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Gilwee / Kilawee Family from Kilmacshalgan, County Sligo, Ireland

My apologies if I am creating a new post in error, but my sister-in-law posted here 12 years ago, and I am not even sure if anyone who responded to her is still online or not. She stopped her research because she got stuck and I am picking it back up for her.

Trying to research John Walter Gilwee (Kilawee) and Margaret Mary Mullin.

Based on a prior post:

  • The old name of the Roman Catholic parish was Kilmacshalgan but it was divided into Templeboy Parish and Dromore West Parish later.
  • The townland of Ballykilcash in now in Templeboy Parish and there are still Kilawees living in Ballykilcash today.
  • The correct (and current) spelling of the name is Kilawee.
  • With this said, I was told the old Gaelic did not have a "K" so "Gilwee" is more correct than "Kilawee".
  • The Kilawee name came in when the UK took over and forced the "K" letter into the alphabet (probably not saying that right).

Back to John Walter Gilwee (b 1796?) and Margaret Mary Mullin (b. 1797?).

  • Likely married about 1823 +/- a few years.
  • Oldest son William Henry Gilwee was born about Jun1824 in Ireland.
  • They Immigrated to Ontario, Canada about 1829.
  • In Canada, they appear to be members of a Catholic Church.
  • John Gilwee reported to Canada, he had a brother Patrick Gilwee (b. 1800?) with a family residing in the village of Ballykilcash , Co. Sligo and is known to the Rev William Groves (sp?) - per their Canada record.

Next in their life

  • John was a laborer who was employed along with hundreds and hundreds more to build the Rideau Canal.
  • They lived in or near Ottawa, Ontario then moved to Farnham, Quebec, Canada.
  • Then the sons moved to Bloomington, Illinois, while the daughters settled in Albany, New York.
  • This is a bit confusing because there are reports of them immigrating to the US while living in Canada. - But that is not an Ireland question.

My Questions:

  1. Please connect if you are related/interested in this family.
  2. Kilawee vs Gilwee - dating back to the 1820's is it Gilwee, or Kilawee?
  3. Trying to find Ireland marriage record for John and Margaret, but not clear on which parish records to look at?
  4. Based on children births, it suggests I am missing a child (1824 then 1830?). Immigrating in 1829, suggests that child was born in Ireland.

Please and Thank you in advance for your assistance!

jmossing

5 replies

jmossing:

Can you post the 12 year old message or provide the subject line?

The spelling of the townland is Ballygilcash.

FYI. The 1926 census was published online about six weeks ago https://nationalarchives.ie/collections/search-the-1926-census/ There was a Kilawee family in Ballygilcash obviously ancestors of the present day family.

I did not locate the marriage record. Possibly the bride was from a different parish and the marriage usually was in the bride's parish.

I did not locate baptismal records for children of John Gilwee/Kilawee and Anne Mullin. There are at least three baptismal records for children of Patrick Gilwee/Kilawee and Anne Gilgan.

Roger McDonnell

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Hi, the 12 year old message title was "Gilwee/Kilwee".

The first of 10 posts was:

Gilwee info request

I am trying to find records on the Gilwee family (John and Margaret (Mullin) Gilwee) who came to Quebec from Ireland around 1825. The name has several variations from Gilwce, Gilwer, Kilwee and Gilwie due to transcription difficulties as well as likely name spelling changes. They are said to come from Sligo, Ireland, but I find no Gilwees at all in Ireland, so I am convinced the name was different before their arrival. 

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Patty Harrington

jmossing

Patty:

I think the earlier Kilmacshalgan records are lost. It looks like records start in 1868 for that parish and 1815 for Templeboy. My assumption is that the marriage and baptisms occurred in Kilmacshalgan which explains why we can't find any records. These two links take you to the current RC parishes of Templeboy and Dromore West (Kilmacshalgan ).

https://www.killaladiocese.org/parishes-ministries/parish-details/?parishID=10 https://www.killaladiocese.org/parishes-ministries/parish-details/?parishID=22

I then looked at the Lewis Topographical Dictionary of Ireland which provides an overview of every parish in Ireland. The descriptions primarily focus on the Church of Ireland churches but there is always a line or two about the RC church/chapel in the parish. For Kilmacshalgan there was a large unfinished chapel and the remains of an older church. For the village of Dromore West, there was a chapel. It is not clear of this is the same chapel mentioned in Kilmacshalgan. For Templeboy, it is not clear if there was a chapel but there was some Augustinian involvement in the parish going back to the 13th century..

Below are the descriptions or a link for the three areas.

Hope this info helps!

Roger

Kilmacshalgan civil parish

The R. C. parish is co-extensive with that of the Established Church, and has a large unfinished chapel. About 130 children are educated in a public and 140 in three private schools. There are some remains of the old church, with a burial-place attached ; two cromlechs and some forts.

Dromore West

https://www.libraryireland.com/topog/D/Dromore-West-Tyreragh-Sligo.php

Templeboy civil parish

The R. C. parish is co-extensive with that of the Established Church, There are five private schools, in which are about 300 children. A priory of Augustine canons was founded in 1280, at Akeras, otherwise Kilmantine, by the family of Mac Donald, the prior of which was, in 1544, consecrated Bishop of Elphin. In a field near Grange a gold signet ring, weighing nearly an ounce, was dug up by a labourer, some years since, and is now in the possession of Mr. Thomas Hillas, late of Sea View House.

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Hi Roger.

Thank you for the info. That was not Patty posting.

I was copying the original post that you asked me for.

Thanks!

jmossing

jmossing:

Sorry! I forgot that your sister in law posted the 2013 message.

Roger

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

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