Doyle/Moloney in Adamstown, County Wexford

Ashley I am the admin group on Facebook for County Wexford History & Genealogy and we have recently had a request from a man called Gregory who I think is researching the same family- he is coming to Adamstown soon. Do you know him? If you are on Facebook look us up there are some locals there who might be able to help. Do you have a full tree done? 

Hello Ashley,

To add to the information kindly provided by Karen Cassidy, I found the baptism transcriptions, as well as copies of original baptism records for six children of Nicholas Doyle and Mary Moloney, all baptized in the Catholic Parish of Adamstown, which was also located in the Civil Parish of Adamstown.

The baptism transcriptions are from the Find My Past (FMP) website.

The copies of the original baptisms are from the National Library of Ireland located in Kildare Street, Dublin.

You’ll see that some of the baptism transcriptions will have the mother Mary’s maiden name spelled as Maloney/Mahony/Malony, and one as “Melaway.”

The first names and years of baptism for the children of Nicholas Doyle and Mary Moloney, are listed below:

Elenor, 1838
Patrick, 1840
John, 1843
Daniel, 1846
Nicholas, 1848
Larence, 1850
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As you can see I didn’t find the baptisms for Frances or Katie Doyle. The baptism for Daniel is from the year 1846. Your information has his year of birth in 1847.

As you can also see the information I found about this Doyle family does not match what information you have date-wise, as Nicholas Doyle Sr., and his wife Mary Moloney could not have been born in 1827 when a child of theirs, Elenor, was born just 11 years later in 1838.

The ages you have for Nicholas Sr. and Mary may be off by some years if you found their ages in census records or death records. You hadn’t mentioned if some or all of the family remained in Ireland or left for England, the U.S., Canada, Australia, or New Zealand.

DANIEL DOYLE

I’ll begin the FMP baptism transcriptions out of chronological order, starting with Daniel’s 1846 baptism, because you had mentioned him first in your message to Ireland Reaching Out.

Your information shows that Daniel was born in November of 1847, but the FMP transcription shows he was baptized on 21 February 1846, a year and 9 months earlier. You’ll be able to access Daniel’s baptism transcription after establishing a free account with FMP:
https://www.findmypast.com/transcript?id=IRE%2FPRS%2FBAP%2F4351014

The FMP transcription shows that the alternative name of the Catholic Parish of Adamstown is Newbawn.

Attached to the FMP transcription is a link that takes you to a copy of the original Adamstown Catholic Parish register where Daniel’s baptism can be found. Go to: https://tinyurl.com/yrxhcvhc

The baptism record shows that Daniel and his parents were living in the townland of Raheenduff. Daniel’s godparents are Daniel Maloney and Nancy Fortune. Daniel Maloney may have been Mary Maloney’s brother.

There is more than one townland named Raheenduff in County Wexford, but the Raheenduff where Daniel was born was in the Civil Parish of Adamstown. In the Irish language Raheenduff is spelled, “An Ráithín Dubh,” which means “Little Black Rath,” or Little Black Ring Fort.”

A Google Map shows that Raheenduff, by the shortest route along the L81153, R735 and L4009 roads, is 2.5 miles north of St. Abban’s Catholic Church in Adamstown: https://tinyurl.com/yyxbtafw

This link takes you to a Google Street View of St. Abban’s Catholic Church on the L4009: https://tinyurl.com/3wzvx525

Unfortunately, I couldn’t access a Google Street View of Raheenduff.

But I did find more information about St. Abban’s Catholic Church in Adamstown at the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage/Buildings of Ireland website, which shows the church was constructed in 1835. See the Buildings of Ireland website for more information and a slide presentation of the interior and exterior of the church: https://tinyurl.com/ye2aeup6

This link from the Buildings of Ireland website takes you to a modern map of the Adamstown crossroads and St. Abban’s Catholic Church. The church is located in the center of the map under the green dot surrounded by a black circle: https://maps.archaeology.ie/historicenvironment/?REG_NO=15703106

Adjoining the church is a fairly large graveyard, which you can see in this Google Satellite View: https://tinyurl.com/3h7edkje

The following maps are very old, dating from the 1829 to 1841 time period. These are Ordnance Survey Maps of Ireland, accessed for free at the GeoHive website.

The first map shows what was known as the R.C. Chapel in Adamstown, now St Abban’s. Also on the map are the Grave Yard, Police Station, and the National School House: https://tinyurl.com/2p8hw549

This Ordnance Survey Map of Raheenduff fills the center of the image: https://tinyurl.com/2dc5tnmz

These Ordnance Survey Maps show what Raheenduff and Adamstown looked like when the Doyle family lived in Raheenduff and worshipped at St. Abban’s, Adamstown.

ELENOR DOYLE

Elenor Doyle was baptized in the Adamstown Catholic Parish on 15 February 1838. In the transcription her mother’s maiden name is spelled “Mahony.” See the FMP baptism transcription at:
https://www.findmypast.com/transcript?id=IRE%2FPRS%2FBAP%2F5781659

A copy of Elenor’s original baptism record is very difficult to read because of fading. I had to PrintScreen and then crop the baptism entry for Elenor because it is very difficult to find in a copy of the original baptism register: https://tinyurl.com/2xe7p6ba

I couldn’t make out the town where Elenor and her family were living when she was baptized, nor could I tell with any certainty, the names of her godparents because of the fading of the handwriting.

PATRICK DOYLE

The FMP transcription shows that Patrick Doyle was baptized on 23 May 1840: https://www.findmypast.com/transcript?id=IRE%2FPRS%2FBAP%2F5485683

See a copy of Patrick’s original baptism record at: https://tinyurl.com/2p88r727

The residence for Patrick and his parents is Raheenduff. His godparents are John Dillon and Bridget Molony. Bridget may have been Mary’s sister.

JOHN DOYLE

John Doyle was baptized on 2 October 1843 according to the FMP transcription:
https://www.findmypast.com/transcript?id=IRE%2FPRS%2FBAP%2F4350935

For a copy of the original baptism record for John Doyle, go to: https://tinyurl.com/y55n3asd

The baptism record shows that John and his parents were living in Raheenduff. The first name of his godfather is James. I could not clearly make out what James’s last name was. It may be Redmond.The godmother is Joanna Doyle who was could have been Nicholas’s sister

DANIEL DOYLE WAS BAPTIZED NEXT IN 1846 AS NOTED EARLIER

NICHOLAS DOYLE

The baptism of Nicholas Doyle took place on 11 April 1848 according to the FMP transcription:
https://www.findmypast.com/transcript?id=IRE%2FPRS%2FBAP%2F7191157

A copy of the original baptism for Nicholas can be viewed at:
https://tinyurl.com/4m5hmvux

The residence of Nicholas and his parents was Raheenduff. The name of the godfather looks like Philip Casey or Carey. The godmother is Catherine Barron.

LARENCE DOYLE

Larence was baptized on 4 October 1850. His mother’s maiden name is “Melaway,” according to the FMP transcription: https://www.findmypast.com/transcript?id=IRE%2FPRS%2FBAP%2F4126779

For a copy of Larence’s original baptism record, go to: https://tinyurl.com/yckrev6f

When you look at Mary’s maiden name it does look like Melaway, but could more likely spelled “Melowney.” Nicholas and his family were living in Raheenduff when Larence was baptized.

The first name of Larence’s godfather is Robert. I couldn’t tell what his last name was. The godmother looks like Bridget O’Neil.

Three of the six Doyle children in the baptism records were born during the Great Irish Famine, the worst effects of which lasted from 1845 to 1852. These children are Daniel (1846), Nicholas (1848), and Larence (1850).

During the famine it is estimated that over a million people died from starvation and disease, while another million left Ireland for counties such as England, America, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

In the Irish language the Great Famine is called, “an Gorta Mór.” For a comprehensive article about the Irish Famine, go to the Wikipedia link at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Famine_%28Ireland%29

FURTHER RESEARCH

I next looked for the Adamstown church marriage record for Nicholas Doyle and Mary Moloney at the FMP website but didn’t find it. I expanded the search for the marriage in all Wexford Catholic parishes, but once again without success. I looked for the marriage in other counties but with no luck.

This prompted me to see the years Adamstown marriage records, as well as baptism records available to access at the National Library of Ireland website.

I found that Adamstown marriages span the time period from 8 December 1849 to 21 February 1881. They start much too late to have recorded the marriage for Nicholas and Mary, whose child Elenor was baptized in 1838.

Adamstown baptism records on the other hand, begin on 13 January 1807 and can be accessed until 14 March 1881. There are also some Adamstown death records from 27 December 1823 to 30 January 1832. There are gaps in the baptism, marriage, and death registers however.

To see the availability of the Adamstown Catholic Parish registers and a map of the Adamstown Catholic Parish, and surrounding Catholic parishes, go to the National Library of Ireland link at: https://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0567

Because the Adamstown Catholic Parish registers go back to the year 1807, I figured there was a chance that the baptisms for Nicholas Doyle and Mary Moloney would be recorded, that is if they were born in the parish.

Nicholas and Mary’s daughter Elenor was baptized in 1838, which means that Nicholas and Mary were likely born in the 18 teens and perhaps as late as 1820.

I found only one baptism record for a Nicholas Doyle who was baptized during this time period in the Adamstown Catholic Parish. The baptism, from the FMP website, took place on 26 July 1817. Nicholas’s parents are Michael Doyle and Mary Cullen. See the baptism transcription at:
https://www.findmypast.com/transcript?id=IRE%2FPRS%2FBAP%2F5640276

A copy of the original baptism record for Nicholas Doyle can be found at: https://i2.paste.pics/NAL0S.png

At the time of the baptism Nicholas and his parents were living in a townland that looks like it could be Templenacrow or Templenacron. His godparents look like Patt Whelan and Anty Cahill.

I believe the correct spelling of the townland where Nicholas and his parents were living in 1817, was Templenacroha, as shown in the IreAtlas Townland Database: https://tinyurl.com/532ar5nw

You’ll see that Templenacroha was in the Civil Parish of Adamstown.

A Google Map shows that Templenacroha is 6.9 miles west of Raheenduff: https://tinyurl.com/2p95rr95

Here is a Google Street View of Templenacroha: https://tinyurl.com/2p94eptp

I don’t know if this Nicholas Doyle is your ancestor. This just may be a coincidence. You would need to know who his parents were beforehand to know for sure. There may have also been more than one Nicholas Doyle who had lived in the Adamstown area of County Wexford at the same time period.

I next looked for, but didn’t find a baptism transcription for Mary Moloney/Maloney, etc. in Adamstown for the 18 teens or into the 1820s.

Ashley, did Nicholas, Mary, and their children leave Ireland for the United States and then settle in Dubuque, Iowa? If so an obituary shows that they had lived in Raheenduff.

To preface the obituary, I found a death record for Ellen Carr, widow of John Carr, at the free FamilySearch website. Ellen died at 1105 Wooton Ave., in Dubuque, Iowa on 16 November 1925, at the age of 88 years and 9 months. Her place of birth was Ireland and her date of birth was 2-15-1838, which is the date of her baptism in the Adamstown Catholic Church noted earlier.

Her father was Nicholas “Doyale,” and her mother Mary Maloney. Both parents were born in Ireland.

You can access a copy of Ellen Carr’s death record at: https://i2.paste.pics/NBEIU.png

I next found Ellen Carr’s obituary at Ancestry.com, though the name of the newspaper where the obituary was printed, is not recorded. The obituary shows that Ellen was born in “Raheenduff, Ireland on February 15, 1838” See the obituary at: https://i2.paste.pics/NBEXO.png

This obituary confirms that the Doyles mentioned in this reply had lived in Raheenduff, Wexford.

What you can do before you leave for Ireland next year is contact Karen Cassidy of the County Wexford History & Genealogy group, and send her the information about the Doyles of Raheenduff. You can also ask Karen if there is someone in the group who could meet you in Adamstown or Raheenduff to show you around the area when you go to Ireland next year. There is nothing like having a local guide showing you the places where your ancestors had lived over 170 years ago.

Or, another alternative before you go to Ireland is fill out a Meet and Greet form and send it to Ireland Reaching Out to see if there is a local volunteer in the Adamstown, Wexford. You can access the Meet and Greet form at: https://www.irelandxo.com/meet-and-greet

With Best Wishes,

Dave Boylan

SOURCES

Karen Cassidy of the County Wexford History & Genealogy Group on Facebook
Find My Past
National Library of Ireland
Google Maps
Google Street Views
Adamstown at the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage/Buildings of Ireland
Google Satellite View
GeoHive: Ordnance Survey Maps
IreAtlas Townland Database
FamilySearch
Ancestry.com
Ireland Reaching Out

Hello Karen and Dave, thank you so much for this information, I am so grateful for you! The information I had previously came to me from a cousin who had attempted research about 20 years ago. The information I have says that Nicholas Doyle and Mary Moloney immigrated to the United States around 1850 and ended up in Dubuque, Iowa. Their son, Daniel, married MaryJane Devaney... Daniel and MaryJane's son Joseph Doyle married Rachel Barry... Joe and Rachel's son Gerald Doyle married MaryAnn Theiler (my grandparents).

Although the information I have includes more details about Daniel Doyle (namely, military pension related letters), it does include a note that his sister Ellen married a man named John Carr. I am very interested in Ellen's line then, as I am in Dubuque, Iowa myself, and would love to learn if I have even more family in my own town!

In addition, I found information about Mary Jane Devaney, who married Daniel Doyle. She was the daughter of Thomas Devaney (b. 1826 England) and Margaret Drew (b. 1834 New York). Margaret was the daughter of Christopher Drew (b. 1804 Ireland) and Bridget Moore (b. 1819 Ireland). My information says that Christopher Drew and Bridget Moore were living in Dubuque in 1840 (apparently per a census). I'm not sure if there's a chance to see if there is any information from that branch. I feel incredibly grateful for your help already! 

Thank you,

Ashley

Hello Ashley,

I did some preliminary research about the Drew family in Dubuque, Iowa based on your information that Margaret Drew had married Thomas Devaney. Your records show that Margaret was the daughter of Christopher Drew, who was born in Ireland in 1804, and Bridget Moore, born in Ireland in 1819.

I found Margaret Drew Delaney’s death record at Ancestry.com, which shows that, while her father was Christopher Drew, her mother was Bridget Dalton, not Bridget Moore.

Margaret, who is recorded as “Mrs. Thomas Devaney” in the death record, died in Cascade, Dubuque County Iowa on December 11, 1923 at the age of 89 years, 9 months, and 6 days. At the time of death she was a widow and a “Retired Housewife.” She was born in New York, as you had stated in your reply. The cause of death is difficult to read as the death record is faded in spots, but it looks like she may have died of “Chronic Endocarditis.”

The person who reported Margaret’s death to the registrar was “Miss Geneive Devaney,” of Cascade, Iowa.

Margaret is buried in St. Martin’s Cemetery, Cascade, Dubuque County, Iowa. The undertaker was Devaney & Sons. This makes you wonder if Thomas and Margaret Devaney had a son and grandsons who became undertakers in Dubuque.

Here is the death certificate for Margaret Delaney: https://i2.paste.pics/NFGHV.png

The Find A Grave submission for Margaret Drew Devaney shows she was born in Troy, Rensselaer County, New York, on 5 March 1834, and also shows that her parents were Christopher Drew and Bridget Dalton.

One of her siblings is Catherine Drew Lattin. Nine of Margaret’s children are also listed in the Find A Grave submission which you can access at: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/73722332/margaret-devaney

I also uncovered the Find A Grave submissions for Christopher Drew and Bridget Dalton Drew. Christopher’s Find A Grave submission gives his place of birth as County West Meath, Ireland, and his year of birth as 1809.

The Find A Grave submission for Bridget Dalton Drew shows she was born in County Longford, Ireland in 1811.

See Find A Grave for Christopher at: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/89181360/christopher-drew

Bridget’s Dalton Drew’s Find A Grave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/89181301/bridget-drew

Ashley, there are a lot of records pertaining to Christopher Drew and Bridget Dalton Drew and their children on the subscription Ancestry.com website. There are too many records to submit with this reply. These records include Iowa and federal census records, birth records, and wills. The handwritten will is for Christopher Drew Sr., is over 10 pages in length.

There is also a multi-page will for Margaret Drew’s husband, Thomas Devaney, who died in 1912. His will is typed, making it easy to read.

I also found these at Ancestry.com:

The Find A Grave page for Thomas Devaney: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/88925686/thomas-devaney

Here is Thomas Devaney’s death certificate: https://i2.paste.pics/NFGJK.png

This link will take you to the Find A Grave submission for Thomas Devaney’s father, Laurence, who died in on 28 September 1846:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/22401617/lawrence-devaney

Another example of what I found at Ancestry.com was the 1840 census for Christopher Drew and his family. You had referenced the 1840 census in your last reply.

Before 1850, U.S. federal census returns only gave the name of the head of the household, and enumerated other family members by age and gender, as you can see in the 1840 census transcription below for Dubuque Iowa Territory. The census is from Ancestry.com:

1840 United States Federal Census

Name Cristopher Drew

Home in 1840 (City, County, State) Dubuque, Iowa Territory

Free White Persons - Males - 20 thru 29 1

Free White Persons - Females - Under 5 1

Free White Persons - Females - 5 thru 9 1

Free White Persons - Females - 20 thru 29 1

Free White Persons - Under 20 2

Free White Persons - 20 thru 49 2

Total Free White Persons 4

Total All Persons - Free White, Free Colored, Slaves

Source Citation
Year: 1840; Census Place: Dubuque, Iowa Territory; Roll: 101; Page: 48; Family History Library Film: 0007790

Source Information
Ancestry.com. 1840 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
Images reproduced by FamilySearch.
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What the 1840 census shows is that the Drew household is comprised of 1 white male (Christopher Drew) between the ages of 20 and 29; one 1 white female (this would be his wife Bridget Drew), between the ages of 20 and 29; one white female under the age of 5; and one white female over the age of 5.

The are a total of four people in the household, a husband, wife, and their two daughters. The census shows there were no slaves in the household.

The next link will bring you to a copy of the original 1840 census for Dubuque Territory. Christopher Drew is the 4th resident up from the bottom of the census page: https://i2.paste.pics/NFGEQ.png

Places of birth for people recorded in the 1840 census are not recorded.

The 1840 census was taken before Iowa became a state.

One of the unique records I found at Ancestry.com was that Christopher Drew was granted 40 acres of land in Dubuque from the U.S. government in 1848. This record is called a “Land Patent,” and was issued to Christopher on 1 March 1848. The land patent granted to Christopher Drew took place 175 years ago this past March, 2023.

Below is the transcription of the land patent, giving the town of the land patent, the location of the Land Office, Meridian, Township, Range, and Section of the land. The land patent at Ancestry.com originally comes from the Bureau of Land Management, in Washington, D.C.:

Name Christopher Drew
Issue Date 1 Mar 1848
Place Dubuque, Iowa, USA
Land Office Dubuque
Meridian 5th PM
Township 87-N
Range 1-W
Section 22
Accession Number IA1130__.066
Document Number 5167

Source Citation
Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records; Washington D.C., USA; Federal Land Patents, State Volumes.
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For a copy of Christopher Drew’s original land patent, go to: https://i2.paste.pics/NFKOX.png

Toward the bottom of the land patent you’ll see the signature of then President, James K. Polk, though in reality, the land patent was probably signed by Polk’s assistant secretary, J.K. Stephens.

Ashley, you had mentioned John Carr and his wife Ellen Doyle. The earliest record I found for a John Carr in Dubuque, Iowa, is a U.S. Naturalization index card which only gives the information that he was born in Ireland and became naturalized on July 8, 1856. This record was found at Ancestry.com: https://i2.paste.pics/NGAA7.png

The earliest record I found showing John and Ellen Carr together is in the 1870 census, when they were living in Washington, Dubuque County, Iowa. John is a 37 year old Farmer. Ellen is 32 years old and Keeping House. In the household with them are five of their children.

The census shows that John and Ellen were born in Ireland and the five children born in Iowa. The census also shows that John Carr had a Personal Estate Value of $1,000. No Real Estate Value is recorded which may be an indication he didn’t own his farm at the time the 1870 census taker came by the home in Washington on 10 August 1870. The census is from Ancestry.com: https://i2.paste.pics/NGAE1.png

By the 1880 census 47 year old Farmer John Carr, his 40 year old wife Ellen, and their 10 children are living in Vernon, Dubuque County, Iowa. The census taker came by their home in Vernon on 11 June 1880. See the 1880 census at: https://i2.paste.pics/NGIVC.png

I located the Find A Grave entry for John Carr at Ancestry.com, showing he died on 5 September 1912 at the age of 80. He is buried in the Saint Joseph of the Prairie Cemetery, Zwingle, Dubuque County, Iowa:
https://tinyurl.com/bdeu2kfd

I looked for but didn’t find the death record for John Carr at Ancestry.com or at the FamilySearch website.

John Carr’s death certificate may tell you who his parents were and where he was born in Ireland. But, there is also the possibility it will not give you this information.

To see if you can obtain John Carr’s 1912 birth certificate, contact the Dubuque County Recorder at the Dubuque County Courthouse. Certified copies of death records are $15.00. Birth and death records are available from 1880 to the present to “Immediate Family Members,” though I don’t know if grandchildren, great grandchildren or great great grandchildren qualify as immediate family members.

The website link for the Dubuque County Recorder is:
https://www.dubuquecountyiowa.gov/222/Birth-Death-Marriage-Certificates

Death records, as well as birth and marriage records can also be ordered from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. Birth, marriage, and death records are $15.00 each. Form more information go to: https://hhs.iowa.gov/health-statistics/vital-records

While I didn’t find John Carr’s death record, I did locate his will at Ancestry.com. The will is 10 pages. Portions of the will are typed and portion are handwritten. You will be able to access John Carr’s will along with Christopher Drew’s will, as well as John Devaney’s will at Ancestry.com.

There one thing you can do to search Dubuque County, Iowa records at Ancestry.com without cost, as Ancestry.com subscriptions are expensive.

You stated in your reply that you live in Dubuque. You can go to Dubuque’s Carnegie-Stout Public Library, which offers Ancestry.com for free, in-house use. See the “Online Resources” page at the Carnegie-Stout Public Library webpage link: https://carnegiestout.org/online-resources/

If you live closer to a Dubuque branch library, the branch library may also offer Ancestry.com to its patrons.

At Ancestry.com you may come across user submitted family trees by people who have also been researching your ancestors. Some of these user submission family trees will include the date and place of birth of an ancestor in Ireland, without any source information to back up the date and place of birth for the person.

For example, there is a family tree which includes John Carr, showing he was born in Drogheda, Louth Ireland, on 21 September 1831, and gives his father’s name as John Carr, but no name for his mother.

His date of birth in the family tree is based on his gravestone inscription, but the gravestone inscription may not be accurate. There is no supporting documentation in the family tree showing when his date of birth took place, other than his gravestone, or where in Ireland he was born. His date of birth on the gravestone may possibly be recorded on his Dubuque death certificate.

The dates of birth on the gravestones and death certificates for my ancestors who came to America, are all incorrect, though I didn’t know this until I started a research project to find their actual places and dates of birth or baptisms in Ireland.

If John Carr was born in Drogheda, Louth in 1831, there are two Catholic parishes where he may have been baptized. These are the Catholic parishes of St. Peter’s and St. Mary’s.

A search at Find My Past for both parishes shows the baptism of only one child named John Carr between the years 1800 and 1840. This John Carr was baptized on 26 June 1823, in the St. Peter’s, Drogheda Catholic Church. His parents are Patt Carr and Mary Strokes. See the FMP transcription:
https://www.findmypast.com/transcript?id=IRE%2FPRS%2FBAP%2F2456080

This is why you’ll want to obtain John Carr’s 1912 death record, to see if his parents and place of birth are recorded in Ireland.

Best of Luck with your research Ashley,

Dave

SOURCES

Ancestry.com
Find A Grave
Bureau of Land Management, in Washington, D.C.
Dubuque County Recorder, Dubuque County Courthouse
Iowa Department of Health and Human Services
Carnegie-Stout Public Library, Dubuque, Iowa
Find My Past