Corcoran history

[danecor]

Hi can anyone help please? My Father died last year and before he died he told me that he thought he had a sister called Carmel. This is the first time I had ever heard anything about her as my Father was not one for talking.
This is my story.... up until last year when I got my Father's birth certificate, I always thought our family name Corcoran was my Grandfathers name but it turns out that my Father's Mother, Elizabeth Corcoran was not married and there is no Father registered on his birth cert. After doing some research I found a Carmel Corcoran, born 8/1/1939, Mother also Elizabeth Corcoran and no Father on the birth cert.
After more research I found out that Carmel was born in Crumpsall hospital and Mother was registered as living at 9 Newbridge Street Cheetham. Carmel was baptised at St Chad's Cheetham Hill. Carmel was taken into the care of Our Lady of Lourdes children's home, Didsbury, 21/2/1940 ,1 year of age ( This was 1 month before my Father James Thomas ( Tommy ) was born 29/3/1940. Carmel stayed at the children's home until she was 5yrs old and then moved to St Joseph's home Patricroft Eccles, she left in 1955 age 16. I can find no information what happened to her after that. I was hoping maybe some one might know what happened to her. My Dad said that he thought she worked at H Samuel in Manchester for a while.
My Dad was also not bought up by his Mother. He was bought up in Crawshawbooth, Rossendale by two elderly ladies ( don't know if they were any relation).
He was born Nell lane, Withington and his Mother was living at 15 Rumford street Chorlton on Medlock.
I live in East Anglia. My Dad moved here with my brother and I when my Mum died. I was age 12 and as I said my Dad was not one for talking. So now that I have found out this info it has made me want to trace my family tree.
Another snippet I've just remembered is my Dad said Carmel had lovely red hair and he thought that she might have emigrated but don't know where to.
Can anyone remember her or have any suggestions how to move forward with my research.
Any help at all will be gratefully received.

[mrseddie]

A very warm welcome to the forum. I hope our posters will be able to help.
Thank you for sharing an amazing family history about your Dad.
The red hair could be an Irish connection especially with the surname.
All the best
mrseddie
Just to add Carmel has the middle initial of M in her birth rego march qtr 1939 Manc North.
There's a marriage in 2nd qtr 1979 Manchester which would make Carmel 40 to a Philip E Gaucus, unusual surname, could be a wild goose chase. No checked his birth it was only in 1954 so too young.

[Will Mossop]

Hi danecor,  Could you us What the initial 'M' stands for in Carmels name ?

Will

[danecor]

Hi Will, thanks for your post. Carmel's middle name on her birth certificate is Marie

[Will Mossop]

Hi danecor, I asked about Carmels name because I thought it may be  a clue to Carmels father as there is an earlier birth for a  Murial M Corcoran in 1936 also in North Manchester.
and thought Elizabeth may have used the Fathers name as a middle name for both children, assuming that Elizabeth is the Mother of Murial.

Births Dec 1936
CORCORAN  Muriel M  Corcoran  Manchester N.  8d 499

Murial is also as elusive to find as Carmel, No marriage, no death!!!
Continuing the assumption that Muriel is Elizabeths child, then She could have been adopted with a name change.
Regarding your your Fathers birth I assume you know  Nell lane, Withington is Withington Hospital, (My chidren were born there 1971) and the other line to follow are the "two elderly ladies" in Crawshawbooth, Rossendale if you know their names?
Good luck
Will

[mrseddie]

Hi all, we can discount the Gaucus name. Thanks for your help Will.
Caritas Adoption, Search & Reunion site, formerly the Catholic Children's Rescue Society mentions St Josephs from 1952 to 1958 the time Carmel was there.
Is there a chance they may still have discharge records? Worth a try maybe?

mrseddie  :)http://www.adoptionsearchreunion.org.uk/search/adoptionrecords/organisationDetail.aspx?id=473

[mrseddie]

Just wondering on Carmel's baptism, was there any mention of godparents please?
Tx
mrseddie

[danecor]

Thanks again for all your interest. Carmel was baptised at St Chad's and today I've spoken to Father Lannon at St Chad's who is going to look for her baptism record for me so hopefully there might be a God Parent registered.
I also have an old record sent from St Joseph's home to another lady who was searching for Carmel back in 2005 and it states Parents names as Elizabeth Corcoran and Thomas Egan. However I have had correspondence with Caritas in February and they told me there is no Father listed in their records so I'm not sure whether Thomas Egan is on the baptism record or just on the children's home information.
Hopefully Father Lannon will get back to me.
I have looked up Thomas Egan but could not find any info as I have no DOB etc.
When Carmel was admitted to Our Lady of Lourdes ( The first children's home she went to) her address was 9 New bridge street BUT her mother's address was 17 Puru street, Higher Broughton.
I am going to try and visit Manchester soon and find my way around all these different addresses if they are still there!
Other addresses I have for Elizabeth Corcoran are 15 Rumford street, Chorlton on Medlock in  1940, 36 Anscombe Walk, Miles Platting around 1970's/ 1980,s and 9 Ulverston Avenue, Withington where she died 1990. It seems she moved about quite a lot.
I hope I'm not repeating myself only I tried to post this info a couple of day's ago and I lost it some where! I'm still trying to get to grips with the site....not great on computers

[danecor]

Hello everyone, I have at last received Carmel's baptism record and there is a Godmother on it. Name, Jean Arnott, however there were 3 other children baptised that day( 2 of them were illegitimate) all with Jean as there Godmother. So sadly this has not helped much.
I have also been to Manchester library recently and not gained any further information 
I don't know what else to do but I'll keep working on it
Kind regards Danny

[MargaretB]

Hi Danecor, only just seen this thread.

Rumford Street was demolished in the 60s/70s and is now part of the University campus.  15 would have been up towards All Saints and was part of the area known as Little Ireland.  Are you positive it was number 15?  Asking because number 85 was a convent which had accommodation/hostel for young Irish girls.  However, they would not have had a mother and baby there.  The convent was run by the Sisters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul and they may still have records.  Would be useful if  they knew whereabouts in Ireland she had come from.

I seem to know the name Jean Arnott but can't recall how or why.

If I think of anything else - plenty of people are searching online - I will let you know.

[Sunshinesuzy]

Hi Danecor,  I have just thought of trying to find out more about  St Patricks convent I [size=78%]Stayed in when I was a child. I typed the name of the convent and one of the first things I saw, was your email to the Manchester Forum asking about your Fathers sister Carmel Cororan. [/size]
I have never forgotten Carmel's name and never forgot her or her beautiful red hair. She was my friend at the convent where I stayed. She was the same age as me. I do not know how long I was there before going back home to my Mother.
Perhaps a year or maybe longer.
How strange it was to see your email and to see Carmels name. I have always wondered how she was and what happened to her.
If you have found any more information, I would love to hear it and to know more about her. Hoping that you will reply to this email

[mrseddie]

Hi Sunshinesuzy, love your  name! It's fantastic you have found this site and thank you for your post and info. Fingers crossed you will get a reply.
All the best love
Mrseddie

[JeanneB]

Only just found this site and was shocked to see the name Carmel Corcoran, my saviour. When I was a little  girl she used take me on her knee and brush my hair, she was the first person to make me feel special. I am 70 now and have never forgotten her and her red hair.

[Padraighin]

I was born in Manchester but left for Montreal, Canada, in 1954. I [size=78%]moved back to Manchester in 1964 for a short-term[/size][size=78%] job in Manchester Public Library in St Peter's Square. I met Carmel Corcoran at St. joseph's Hostel on, I think, Streatham Hill Rd in Broughton, Salford. She was a 25 year-old lively woman with flaming red hair. The hostel offered a place to stay to Catholic women temporarily working in Manchester as well as to young women who had been in orphanages or in care. Carmel, without saying much, indicated that she came fom a troubled  background. In her late teens or very early twenties I think she had left  Manchester for the continent.  [/size][size=78%] She was a very well-dressed and beautiful woman...warm personality with refined manners. She had lived in France and seemed to have lost most of her Manchester accent...she sounded more French  than English. She was very helpful to me, 5 years younger, giving  me advice on skin care, meeting people and general deportment. She certainly made the very best of herself.[/size]



[size=78%]I am not sure if Carmel actually  lived in the hostel, or was [/size][size=78%]visiting for meals and to see old friends. The address she gave me when I moved out was 70 School Lane, M/C 20. [/size]





I think Carmel may have returned to the continent -France or Italy. I would not be surprised if she found work in the field of beauty or fashion. She was an utterly memorable woman and extremely kind. I can see her vividly even now, 50 years later. Once known, never forgotten.  She would be 79 now. I do hope the person looking for news of her has received an answer and I hope the information I have given may be of help. I am certain we are all speaking about the same person. Patricia














[size=78%]
[/size]
[size=78%]
[/size]
[size=78%]
[/size]

[mollymo]

padraighan


Did Carmel ever mention that she had been in care at St Joseph's Home Patricroft Eccles and left in 1955 when she started work.


Kind regards
Maureen