Examine Every Detail - Marriage of Hugh Kelly and Catherine Murphy

When you're stumped on what to research next, really study the information you have and see what you can use to track down other information. Here's my recent example.

I have a court record (actually two records stating the exact same thing) of Hugh Kelly and Catherine Murphy, living in Warsaw, Hancock County, Illinois, being married in Clark County, Missouri. It doesn't give any further information regarding the location. How could you figure out where they were married?

I pulled up their marriage record and saw that it was performed by B. P. McMenomy, a Roman Catholic priest. So I did a search for B. P. McMenomy, Roman Catholic Priest, Clark County, Missouri, and found this page: http://www.mayo-ireland.ie/patrick.htm

It gives the history of St. Patrick, Missouri, located in Clark County. Among the items listed under the historical facts are these items:

1854 - Fr B.P. McMenomy sold 10 acres of church land and platted St Marysville
1858 - Fr McMenomy re-named it St Patrick to obtain a Post Office

I did a search for St. Patrick's, Clark County, Missouri and found this site: http://saintpatrickshrine.com/history.html

St. Patrick is now a small village in the southeast part of Jackson Township, Clark County, Missouri. The first brick church wasn't built until 1860. It appears that Hugh and Catherine's marriage would have taken place in the original log church.

I have a request in to see if they have any of the old marriage records to see if they might have any further information regarding my great-great-grandparents, Hugh Kelly and Catherine Murphy.

Every little piece of information can be compared to a single breadcrumb. You find one and it can lead you to the next. Use that next breadcrumb and use it to find the next. Eventually, you'll find what you're looking for.

--Matt