Irish marriage.Opinions please

[fran]

I have been searching for a marriage between James Treanor and Mary Morgan,Probably in Kilbroney,County Down and before 1820. Today I came across a transcription on FMP. It says-James McReanor to Mary Morgan,9th Jan.1816 in Kilbroney. I have looked at the register and even though the handwriting is poor,it does look as though the surname begins with M. I don't want to claim someone who is not"mine" but equally don't want to dismiss it out of hand.I would be grateful for your opinions please.
F

[Guest]

Hi

I'm only on a subscription credits per view thing on FMP so I didn't look at a document but just putting in some details, I came up with a James Trenor, marriage event 1811, in Kilbroney, Tromore....could this be your man?

Amanda

[fran]

The bride should have the surname Morgan. It was Loughlin on the register.Thank you for looking.
F

[Guest]

Ah sorry I couldn't look at the actual doc to check.

Good luck! I also have Irish ancestors to search for in Monaghan around 1871, name McKanna.

Amanda

[Guest]

mcreanor.jpg

does look like M to me

[Guest]

I take it this is their child

James
Last name Treanor
Birth year -
Baptism year 1822
Baptism date 09 Jun 1822
Parish Kilbroney
Alternative parish names Rostrevor
Diocese Dromore
County Down
Country Ireland
Father's first name(s) James
Father's last name Treanor
Mother's first name(s) ?
Mother's last name Morgan
Repository National Library of Ireland

[Janet in Yorkshire]

I read it as Mc something.

Jay

[fran]

Yes,as is Peter 16/1/1820.
F

[fran]

It looks like an M to me as well Jay. I only wish it didn't!
F

[Elwyn]

I am fairly sure the first letter of James surname is M’. In more recent times it’s become common to spell these names with Mc or Mac but originally the format, in both Scotland and Ireland, was M’. So it may be M’Treanor. (McTreanor today).

http://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls000633278#page/19/mode/1up

The Mc and O’ prefixes to Irish names are entirely detachable. They were used and dropped at whim. So, for example, you regularly find a family named O’Hagan in one set of records and then Hagan in the next. Likewise with the Mc prefix. Donnell & McDonnell are exactly the same name. The prefixes weren’t actually part of the name. People get a bit precious about exact spellings today but that wasn’t how it worked in the early 1800s. O’ just meant you were “of” the family. M’/Mc meant “son of”. (A married woman was mhic, and a single woman nic or ni). These were variables that were not actually part of the surname. So that might be the Treanor you are looking for. But I don’t know that with certainty.

I notice that one of the witnesses was Rose Morgan. Does that figure with your other information? Did your Mary Morgan have a Rose in her family?

[fran]

Thank you Elwyn.That was very informative. Everything seemed right about this apart from the M. I know nothing else about the Morgan family.I did notice Rose,and I think the other witness was Hugh Morgan.I am more hopeful now that I have got the right couple. I only need to prove it !
Fran