I am looking for information on my great grandparents, at least one of whom probably came from the Mt. Bellew area. Her name was Catherine Kate) Burke (her tombstone dates in the U.S. are 1822 -1906.) She and her husband, John Carroll, first appear in U.S. records in the federal census of 1860 in Buffalo, NY. They moved to a farm outside of the city where they lived for the rest of their lives. In later records they give their year of immigration as 1856.
Thus far, no official U.S. records have surfaced regarding the details their immigration or place of origin. However, there were a series of four to six letters written to Kate (Catherine) ranging - as I recall - from the late 1870s to early 1880s. They were written to her by a brother, Michael Burke, who put his address at the top of each letter as "Eskerrow, Menlough." The letters were handded down in a family descended from a Patrick Burke (born in Ireland in 1832. He lived in the city of Buffalo, with his family his entire life.) The assumption is that Patrick Burke was a brother (or cousin) of Kate's, and that she passed the letters on to him as family news.
Copies of these letters were given to the parish priest in Moylough in 1967, who was interested in starting a small collection of historical materials for the local school students. The original letters and any copies in the U.S. have all disappeared, so if the copies given to the parish priest in Moylough still exist, they are the only copies.
Kate was married to a John Carroll (tombstone dates 1829-1908.) According to family tradition he came from the same area of Ireland as his wife, but there is not proof that this is accurate.
I know that there are Burkes still living in the area of Mt. Bellew, but whether they are related to the above Kate, Patrick and Michael I do not know.
I would be very interested if anyone in the area has any more information on the families of either of these two great grandparents. I twice visited Annie Carroll and her brother Michael in the area, and was given a princely welcome. However, no family connexion was ever established, and Annie was a great talker with an incredibly keen mind, but she was far more interested in talking about the burgeoning space exploration than family history!!! She was an incredibly sharp thinker, and I still have a lively impression of her. Her brother Michael was quite a bit older, and a much quieter sort. He was a big man, and quietly proud - particularly of a prize-winning ram, whose photo he showed me. There were some Burkes present on these two occasions, but Annie held center stage and I never did get to talk to them.
Having become serious about family genealogy much later in life, I have always been sorry that I did not take greater advantage of these visits.
John (Jack) Carroll
Monday 11th Jun 2012, 03:15PM
Message Board Replies
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Hi Jack,
Could you please post your message on the Killoscobe (Menlough) parish page here: http://www.irelandxo.com/group/killoscobe-galway
Very funny story about the Carroll/Burke visit to Ireland! Love the story about the prize ram! Well as you may already know, the name Burke is very common in Ireland and is prominent in Co. Galway in particular. You can see the frequency of the name/names in the mid-19th century if you look at the Irish Times link here: http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/surname/index.cfm?fuseaction=Go.&UserID= You can also see the variant spellings, as well as doing a search for the two names Carroll and Burke.
It might be worth contacting the local parish priest in Moylough to see if they still possess the copies of the letters. They might still have them, and if not, they may have handed them to a local historical society.
There are Roman Catholic church records available for the diocese of Moylough (Tuam). These date from 1848 for both baptismal and marriage records. You can find these at the National Library of Ireland, Pos. 4220, or you can pay and receive lots of information from the Woodford Heritage Centre http://galwayeast.rootsireland.ie/ If you have any difficulty, you could try writing to the parish priest for more assistance.
There are Roman Catholic church records available for the diocese of Killascobe (Tuam). These date from 1867 for baptismal records and 1807 for marriage records. You can find these at the National Library of Ireland, Pos. 4220, or the Church of Latter Day Saints (LDS), film 1279259 item 13. If you have any difficulty, you could try writing to the parish priest for more assistance.
Civil registration records are available from the General Register Office (GRO). These start from 1864 however. You can access the website here: http://www.groireland.ie/research.htm
You could also try checking the land records called the Tithe Applotment Books (1823-38) or the later Griffith's Valuation (1848-64). Griffith's is freely available here: www.askaboutireland.com or here: www.failteromhat.com Failte Romhat has lots of other useful links you could try looking at. Tithe Applotment Books (1823-38). Microfilm copies of the books for all of Ireland are available at the National Archives of Ireland (NAI) http://www.nationalarchives.ie/genealogy1/genealogy-records/tithe-applotment-books-and-the-primary-griffith-valuation/ or the Church of Latter Day Saints (LDS).
Have you tried checking the Ellis Island records (www.ellisisland.org) or the Castle Garden records (www.castlegarden.org)? Generally, more information was given at the port of arrival rather than the port of departure. If you knew which city they arrived at, this could be a good place to find more information.
1838-48 Reproductive Loan Fund records. Records of loan associations at many locations including Mountbellew. UK National Archives http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ T. 91.
1839-46 List of subscribers to the RC Chapel at Dunmore, with name, townland and donation. National Library of Ireland, Pos. 4211.
There is a book you should find interesting by John A. Claffey, called 'History of Moylough-Mountbellew. Part 1, from the earliest times to 1601'. 1983.
Another by Carol O'Regan called 'Moylough a people's heritage', 1993.
There are also estate records you could check: Landlord: French family. National Library of Ireland. Includes Moylough.
Please make sure you link anyone else in your family who is interested in their Irish heritage to our site - and indeed anyone else you know of Irish heritage.
Kind regards,
Sinead Cooney
Genealogist (Ireland XO)
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John,
I have produced 'electronic' church listings of some birth, marriage and death records for the parish of Killoscobe (up to 1903), which incorporates the townland of Eskeroe, and also civil registrations of births, marriages and deaths for the Poor Law Union of Mountbellew (up to 1958) in which these occurances would typically be recorded from 1864. These may be useful in determining when Michael Burke died and indeed who the informant may have been. If you feel these may be of use to support your efforts then I will gladly forward these files via email. You can send you email address to me at laffeyjimmy@gmail.com or post a message here.
Thanks and regards,
Jimmy.
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Sin?ad,
Thank you for the wealth of resources. I shall do my best to follow them up. Sorting this out seems so close, and yet just out of reach.
Thank you again.
Sincerely,
Jack Carroll -
Jimmy,
I've sent you my email contact from my account. Thank you for your kind offer.
Regards,
Jack Carroll -
Hi Jack,
I just came across your posting and very much enjoyed reading your account of your visits with my Aunt Annie Carroll and Uncle Michael! My grandmother was Annie's sister. In fact, both she and another sister emigrated to NY in the 1920's and corresponded with Annie until they passed away.
The Carrolls have lived at Eskerroe since the 1600's. You will find them buried at Killascobe graveyard, including poor Annie. After Annie passed away, the land was sold to someone who demolished the original thatched house and built a new house. I don't think they are any relation. There are still Burkes living at Eskerroe. I am not sure about John Carroll, but imagine he is related to my great grandfather, James Carroll, Annie's father, born 1854 at Eskerroe. They worked on the Mount Bellew estate for Lord Bellew as herdsmen, managing the horses. I would be interested to find out about your research. I have a cousin in Boston who is a descendant of the Burkes and has researched them a fair bit. There was a bit of intermarriage between the two families in the 20th Century.
Best regards
Maryann
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Hi Jack,
I just came across your posting and very much enjoyed reading your account of your visits with my Aunt Annie Carroll and Uncle Michael! My grandmother was Annie's sister. In fact, both she and another sister emigrated to NY in the 1920's and corresponded with Annie until they passed away.
The Carrolls have lived at Eskerroe since the 1600's. You will find them buried at Killascobe graveyard, including poor Annie. After Annie passed away, the land was sold to someone who demolished the original thatched house and built a new house. I don't think they are any relation. There are still Burkes living at Eskerroe. I am not sure about John Carroll, but imagine he is related to my great grandfather, James Carroll, Annie's father, born 1854 at Eskerroe. They worked on the Mount Bellew estate for Lord Bellew as herdsmen, managing the horses. I would be interested to find out about your research. I have a cousin in Boston who is a descendant of the Burkes and has researched them a fair bit. There was a bit of intermarriage between the two families in the 20th Century.
Best regards
Maryann
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Hi Jack,
I just came across your posting and very much enjoyed reading your account of your visits with my Aunt Annie Carroll and Uncle Michael! My grandmother was Annie's sister. In fact, both she and another sister emigrated to NY in the 1920's and corresponded with Annie until they passed away.
The Carrolls have lived at Eskerroe since the 1600's. You will find them buried at Killascobe graveyard, including poor Annie. After Annie passed away, the land was sold to someone who demolished the original thatched house and built a new house. I don't think they are any relation. There are still Burkes living at Eskerroe. I am not sure about John Carroll, but imagine he is related to my great grandfather, James Carroll, Annie's father, born 1854 at Eskerroe. They worked on the Mount Bellew estate for Lord Bellew as herdsmen, managing the horses. I would be interested to find out about your research. I have a cousin in Boston who is a descendant of the Burkes and has researched them a fair bit. There was a bit of intermarriage between the two families in the 20th Century.
Best regards
Maryann
-
Hi Jack,
I just came across your posting and very much enjoyed reading your account of your visits with my Aunt Annie Carroll and Uncle Michael! My grandmother was Annie's sister. In fact, both she and another sister emigrated to NY in the 1920's and corresponded with Annie until they passed away.
The Carrolls have lived at Eskerroe since the 1600's. You will find them buried at Killascobe graveyard, including poor Annie. After Annie passed away, the land was sold to someone who demolished the original thatched house and built a new house. I don't think they are any relation. There are still Burkes living at Eskerroe. I am not sure about John Carroll, but imagine he is related to my great grandfather, James Carroll, Annie's father, born 1854 at Eskerroe. They worked on the Mount Bellew estate for Lord Bellew as herdsmen, managing the horses. I would be interested to find out about your research. I have a cousin in Boston who is a descendant of the Burkes and has researched them a fair bit. There was a bit of intermarriage between the two families in the 20th Century.
Best regards
Maryann
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Since putting up my orignal inquiry above about John Carroll (1829-1908) and his wife Catherine Burke (1822-1906), who I believe came from Moylough parish, I have come across an additional piece of information.
I have found John Carroll's birth certificate, and it contained the names of his parents. They are Edward Carroll (which was the name John gave to his only son) and Bridget Mulrooney.
In the 1855 Griffith's Valuation of property in Ireland, there are an Edward Carroll and a Patrick Carroll in the Annaghmore West townland, Moylough civil parish with small holdings. The two Carroll (Edward & Patrick) are shown with several small holdings enumerated in a group that includes a Michael Burke and Michael Bourke, and others. The landlord for all these holdings is Thomas Blake.
There are also a James Mulrooney and a John Mulrooney on separate holdings from landlord Francis A. French. These are in the townland of Annaghmore East of Moylough civil parish.
The Tithe Applotment Books show a Michael Carroll and a James Mulreany in Anaghmore townland for 1833.
So, once again, there are families with the appropriate names living in the Moylough area.
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John,
I am also researching my family from Moylough, Annaghmore West. My 3rd Great Aunt & Uncle Bridget and Patrick Kelly born in the 1830s also emigrated to the Niagra/Buffalo area. I find this interesting because they also emigrated in the early to mid as 1850s, so there was obviously a pull-factor to that area for the young people of Annaghmore West.
On a separate note, I recently stumbled across the following 1851 census substitute which helped me discover the name of an ancestor I thought I wouldn't be able to find. Maybe it might help you in some way........
http://censussearchforms.nationalarchives.ie/search/cs/home.jsp
The Old Age Pensions Act 1908 introduced a non-contributory pension for eligible people aged 70 and over. It was implemented from January 1909 in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. To be eligible, applicants had to be 70 years old, To apply the claimant had to provide parents' names and their residence in March 1841/1851. Below is the example of the info I found that helped me find a lady called Winifred.....
Patt Mulry Scregg West Year of Census Extract1851
http://censussearchforms.nationalarchives.ie/search/cs/home.jsp
To apply the claimant(Mary Mullery) had to provide parents' names and their residence in March 1841/1851.
Surname of Applicant Mullery
Christian name of Applicant Mary
Applicant's present address Mrs W Glynn, Moylough
Surname of Father Mullery
Christian name of Father Pat
Maiden Surname of Mother-
Christian name of Mother Winnie
Residence Location - CountyGalway
Residence Location - BaronyTiaquin
Residence Location - ParishKilkerrin
Residence Location - Townland Scregg West
I hope this helps in some way John.
Eamonn Kelly.
Galway.
kellyea