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Finding Dennis Dougherty/Dority Roots

In a book written by WIILIAM HENRY EGLE, M.D., M.A., on the Histories of Dauphin and Lebanon Counties in Pennsylvania, I was able to track my 4th Great Grandfather John P Dougherty to his Father Dennis Dougherty. By using census records and a ships manifest. The excerpt below is from the book:

PHILIP DOUGHERTY. Philip Dougherty, son of Dennis Dougherty and Catharine Maginty, was born on the 24th of March, 1806, near Middletown, Dauphin Co., Pa. His father came to America from Ireland about 1805, and settled in Derry Township, not far from Middletown, where he died about 1824. His wife (ne Catharine Maginty), whom he married in Ireland, died about 1845, in Harrisburg. Their children were Mary (wife of Hugh Dougherty) and John, both born in Ireland.

I can't seem to locate Dennis anywhere in Ireland or even his wife Catharine Maginty. His military record reflects he either came from Derry or Donegal. I think he may have come from Donegal first because his son John P. was born in Derry. It's confusing because above it states"Mary wife of Hugh Dougherty" was Dennis's daughter. Was it customary back then to marry within the family line? I really don't think so.

I did find in a military record of 1812 where a Denis Dougherty was listed who had an alias of Denis Dority. Would Denis have changed his last name due to some traumatic event in his life?

Any help in understanding in clearing up this confusion would be greatly appreciated.

kdeagle45@gmail.com

6 replies

DOC:

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

Likely your Doughertys were Roman Catholic. Unfortunately, RC records for both Co. Donegal and Co. Derry are not available back to the late 18th century and early 19th century so no baptismal or marriage records would exist for your family.

The more common spelling of the surname was Doherty but many Dougherty records were also found in Donegal and Derry. I think Dority was just a phonetic spelling of Dougherty or Doherty.

You may want to add your ancestors emigration story to our XO Chronicles site  https://irelandxo.com/ireland-xo/history-and-genealogy/ancestor-database

Roger McDonnell

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Thanks Roger. When you wrote, "Unfortunately, RC records for both Donegal and Co. Derry are not available back to the late 18th century". What exactly did you mean? Were the records destroyed, only available at local parishes, not recorded or not available on-line? Please explain.

kdeagle45@gmail.com

DOC:

The various Penal laws imposed on Ireland made it very difficult to be Catholic and especially if you were a priest. So records were likely not kept in the 1700s. After 1800, there was some relaxation but parishes in Donegal and Derry did not retain their records until closer to 1840.

Roger

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Thanks Roger. How do other people find their heritage prior to 1800? I see various family trees who list people much earlier.

What about finding Dennis and Catharine brother and sisters?

kdeagle45@gmail.com

There are parts of the country where records are available back to the late 1700s. Churches in the larger cities Dublin, Cork tend to have records My wife's great-great grandparents come from Cork city and their baptismal records are available. My families come from Donegal, Down, Mayo and Roscommon and there is not a single record available before 1850.

Bapatismal records would not be available for the siblings of Denis and Catherine.

Roger

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Ok, thanks. 

kdeagle45@gmail.com

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