Delaney and Walsh Families

Was the Wiliam Walsh you found on 1870 census born in Ireland? How old was he? Were Peter and Ellen born in U.S.A.? When was the last child born? 

Civil registration of births began in Ireland in 1864 so Michael's older siblings won't have had birth certificates. The only records would be baptism registers, if they exist. 

What was their religious denomination? Civil registration of Catholic marriages also began 1864 but civil registration of Church of Ireland marriages began 1845. 

Was Michael born onboard ship? Is the name of the ship on his birth certificate? If so, have you been able to find any information about the ship's voyage, port of departure & ports en-route, who was in the family party, did they pay their fares or was it an assisted passage, were they going to a named person or address, names of other pasengers who may have been relatives, friends, neighbours?

Did any more relatives join them later? 

I'm also a descendent of a Walsh from Mayo. Mary Walsh from near Castlebar who would have been a contemporary of Bridget. 

Bridget Walsh - nee Delaney and Michael Walsh were born in Mayo as was their son William. According to the June 28, 1870 census, William was born in Ireland and 7 years old at the time of the census so that would have put his birth around 1863. Michael J. Walsh is listed as being 5, Richard, age 2 and James age 1 (both younger children were born in Pa.) This Erie, Pa. census matches what I know of my family but hte name is written as "Welsh" instead of Walsh which is something I found in other documents recorded by others.  The family were Catholic and buried in Calvary Cemetary in Hazelwood area of the city.  

According to the 1900 census, Bridget was a widow living in Pittsburgh . She is recorded as having giving birth to 11 children with 5 still living at the time. I know the names of the following children but unable to find the names of other children:  I can account for about about 7 of the children, 

Born in Ireland: William about 1861-1863 Born in England 1864 (enroute to America) not sure if he was born on the boat or if when the boat stopped in Liverpool which I have heard is a route taken.  Richard, James, Peter, Stephen, Ellen (all born in Pennsylvania). James Walsh, listed as 1 year old in 1870 census- I wonder if he died and she gave birth to a second son named him James and he was born in 1878. The James Walsh living with Bridget in 1900 was recorded as being 30 years old and he died 1904 and is buried in the family plot.    I have no idea if other relatives joined them later.   Their son Stephen was involved with the Pittsburgh Fire Dept- I think maybe a chief. Peter P. Walsh became the superintendent of Pittsburgh Police and had quite a bit of notoriety.  I also found a Bridget born in 1864 and wondered if she was a twin of Michael's but can't confirm.                                                                                                                                                                                       

The last child that I can find recorded born was Ellen who became known to the family as Ellie Kelly- she married James Kelly and had a child. I belive they moved out of state, James died and she might have remarried.   I am unable to find anything about their passage to the US but suspect they may have come in through Canada or somewhere north. I think this because they enede up living in Erie by 1870. Not sure when they came to Pittsburgh area but Michael Sr. died in Pittsburgh by 1890. Can't find the family on the 1880 census either.   Seems that while in Erie, the elder Michael was a "coal heaver".   Neighbors included two of the King families. I have family members who married into King family but not sure if any of the Walsh married them. Other last names included Lynch, Allen, Leonard. That is about all I know of them and is the earliest record of them here. I have been unsuccessful finding them on a ship and wonder if they were on one of the ships that used to take goods/ lumber from North America to England and return with passengers (mostly unrecorded). They figured out pretty quickly that they did not want to waste the money by sending an empty ship back. I can not confirm either way.   Where did you William Walsh end up? Are you in Pittsburgh as well? I have found some of the other Walsh great-grandchildren online as well. We matched DNA. Have you learned anything about your William that would help determine if he is the brother of my great grandfather, Michael J. Walsh ? Michael died 1900 in Pittsburgh at the age of 36. His wife Anna McDonald (I can't find anthing about her) died a year later 1901 age 37 leaving theirchildren as orphans. My grandmother was one of those children.                                                            

If Michael and Bridget followed some of the popula naming patterns, I am thinking that if William was the first or second born male, William may have been one of the  grandfather's names. If Michael was the third male, it would make sense that he was named after his father.    If Bridget and Michael were born around 1836 and 1838, chances are they married in 1850"s and I doubt that they would have waited to 1860's to have babies.I suspect they would have given birth to other children who did not make it.                                                                                                                                        

If you think we are of the same family, I'd love to learn what you might know about them. Where did William end up?                                                                                                                                

I look forward to hearing from you.

Judy 

Judy:

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

I looked at your message last night but did not get time to post a reply. I searched the subscription site Roots Ireland and did not locate the marriage record or a baptimsal record for William or any child of Michael Walsh with a spouse with the surname Delaney. There are 13 RC parishes in Mayo which have records starting 1864 or later so likely your ancestors were from one of those parishes.

I looked at the 1856 Griffiths Valuation head of household listings for Mayo focusing on Delaney records (too many Walshes) and there were 35 for Mayo. Almost all of them in the southeast of the county around Claremorris and Ballyhaunis. I was unable to find one record where the civil parish for Griffiths matched up with one of the 13 RC parishes with late records.  

You may want to add Michael and Bridget Walsh to our XO Chronicles site https://irelandxo.com/ireland-xo/history-and-genealogy/ancestor-database

Roger McDonnell

Hi Roger, 

You are like the king of using these records. I have only tried once or twice. I know that finding Michael Walsh will be like finding a needle in a haystack. I had hoped that Bridget Delaney would be simpler to find.  At least narrowing the Delaney's down to Claremorris and Ballyhaunis will help me. I visited Ireland a few years ago and plan to return again. This time, I will have some specific areas to focus on. I am still searching church records here to see if I can find anything new here through the local church records and still trying to track down how they came to the US. Michael J. Walsh was born on the way and assigned an English birth certificate so I am hoping there might be some informiaotn on it - if I find it.   I am not entirely sure about how the XO Chronicles site will help by me putting them on there. I dont really know much about them other than they came to Erie, Pa and then to Pittsburgh, had 11 children and buried all but three before Bridget died. I did find a photo of her online - it was with her obituary but have not found anyone who has any other photos of the family.   Thanks again for all that you have done to push me in the right direction.                  All the best,   

Judy 

Judy:

The XO Chronicles is our growing data base of ancestors who were born in Ireland and for the most part emigrated. We have over 10,000 ancestors posted and more added each day. The idea is that someone might see an ancestor posting and see a connection with their family.

Roger

I just did this but can't see it. Hopefully, it is just an issue with the format )perhaps going through an approval process prior to posting. 

Yes, the Admins approve the postings.

Roger