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Margaret Connolly b 1838 Mullabragh, Armagh married Folland in So. Shields Eng. on Aug 1, 1857 at a Catholic Church. Her father is listed Alexander Connolly

Hello,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Six years ago at Ancestry, I DNA matched, a Ms. Folland. I have always hoped to find her family.Her hope is to visit Mullabragh, Armagh, where her gr grandmother lived. It is too soon to plan the trip. Today I'm asking for Ms. Folland if there is any record or gravestone or  .....  to indicate that an Alexander Connolly and daughter Margaret b 1838 lived in Mullabragh. Ms. Folland's family lore holds that Alexander was from "the South". For some unknown reason he was living in Mullabragh. Was there work in the Mullabragh area that drew men from afar? Grenham's "Irish Surnames' at Connolly  has a map showing one in Mullaghbrack which I believe is another spelling for Mullabragh. Beyond looking for Connolly records I would like to know how Mullabragh fits into the area. I assume it is a very small townland of old. What is there now? Thank you for any information that you can share we me for Ms. Folland.   Kind regards, Mary M. Quirk-Thompson , Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA    descending from Forkhill parish, Armagh, Mulhollands, Golloglys, Byrnes, Donnellys all on 1821 Forkhill census. 

 

    

maryquirkt@gmail.com

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Mary,

Mullaghbrack is a parish, and there is also a townland of the same name within the parish.

I checked Griffiths Valuation for Co Armagh (1864). There was one Connolly in Mullaghbrack. He was a William Connolly who lived in Drumorgan townland, where he had a house and garden (so probably a typical labourers cottage). There were no Connollys living in Drumorgan by the time of the 1901 census. No Follands in Co Armagh in 1901 either. Death registration started in Ireland in 1864. I checked the deaths for the Mullaghbrack area 164 to 1901 but did not find any Alexander Connolly. So perhaps he died before death registration started.

You haven’t said what Alexander Connolly’s occupation was. This matters in determining whether he is likely to have a gravestone. Most labourers and weavers couldn’t afford a gravestone, whereas farmers and wealthier folk often did. There’s an RC graveyard at Markethill RC church which is in Mullaghbrack. Your ancestors could be buried there. I am not sure if the gravestones have been transcribed or not.

I can’t suggest any special reason why someone might move to Armagh for work but folk in certain trades eg stonemasons, police officers and so on did move around the country with their work.

Mullaghbrack today is a mixture of agricultural land, some small towns and residential areas.

Markethill RC church is in Mullaghbrack. Your ancestors could be buried there. I am not sure if the gravestones have been transcribed or not.

 

 

 

 

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

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