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James Cavner

I am researching my father's Irish line. His greatgrandfather was James Cavner, born August 1813 somewhere in Ireland. He died in Kent County, Michigan in 1875. He is buried in Punches Cemetery in Kent County.

His wife was Isabella Ross, born somewhere in Ireland between 1818 and 1822. She died in Kent County, Michigan in 1894. I have no known grave for her.

I have 1870 census with them living in Nelson Twp, Kent Co, MI. They have a son James born in Ohio in 1851. A set of twins, Charles & William, born in Ohio in 1858, and a fourth son, George, born in Michigan in 1862. All of these, including James (Sr)were farmers.

It is believed by others that they had another son, Alexander Ross Cavner, who was born in 1848. Conflicting documents show birth in Ireland, New York, and Ohio. Alexander was a railroad engineer. Although he married his wife Emma in Michigan, and is buried in Rockford,Cemetery in Kent Co, MI, I can find no record tying him to James and Isabella. 1870 census from Rockford MI shows them living there and Alexander born in Ohio. It shows his foreign born parents born in Ireland and Scotland, respectively.

I can find no birth record for any of these folks. I have a death record for Isabella and all of the sons with the exception of James (Jr). I have census records on all of them beginning with 1870.

The only other hint I have of a location of birth for James Sr is an 1930 census for Charles that states his foreign born father was born in North Ireland.

To further complicate the matter, there is a family story that the original last name was some etiology of Kavanagh. All of the family that I have been able to talk to have stated the same. There is nothing indicating when, where, or by whom this name was actually changed.

I have done my Ancestry DNA and am a member on several pages, Facebook and otherwise. I have some extended matches with 3rd, 4th, and 5th cousins. I am still not able to find where our match occurs.

Thanks for any help.

Liz Cavner McFletcher

lizmcfletcher@…

3 replies

Liz,

I think that the belief that Cavner is a variation of Kavanagh is probably correct. The spelling Cavner is pretty well unknown in Ireland. (There are none in the 1901 census of Ireland). You can see where the surname was found in Ireland in the mid 1800s using this link:

https://www.johngrenham.com/surnames/

Many surnames were changed or got garbled when people migrated so there’s nothing unusual in Kavanagh becoming Cavner. Sometimes people weren’t very literate and left it to officialdom to spell the name. In other cases they found it easier to modify the spelling simply to save time and miusunderstandings.

If the 1930 US census says your ancestor was from North Ireland, then that should mean the counties of Antrim, Armagh, Down, Tyrone, Fermanagh and Derry/Londonderry.  However it’s a very common name there and without some idea of where he was born and his parents names from say a marriage or death certificate, it will be very difficult to trace the correct birth.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Hi Liz,

www.rootsireland.ie/ has the following:

This is the only August record; year is close

Name:James KavanaghDate of Birth:
Date of Baptism:27-Aug-1812Address:CooltagartParish/District:KilanerinGender:MaleCountyCo. Wexford
Denomination:Roman Catholic
Father:Garet KavanaghMother:Lucy WhiteOccupation:
Sponsor 1 /
Informant 1:Andy WoodbyrneSponsor 2 /
Informant 2:Rose Kavanagh

This could have been an August birth & is from a northern county:

Name:James CavanaDate of Birth:
Date of Baptism:04-Sep-1815Address:TavnedParish/District:MOYGender:UnknownCountyTYRONE
Father:James CavanaMother:Margt LennonOccupation:
Sponsor 1 /
Informant 1:JasSponsor 2 /
Informant 2:Margt Nugent

Closest matches for Isabella; do you know if they were R C Or C of I?

Name:Isabella RossDate of Birth:
Date of Baptism:05-Dec-1824Address:LisnaboParish/District:CLONGUISHGender:FemaleCountyCo. Longford
Denomination:Church Of Ireland
Father:Christopher RossMother:Margaret KennyOccupation:Farmer

Name:Isabella RossDate of Birth:
Date of Baptism:10-Oct-1825Address:
Parish/District:ST. MUNCHIN'SGender:UnknownCountyCo. Limerick
Denomination:Roman Catholic
Father:David RossMother:Catherine Doolan

Birth years were often recorded, transcribed or reported incorrectly so maybe...?

I wonder has anyone else 'claimed' these on their trees onancestry?

Col

ColCaffIrelandXO Volunteer

Hello and thank you. 

I'll check these names you have provided. And I'll specifically check Isabella's info against some of those who have added a certain Isabella to their tree, with no documentation.

I don't know if they were Catholic or Church of Ireland. However, it was not ever family practice to baptise infants and the generations I knew and am part of are US Congregational, Methodist, Baptist. So if I had to hazard a guess, I would say Church of Ireland.

The folks that had this information are no longer alive. 

Thanks for the County info. Trying to make sense of this is often baffling!

Thank you, again.

Liz

 

lizmcfletcher@…

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