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Martin Donnelly/ Mary McEvoy

Roscommon

Martin Donnelly married Mary McEvoy in Strokestown, Roscommon in 1831. In 1833, my grandfather Maurice was born, followed by another sone Thomas in 1835. Shortly after the birth of Thomas, my great grandfather Martin died. Mary his wife sometime during the 1840's left the boys with her family (the McEvoy's) and emigrated to the US. In 1850 she paid for passage for Maurice and Thomas to jopin her in the US. Maurice fianally settled in the Albany, NY area, and Thomas and his mother settled in the Cortland, NY area. Maurice was a tinsmith/coppersmith, and Thomas was a blacksmith in Cortland. Mary McEvoy' parents were Luke and Mary, but I cannot find any information further information on them. The great mystery is Martin Donnelly. I know from infomation passed down through Thomas and great grandmother Mary that Martin died about 1836. However, I can find no record of him anywhere. Not his birth, death or anything other than a marriage record where the priest in that caase reversed the last names and showed Mary Donnelly marrying Martin McEvoy. I have some suspicion he may have come from County Sligo, but can't find any records there either. One day in my search I did see the word suicide appear, but could not find it again nor do I know where it came from . Is it possible Martin committed suicide and because of that he was "purged" from the records?

Many of the McEvoys also came to the US during the famine. Mary, my great grandmother never remarried but di quite well for herself and owned a home in Cortland when she died in 1883. I have quite a bit of information on the families from 1850 on but very little before then. As an interesting side note: Maurice, my grandfather was born in 1833 and came to the US in 1850 at age. He had my father in also named Thomas, 1898 by his second wife Ann O'Connor. I was born in 1937, and wil be 82 this coming January. Our 3 generations span 186 years.

I am planning another trip to Ireland in the Spring of 2019. I will be traveling to Roscommon and Sligo in hopes of learning more about my family and hopefully find some of my family. Last time I was ther was in 2017 to attend Lorna Maloney's Clans and Surname conference. Hope some of this will ring a bell with someone.

Charles (Chuck) Donnelly

17.

chuck@bonami.us

6 replies

Chuck:

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

I checked the subscription site Roots Ireland and there were no Martin Donnelly baptismal records in Roscommon or Sligo around 1810 or earlier. There was a 1794 record in Kilkenny, 1798 in Kilkenny and 1802 in Wexford. Very few RC churches have death records and none were shown on Roots Ireland for a Martin Donnelly. As you likely know civil registation of deaths did not start until 1864.

Have you considered DNA testing?

Roger McDonnell

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Thanks Roger, yes I have had DNA testing done, and added to the Ancestry.com and the MyHeritage databases. So many matches its hard to deal with without some sort of geneological

connection. I was also hoping that since Martin and Maurice (Maurie?) were not all that common, that the custom of passing on family first names might be helpful. I've pretty much focused on

Roscommon an Sligo, I'll do some searching in Kilkenny and Wexford.  One of the things that makes it so difficult is the age and generational differences between myself and cousins. All my first cousins were born at the end of the 1800's, early 1900's. My grandparents died long before I was born, and I lost my Dad and most of my aunts and uncles either before I was born or when I was very young.

I have found several cousins one to four or five times removed here in the US. One had all the records from my great grandmother, but still no information on the Donnelly side. Any suggestions for when I go back to Ireland next Spring would be appreciated.

Thanks Again,

Chuck Donnelly

chuck@bonami.us

Chuck:

I alerted our HQ about your trip and possibly they will have someone to assist you and have locsal suggestions. You could visit the Heritage in each county but their records are on the subscription site Roots Ireland. Below is the address of the Co. Roscommon center. I assume you have been to the Famine Museum and Strokestown Park House? 

http://www.strokestownpark.ie/

Roger

 

Genealogy Centre Contact Details
Roscommon Heritage & Genealogy Company
Church Street, Strokestown, Co. Roscommon.
Tel: + 353 71 9633380
Email: info@roscommonroots.com

 

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Dear Chuck:

I have contacted one of our local volunteers in the area who concurs with the information that Roger has given to you about the Roscommon Heritage Centre.  She has also given me another link and has advised that you should contact them prior to your visit so that they can gather information (if necessary) for you.

http://www.roscommonroots.com/Research-Services

If you need anything further prior to your trip, please let us know.

 

Kind regards,

Jane.

jhalloranryan@…

Hello Chuck, 

I'm sure I'm too late to message you before your spring trip to Ireland.  Are you looking for the McEvoy or Donnelly?  My McEvoys came from Roscommon.  Some stayed there & some emigrated to Central NY, as you mentioned.  My great great grandfather, Thomas Jefferson McEvoy (b. 1828), came around 1848 and settled in Cortland County, NY.  He had a farm on East River Road. His parents were John & Bridget.  Siblings:  Ann, Mary, Michael, John, Theresa, Eliza, Bea, & Catherine. I know that Mary, Michael, & Theresa came...possibly others.  The Mary I have as his sister married Patrick Haley.  My notes say that Bea stayed on the family farm & married Patrick Carroll.  Not sure any of this makes sense to you, but since you mentioned McEvoy & Cortland...thought I'd throw out this information.  

Your Mary has different parents, so maybe she is cousin to my McEvoys?  I do have a few Luke McEvoys on my family tree.  

Enjoy your trip. 

Eileen

mark7bean@icloud.com

Jane, thank you for your response. We are cousins but not sure how far apart. Here is what I know. Luke McEvoy was born in 1795 and married Anne McEvoy (Don't know her maiden name) They had 3 children, Mary, (my great gradmother- and yes thats one great) Bridgette. and a son I can't remember his name now but will look it up when I get back from Ireland.  Mary was born in 1814 and married my great grandfather Martin in 1831. They had two children, Maurice - my grandfather and Thomas. Martin died shorthly thereafter but I can find no records of him except their marriage. Mary at some time then left her two sons with her parents and emigrated to the US, I  believe as an indentured servant. She saved her money and then paid passage for her two sons to come to the US in 1850. (I have a receipt for their passage she bought). Maurice, my grandfater settled in Albany and Thomas and Mary hs mother settled in Cortland NY. Murice was a tinsmith/coppersmith, and Thomas had a blacksmith shop on Homer ave. in Cortland. There are two large family plots together In the Cortland cemetery of Donnelly's and McEvoys. I know many McEvoys emigrated also sna I had heard from a cousin I met on Ancestry, Joan Coates, about Bea winding up with the family farm and marring Patrick Carrol, he has a descendant still iving in Strokestown who knows the area and the history. SO.... It is the same family, the confusion is in the generatios. Luke and Anne had Mary McEvoy who married Martin Donnelly. They had my grandfater in 1833, He had my father in 1898 (second marriage to Ann OConnor) and my father had me in 1937. So my 3 generations span from 1833 to today! When I get back from Ireland I;ll share some pictures etc with you if you'd like. I live in Colorado, and my email is chuck@bonami.us. Also feel free to call if you'd like (303)859-3272. Where do you live??

BTW on my DNA I shlw a match to a Joseph Ryan and a Paul Francis Ryan. Do you know them?

Thanks again for the contact,

Chuck Donnely

chuck@bonami.us

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