George Black - Donegal postman

pbahab:

Where did George work in Co. Donegal as a postman? Did he have another name? I went thru both censuses for Co. Donegal and looked at the occupations for all the George Black records and no post office employees.

I looked at the 1907 death record for Robert Black and daughter Mary was the informant.

Roger McDonnell

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_retur… Birth of George

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6VMM-B45J Patrick Black baptised 17/3/1880

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FR31-6L4 Birth of James Black 19/2/1877

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_retu… 24/3/1897  Death of Bridget Black age 51 years at Mullins

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_retu… Death of Robert Black 27/5/1907 death notified by his daughter Mary K Black at Mullins

I agree that I can’t see George in the Irish censuses. I can see from Ancestry trees that at least one of his brothers moved to Glasgow to work. Did George go there too?

Was George an engineer?

Margot

Thank you for the replies.  I made an error and, yes, George was named on the death cert of his mother, Bridget Black, not his father.  He is also named as the beneficiary to two of my confirmed relatives in the Calendar of Wills and Administration.   Both James McGinty, died 12 Nov 1928, and Fanny McGinty, died 9 June 1936, left their effects to "George Black, postman."  I would like to learn how we was related to James and Fanny.  I have his birth and baptism dates, but no marriage or death dates.   Any further ideas would be appreciated.

You mention that James & Fanny McGinty both left their estates to George McGinty, postman.  What the probate abstract in the Wills Calendar tells you is that George was the executor of their wills. It doesn’t mean he inherited everything (though he  might have done). You need to read the wills to find out how they disposed of their estates. The wills themselves should be in the National Archives in Dublin, together with the executors bond which often shows any relationship to the deceased. The files can be copied, for a fee.

Thank you, Elwyn, for the clarification.  Can you tell me how I can see and/or purchase a copy of the wills?  I am in the United States, not Ireland, and cannot visit the National Archives to do this in person. Is there a way I could acquire them via online communication?

Thank you,

Barbara (pbahab)

E-mail National Archives with details of the probate files you are interested in. They should let you know the cost of copying them, and you can pay by credit card.

https://www.nationalarchives.ie/search-the-online-catalogue/simple/#!/

Alternatively you could pay  researcher in the Dublin area to go and get copies for you.

Thank you again, Elwyn.   I sent an email to the National Archives asking how to go about it and received an email that they will respond in 10-15 days. 

Barbara

I have been in touch with the National Archives and the contact said he would order the three wills I seek from their offsite storage location.   They do not accept any digital form of payment, however, meaning no credit cards, Paypal, etc., only money orders, cheques or bank drafts, which need to be in Euros, of course. I am not finding it easy, or inexpensive, to find a way to acquire one here in the U.S. so that I can mail it with the necessary forms.  Does anyone have a suggestion?

No easy or perfect solutions spring to mind. Do you know anyone living in the Eurozone (ie any country that uses the euro) who might write a cheque for you? In which case you could reimburse them by Paypal or some other means.

Alternatively you might consider sending euro cash to the nli. Sounds a bit risky but it can work.  GRO Roscommon does take credit cards but I know some folk are/were reluctant to give their credit card details out on the application form (for birth, death & marriage certificates).  Some send cash.  For a long time a GRO photocopy was €4, and folk just used to send a €5 note, on the understanding the €1 change would be lost. It seemed to work just fine. Not sure how much you want to send but you could consider that as an option. (E-mail them to confirm it would be acceptable).

Update:  A friend was making a trip to Ireland and brought back a postal money order for the amount I needed to send to the National Archives with my request for copies of wills.  It seems that all three of my relatives left no wills.  Instead, the Archives sent Administration/Probate documents that confirm George Black was the lawful nephew of James, Edward and Fanny McGinty, which answered one of my questions. Two of the documents, dated 1936 and 1938, also listed George's address as Bridge End, Donegal, and his occupation as Postman.  I contacted An Post in Dublin, their heritage section, but they said they were not able to locate anyone named George Black in their records. Is it possible there would be some record in the local Post Office in Donegal Town?  It is perplexing to be unable to find any trace of him after his signature on these forms from 1936 and 1938.

Suggestions are, again, welcome.

Barbara