Magdelene Gallagher is searching for family connections to her late husband Charles Keith Gallagher (pictured above), whose mother, Hannah Gallagher, was from Kincasslagh.
Magdelene believes that Hannah was born in 1920 in Kincasslagh, and spent time in Auchterarder in Scotland in 1944.
Charles kept the name his mother Hannah called him, and records from Fife Council show that Charlie had been with his mother for seven months living in Saint Andrews in Scotland.
Charlie was then put into care at seven months, and was fostered by a loving family at two and a half.
Magdelene is seeking connections to her late husband’s Donegal family, and would like to know what happened the mother-in-law she never got to know.
Magdelene says “I am afraid I have very little to go on. My husband has recently died, and I am trying to piece together his early years and trace what happened to Hannah. I know that she was born in Kincasslagh in 1920.”
“She gave birth to my husband in Auchterarder in Perthshire Scotland on 31 July 1944 in Strathearn Home which was actually the poor house. The poor house records show she was there for 99 days and she left there with her baby son. After that there is no record of where she went.”
During the week, Fife Council gave Magdelene some information; according to their files Charlie must have been with his mother for seven months in Saint Andrews in Scotland, before being put into care and fostered at two and a half.
“Sometime after, my husband went into care and was fostered by a kind and loving family, now only the younger members of that family are alive so information is scant. I am trying my best with the county council archives on fostered children. I don’t know when she went to Scotland, if she only went there when pregnant.”
“She must have had somewhere to go when she left the poor house, I believe many people from Donegal settled in the Perth area at that time. My husband’s birth certificate has Hannah’s occupation as outworker. I know there isn’t much to go on, just need a bit of luck.”
If you have any information that can help Magdelene please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Donegal Woman by emailing news@donegalwoman.ie or send us a Facebook message.
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