During a trip to Ireland in 2013, I learned that my great-grandfather William Crotty (1844?-1905) was baptized in the Newcastle and Fourmilewater Parish:
5881 CROTTY,WILLIAM 6 JAN 1845
Father :THOMAS Mother : BRAZEL MARY
Sponsors :RYAN WILLIAM BRAZEL MARGARET
Parish : NEWCASTLE Church : NEWCASTLE
Priest WALSH P. Register :B/1814-45 P. 470
His sisters Mary(1840), Catherine (1842) and Margaret (1845) were baptised in the same Parish. At the time of my visit, I found 3 possible baptism records for their father Thomas. I was later able to confirm Thomas' baptism record in the same Parish:
533 CROTTY,THOMAS 14 FEB 1818
Father :WILLIAM Mother : WALSH CATHERINE
Sponsors :CROTTY THOMAS GRADDY ELLEN
Parish : NEWCASTLE Church : NEWCASTLE
Priest LARKIN J. Register :B/1814-1845 P. 41
I have been unable to locate a marriage record for either William Crotty and Catherine Walsh or Thomas Crotty and Mary Brazel.
My second great-grandfather Thomas Crotty (1818?-1882) emigrated to the US and was living in Memphis, Tennessee by 1860. There is no indication that his wife Mary accompanied him and Thomas subsequently remarried twice (1861, 1868) in Memphis, both in Catholic ceremonies. I am assuming from this that his first wife Mary died in Ireland.
Thomas Crotty placedadvertisements in Boston, Massachusetts Archdiocesan newspaper on 9 August 1862 indicating that he was looking for William, Catherine and John Crotty who he believed to be in the New York City area. Thomas showed his residence as Memphis, Tennessee. He showed his point of origin information as:
Home county: Waterford
Parish: Kilsheelan
Townland: Knocknaree
Barony: Upperthird
Poor-law: Clonmel
William and Catherine Crotty show up in Memphis records a few years later, but I have not been able to connect any John Crotty with them.
It appears that the Newcastle Parish is based in County Tipperary but everything I have heard and found about these families is that they lived in County Waterford. The information from the Boston advertisement was my first clue to this area of Waterford, but I have been unable to tie it to the Griffith records. It seems possible that Thomas Crotty and his family were located in the Civil Parish of Kilronin, with possible townlands being Boolabrien, Castlereagh or Reanadampaun.
I would love to pin down the community that Thomas Crotty and his family lived in and would appreciate any help that could be provided. I would love to visit this community on my next visit. I would especially enjoy hearing from anyone who is related to these families. Thanks.
Beverly
Saturday 19th Dec 2015, 06:59PM
Message Board Replies
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Dear Beverly
Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out and apologies for the delay in getting back to you.
You can see from the link below that Newcastle is a civil parish in Co. Waterford:
http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/fuses/townlands/index.cfm?fuseaction…
There are a few other Newcastles in Ireland too, including Tipperary and Limerick.
Records for the RC parish of Newcastle and Fourmilewater begin in 1814 for baptisms and 1822 for marriages so before that period in that particular parish there won't be any parish records available. There are no Crotty entries for the parish of Newcastle, Co. Waterford on Griffith's Valuation.
As a general rule the further back you go the less likely it is that the family moved around as transport links and modes of transport were poor and no one traveled further than their own parish (for the most part). You will find that in many cases in early parish records that marriages between people within parishes and between those living in neighbouring parishes was common. So, I would assume that if Thomas Crotty was born in Newcastle in 1818 then that is where his family/parents lived, went to Mass etc. Siblings of Thomas, include Catherine baptised 09-Jun-1820 and Patrick baptised 24-Oct-1823. According to Catherine's baptism record, the family lived in the townland of Knockaree, Newcastle, Co. Waterford. You can see the original record here:
Catherine Baptism: http://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls000632191#page/41/mode/1up
Patrick Baptism: http://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls000632191#page/78/mode/1up
Hope this helps
Clare Doyle
Genealogy Support
Monday 11th Jan 2016, 02:54PM -
Hello, Clare --
Thank you for the information and please forgive my delay in replying. A recent contact with a probable cousin discovered by DNA is refocusing my attention on Knocknaree. Her line includes the Brazil/Brazel name (Thomas Crotty's wife was Mary Brazel) with a definite connection to Knocknaree.
I have no evidence that Mary Brazel Crotty emigrated to the United States and Thomas married twice in Church ceremonies after his arrival in Memphis. I have been going on the assumption that Mary died in or after 1847 when her youngest child was born. What would have been the custom in this rural area in the mid-19th century regarding burials and would there be any records of death and burial in this area?
Thanks for your help.
Beverly
Friday 3rd Jun 2016, 12:40PM -
Hi again
Unfortunately the more modern way of recordkeeping for burials isn't great for that period and especially not at that time as many people couldn't afford a headstone. Lots of graveyards are littered with 'stone markers' that represent graves but no one knows for sure who is buried there. Unless the family were well off they would not have added a headstone on the plot.
Sorry I couldn't be more positive!
Best wishes
Clare
Genealogy Support
Wednesday 8th Jun 2016, 10:53AM