Newfoundland's Grand Banks Message Board

I am trying to find a birth record or baptismal record for my great grandfather, Ignatius Tucker. I have found the marriage record at the RC Basilica of St. John's which states both my great grandparents were of Torbay. I have also found records of death for both. Ignatius is believed to have been born in 1860 or 1863. As a young child, family stories tell us his parents died, so Ignatius and his sister went to live with "Granny" Walsh, a woman near Winsor Lake area who took in orphaned children in the surrounding area.
In my search I have found Ignatius and Ellen's marriage record which states Ignatius is the son of (what looks like) Manuel and Patiene Tucker of Torbay. I have come across a Manville and Patience Tucker of Portugal Cove who were RC and I have found approximately 6 children of theirs, but no Ignatius.

Ellen Brennan was born in 1866 and I believe she was born in Torbay. She was the youngest child of John Brennan and Mary (St. John). I have seen the obituary for Mary who was from Tipperary, Ireland. However I cannot find any birth or baptismal records for her.

Ellen Brennan is the sister of my gr-gr grandfather. I have her DOB as 1866 and that she died 27 Nov 1944 and is buried in the Old Catholic Cemetery which is located on the corner of Torbay Road and Kenna's Hill. She shares a headstone with Ignatius. Ellen was baptised 23 Sep 1866 by Rev David O'Donnell and her godparents were Francis St. John and Margaret Morrison. She may have been born on Torbay Road.

There was a question about whether Ignatius was illegitimate, his mother died shortly after he was born and his father was said to be German. Ignatius was reared by the priest in Portugal Cove.

Thank you so much Jeanette! I have been to Mount Carmel cemetery numerous times and visited the grave site of Ellen and Ignatius. My grandfather is also buried there.
Could you share with me any other family history you may have?
Where did you find the baptismal records for Ellen? I haven't been able to find much online. Any help in the right direction would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Deanne, I will look for the baptismal certificate for Ellen. I probably found it at the Archives but I will look for it. Are you looking for information on Ellen's brothers and sisters or her grandparents ? I'm assuming that you have the names of her children. Let me know if I can fill in some of the blanks.

Thank you Jeanette! Yes I would love info on her brothers, sisters, parents and grandparents if you have it. I heard her parents came on the same boat from Ireland with their families. And I do have the names of her children. Although I haven't been able to find my grandfathers birth record from 1901. Perhaps I'll try the archives when I come home the summer. But any info you can provide is appreciated!

The following information comes from the Portugal Cove RC register:

Baptised 2 December 1861, Egnatius, son of Mandrake (?) Tucker and Patience King
Godparents: William Hynes and Susanna Tucker

Married 30 November 1848
Mandival Tucker to Patient King
Witnesses: John Squires and Mary Tapp

Thank you Edward! I have also seen this and the baptism records for the 5 older children of Mandville(?) and Patience. But I haven't found death records for any of them. Aside from Ignatius who died March 17, 1947 in St. John's. Any leads on where I might find this info?

The RC church did not start keeping burial records until the late 1800s. If the children died
young then the only source for a date of death would be an obituary.

I would visit the Registry of Deeds and look for land transactions for TUCKER and HANLON.
Tucker is a rare Catholic surname. I suspect Mandville Tucker was the son of Thomas Tucker and Elizabeth Hanlon. Below are some of their children baptised at the Basilica:


Baptised 25 August 1813, EMANUEL, son of Thomas Tucker and Elizabeth Hanlon
Godparents: Mary Kavanagh

Baptised 2 June 1815, EMILA, daughter of Thomas Tucker and Elizabeth Hanlon
Godparents: Joseph Hanlon and Mary Purcell

Baptised 10 June 1817, MICHAEL, son of Thomas Tucker and Elizabeth Hanlon
Godparents: John Cox and Mary Herron

Baptised 21 July 1822, SUSANNA, daughter of Thomas Tucker and Elizabeth Hanlon
Godparents: Joseph Hynes and Mary Herron

Baptised 12 February 1824, MARY ANNE, daughter of Thomas Tucker and Elizabeth Hanlon
Godparents: Patrick Travers and Anastasia Hanlon

Thank you Edward. That is extremely helpful. I will definitely look at the Thomas Tucker line.

I had another look at the Basilica records and located a bit more information:

Baptised 12 February 1824, MARY ANNE, daughter of Thomas Tucker and Elizabeth Hanlon
Godparents: Patrick Travers and Anastasia Hanlon (aged 5 months)

Baptised 25 October 1827, John, son of Thomas Tucker & Elizabeth Hanlon
Godparents: Henry Tucker and Catherine Cahill

Thank you again. Henry Tucker is one of the godparents there. I have come across Henry Tucker in Portugal Cove records, so perhaps Mandville(?) is the son of Henry. But I'm thinking Mandville must have been born around 1828 or earlier.

I was thinking that Michael Tucker and Mandville Tucker were the same.
There was no St. Mandville and under the rules of the church a child had
to have a saint's name at baptism. Sometimes a child was baptised under
one name but called by another name by the family.

There were Mandervilles in the Port de Grave area which makes me think
the Tuckers moved to Conception Bay South from that area.