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3GGGP John (1811-) & Mary Morrissy nee Murphy ( 1811-?),farmers, from County Cork: provenance and location queries??

Cork

Hi!

Im researching my 3GGP  on my maternal grandmother's side,, John and Mary Morrissy , farmers, from Country Cork or Co. Tipperary or Co. Limerick. I only know their names as they appear on the death certificate on one of their children, Mary Robinson nee Morrissy (1838-1907, Mar 20, Armadale, Melbourne, Victoria, Au), my 2GGM.Co. Cork appears on Mary , daughter, death certificate, as her provenance.

Mary left the family farm ,together with her older sister, Catharine Malone nee Morrissy (1833-1880, Wetherstone, Otago, NZ) leaving Southampton aboard 'The Statesman' on July 14 1853, arriving in Hobsons Bay ( Melbourne) on Oct 5 1853, Mary as an indentured dressmaker to Dr Solomon Iffla, Jamaican born doctor who had arrived the previous year at 71 Stephen St, Melbourne,and Catharine as an indentured teacher to Mr John Rendale of the ship "Ajax'.

Family records state that the sisters came from a farm in County Cork, 'a two storey farmhouse with a high stone wall'. The only records I can find is a John Morrissy from Golden , Co. Tipperary, farmer ( 1811-1896) as it fits the same birth date. Nothing as yet for Mary Morrissy, mother. Morrissy or Morrissey are common surnames, aren't they?

My late aunt stated that while staying with her own grandmother,Cecelia Annie Tinsley nee Robinson (1864-1841, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia), the second eldest daughter of Mary Morrissy, daughter, and Daniel Robinson (1809, Londonderrry-1892, Apr 17, Caulfield, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Cecelia Annie spoke of a maternal uncle who was provincial head of a seminary in Ireland. Looking at extant records there were around 40 such institutions in the 19 century, so I'm surmising that Fr. x Morrissy's birth date oscillates between 1830 and 1840 so if he became head/ prior , he'd've been around > 40 yo so that'd put it n the late 1870s-1900s. Any tips about how I might narrow the search?.

 

I also need to locate the parents, John and Mary Murphy's  respective DoB, DoM, & DoD and, most importantly, location of their farm. I can't locate John  in Griffith's Valuations in 1850s nor that of his wife, should she have become a widow before ttheir two daughters left Co. Cork in 1853( improbable). All I know  anecdotally is that the same Cecelia Annie Tinsley nee Robinson, my GGM, allegedly wrote a response to her maternal grandparents around 1880-3 when they asked their daughter, Mary, if the family was being brought up in the old faith to which Cecelia Annie responded that they were  being brought up as CoE as, Mary's husband,  Daniel Robinson ( Ulsterman) was Presbyterian. Apparently, as soon as Cecelia Annie 's mother, Mary Robinson, found out about this letter, she threw her daughter, Ceclia Annie, out of home, when the latter was aged around 16-18. The Morrissys from Co. Cork never wrote any more correspondence to their daughter from then onwards.

 

How can I locate records for John and Mary as County Cork has hundreds of Townland, Parishes and Baronies?

 

Cheers,  TM

murphytim1957@…

3 replies

TM:

Morrissey was a very common surname in Ireland in the mid-19th century. Waterford and Tipperary had the most Morrissey records in the Griffiths Valuation followed by Kilkenny and then Cork. There were 17 John Morrissey/Morrissy records in Co. Cork in the 1852 Griffiths Valuation for that county. I searched the subscription site Roots Ireland and the free site www.irishgenealogy.ie (records for parishes in Cork and Ross diocese) and did not locate any baptismal records for Morrissey children with parents John Morrissey and Mary Murphy.

I did find some records in Co. Waterford including a Catherine in 1828 and a Mary in 1835, however, Catherine was baptized in Knockanore RC  parish and Mary in Ballyporeen RC parish. Those two parishes are somewhat distant from each other. So did the family move to Co. Cork when the children were young or are these records for unrelated families?

Roger McDonnell

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Hi Roger,

 

I've checked the death certificates of both Mary Robinson nee Morrissy (1838-1907) and her sister, Catherine Malone nee Morrissy and on the former, it states her birthplace as County Cork and for the ,latter, County Tipperary. They could be wrong. It appears that John and Mary Morrissy nee Murphy moved around if the above birthplaces are accurate and therefiore credible, The birthdates could also be +/-5 years.

Could you send me the records for the ones you found born in 1828 and 1835.? The parents' birthdates may also be +/- 5 years because the years I have are 1811 for John and 1810 for his wife Mary Murphy. If your finds are accurate, John would have been 16 and Mary 17- the latter is probable but the former marrying at 16 yo???

 

The only death certificate for John  Morrissy,  widower,  farmer,I have found to date is for one  in 1811 and died in 1897 on March 28 in Golden , Co. Tipperary in the presence of a son, Maurice Morrissy.

There is family talk that Mary and Catherine have a brother who is head/ prior of seminary somewhere in Ireland=32 counties, that is, 23 in Southern: Connacht, Munster and Leinster and 9 in Ulster which then included Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan.?

I've found two for Mary Morrissy:

1/ , widow, servant, died in Cork Workhouse on Jan 6 1874, aged 65 yo, putting her year of birth as 1809. No maiden name provided nor place of birth nor husband's name .

2/ widow of farmer,died at 9 Model Cottages,in 3 North Centre Cork on Oct 9 , 1878,aged 80 yo, putting her year of birth as 1798- if  daughter, Catherine is born in 1833, this makes Mary 35 yo and if Mary is born in 1838, this makes Mary 40 yo??? Possible??? No maiden name  or place of birth provided nor husband's name.

 

Any further suggestions?

 

Cheers,

 

Tim Murphy

 

murphytim1957@…

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