Winefred Phillips?

Where exactly did your Winifred end up, who did she marry, have you found her on US census returns ?

There are at least two Winifred/Winnie Philips that I can see arriving in the US around the right time, one to NY/NJ area, the other planning to head to Chicago.

Casey:

I knew this query sounded very familiar. I did a search and found your last posting from August 2014. Did you rule out the family in Drumacoo? I recognize that the father is Thomas in the census records below. Did the marriage record show John?

Roger McDonnell

http://www.irelandxo.com/group/county-cork/messages/phillips-winifred-a…

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Roscommon/Edmondstown/…

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Roscommon/Edmondstown/…

Hello Roger & Shanew147!
I first want to apologize for the starting of this new thread on the same question. I'm having a bit of trouble navigating the website to easily find the posts I have already made once I log in. When I couldn't find the old one, I figured that it was deleted (for inactivity?). Foolish me! Thank you for sticking with trying to help me Roger. Very kind of you! :)
I recently went back on the hunt for Winefred/Winifred (not sure which spelling is correct) information again because I did locate her marriage certificate in Connecticut, USA. She married a Patrick Egan in 1915 and her parents are listed as Mary O'Grady and John Philipps of Ireland. At that time she had been living in Connecticut for at least a few years (according to the certificate).

I had held out hope that the Winifred in the 1901 census record you linked me to (Roger) was her....as it was the only Winifred I could find in all of Ireland that was a twin that year. But with the different name of her twin, and now the different name of her father....I'm just not sure anymore. Even if I disregard the family lure that she even had a twin named Anna....would her father's name be listed differently on the census and her marriage license? I just honestly don't know.

Again, many, many, thanks, but I think I'm back to the drawing board on her. Best Wishes,
Casey

I think the place to start is with further research in US records to establish some details of your Winefred Phillips, and then work from there - so work back in time step by step through your family as far as  Winefred, and her husband, children etc using marriage & death certs, census returns, etc. Since she's your great-grandmother there should be a trail of evidence from yourself to follow back to when she arrived in the US. Be a little wary of family stories, these may not be accurate, although there are usually details that are true in these, just sometimes facts get switched around.

The more clues you can find in US records at each step the better, as it helps to keep the search going. For example knowing where she lived at various stages and who and where she married, if she worked at some stage can all help.

As an example the passenger lists from this time often mention intended destination, sometimes as a detailed address, as well as place of last residence and next of kin..  if it were possible to trace your Winefred back through the 1940,30,20,10 US census then it may be possible to show a link to one of these arrivals..

I can have a go at searching through the US census returns for Winfred, If you wish to post a few details ?
- e.g. where she lived, husbands name, when and where they married, children etc

Casey:

No need to apologize, we are here to help.

Shane has given you very sound advice. The key issue for me is her mother's maiden name.. I located an 1886 civil marriage index record which is below. The record is in the Castlereagh/Castlerea registration district which included Drumacoo. The groom was Thomas Phillips and the possible spouses on the page include a Mary Grady. The 1886 ties into the 24 years married on the marriage record. I also located an 1887 civil birth index record for a Winifred Phillips in the last quarter of 1887 (see below) and a civil birth index record for a Honoria Phillips recorded on the same page.

You can get a copy of these records from the General Register Office for around 4 euros each. Go to this link https://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Apply-for-Certificates.aspx  print out the appropropriate form, fill it out to the best of your ability add the info from the index record: quarter/year of the event, registration district and volume and page number. Make sure you ask for a copy only. You have to use snail mail to send the form to GRO in Co. Roscommon (address is provided). You can ask the GRO to e-mail the copy (copies) back. Takes around two weeks. This may not be your family but at least you can eliminate them from you search.

Let me know if you have questions.

Roger

I found what I think is a good possibility in immigration records on Ellis Island that fit's quite well both to your clues and that Philips family Roger found. The Ellis Island summary has the following :

Name :   Philips Winnie
Nationality :   Great Britain, Irish
Last Place of Residence :   Ballaghadiron, Ireland  (see below)
Date of Arrival :   April 13th, 1910
Age at Arrival :   21y    (so born c1889)
Gender :   Female / Marital Status :   Single
Ship of Travel :   Oceanic
Port of Departure :   Queenstown, Ireland

A look at the actual page images reveals a few more details :

occupation - Servant
last residence - Ballaghdereen
nearest relative at last residence : mother Mary Philips, Drumacoo, Ballaghaddereen, Co. Mayo
intended destination : Stratford Conn.
Contact in the US :  Ann Philips - her sister, box 115, Stratford Conn.
Winnie has never been in the US before, and has $15 with her

There are a number of other passengers on the same ship from Ballaghadereen (at least seven on the same page), so one of these could have been the friend she mentioned

I think this Anna was born Hanorah, and so Winnie's twin sister, who went on ahead to earn money for Winnie's passage, and probably sent her that $15 she had with her

Both Winnifred and Hanorah show up on the RootsIreland index with the same parents, same year, and same quarter in the Index records mentioned in Roger's post.

Father's name on that marriage cert is probably a mixup, or misinterpretation. Might be worth double checking that either with Winnifred's death cert, or records from Annie/Hanorah

I'd say the mention of 'Cork' as her place of birth probably crept into her story because that is where the ship travelled on left from..

I forgot to mention another important detail - the RootsIreland Index is showing a number of other likely children to that Thomas Philips and Mary Grady - including a Thomas and John, both younger than Winnie

Nice work Shane. Ballaghaderreen is the town nearest to Drumacoo and immigrants normally said they were from the nearest town rather than their actual townland. Drumacoo is to the north of Ballaghaderreen.

Casey: I think your family is from Drumacoo.

Roger

Rodger and Shane,

I am impressed...wonderful work! Although this has nothing to do with my family, it caught my eye due to the family name Winifred in Roscommon....SOOO glad to see someone getting probable family tree imformation. How exciting!!!!

How wonderful for you Casey! Such a rare treat to read. Thank you volunteers of Ireland Reaching out!

Suz

and just following up on Irish and US census returns - the 1911 Irish census return Roger mentioned shows Thomas and Mary had 7 children and 6 are still living at that time. Three are still in the household - John, Michael, and Kate and suspect the one that died was Mathew, and there's a likely match for his death in 1908.. That leaves Honoria, Winnifred and Thomas to account for..

There's a probable match for this Egan / Philips family in Hartford Connecticut on th US 1920 Federal census with two children, and sometime in the mid 1920s they move to Westchester, New York, where they appear for the 1930 and then 1940 census,  where Patrick is shown as a gardener

Shane and Roger!!

      This reply is arriving months and months later than it should have, and for that I appologize.  Family issues (the very present-day sort) caused me to drop my geneology research very suddenly and unexpectedly and as a result I missed out on your extremely kind, intelligent and generous help and guidance in the resposes you posted above.  When I finally was able to just read and digest them, I was immediately floored!  WOW!!!  I am so shocked and yet very impressed at the wonderful and detailed information you were able to collect for me!  In just the last two days I have used the data and directions you have pointed me in to open an entire branch of my family tree that I had previously felt would be almost impossible for me (with my very limitied skills and resources) to "climb out onto".  Most wonderfully, the information allowed me to confirm details that Winifred's grandchildren (now senior citizens) never knew about her life and they were thrilled to learn!  I cannot thank you enough.  The kindness and community of sharing I have found on irelandxo.com is astonishing!  I've tried to be helpful to other posters, but more often than not, I find my abilities coming up short.  It is true talents like yours that really makes this site stand out and shine!  I fully agree with "Suz" that the help you have provided is rare and wonderful!  Thank you both so much again.

Best Wishes,

Casey

Casey,

My great grandmother was Winnie Phillips of County Mayo. She was from Botinny, Cloonmore, Mayo. I have been there to her home in 2000, because cousins of mine and relatives of that group of Phillips still live in that home, and one of them emigrated to Chicago when I was a kid and now lives in Chi town. Winnie lived on the Southside of Chicago and was married to Patrick Owens also of county Mayo. I am working on my ancestry now. My grandfather who is 99 is her son, so I have pretty direct information. Back in 2000 grandpa took me to the home Winnie Phillips grew up in and that is the address. I think she is the other Winnie Phillips, not yours, and I believe her parents names were Bridget and John Phillips but I am having a having some difficulty with that, since my grandfather currently does not remember his grandparents' names.  I am looking for a possible sister or daughter she may have had named Vivian Phillips. If you have come across that name in your research please let me know.... Blessings...perhaps we are cousins maybe a different branch of the Phillips? Thanks

Meaghan

Hi Casey and Meaghan,

I have just somewhat started researching my family history, so please excuse my three-years-late response to this thread.

Meaghan - We are relatives in some manner. My great grandmother was Winifred Phillips Owens. Winifred had nine (possibly 10) children, all of whom were born in Chicago, IL. Your grandfather must have been Joseph Owens, but correct me if I'm wrong. I believe Vivian was Winifred's sister, as she gave the name as a middle name to her daughter Margaret Cunningham, nee Phillips. The names that you have for Winifred's parents sound vaguely familiar, so I think you're on the right track. Unfortunately, my grandfather Bob (Robert), Winifred's youngest son, passed away about six years ago, so I am unable to ask him. I have all of the names of Winifred's children, I believe, if your interested in adding them to your research! 

Molly C.