Dwyer/Hackett, Boherlahan Dualla, Tipperary to Canada

Marilyn:

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

We do have a parish liaison in Boherlahan Dualla parish. I will send her an e-mail and alert her to your message. If you have not heard anything within a week, please let me know.

Roger McDonnell

Hello Roger

I have not heard from your contact, so following up as you requested.  It has been over 3 weeks since my post.

Thank you

Marilyn

Marilyn:

Thanks! I will contact our HQ folks and let them contact the parish liaison.

Roger

New Information:  Discovered a sibling of the above Mary Hackett.

Baptism:  12 Dec 1824 ~ Michael Hackett, son of Patrick Hackett & Catherine Drue; Sponsors:  Michael Dwyer & Judith Hackett, Ballyherberry [Source:  NLI Parish Register of Baptisms]

Help:  Could this Michael Dwyer be Daniel Dwyer's father [Daniel's first born son is Michael]?

Unable to find Michael Dwyer on the 1827 Tithe's

Unable to find a possible marriage for Michael Dwyer & Judith Hackett 

Thanks, Marilyn

Hello again Roger

I have not had a reply from the parish Liaison since I posted in August 2016.  I continue to research Daniel Dwyer 1805 and posted new info on the Ballysheehan message page as I believe now he may have been on the Smith-Barry Estate in Ballinree, but have not received a reply from there either.  I have run out of options for this "brick wall".  Thanks, Marilyn

Marilyn:

Sorry, we have not been able to get you some local assistance. I contacted our HQ and hopefully we can get a response from the parish.

Roger

Marilyn,

I have searched again for further information on your query re Daniel Dwyer. Unfortunately, the baptismal records for Boherlahan-Dualla only commence in 1810. This creates a huge problem in trying to pin point the townland of his birth. To add to the difficulty, there are so many Dwyer families living in the parish of Boherlahan-Dualla. The earliest maps showing holdings date to 1845, which doesn't help your query.

There is more definite information on the Hackett family, which you may be interested in. Patrick Hackett and Catherine Drew/Dreu had at least four children: Mary baptised on 9th Dec. 1815, Godparents - John Ryan and Mary Sexton; Michael baptised 12th Dec. 1824, Godparents Michael Dwyer and Jude Hackett. The townland given as place of residence was Ballyherberry; Judith baptised 27th May 1831, Godsparents Thomas Ryan and Mary Hackett; William baptised 1st November 1833, Godsparents James Commins and Bridget Ryan.

Patrick Hackett was mentioned in the Tithe Books of the late 1820s. He is also mentioned in the House Book of 1845 as having a residence in Ballyherberry and his farm of 46 acres can be identified on an Ordnance Survey map. Patrick survived the famine years but his farm was absorbed into a larger farm by 1856.  

The Daniel Dwyer, referred by you as living in the townland of Ballinree, which was part of the Smith-Barry estate, is not the Daniel Dwyer who married Mary Hackett. The Daniel of Ballinree was still living there in 1845 and his first recorded baptised child, Patrick, was in 1812. This Patrick lived with his father in 1845. This family of Dwyers became victims of the clearances carried out on part of the Smith-Barry estate during the late 1840s. 

This information still doesn't resolve you problem. There were several Dwyer families listed in both the Tithe Book of the 1820s and Griffith's Valuation of 1850 for the neighbouring townland of Rathclough. Daniel may have connections to some of them.

A Michael Dwyer was married to a Catherine. Do you know Catherine's maiden name? A Michael Dwyer was baptised on 15th October 1819. His parents were James Dwyer and Catherine Carew. James was a native of Killenaule, a neighbouring parish while Catherine was from Coleraine. They had only one child recorded in the Boherlahan-Dualla baptismal register and the townland given was Coleraine. It is quite possible that Catherine returned to her mother's family to have her first born.

It may be that Daniel came from the Killenaule parish. If that is the case, there are much better baptismal records for that parish than Boherlahan-Dualla. 

I'm hoping that some of this information helps you in your quest to clarify your ancestral roots.

Paddy

Paddy:

Thanks!!

Roger

Hello Paddy, Thank you so much for your in depth reply, which is very much appreciated.  

I have researched Hackett's both in B-Dualla as well as Canada.  I never picked up on "Drouan" as an alternative last name for Catherine Drue/Drew/Dreu's other 2 children, Judith [1831] and William [1833].  I did have Michael [1824], which I thought for the times was a long stretch of 9 yrs. between Mary and Michael.  Daniel & Mary did have a dtr. Johanna [Judith is an alternative in Ire. naming I understand] and a son William.  Interesting to me that there are no Patrick's [Dwyer or Hackett] in our family through the generations.

I believe you are correct that the Rathclogh Dwyers and mine are connected somehow and keep in touch with two ancestors of theirs who are also researching, but to date unable to confirm.

I do not know the maiden name of the Catherine you mentioned married to Michael Dwyer.

I now have more angles to research, thanks to you Paddy.  I've been searching for Daniel's family now for 35 yrs., so what are a few more years?  

With grateful thanks, Marilyn

Paddy, 

I discovered this many years ago and had set aside as no other information was found, but the 1861 Census of Canada for S. Norwich, Oxford County, Ontario (same area our Daniel & Mary emigrated to):

Michael Dwyer, b. Ire., age 40, farmer, R.C

Catherine Dwyer, wife, b. Ire., age 39, RC

*Joanna Dwyer, daughter, b. Canada West (Ontario), age 15, RC, female, single, blind 

[*Note:  this Joanna was living with Daniel & Mary when she died of consumption on 14 Aug 1878.  Daniel was the informant.  Her death registration says she was born London, ON.  I researched earliest London records, as well as London and District; London Diocese, but no records for either girls]

*Mary Dwyer, daughter, b. Canada West (Ontario), age 9, RC, female, single, attending school

     Only marriage I found in Canadian records was a Michael Dwyer & Catherine Curran, m. Jan. 1849, therefore not this family.

9 Apr 1856 ~ Deed from Michael Dwyer to Daniel Dwyer for 12 acres; Michael is also recorded in the Oxford Gazeteer in 1862 and 1867, but by the 1871 Census this family has disappeared.  Obviously Daniel & Michael are related in some way.

Till next time,

Marilyn

Dear Marilyn, Pat and Roger,

I find your posts most interesting.  I too have not had a reply to my post in 2016 I think although I did follow it up.   My husband and I will be visiting Boherlahan in August this year as it is the birth place of his great great grandfather.  I am trying to tie up all loose ends before then. 

Ours appears to be the case of repeated names, I am researching John Dwyer born 1833 died, 1901, son of Daniel Dwyer who was a farmer.  He was also known as O’Dwyer.  It appears that they lived in Boherlahan, as family verbal history records, because John's will, dated 15 Apr 1901, left £50 to the parish priest at the time for Masses for himself and his parents.    John mentions 3 sisters in his will Johanna, Mary and Nora all of the Parish of Boherlahan.  His sisters stayed in Ireland. 

Daniel, John's father, married Johanna Sullivan (maybe with an O’) an even more difficult name to trace. 

John migrated to Victoria, Australia in 1858 at the age of 25.  He was illiterate but very resourceful and after working at various jobs became a grazier.  He married late, at the age of 50, to Catherine (Kate) O’Sullivan from Tipperary.  Two of her brothers Cornelius and Patrick also came to Australia.

Kate was the daughter of Jeramiah O’Sullivan and Mary Carey b 1831 Rossfinch Ballinahinch

John and Kate had one daughter Johanna, probably named after her aunt.  Tragically Kate died in 1886. John did not remarry.

Through a neighbour I have contacted her cousin in Boherlahan who kindly went through the cemetery looking for Daniel’s grave but was unable to find it.

Good luck with your search.

Jan Ralton

To Jan R

Jan,

I'm one of the researchers referred to by Marilyn D as having Dwyer ancestors from the Rathclough/Dualla area. I've made research trips there in 2001 and 2016, and plan to return again in September 2018 (to bad our visits don't quite overlap). I believe my Dwyer line may have linkages to your John Dwyer, b. 1833 and his parents Daniel Dwyer & Johanna Sullivan.

I have a Thomas Dwyer b, circa 1809 who married Judith Murphy 1 May 1828 Parish of Boherlahan. I suspect that your Daniel Dwyer could possibly be a brother or cousin to my Thomas, as they appear to have births, marriages and children in similar timeframes in the Dualla area and have links to the Sullivans.

The children of Thomas and Judith baptized at Boherlahan are: Patrick - 1829, Margaret - 1830, Judith - 1833, Elizabeth - 1836, Catherine - 1838, and James Thomas (my great-grandfather) - 1841. All the children (except for Patrick) immigrated to Albany, New York, USA.

Patrick immigrated to NSW, Australia in 1858 on the Ship Northern Light. He listed his sponsor as a cousin, John Sullivan , already living in West Maitland, NSW. Also of interest to you, my Patrick was accompanied on the ship by 2 sisters of John Sullivan. My Patrick had an uncle, Patrick O'Dwyer who immigrated to NSW on Ship Runnymeade in 1841. This older Patrick is the son of Patrick O'Dwyer and Mary Thorton of the Dualla area. I believe these may also be the parents of my Thomas. This older Patrick settled in the area of Cowra, NSW and I think that is why my Patrick also settled there in 1858. My Patrick married Janet (Jessie) Kelly in 1865 at Cowra.

So to summarize, I'm suggesting the possibility that your Daniel Dwyer and my Thomas Dwyer, b circa 1809 may have been brothers or cousins. Additionally, that Patrick Dwyer, b 1829 and son of this Thomas may have been related to your John Dwyer, b 1833 based on documentation that he was a cousin to John Sullivan and his sisters.

Let me know what you think and if you find this plausable.

Regards,

Bill Flanigan

Hi Bill,

I do believe that there could well be a connection.  From what I hear Boharlahan is a very small place so that cuts down the options. 

Where have you found your information on Thomas?  I have found a Thomas Dwyer and Daniel Dwyer in the Griffiths Vauluation 1848 with Daniel leasing land from Thomas and having neighbouring properties. I am only at the first stage and have not researched the  location.

In regard to your Patrick who came to Australia, he went to New South Wales and we are in Victoria. If they were related it is possible they did not even know that they were in the same country.  That was quite common.

The wife of Daniel Dwyer we know very little about all we have is from John’s death cert. i.e. that her name was Johannah nee Sullivan.

We do know that Daniel was a farmer, and that John was born in Boharlahan.

John’s wife Catherine (Kate) O’Sullivan 1855-1886 a native of Tipperary was the daughter of Jeramiah O’S 1830-1878 and Mary Carey 1831-1899, Jeramiah was also a farmer.

Their Children, John 1851, Bridget 1852, Jeremiah 1853, Michael 1856, Mary 1858, Martin 1859, Patrick 1859-1933, Sarah 1862, Cornelius 1865-1943, twins James and Matthew 1865 and finally Daniel 1867.

They lived in Rossfinch, Newport Co Tipperary, Ireland and may very well be buried in the O’Sullivan cemetery in Kilmastulla, Tipperary.

With John’s wife dying young the opportunity to have family stories was much reduced as his daughter was bought up by Irish friends after her mother’s death while John worked on the farm about 7 miles away.

Let’s share more information.  

Kind regards,

Jan

Jan,

Thanks for your response!

Based on the additional information you provided, it would appear that you have two O'Sullivan/Sullivan families in your line. The first being the family of your Daniel's wife, Johanna Sullivan (probably of the Dualla area), and second being the family of John's wife, Catherine (Kate) O'Sullivan of the Newport area in the north of Co Tipperary near Limerick. Very likely that John and Kate never met until their time in Australia.

There are two sources I used to note the 1858 emigration of my Patrick Dwyer (son of Thomas) and two Sullivan sisters to Australia on Ship Northern Light. One was the Tipperary Emigrant Indexx: 1828 to 1865 and the other was NSW record of the ship manifest from arrival on 9 May 1858. The records show my Patrick was single and age 27 and his parents were Thomas & Judith Dwyer living in Dually. The Sullivan sisters also on the voyage were:

Judith Sullivan, 23, parents Edmund & Honora, living in Dually. Brother John Sullivan provided funds thru Bank of Australia, West Maitland

Honora Sullivan, 21, (info same as sister)

There was also a brother William. John Sullivan emigrated to West Maitland in 1856 at age 31 on Ship Ben Nevis. He lists parents as Edmund & Honora living in Dually and a brother (William) already resident in Maitland.

So I guess the question would be is there a sibling or cousin relationship between Edmund Sullivan (father of William, John, Judith & Honora), and Johanna Sullivan (wife of your Daniel Dwyer) all of the Dualla (Raheen) area?

As to the Dwyer's of Dualla, my source was the Griffith's Valuation (I think it was actually Aug 1850) Tipperary/South Riding, Civil Parish - Ballysheehan, p.16. I think my Thomas Dwyer was in Rathclough North, which for all intents and purposes is virtually adjacent to the present day Catholic church in Dualla. He seems to have occupied 2-3 acres leased from James Skeahan and listed as parcel #11. There are also a Francis, Patrick Sr, Patrick Jr, John Dwyers all in the immediate land cluster (don't think I saw a Daniel Dwyer in this group). I hope to pinpoint these parcels during my visit to Dualla later this year, but the task has been made more difficult by recent residential housing built in recent years.

Regards,

Bill

Hi again Bill,

That is correct we do have 2 Sullivan/O’Sullivan families.  The one of the most importance for Daniel and John Dwyer is Johanna Sullivan who appears to have given birth to John in Bohalahan.  Yes, John and Catherine were married in Australia and given the difference in ages she was one when he arrived here.  

It seems as the family were firmly entrenched in Boherlahan so we would hope to find some proof that it was so.

Good luck for your trip to Dualla.  Finding changed land is not easy.  Luckily for me my husband is a valuer and is often valuing land for Vicroads formerly Country Road Authority.  What he is looking for is recorded as something entirely different to what exists now.

We have found land near Boherlahan that was owned by Dwyers.  My husband is not quite sure and has not had time to verify that.  We will certainly look at it while before we go and while we are there.

I will keep in touch and let you know if we find anything more concrete.

Regards,

Jan