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McEvoy / Meehan / Murphy Family

Hello,

I am researching my great great grandmother's family. Her name at birth was Mary McEvoy, and she was born in April 1890. She got married to John Meehan in 1909, and had three children with him. Bridget Anna Meehan (1909-1973), Patrick "Paddy" Meehan (1912-?), and Mary "Marie" Meehan (1914-1995). Bridget Anna was my great grandmother. Mary McEvoy was born to John McEvoy and Sarah Clarke. My G G Grandmother had a brother Michael McEvoy (1888-1980's). My uncle met him when he went to Ireland in 1985, Michael McEvoy was 96 years old at the time. They had a sister Sarah "Sally" Anne McEvoy (1892-1967), who married James Patrick Boyle (abt 1886-1962) and Sarah brought my Great Grandmother Bridget Anna to New York in 1921. They had a brother John McEvoy (1893-?), a brother Patrick "Paddy" McEvoy (1895-?), who my uncle met when Paddy came to New York to visit in 1963. They also had a sister Margaret "Madge" McEvoy (1899-1960s), who moved to England in the 1920s and married Christopher Joseph Matthews (1901-1980). In I believe the 1920s, John Meehan left Mary McEvoy and found his way to the United States. Mary could not get divorced, so I believe she kept the name Meehan. She at some point moved in with a Patrick "Paddy" Murphy, and together had a total of ten children with him. That brings her total to 13 children. I have a letter that Mary sent to her sister Madge in I think the 1960's, and at the time she was living in Carcullion Corner, Hilltown, Co. Down, N.I. She didn't list all of her childrens names, but listed some as Emma, Kathleen, James(the oldest), and Rose. She says in it "I have three girls and three boys married, and four single." The thing that puzzles me is that my family knows nothing about that side of the family. My grandmother would know a lot, but she is in a nursing home and has dementia unfortunately. I am just wondering if anyone knows the McEvoy and Murphy family in Newry or Hilltown, Co. Down. When Mary was born, her and her sibilings lived in Cloughoge, Co. Armagh, N.I. I would love to know about Michael, Paddy, and John McEvoy, and would love to know about the ten Murphy children. Thanks!

Mike

lupolimichael@…

4 replies

Mike,

Obviously we hope that someone reading your post may know the family and be able to help you. Otherwise I think you might need a researcher to go to PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast to search for births, deaths & marriages plus wills for these people.

Deaths within the past 50 years, marriages within 75 and births within 100 years in Northern Ireland are not available on-line. They are open to the public but only in 2 offices in Belfast. So someone has to go to PRONI in Belfast to search the databases. So that may identify Mary’s 10 children by Patrick Murphy, as well as Mary’s death (Patrick appears to have died in 1962), the deaths of Michael, John & Paddy McEvoy, plus the marriages of Mary’s children.

From the deaths it would also be possible to search for wills for those people. There is some probate information on-line but it only goes up to 1966. For later years you need to search the will calendars in person in PRONI. (The wills should obviously name relatives alive at that time, and may give you daughters married names).

The one document I did find on-line is this probate abstract:

Murphy, Patrick of Carcullion Hilltown county Down farmer died 4 February 1962 Administration Belfast 7 May to Mary Ellen Murphy the widow. Effects £1857 7s. 1d.

So that looks like PAtrick Murphy and Mary to me. If so, Patrick died intestate, and there won’t be a will but the probate file should contain some information about the family. The probate file is kept in PRONI. It is not on-line. I note that Mary was Murphy, and was described as a widow.  Perhaps they married after John Meehan died, or perhaps she was just using the name Murphy?

Mary McEvoy’s birth was registered as 1st June 1890 in Lower Cloghogue. Here’s her birth certificate:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1890/02435/1906374.pdf

(I note you have April 1890 for her birth. The date on the birth certificate may not be correct. People didn’t always rush to register a birth in those days. They waited till they were in town on other business and did it then. However there was a small financial penalty for late registration, so all they did was slide the birth date forward to one that wouldn’t incur a penalty. You may well find from church records that Mary was baptised in April. In which case she was obviously born in April).

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Hi, thanks  so much. I just looked at the letter again and on the stamp it says 1957. I will see if I can get a researcher to go to Proni in Belfast. I actually forgot to mention that Mary died about 3 or 4 months before her daughter Bridget Anna in 1973. Thanks for your help!

Mike.

lupolimichael@…

Hi I picked up your post & chronology, my name is Eamon Murphy & I'm the son of a Mr Owen Murphy who was born in Hill Town Newery Co Down on the 20Th October 1927 he recently died on the 3rd of March 2019 he had sisters Nellie &  Rose & Broters Jimmy John Owen (Father) & Eamon, all of them are now as I.understand are deceased, I've heard that my Grandmother was previously married & had 3 children before she took up with my Grandfather Patrick this was only learned by me in the later stages of my fathers life, the secreative procedures of that era still applies if you make any inquiries in Newery NI, I would be more than pleased to talk to you if you think there's a common denominator, Kind Regards,

 

 

 

Eamon Murphy

If you want to contact me by either Phone or email my details are as follows : Eamon Murphy address 228 Kings Road Kingstanding, Birmingham West Midlands, B44 0sa TEL 0121 354 2094
M 07956 42 41 48

email : timberanddamp@ wmtp.co.uk

timberanddamp&gmail.com

 

 

 

Eamon Murphy

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