On the day of my mate, David's birthday (Happy Birthday Pal!) I thought I would just quietly commemorate the birthdays of my parents, who both died around the time of my wedding some thirty odd years ago now.
Perhaps the recent past has made me aware of the fragility of our existence and how much our memory relies on those left behind. I am grateful to my brother, the family tree historian, for the information.
Big James Patrick Corrigan was born the 23rd December 1909 or 98 years ago. My father's middle name was that of the family saint and all the male Corrigans bear that name except one. Dad was from Irish Catholic descent.
Nelly Corrigan, nee Frost, was born on the 6th April 1917 or 90 years ago. Mum came from good Yorkshire Protestant stock and apparently was incredibly self willed. Her firstborn, Michael Patrick, died at the age of six months from pneumonia. I would have died at six months from pneumonia if my mother hadn't insisted on taking me to hospital despite GP advice. If she had been another 24 hours I would not have survived but she had practical experience which made her go against medical opinion. When it came to my christening, she refused to name me after a saint who couldn't look after her children and so I was given the name John having been born in the parish of St John.
God bless them both!
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