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I arrived home after a few days working in The Hague to find a couple of GRO certificates had been delivered. The first was one I ordered just for completeness: the marriage of Joseph Ximenes to Bridget Palmer:

Marriage of Joseph Himenes and Bridget Palmer on 28th October 1872 at the St. Mary’s Church in Newport, Monmouthshire. He was a bachelor aged 33 working as a coal miner. He lived in Risca and his father was Frank Himenes (deceased), a mason. She was a widow aged 30, with no occupation. She also lived in Risca and her father was Daniel Denneen (deceased), a farm labourer. Neither Joseph nor Bridget could sign their name. The witnesses were Jeremiah Denneen who could sign his name and Jane Palmer who could not.

The second was the birth certificate of Dennis Dineen, who I believe to be Bridget’s brother. I had ordered this because I had come across a family tree on Ancestry.co.uk that showed the parents of our Dineen family as Daniel Dineen and Mary Lyons. I had also spotted a Mary Lyons in the St. Mary’s parish register transcripts I received recently. Here’s the details on the certificate:

Birth of Dennis Denihan, 29th March 1844 in the Town of Caerleon. His father was Daniel Denihan, a labourer, and his mother was Mary Denihan formerly Lyon. The informant was Mary Denihan, mother, living in the Town of Caerleon. She could not sign her name. The birth was registered on 29th April 1844

Once again the Dineens throw up a mystery! Just when I think I am solving it, something new comes up to throw a spanner in the works.

I think I need to pull together all the facts about the Dineens in one place to sort out whether there were two familes or one.

We have:

1. Dennis Denihan, born 29 March 1844, in Caerleon, parents Daniel Denihan and Mary Lyon

2. A Denis Deneen, born about 1845 in Caerleon, was living with his wife Martha, son William H Deneen and neice Lena Hemmings in Full Moon cottages, Risca, in the 1901 census. This links Denis Deneen to Bridget Dineen (Helena Hemmings’ mother)

3. Baptism of Joanna Denen on 7 Dec 1838 (born 7 Dec 1838), father Daniel, mother Mary, formerly Nihan. Godparents were Jeremiah Maddin and Elen Coleman. They were from Caerleon

4. Baptism of Margaret Dinahen on 3 Mat 1840 (born 25 April 1840), father Daniel, mother Mary, formerly Nihan. Godparents were Timothy Madden and Margaret Madden. They were from Caerleon

5. Baptism of Bridget Dinihan on 4 June 1842 (born 22 May 1842), father Daniel, mother Mary Lyons. Godfather was Charles McCarthy. They were from Caerleon.

6. Baptism of Dennis Denny on 24 Feb 1844 (born 15 Feb 1844), father Daniel, mother Mary formerly Nihan. Godparents were Daniel Nihan and Catherine Leary.

7. Baptism of Catherine Deneen on 31 Mar 1849 (born 30 Mar 1849), father Daniel, mother Mary, formerly Naghan. Godparents were Timothy Collins and Anna Collins.

8. Baptism of Jeremiah Dennane on 16 Nov 1851 (born 2 Nov 1851), father Daniel, mother Mary, formerly Nihan. Godparents were John Murray and Mary Sullivan.

9. Baptism of Mary Dian on 18 Dec 1853 (born 15 Dec 1853), father Daniel, mother Mary Nihan. Godparents were Mathew Cochlan and Catherine Sullivan.

10. Baptism of John Deneen on 7 Jan 1858 (born 25 Dec 1857), father Daniel, mother Mary, formerly Nihan. Godparents were William Desmond and Mary Deneen.

11. Birth certificate of John Deneen, 20 Mar 1849 in Caerleon. Father Daniel, mother Mary, formerly Nighan. Informant was Timothy Collins, Occupier.

Malthouse Lane    Jeremiah Maden, 24
                  Margaret Maden, 25
               /  Patrick Crawley, 30
                  Jeremiah Dinnun, 46
                  John Collins, 50
                  Hanna Collins, 50
                  Ellin Collins, 16
                  Honara Collins, 8
                  Daniel Collins, 18
               /  George Murphy, 22
                  B???? Hays, 20
                  Jeremiah Lane, 25
Bridge St     //  Jerry Lay, 50
                  Catherine Lay, 50
                  Stephen Lay, 10
                  Catlin Lay, 8
               /  Elizabeth Coveny, 6
                  Patrick Colman, 45
                  Elin Colman, 50
                  Jeremiah Colman, 22
                  Daniel Colman, 18
                  Elin Colman, 14
                  Patrick Colman, 11
                  Daniel Denen, 31
                  Margret Denen, 1
                  Johanna Denen, 2
                  Mary Denen, 41
                  Daniel Niohen, 42
                  Johanah Niohen, 50
Baptist Chapel /  John O'Sullivan, 25
                  Catherine O'Sullivan, 25
                  Mary O'Sullivan, 5
                  Michael O'Sullivan, 3
                  James O'Sullivan, 6 months
               /  Mary H???, 75
                  James C????, 25
                  Mary, 25
                  Michael, 5 months
                  Thomas O'Sullivan, 30
                  Timothy Madden, 30

Class: HO107; Piece: 749; Book: 5; Civil Parish: Llangattock; County: Monmouthshire; Enumeration District: 1; Folio: 15; Page: 21; Line: 1; GSU roll: 438845