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My great-grandparents were Matthew and Mary Lanigan (nee Riley). In the 1871 UK Census, they are recorded as living at 6 Barrow's Court, Greengate, Salford with their five children. Matthew is shown as 45 yrs and a tailor; Mary as 41yrs and born in Wigan. Matthew's birthplace is indistinct on the record, but is in Ireland and looks like Westincall. I cannot trace this place.
Matters are further complicated by the fact that in the 1881 Census, the only Matthew, a tailor is lodging in Barnsley, and his age is now shown as 51yrs. In 1891, he is again recorded at an address in Greengate, but this time as a visitor.
His wife Mary does not appear in either of these later censuses. Nor can I find any record of a marriage for them - did they bother?. If I pursue Mary RILEY, I can find a record of a death in Salford in the final quarter of 1880, with an age of 53, which is reasonably close to an estimated birth year of 1830. On the other hand, there were also two deaths of Mary Riley in Salford in 1890 on ancestry.com, (ages 59 and 62).
Finally, familysearch.org offers me a Matthew Lanigan born 22.04.1834 in Callan, Co Kilkenny; Kilkenny is the ancestral home of the Lanigan clan.

Any help in untangling this knot would be enormously welcome!

Ian....Could the birthplace be Westcourt...? It would match with the Mattew Lanigan 1834....
Westcourt is in the Civil parish of Callan Co Kilkenny...However there are 4 Westcourt "Townlands" ..

Westcourt Commons..118acres
Westcourt Demesne...140acres
Westcourt North ...406acres
Westcourt South...19acres

Matthew and Mary married 1858 Manchester so should show on 1861 Census

Matthew Lanigan
England and Wales Census, 1881

birth 1831 —Ireland
residence 1881 —Barnsley, Yorkshire (West Riding), England
census 1881 —Barnsley, Yorkshire (West Riding), England

record title: England and Wales Census, 1881
name: Matthew Lanigan
age: 50
gender: Male
birth year: 1831
birthplace: Ireland
relationship to head of household: Lodger
marital condition: Single
profession/occupation: Tailor
address: Lodging House 11 Doncaster Rd
census place: Barnsley, Yorkshire (West Riding), England
record type: Household
family history library film: 1342110
the national archives reference: RG11
piece/folio: 4600 / 132
page number: 33

The 1871 census gives Matthew's birthplace as WESTMEATH Ireland

FreeBMD's
Matthew LANAGAN married Mary Riley Q3 1858 in Manchester district ref 8d 583 - Note spelling

1861 Census Matthew LANNAGAN - again different spelling
Tailor b Ireland 1825
wife Mary ,Dressmaker
Living with them are Mary's parents
Patrick b Ireland 1791
Mary b Ireland 1791

Thank You Barry...The 1861 Census info. is a great help....and the Westmeath ...well what can you say..!!

Thanks to all of you for this very helpful information. I am kicking myself that I didn't think of alternative surname spellings in an age and class of limited literacy. barry I'm off back to my 1871 census to look at the image again, but Westmeath sounds interesting.
Ian

Barry,
Thank you. I've just looked at the 1871 image again, and now you've told me it's obvious that it's Westmeath. So that probably lets the 'Barnsley tailor, lodger' off the hook for my birth!