Margaret Ford and Patrick Ward

 

 

Thanks to help from participating volunteers of this site, I was able to find the origins of my Ward ancestors in Kilmoylan (tomb). I found baptisms on ancestry.com. His mother I'm calling Mary Rooney is listed as Runau, Runae, and Rooney, so I'm not positive about the spelling. Patrick was born in about 1847 in Kilmoylan parish, although American records give 15 Sept 1845 as his birth. He died in Chicago on 16 Jun 1938. He was my 2nd great grandfather. He was the son of John. 

My question is about his wife, Margaret/Margot, possible middle name of Grace, born in about 1850. I'm wondering if she is from the same parish. Family thought they came over together, so might have met on the boat. Here's what I know: I found an arrival for Patrick in 1873 at Ellis Island, a year later, so the same boat, but not the same year. They got married in Chicago 6 Mar 1874. Was she born in Tuam? Her headstone says 1851-1893 on 27 Aug. On the 1880 census, Patrick's 2 brothers James and John live with them, his sister in law, Anna Ford (only info on her), and a Margot Donohoe (his cousin- no idea who she was). The men all worked in the packing house of the Chicago stockyards near Bridgeport area of Chicago--Irish Area. Patrick is 31 and Margot is 29. Later census show him working for the railroad as a carpenter. I didn't find records for Margaret at all that I'm sure of. I'm pretty sure now that most is right because a 3rd? cousin,  Mary Ellen Ward Vanderoff is the daughter of Michael Gerard Ward/e who left Ireland in the 1940's, the son of Patrick's brother, Michael Ward and Catherine Nolan. That is the NYC branch, but proof of the link with Tuam. (Via 23& me). Thanks. I've just realized how many Wards there are in the area, in Cummer, which I've understood to be the same area. I've tried to supply as much info as I can.