Thomas McKernan

Turtle:

I looked on Roots Ireland and did not find the 1817 or 1821 baptismal records for either Bernard or Thomas. I checked both Cavan and Leitrim. You signed up in the Killeshandra parish page. Killeshandra does border Co. Leitrim so it is possible the familuy lived on the border of the two counties. As an aside, Killeshandra RC and Church of Ireland records do not start until the 1830s.

The surname may also have been McKiernan.

Roger McDonnell

My 3rd GGF Thomas McKernan or McKiernan was born in 1821 County Cavan.His spouse Ann McPhillips was born 1 February 1818 and married Thomas in County Cavan in 1841, just before Thomas immigrated to the USA.

Interesting note, a couple of years ago I was on a carribean cruise and I met a couple from Cavan Ireland, who now live in NYC. The wife was from Cavan. When I told her my last name she said - Chicken Farmer! Now I believe that the McKernans could have been farmers of some type, probally potatoes then chickens maybe.

I was wondering if there are marriage records, maybe there is a way to get closer using those records.

Thanks for the reply

Turtle

Turtle:

I checked Roots ireland records for a marriage record in Co.Cavan for Anne McPhillips and Thomas McKernan. I searched from 1836-1846 but found no record. Civil registration for non-Catholic marriage started in 1845 and 1864 for RC marriages.

Roger

I kinda wonder if the McKernan spelling in Ireland was McKiernan, and when Thomas came to the US it was accidently changed to McKernan, partly because of the census taker probally could not make out the Irish Accent. Ive been using Ancestry.com for awhile now, and using the McKiernan surname I get more information.

Turtle

Turtle,

If you are still looking, my 3X Great Grandmother was Mary McKiernan. The name seemed to warp to McCarnan in Northern New York. The spelling of the name in the 1821 Census is McKeirnan, the 1828 Tithe list as Kiernan and 1841 Census Keirnan. These are most likely Census Taker misspellings. I believe the actual spelling of the name is McKiernan or Kiernan, as is commonly used throughout County Cavan history and as recorded for Sarah in the 1841 Census. Sarah’s 1850 letter uses the spelling McKarnan. One or more children may have been born in Parish Kilmore prior to living in Parish Crosserlough. I have found info using all those variations, the 1850 letter was the key, but I'm still searching for info on the patriarch Patrick McKiernan 1771-1832. Look at all the Parishes that butt together in that area, the families seemed to spred out in those areas. Mine went from Kilmore to Crosserlough and then to Killashandra. Yours may have done similar moves.

Bob