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Coyle's from Donegal, ireland

I am searching for information about my great-great grandfather, Hugh Bonaventure Coyle b. Feb 1832 in Donegal, Northern Ireland. His parents are John Coyle born 1806 Donegal, N. Ireland and Ellen or Eleanor Tinney, Finney or Tierney born 1809 in Ireland, I have no specific place for her birth. In June 1834, John, Ellen & their 3 oldest children Margaret 5; Hugh 3; and Catherine 1 left Ireland from Londonderry and sailed to the USA arriving 4 Aug 1834 in Philadlephia, PA, USA. The surname is spelled Coile on the passenger ship list. Hugh married 1st Margaret (possibly Nugent) in 1854 and she died 17 Jan 1860 in Philadelphia, PA, USA. They had 2 children together: 1)Sallie Coyle born 1854 Phila.and died 9 Jul 1859. 2)William Henry Coyle b. Dec 1856 in Pennsylvania, USA. Hugh married 2nd, Anna M. Murphy (my great-great grandmother) 26 Nov 1862 @ St. Malachy Roman Catholic Church in Philadelphia, PA, USA. This union produced 14 more children: 1) John Sebstain Ignatius Coyle, S. J. 1864-1910; 2) Francis "Frank" Xavier Coyle 1865-1914; 3)Mary Ellen "Ella/Nell" Eleanor M. Coyle 1867-?; 4) Anna/Annie Gertrude Coyle 1868-1945 (my great grandmother whomarried William J. Carroll from Drumcar, Co. Louthon 20 Nov 1889 @ St. Malachy R.C. Church, N. 11th St., Phila., PA, USA); 5) George Lawrence Ignatius Coyle, S.J. 1869-1932; 6) Mary Regina Coyle 1871-1872; 7) Mary Louisa Coyle 1872-1902; 8) Emily M. Coyle 1874-1878; 9) Hugh Bonaventure Coyle 1875-1875; 10) Joseph Edwin Coyle 1877-1877; 11) Katherine "Katie" S. Coyle 1878-1946; 12) Richard Aloysius Coyle 1880-1902; 13) Margaret H. "Peggy" Coyle 1882-1940; 14) Joseph Sebatian Ignatius Coyle 1885-1958.

The father, John Coyle started an Iron Works in Old City Philadelphia, which his son, Hugh B. joined him and then Hugh's son Francis joined his father. (Attached: excerpt from Illustrated Philadelphia 1889 pg. 216) They have patents for their rolled awnings, fire escapes and hardware for trunks.

John had a siser Susan Coyle b. 1810 in Ireland who married Alexander O'Connor in the USA. They were both sponsors for severalof Hugh's children. Other Coyle's who were sponsors for the 16 Coyle children were: Margaret, Cornelius; Ann Frances; John; Ann & Isadore.

Hugh's 2nd wife Anna M. Murphy Coyle is the daughter of John Murphy b. 1811 Irealnd (No idea where?) and Ellen Powers b. 1812 in Ireland (no idea where?) some other relatives with either the Murphy, Powers or Tierney-Finney-Tinney surname are: Joanna Tierney-Finney-Tinney; Richard Murphy; Mary Powers and Patrick Powers.

Remaining sponsors are the following: John & Catherine McDevitt; James Doran; Bernard McDevitt; Margaret McDevitt; William McDevitt; Isaac Matson; Michael Donahue; Hugh Callaghan; Margaret O'Connor; Charles A. Chamberlain; Margaret Elizabeth Yeiss; Mary Gorman; Catherine Zeiss; James E. McKenzie; Mary Kirk; Michael McGrath; Helen Zeiss; George Zeiss; John Downs; Mary Zeiss; John J. Molony and Clara Hauck. (My note: I believe Margaret Elizabeth Yeiss is a typo for Zeiss).

My Great-Aunt Eleanor M. Carroll a.k.a. Mother Mary Theodore of the Holy Child Jesus wrote to me in 1979 that her grandfather, Mr. Coyle was from Donegal, but didn'tknow whre in Donegal. No other documents in the US have had his place of origin specifically listed other than Ireland. The irish records that I have already viewed several times name John, Hugh, Neil & Patrick Coyle's, but so many of them I don't know how to tell if I am seeing my relatives or not. Any information you can furnish or point me toward would be greatly appreciated. If any Coyle's stayed back in Ireland, I don't know. With the list of names I've offered above, it looks like they brought everybody plus the kitchen sink!

Again, the main occupation of my Coylemen were iron workers. Some were religious clergy and teachers. The ladies were teachers or housewives.

Thank you so much for this wonderful site and for allowing me to reach out to find my past family in Ireland and where they came from. I thank you in advance and can furnish more info. if necessary, but it would mostly be facts and dates from within the USA after their migration.

Respectfully yours,

Pat (Patricia) M. Carroll Bennett

Patricia Carroll-Bennett

4 replies

Pat,

As you have already discovered, Coyle is a very common surname in Donegal. Looking at the 1901 census of the county there were 1212 people of that name. The period you are interested in is before the start of civil registration of births, deaths & marriages (1864). So you are reliant on church records. Unfortunately hardly any RC parishes in Donegal have records for 1832 and earlier. There are around 30 parishes in the county and only about 2 have any records for the early 1800s. For one reason or another, it wasn’t apparently very common to keep parish registers in that county in the first half of the 19th century. There are few other comprehensive records that would help narrow the search any. So tracing the family without some idea of where they lived in Donegal will be very difficult. Possibly DNA might be the only way of finding a match with the right Coyle family.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Elwyn,

Thank you so much for your reply.  I was afraid that the dates might have been too early for records.  I have had my DNA tested already, so I will continue to pursue over hundreds of matches Ancestry has matched me up with on their site.  There are a few of the Coyle sponsors that I've never really delved into their records closely due to the fact that I was trying to find everything I could on the 16 children of my great-great grandparents.  Perhaps a younger sibling of my great-great-grandfather might have a document with a name place listed.  If so, and it is a latter date, I will send another query at that time.

 

Thank you so much for letting me know.  Would you have any suggestions of places to visit in Donegal that would be known for many Coyle's living there at a time in the past or even presently?  Perhaps when I visit with my sister, we may just see a familiar face if we have an idea whre to go.  No hurry and thank you again so much.

 

Pat Carroll Bennett

Patricia Carroll-Bennett

Pat,

I had a look at the spread of the surname in Griffiths Valuation (mid 1800s) and there are Coyles in most parishes across the county. I don't see any special clusters. And in any event the population will have changed a bit since then anyway.

If you look in the modern phone book you will find 195 Coyles listed in the county today.  That should give you some idea of where they are to be found now. (There will be many more but over half the population is ex-directory these days).

https://www.eirphonebook.ie

 

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

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