Lavin or Larvin Sligo

Ken:

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

A quick check of the subscription site Roots Ireland failed to turn up the marriage record. When did they marry? Any other family info?

Roger McDonnell

If your source for that info is a civil marriage record from 1864 or later, one thing to keep in mind is that Swinford was the registration district for births and marriages for several surrounding parishes, including Killasser, Killedan and Bohola, in addition to the parish of Swinford itself (also known as Kilconduff).  So, the mention of Swinford in such a record does not necessarily indicate that the event took place in Swinford.  If the source was a church record, then it should be reliable as to the location of the event.

The parish records for Swinford which are available online (going back to 1808) can be accessed at this link:  https://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0133

You'll see an interactive map there as well, which allows you to move on to records for other nearby parishes.

The Lavin surname originated in what is now County Roscommon, but is very common across the border in East Mayo (ncluding the parishes mentioned above) and other nearby places.  The Irish form of it is now Ó Laimhin or Ó Lamháin, but those are believed by some scholars to be shortened forms of the older surname Ó Flaithimhín, meaning "descendant of the ruler".  The name was also sometimes anglicized as Hand, based on a mistaken "translation" of the shortened forms.

The surname McVey (or MacVeagh) is an anglicized form of the Gaelic surname Mac an Bheatha (or, in Scotland, Mac Bheatha), found principally in East Ulster (Armagh) and in Scotland (where it has been anglicized to the famous name MacBeth).  Finding it in Mayo might be the result of migration there from Ulster in the 17th century, after the Plantation of Ulster (a number of typically Ulster surnames are now found in Mayo).

Thanks for the replies.

Spellcheck turned Trying into grieving.

i have Thomas Lavin Married Mary McVey in Swinford, Mayo 29th Jan 1808.  After that I have John Larvin Married to Helen Stapleton in Leith, Scotland. Both were born in Ireland 1851. That's as far back as I have been able to with the Larvin side of my family and I am not sure if they are connected.
Ken

I have taken a screenshot of the info I have. I hope it helps.

Ken

Ken:

The 1869 marriage record you attached occurred in the Killedan (Kiltimagh) parish and as Kevin indicated in his first paragraph the related civil record which you attached applies to the Swinford registration district. That district covers about ten different RC parishes all the way east to the Co. Roscommon border.

The fact that the husband and wife were both Lavins complicates your ability to tie back to the couple married in 1808. Since the marriage was held in Killedan church, likely Mary was from that parish since marriages were almost always held in the bride's parish. (Thomas may also lived in that parish). Baptisms for Killedan (Kiltimagh) parish only start in 1861 so you won't find a baptismal record for Mary. 

Not sure how this marriage relates to the marriage in Scotland?

Roger

That 1869 marriage record is interesting.  I mentioned that Lavin was a failry common name in the area, because I've seen it in the parish registers.  In fact, a Thomas Lavin was one of the witnesses at the marriage of my grandfather's aunt, Margaret (Gallagher) Gill, in Kiltimagh (Killedan parish) on 31 January 1860, and a Mary Lavin was later a sponsor at the baptism of two of Mary Gill's children, once in 1863 and once in 1869 (unless two different Mary Lavin's were involved).  That probably indicates that those Lavin's were relatives.  Perhaps your Thomas and Mary were the same people.  If you've done DNA testing, we could compare results.  I and several second and third cousins in the same family line have been tested.

Hi,

interesting. Thomas Larvin Married Mary McVey who became a Larvin through that marriage. I have sent another screen shot of my DNA, I don't know how useful it would be. I remember my Grand mother saying we were The Black Irish. I looked this up and it appears to be survivors of the Spanish Armada although I read that these "survivors" were all killed when the landed on the beaches. I have an Ancestry tree under "Larvin Newcastle" which can be looked up.

incidentally my mother's maiden name was Mullarkey and her mother's was Conway. No help with this though. I am trying to find a link in Ireland to my Grandfather so I can trace the family.

ken

I have an account at MyHeritage, like you (as shown in your attachment), so I checked to see whether we match, and it appears that we don't, although I was interested to note that you have a small amount of Finnish ancestry, as I do.  There is a significant amount of Norse ancestry in Mayo, with some Finnish mixed in, but mine probably comes from a Norwegian great-grandfather.  I do have about two dozen matches named Lavin or with Lavin's in ther family trees, so we might still be more distantly related.

Ken I think we may be related as I have the Leith Marriage certificate in my timeline.

Hi John, I have managed to get in touch with a couple of relations. I Live in The North East where they went to after the Leith Marriage. I have found quite a bit of info after that but little before. What do you have? I am on ancestry and my tree is "Larvin Newcastle Tree" thanks for getting in touch. Ken

Hello again John, I have just managed to find this record which appears to my Great, great grand parents etc. (Patrick and Mary Lavin  nee McVey or McVoy) but there are a few Lavin's on that page from Loughglynn 1855 on the same date. It doesn't appear to give maiden names or relationships. Can you help please. Ken