Madden / Chambers Brick Wall - Seeking Clogher Connections for October Visit
Hello volunteers, My husband and I are traveling from Australia to visit Ireland from October 12th to October 16th, 2026. We are planning to spend time in the Clogher Valley, County Tyrone, to walk in the footsteps of my ancestors. I have confirmed via DNA testing that I am a direct descendant of John Joseph Madden, born in County Meath circa 1778. He was transported to New South Wales, Australia, as a convict aboard the ship Archduke Charles in 1812 and later lived in Kurrajong, NSW. While my DNA securely ties me to this Madden line, I am trying to resolve an 18th-century brick wall regarding John Joseph’s parents. I have found a surviving record index entry on Ancestry for the "Ireland, Indexes to Wills, Probate Administration, Marriage Bonds and Licences, 1591–1866" collection, which points to: • John Madden (1745–1783) and Ann Chambers, who married in Clogher, County Tyrone, in 1771. Given the overlap of the Madden/Maddin/Mattin and Chambers surnames in the Clogher Valley during the mid-to-late 1700s, I am eager to know if any local parish registers (Church of Ireland or Catholic), land records, or estate papers can help shed light on this family group. We would love to connect with any local researchers, distant cousins, or volunteers while we are visiting the area in mid-October. Any guidance on specific graveyards or townlands to visit would be greatly appreciated! Kind regards, Lisa Kalwy (KweenieK)
P.S. I have attached screenshots of the two conflicting family trees I am trying to sort out. One shows the Tyrone marriage record index, and the other shows the alternative Galway theory.
