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McGuires of Maguiresbridge

My 3X great grandfather was Andrew McGuire, from Maguiresbridge in Fermanagh County, born approximately 1808-1812. Around 1830-32, he married Rose/Rosa/Rose Ann/Rosanna, whose maiden name may have been Mullin/ Mullen. They had Thomas on November 18, 1833, then James in 1838, and Rosanna in August 1844. Just prior to 1845, they began a migration to the USA, staying in England (Liverpool?) and having their youngest son, Andrew, in England in 1845. Thomas came to the USA in 1847, followed by his father in 1848, and his mother and 3 siblings in 1849 (via James Cornerschooner to Baltimore). Andrew, the father, may have arrived in New York. Either way, they settled in the Baltimore and New York areas and I have an abundance of details and documentation of the family since then (with the exception of brother James). The son, Thomas, was my 2X great grandfather and he settled in Maryland, which eventually led to the birth of my mom. An 1881 New York City Alms House admission form verified the origin of the elder Andrew's home town in Ireland and that of his parents as Maguiresbridge. Since then, I have researched countless cemetery names, census remnants, Griffith's Valuation, Flax Growers' Lists, and the Fermanagh Gold lists, but have been unable to uncover Andrew or his wife's parents definitively in Maguiresbridge. If Irish naming tradition applies, then Andrew's father may have been Thomas McGuire and his wife's father may have been James Mullin/ Mullen. Recently, I have consulted the newly released RC records for the Algurarcher Parish, but it seems the years/months specific to this family are either faded, missing, or indecipherable. I am desperate for a set of fresh eyes, someone who could check my prior sources, or suggest something new. I have traveled to Ireland, and to Maguiresbridge in Northern Ireland twice, and have been told my dreams of meeting cousins is unrealistic. I refuse to accept this. Please help.

rootsandshoots…

4 replies

Aghalurcher RC baptism records only start in 1835, so you won’t find Thomas’s birth. I had a  look for James (Jacobus) and Roseanna's baptism but like you could not see either. There also appear to be no marriage records for that period so I don’t think you’ll trace that. Not through church records anyway. (If its any consolation the marriage record wouldn’t have provided much information anyway. RC marriages at that time tended just to have the date, the couples names and their 2 witnesses. Nothing else).

I note that the youngest son Andrew was born in Liverpool. That could be useful because statutory birth registration started in England in 1837 (as opposed to 1864 in Ireland). So you should be able to get a birth certificate for him which will at least tell you his mother’s correct name. I searched the English birth indexes on Free BMD and there’s just one Andrew McGuire birth around 1845 in Liverpool (assuming you are correct in believing he was born there). That was registered in Liverpool Dec 1845 Volume 20, page 357. You can order a copy of that from GRO Southport in England. I think it costs £9.25 but the website will say:

http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/

That said you have a difficult task. As I am sure you are well aware Maguire (and its variants) is the most common name in Fermanagh. The proverbial needle in a haystack.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Elwyn, You are an angel!  Thanks so much for following up so very quickly and confirming my findings re: the RC records. I was thinking I had probably missed the entries or something major.  As for the Liverpool birth of Andrew in 1845, I am sure of that due to Andrew's death documentation, so I will follow up with the birth record via England you suggested.  Wow! Thank you for the lead!  Regarding the McGuire name, and the variations, I am aware.  There was also a story from my grandfather passed down that his grandfather insisted that his Irish name spelling was "McGuire" with the "c" raised, underlined, and two dots beneath the underline.  I have tried to unearth the Irish origins off this specificity with no further insight. Anyway, thank you again for your generous assistance.

 

rootsandshoots…

Hello,

My family are Brolly from Gortnaghey in Co Derry Northern Ireland.  My great great Grandmother Mary Jane Gray originated from the Maguires of Maguires Bridge. I think her mother was Maguire but am not sure.  There were probably a lot of Maguires there...hence the name!

Myra

mbrolly

Did Andrew have brothers.

Dennis

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