Edward Bolan, supposedly born about 1740, migrated to South Carolina in 1766 as a single man. He married and had ten children in South Carolina, who left numerous descendants. DNA testing of descendants shows some connections with Donovan families, possibly from Rosecommon. Any help appreciated. Margaret
Thank you for your request, we have contacted a local partner in the area who we hope will be able to help.
Warm regards, Denise, IrelandXO
Margaret:
Unfortunately, we do not have any church records in Co. Roscommon going back to 1740. We have two parishes Boyle and St. Peter's Athlone which records back to around 1790.
I looked at the 1855 Griffiths Valuation head of household listing for Co. Roscommon and there were 33 Boland households in Co. Roscommon. ( I used Boland instead of Bolan becaue it was a more common surname). There was no clear area within the county where I could suggest that your ancestor Edward may have originated from.
I'm confused about the Donovan connection since Donovan was a very rare surname for Co. Roscommon in the mid 19th century. Almost all Donovans come from Co. Cork or the nearby counties of Waterford Limerick or Kerry.
I would suggest that you continue working with DNA matches to see if you can very pinpoint where Edward was from.
If you find more information, please do not hesitate to let us know and we will try to further assist.
Roger McDonnell