As soon as I saw the words "Those places" I immediately thought of my reaction whenever I would purchase or read a marriage or death certificate looking for an Irish ancestors birth place.
All they would say was TIPPERARY, IRELAND, or LIMERICK, IRELAND, or WEST ARMAGH, IRELAND.
When I was new to genealogy research, one more experienced informed me that a town-land name was necessary.
Hmmmm, I didn't have a clue on how to find out what town-land my MORGAN'S, KELLY'S and BARRY'S came from. I went through all the Irish surname maps but with such common surnames what hope did I have.
My great great grandfather, John MORGAN from West Armagh came to Australia in 1855. Here in 1858 he married Margaret Alice (known as Alice) KELLY who was from Tipperary.
For years I had only Australian information on them apart from their parents names from their marriage certificate.
Alexander Morgan and Agnes Lennon were John's parents.
Cornelius Kelly and Mary Moloughney were Alice's parents.
I managed to find a sister to John Morgan, also in Australia but still no town-land name.
It wasn't until I had searched Trove and came across John Morgan's death notice in the Argus newspaper saying "New Zealand and Gippsland papers please copy".
That sent me off on a search to try and find which family members were in New Zealand.
I hadn't had any luck finding other siblings and there was only one son, Alexander Morgan, that I hadn't found a death or further information on.
Into the newspaper archives for New Zealand. My jaw nearly broke hitting the ground when I came across news articles from 1904 for an Alexander Morgan receiving news of his mothers death in Essendon, Victoria!
This also delivered Alexander's uncle, Thomas KELLY!
(the name Charles was found to be a misprint by the newspaper)
So I purchased Thomas Kelly's New Zealand death certificate and BINGO ....... there were the correct parents AND the town-land name of Dualla, (was also known as Dually) Tipperary for my Kelly family.
After finding THOSE PLACES I have moved further and further forward with my Irish ancestors.
Townland is definately required to get a lot of Irish records. I found my Doyle's in Carrick Slavin, County Leitrim. My Foxes were from Drumbrick, County Leitrim. However I'm still searching for a townland for my Fraher / Friher/ Fryher / Friar / Frier. I have one record which says they were from Waterford. My Fraher's were in upstate New York, USA in the early to mid 1860s
ReplyDeleteRegards, Jim