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TO ALL:

I'm researching my great, great grandfather, John M. Convery, born 1809, possibly in Ireland  He married Sarah Lagan (born 1827) in 08 SEPT 1853; together they had the following children (church records indicate Lavey Parish) :

Mary - born 1854; John - born 1855; John - born 1858; Mary - born 1859; Patrick - born 1861; William James - born 1864; Robert Henry - born 1866; and Charles (my grandfather) (church records have his last name spelled "Confrey") - born 1869

John M. Convery and Sarah Lagan Convery are buried together in the Old Cemetery at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Lavey Parish.  John died on 07 JAN 1881 at age 72; Sarah died on 12 OCT 1873 at age 46.  Buried with John and Sarah is a daughter; however, her name and year of death are illegible.  She died on 14 JAN 18_____. 

I've researched many County Derry graveyards and made a donation to Lavey Parish in hopes of finding this daughter.  However, all my efforts have been unsuccessful.  Since John M. was 18 years older than Sarah Lagan when they married in 1853, was this John M.'s second; and the daughter buried with them from his first wife?  

QUESTION:  John Convery (Manas) was 60 years old when my great grandfather, Charles was born in 1869.  When John Convery (Manas) dies a widower in 1881z, Charles us 12 years old.  Under the laws at that time, what happens to Charles?  Is he sent to live with relatives?   Is he placed in an orphanage?

I have very little Ingormation on the Lagan family.  I would be extremely gratefully if someone could point me in the right "Lagan direction."

Thank you, in advance, for your kindness and patience.

Caren Convery Matyckas

cmatyckas

Saturday 27th Aug 2016, 12:26PM

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  • Dear Caren

    Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out

    I see from Robert's birth record that his father was a Grocer and Farmer. You can see a digitised copy by going to irishgenealogy.ie and searching the civil records.

    It isn't unusual for older men to marry younger women (potential for more babies that way!) so it may or may not be the case they Sarah is a second marriage - until you have evidence to suggest that, it is something for the back of your mind. 

    There is little real, structured information at that time as to what to do with a child that was an orphan - the Workhouse was a last resort. Certainly there were no adoption laws as we have them now so if there was an aunt willing to take him he may have stayed with family. Alternatively he may have been sent to a home if there was no one else to claim him and perhaps boarded out or hired out for farm work, it's hard to know for sure. At some point Charles obviously has his own children - what is the earliest information about him after this time? Is this is Charles in the 1901 Census? Did he marry Mary McNally on 25th Feb 1892?

    What information to you have on Sarah? There is a baptism for a Sarah born to a father Dan Langan and a mother Mary Doogan. Other siblings included Ellen, Pat, Daniel, Elizabeth and James - all baptised in Maghera, Co. Derry.

    Clare Doyle

    Genealogy Support 

    Thursday 6th Oct 2016, 11:20AM

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