Cloth | |
| 1851 England Census Leeds District 2p | 4 Randall's Yard | Corcoran, James, Son | 11 | Ireland | School Boy | |
| 1851 England Census Leeds District 2p | 4 Randall's Yard | Corcoran, Thomas, Son | 9 | Ireland | School Boy | |
| 1851 England Census Leeds District 2p | 4 Randall's Yard | Corcoran, Michael, Son | 7 | Ireland | ||
| 1861 England Census Yorkshire Leeds District 40 | 148 Quarry Hill | Corcoran, Edward, Head | 43 | Ireland | Railway Lab | M |
| 1861 England Census Leeds District 40 | 148 Quarry Hill | Corcoran, Catherine, Wife | 40 | Ireland | M | |
| 1861 England Census Leeds District 40 | 148 Quarry Hill | Corcoran, Patrick, Son | 19 | Ireland | Cloth Finisher | U |
| 1861 England Census Leeds District 40 | 148 Quarry Hill | Corcoran, James, Son | 18? | Ireland | Cloth Finisher | U |
| 1861 England Census Leeds District 40 | 148 Quarry Hill | Corcoran, Thomas, Son | 15 | Ireland | Cloth Finisher | U |
| 1861 England Census Leeds District 40 | 148 Quarry Hill | Corcoran, Michael, Son | 13 | Ireland | Cloth Finisher | U |
| 1861 England Census Leeds District 40 | 148 Quarry Hill | Corcoran, John, Son | 9 | Yorkshire, Leeds, England | Scholar | |
| 1861 England Census Leeds District 40 | 148 Quarry Hill | Corcoran, Edward, Son | 4 | Yorkshire, Leeds, England | Scholar | |
| Free BMD England Birth Index- Leeds (Possible Birth Record for Margaret from James first marriage) | Corcoran, Margaret was born quarter ending December 1864 Leeds | Volume 9b, Page 388 (There was also another Margaret born qtr ending June 1866, but this would have been after mother Jane died in September qtr 1865 if the theory mentioned above is correct) | ||||
| West Yorkshire England Marriages and Banns 1813-1935 Ancestry.com | James resided on Cemetery Street and Ellen on Woodhouse Lane | Corcoran, James married Corcoran, Ellen St Mark's Church, Parish of Woodhouse Leeds, County Of York on March 29, 1868 | James was 22; Ellen was 16 | James was a Cloth Finisher | James was the son of Edward, Railway Porter; Ellen the daughter of John Corcoran, a Laborer. James was a Widower, Ellen a Spinster; John Maud and Martha Carrol witnesses | |
| Free BMD England Marriage Index- Leeds (Probable Marriage Record for James and Ellen Corcoran) | Corcoran, James married Ellen Corcoran quarter ending March 1868 Leeds | Volume 9b, Page 525 | ||||
| Free BMD England Birth Index- Leeds (Possible birth record for Daughter Mary Ann) | Corcoran, mary Ann was born quarter ending June 1870 | Volume 9b, Page 532 | ||||
| 1871 England Census Leeds, North Leeds District 41 | 148 Quarry Hill | Corcoran, James, Head | 29 | Ireland | Cloth Dresser | M |
| 1871 England Leeds District 41 | 148 Quarry Hill | Corcoran, Ellen, Wife | 19 | Leeds, England | Housekeeper | M |
| 1871 England Leeds District 41 | 148 Quarry Hill | Corcoran, Mary Ann, Daughter | 1 | Leeds, England | ||
| Free BMD England Births- Leeds (Possible Birth rec for Kate- no Kates in this date range) | Corcoran, Catherine born quarter ending March 1877 Leeds | Volume 9b, Page 512 | ||||
| Free BMD England Births-Leeds (Possible birth record for Ellen) | Corcoran, Ellen born quarter ending December 1878 Leeds | Volume 9b, Page 505 | ||||
| Free BMD England Births- Leeds (slim chance birth record for Elizabeth- none in early 1881 or late 1880 like I would expect ) | Corcoran, Elizabeth born quarter ending March 1879 Leeds ( | Volume 9b, Page 480 | ||||
| 1881 England Census Yorkshire Leeds District North Leeds District 33 Probable census record for James (John?) and Ellen | 4 Allison's Yard | Corcoran, John, Head Brother Thomas is next door. | 38 | County Mayo, Ireland | Cloth Finisher | M |
| 1881 England Census Leeds District 33 | 4 Allison's Yard | Corcoran, Ellen, Wife | 28 | Leeds, Yorkshire, England | M | |
| 1881 England Census Leeds District 33 | 4 Allison's Yard | Corcoran, Margaret, Daughter | 16 | Leeds, Yorkshire, England | Engaged in Cloth Mfg Warehouse (this daughter appears as a Gr Dtr in the 1871 census with his mother Catherine Corcoran- age 6 District 41 Leeds) | U |
| 1881 England Census Leeds District 33 | 4 Allison's Yard | Corcoran, Mary A, Daughter | 10 | Leeds, Yorkshire, England | Scholar | |
| 1881 England Census Leeds District 33 | 4 Allison's Yard | Corcoran, Kate, Daughter | 4 | Leeds, Yorkshire, England | Scholar | |
| 1881 England Census Leeds District 33 | 4 Allison's Yard | Corcoran, Ellen, Daughter | 2 | Leeds, Yorkshire, England | ||
| 1881 England Census Leeds District 33 | 4 Allison's Yard | Corcoran, Elizabeth, Daugther | 3 mos | Leeds, Yorkshire, England | ||
| 1881 England Census Leeds District 33 | 4 Allison's Yard | Corcoran, Julia, Lodger | 56 | Leeds, Yorkshire, England | Charwoman | W |
| 1881 England Census Leeds District 33 | 4 Allison's Yard | Corcoran, Kate, Lodger's Daughter | 28 | Leeds, Yorkshire, England | Charwoman | U |
| 1901 England Census Yorkshire Holbeck Leeds (part of ) District 32 | 10 Nichol's Place | Corcoran, James, Head | 58 | Ireland | Cloth Dresser | M |
| 1901 England Census Yorkshire Holbeck District 32 | 10 Nichol's Place | Corcoran, Ellen, Wife | 47 | Leeds, Yorkshire, England | M | |
| 1901 England Census Yorkshire Holbeck, District 32 | 10 Nichol's Place | Corcoran, Kate?, Daughter | 23 | Leeds, Yorkshire, England | Tailoress | U |
| 1901 England Census Yorkshire Holbeck District 32 | 10 Nichol's Place | Corcoran, Ellen, Daughter | 21 | Leeds, Yorkshire, England | Tailoress | U; lived and died in Marsh Lane Tenements, Leeds in the city centre not far from where she was born (per Jackie) |
| 1901 England Census Yorkshire Holbeck District 32 | 10 Nichol's Place | Corcoran, Elizabeth, Daughter | 19 | Leeds, Yorkshire, England | Tailoress | U; married John William Booth December 26, 1905 Leeds per Jackie! |
| 1901 England Census Yorkshire, Holbeck District 32 | 10 Nichol's Place | Corcoran, James, Son | 16 | Leeds, Yorkshire, England | Laborer in Cloth Finish | U |
| 1901 England Census Yorkshire Holbeck District 32 | 10 Nichol's Place | Corcoran, Annie, Daughter | 7 | Leeds, Yorkshire, England | ||
| 1905 Marriage St Bartholomews Church, Amley, Leeds, England | St Bartholomews Church, Amley, Leeds | Corcoran, Elizabeth (Lizzie) (dtr of James and Ellen Corcoran)married John William Booth December 26, 1905 | ||||
| 1911 England Census Yorkshire West Riding Hunslet District 30 | 5 Hunslet Hall Fold | Corcoran, James, Head | 70 | Ireland | Cloth Finisher | M |
| 1911 England Census Hunslet District 30 | 5 Hunslet Hall Fold | Corcoran, Ellen, Wife | 58 | Leeds, Yorkshire, England | M | |
| 1911 England Census Hunslet District 30 | 5 Hunslet Hall Fold | Corcoran, James, Son | 23 | Leeds, Yorkshire, England | Boat Hauler | U; per Jackie: James died September 25, 1915 at the Battle of Loos, First World War, with the 7th Battalion, The Kings Own Scottish Borderers |
| 1911 England Census Hunslet District 30 | 5 Hunslet Hall Fold | Corcoran, Annie, Daughter | 17 | Leeds, Yorkshire, England | Print Shop Lith? Machine Feeder | U |
| Free BMD England Death Index Leeds (Possible death record for James?) | Corcoran, James died at the age of 73 Hunslet; quarter ending September 1915 | Volume 9b, Page 580 | ||||
| Death Record for James (the elder) 1915 | Corcoran, James died August 25, 1915 | James died of Heart Disease; the informant was his daughter Kate Shepherd (nee Corcoran). She resided at 10 Ingilby Place, Wortley, Leeds (b Dec 2 1876) kudos to Jackie for the new info! |