SMITH/HIGGINS Families,Co.Longford

Hi,

Thank you for your message. I have forwarded it onto one of our volunteers who hopefully may be able to assist or advise you.

Kind regards,

Genealogy Support

Dear Emma,

Thank you for your help.

Margot.

William Smith on the 1833 Tithe Applotment books at Ballinamore holding just over 5 acres. This is close to Killashee village.

John Higgins holding 7 acres at Cloonmore Killashee in 1833. Also James Higgins holding 26 acres at Fisherstown. These details would put William Smith and John Higgins in the same social bracket so perhaps John Higgins may be a more likely candidate as the father in law.

Dear johncfarrell,

Thank you very much for your reply.I wrote that message 3 years ago and am no further along with my knowledge of these families.Hopefully now I can do a little bit of research ,besed on your information,and learn more about them.I really do appreciate that you have taken the time and  trouble to reply.Now I'm off to look at a map of Killashee!

Regards,

Margot.

Hi,

Interested in your family which I found today.  I have a William Smith who married Maria Kerr in Killashee, Longford in 1848.  He was a soldier with the 79th Regiment.  They had a daughter born around 1861, called Elizabeth, my ancestor.  William and Maria have been very elusive and I haven't, as yet, been able to trace the 79th Regiment. 

I do have a bit more about the rest of the Kerr family

Might there be a connection?  It isn't a very large place.

Dear Papaver,

Thank you for your reply.I feel  that it's very likely that  there is a connection between the 2 William  Smiths.If your William Smith is the son   of my Eliza Smith's father William Smith,then it is highly likely that there is a connection,as his daughter is named Elizabeth,probably continuing the traditional naming pattern.If that's the case,then my Eliza and your William Smith could well  be brother and sister.The dates and names are about right.As you say,it's not a very big place,so the odds are that they are closely related.I haven't had a look at my notes on these families  for a while,so I will have a bit of a squiz and see if I can come up with anything more! Fingers crossed!!

Regards,

Margot
 

Dear Papaver,

I found a birth for William Smith, which I'm presuming is my  Eliza's father.

Baptised 22 Aug.1811.Aughnogore Townland,Parish of Killashee,Co.Longford.   

Church of Ireland.

Parents:Patrick Smith,Margaret Smith.   Witnesses or informants were not listed.

I couldn't find anything else ,sorry.

Regards,

Margot.

Hi Margot,

I have just looked out the little I have but do not see an actual link though that does not mean there isn't one.  Always keep my options open in hope!  There are still cousins?

William Smith married Maria Kerr in 1848 in Killashee, Co. Longford in the Church of Ireland.  The witnesses were Edward Nisun (surname difficult to read) and William Onion.  William's address was Templemichael.

William's father was John Smith.

Their daughter, Elizabeth born around 1861 in Ireland, married in Scotland in 1887 and this is where I got the information about the 79th Regiment. Elizabeth (my gt grandmother) married a cousin on her mother's side.  The witnesses to the marriage were William Smith and Jessie Smith.  One day, it's just there are so many Smiths, I will try to hunt the latter down.  If they stayed in Scotland I might find them as I suspect (knowledgeable guessing) they are husband and wife.

Since I saw your message I had another look at Griffiths valuation and found 3 James Smyths and a Robert Onion in Templemichael Glebe, all apparently listed after each other, which is the same area William was living in at the time of his marriage.

Perhaps the way forward is to encourage every Smith/Smyth from Killashee to post info and it all might click together?

I should also look for births there after 1864 but that would be a bit of a guessing game.

Frustrating isn't it?  Maria remarried and I can find nothing about that either but I have extensive knowledge of her siblings marriages!

Regards

Kate

I dont know if you have come across a document called Speculum Gregis of Killashee 1849

It was written by Rev James MH Strangeways, who was an assistant curate in the Church of Ireland Parish of Killashee, Co Longford. It lists the Church of Ireland parishioners from 1849 ( when originally written) to 1851 ( updated as families left the area or people died)

A number of people or surnames who are mentioned in your previous posted are referred to as follows

Geo. Onion ( born in Mohill, Co Leitrim) served in the 32nd and 88th foot regiments 1825 - 1840  WO 97/508/23.

In 1855 he was at Cloncallow Townland in Noughaval Parish, Co Longford with Harman as his landlord ( He moved from Killashee sometime prior to 1851).

His wife listed as Cathe. Moffat ( daughter of Samuel Moffat of Stonepark, Kenagh, Co Longford

They had 4 children but only Julia (2nd child) is named

Robt Onion ( very deaf - pensioner - no family)

Mary ( must be his wife?)

Mary Onion ( widow)

Rebecca - presumably a daughter

Carr Jas. ( very poor)

Carr Ellen ( wife)

Children

Ellen    born July 1828 

James  born Feb 1833

Eliza  1835

William  1830

also Nixon Edwd  ( Asst Schoolmaster - a lodger )

Robt Carr

Mary ( nee Browne)

Children

John  born May 1821

James  Feb 1824

Bessy  June 1826

William Augt 1833

also Mr Hughes - a pensioner - a Papist - lodger

At Killashee & Moygh

Smith Wm. ( Pensioner - 91st regiment)  WO  97/1005/11   born Clongish, Longford, served in 91st Foot regiment, discharged aged 38,  (served 1827 - 1848)

married Maria Carr ( a daughter of Jas. Carr )  1848

3 children listed

1st child - not named

John

Essy

Schoolhouse

James Smyth

Note: Carr surname - would appear to be the same family referred to as Kerr.

The spelling of surnames amoung a population with poor literacy is always an issue and if searching records you need to try every possible variation on the way a name might sound to the writer of the record

I hope this might add something to the discussion

I have a personal interest in the Church of Ireland Higgins families of Longford as my grandmother was Evelyn Higgins from Cartrons, Kenagh, Co Longford

Regards

John Farrell

Thank you so much.  I have not heard of the document and wonder if there is anywhere in Scotland I could access it?

The information you have given me has cleared up a couple of issues, has verified a few facts and has added to my knowledge.  I am lucky the family moved to Scotland as parents names are supplied on death certificates which has helped me connect people and then of course we have all the census records.

Obviously my information regarding William Smith wasn't quite accurate but his daughter knew he had been a soldier.  Maria and her sister Elizabeth (presumably Bessie) were my gt gt grandmothers.  The Carr spelling has come up before so is not an issue.  The family were illiterate at the time.

Eliza married in Greenock in 1854, Helen married there in 1851 but I haven't as yet tracked down the others.  I did not know about the brother William but I have a John and now wonder if he might be a cousin?  I also have two different names for James Carr's wife - "Ellen" and "Sarah" but having seen what you sent and knowing the name Ellen/Helen was passed down I will now go with Ellen.  In the same way James was said to be a "flesher" in one certificate and a "weaver" in another but I feel weaver is more likely to be accurate.

I hate to presume but would it be reasonable to  assume Robert Carr and James Carr were brothers?  Doubt if I will get any more info to prove or disprove it.

To add to the mix one of Ellen Kerr's children married a Harris from Co. Longford.  Just puts a nother name out there for someone else.

Thank you again.  Speculum Gregis of Killashee 1849 is as good as a census.  I am delighted to see the family together in Ireland.

Dear Papaver,

Obviously not the same direct  family line,but as you say they are very possibly cousins.I will just keep plugging away,and hope that more descendants join in this post.

Regards,

Margot.

Hi, 

I have Maria Carr/Kerr (Smith) born abt. 1823-1916 she was my 2nd great grandmother. I am unaware of where she was born but died in Killashee.

She married Michael Murtagh in 1861 after her first husband William Smith died.

Maria and Michael had 1 son John 1865-1948.

I don’t know a great deal about Michael he died in 1883 Killashee, Co. Longford I do believe his father was Andrew Murtagh

Very interesting to read about Maria, as I knew very little about her.

John Murtagh married Anne Wright in 1891 they had 6 children 

Emily, Marie, William, John, George, Robert..... Emily was my grandmother.

All of the above were Church of Ireland 

Hoping to hear more interesting information in the near future.

Kind regards 

Elizabeth.