Hello David,
I am not related, but indications are you are researching the wrong McGovern line, as I found records that show you ancestors were Michael McGovern and Ellen Black, not Michael McGovern and Ellen Fitzpatrick, though you are correct in noting that your ancestors came from County Cavan, where some of my own ancestors are also from.
In your message to Ireland Reaching Out you had noted that your grandmother was Lena/Leona McGovern.
I found what I believe to be your grandmother’s individual marriage transcription at the ancestry.com website, showing that she married Randolph Morgan in Warren County, Indiana, on 17 February 1909. She was 20 years old when she married. The transcription also shows that Leona McGovern was born in Attica, Indiana on St. Patrick’s Day, 17 March 1889, and that her parents were Michael McGovern and Ellen Black.
See the transcription below:
Indiana, Select Marriages Index, 1748-1993
Name: Leona Mcgovern
Gender: Female
Birth Date: 17 Mar 1889
Birth Place: Attica, Ind.
Marriage Date: 17 Feb 1909
Marriage Place: Warren County, Indiana
Marriage Age: 20
Father: Michael Mcgovern
Mother: Ellen Black
Spouse: Randolph Morgan
FHL Film Number: 1976653
Reference ID: V.11 p.94
Source Information
Ancestry.com. Indiana, Select Marriages Index, 1748-1993 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.
Original data: Indiana, Marriages. Salt Lake City, Utah: FamilySearch, 2013.
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Below is the individual marriage transcription for 23 year old Randolph Morgan, showing he was born in Mulberry, Indiana, on 16 July 1886. His parents are John Wesley Morgan and Mary Ellen Cox.
The transcription follows:
Indiana, Select Marriages Index, 1748-1993
Name: Randolph Morgan
Gender: Male
Birth Date: 16 Jul 1886
Birth Place: Mulberry, Ind.
Marriage Date: 17 Feb 1909
Marriage Place: Warren County, Indiana
Marriage Age: 23
Father: John Wesley Morgan
Mother: Mary Ellen Cox
Spouse: Leona Mcgovern
FHL Film Number: 1976653
Reference ID: V.11 p.94
Source Information
Ancestry.com. Indiana, Select Marriages Index, 1748-1993 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.
Original data: Indiana, Marriages. Salt Lake City, Utah: FamilySearch, 2013.
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If the above transcriptions do not pertain to the marriage of your direct ancestors then it is an amazing coincidence the a Leona McGovern married a man named Morgan, being as your last name is also Morgan, according to your Ireland Reaching Out post.
The marriage transcriptions for Leona and Randolph prompted me to look for more information about Leona and her parents. To do this I looked for them in the 1900 census, as the census would record where Leona’s parents, Michael and Ellen were born.
I found the McGoven family in the 1900 census, residing in Liberty, Warren County, Indiana. The census, which was taken on 15 June 1900, is attached to this reply, and shows that Michael McGovern is a 68 year old day laborer born in Ireland in June of 1832. His parents were also born in Ireland. The census further shows that Michael immigrated to the U.S. in 1871, that he had been in the U.S. for 27 years. That doesn’t add up. If he arrived in the U.S. in 1871 he would have been in the country for 29 years as of 1900. The census also shows Michael was “Na.” The initials Na stand for Naturalized citizen. The census further shows he rented the home he and his family were living in.
His wife Ellen was 50 years old and born in Ireland in December of 1849. The census shows she had 10 children with 7 of the children still living as of 1900. Her year of immigration is listed as 1873, and her number of years in the U.S. is 27 years, which would be correct.
Of the 7 McGovern children still alive as of 1900, 3 were in the household with their parents. The children were born in Indiana. The oldest child is 17 year old Phoebe E., born in April of 1883. Her occupation is “Servant.”
The next child is 14 year old Carrie, born in September of 1885. She is a student.
The 3rd child is Leona, whose middle initials appears to be E. She was born in March of 1889, which is the month and year of her birth recorded in the marriage transcription you saw earlier.
The McGovern family are on Line 66 to 70 of the census.
Now, compare the 1900 census for the Michael and Ellen McGovern family in Indiana, with the 1901 Ireland census for the Michael and Ellen McGovern family, who were living in Gubaveeny, County Cavan.
This census was found at the National Archives of Ireland website. A transcription of the census can be viewed at: http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Cavan/Killinagh/Gubave…
Once the census appears click on “Show all information” to view the full enumeration.
The 1901 census shows that Michael McGovern, a farmer, was 60 years old and his wife Ellen was 45 years old.
The 1901 census also shows that there are 6 children in the household with Michael and Ellen. All the children were born in County Cavan. The oldest is 17 year old Ellen, who could speak both Irish and English, as could her parents. She is followed by 15 year old Bernard, who is a farmer; 11 year old Honor; 9 year old Pat; 6 year old Maggie and 6 year old Anne, signifying that Maggie and Anne were twins.
None of the McGovern children in the 1901 Irish census had been born in the U.S, while none of the McGovern children in the 1900 U.S. census, taken just a year earlier, had been born in Ireland.
Earlier, in the 1909 marriage transcription, you saw that Leona’s parents were Michael McGovern and Ellen Black. I now wanted to see if I could find their marriage record, though I didn’t know if they had been married in the U.S., or had married in Ireland before emigrating to the U.S.
I found their marriage index at the FamilySearch website, which shows they were married in Drumkilly, County Cavan, on 25 February 1868. At the time of marriage Michael was 26 years old, with an estimated birth year of 1842. The name of his father was Patrick McGovern.
At the time she married Ellen Black was 20 years old, with an estimated birth year of 1848. The name of her father was Philip Black.
You can view the FamilySearch marriage index below:
Ireland Civil Registration, 1845-1913
Name: Michael McGovern
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: 25 Feb 1868
Event Place: Drumkilly, County Cavan, Ireland
Event Place (Original): Drumkilly, Cavan
Gender: Male
Age: 26
Birth Year (Estimated): 1842
Father's Name: Patrick McGovern
Spouse's Name: Ellen Black
Spouse's Gender: Female
Spouse's Age: 20
Spouse's Birth Year (Estimated): 1848
Spouse's Father's Name: Philip Black
Citing this Collection
"Ireland Civil Registration, 1845-1913." Database with images. FamilySearch. https://FamilySearch.org : 11 March 2020. General Register Office, Southern Ireland.
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I next looked for a copy of the original marriage record for Michael McGovern and Ellen Black. To do this I went to the free website, irishgenealogy,ie.
I found the marriage record at irishgenealogy.ie, which mirrors a great deal of the FamilySearch index above.
The marriage record is attached to this reply.
The marriage took place in the “Catholic Chapel of Drumkilly.” But, the actual record also shows that at the time of marriage Michael McGovern had been living in the town of Gradum, which is in County Cavan. His occupation was Labourer.
At the time of marriage Ellen was living in the town of Cullow, which is also in County Cavan.
The name of the Parish Priest who married Michael and Ellen was John Boylan, which coincidentally was the name of my father, as well as the name of my great grandfather who was also from County Cavan.
The witnesses to the marriage were William Killet and Mary Little.
The marriage was recorded in the Cavan Registration District by Thomas S. O’Reilly, the Registrar of Births, marriages, and deaths.
The Catholic Church in Drumkilly where Michael McGovern and Ellen Black were married is called St. Joseph’s. You can view the location of the church on a Google Map of Drumkilly at: https://is.gd/Bydd6Y
For a Google Street View of the church go to: https://is.gd/tMGQwd
In the Google Street View the church looks more modern than having been built in the 19th century, but according to the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage/Buildings of Ireland website, the church was constructed in 1846 - 1847 during the famine, but was added on to and modernized over the succeeding years.
For more information about the church go to the Buildings of Ireland website link at: https://is.gd/TI0sAx
You can see the location of the old Drumkilly “R.C. Chapel” on an Ordnance Survey Map from the 1837 to 1842 time period at the GeoHive website link at: https://bit.ly/3dcJ3xf
The next Ordnance Survey Map from GeoHive shows the location of St. Joseph’s R.C. Church in Drumkilly. This map is from the 1888 to 1913 time period: https://bit.ly/2UqLDak
The marriage record for Michael McGovern and Ellen Black shows that Michael had been living in Gradum (also spelled Graddum), and that Ellen had been living in Cullow. A Google Map shows that Graddum and Cullow are 1.3 miles from each other: https://is.gd/MmcAML
Another Google Map shows that Drumkilly is just to the west of Graddum and Cullow: https://is.gd/fRFeAu
To view an Ordnance Survey Map of Graddum from the 1837 to 1842 time period, go to the GeoHive website link at: https://bit.ly/2U70jw5
I also found the town of Cullow on an Ordnance Survey Map from the 1837 to 1842 time period at the GeoHive website. At the bottom of the map you’ll see the location of the R.C. Chapel, See the map at: https://bit.ly/2U5TzPh
The Ordnance Survey Map of Cullow from the 1888 to 1913 time period shows the name of the R.C. Church in Cullow is St. Mary’s: https://bit.ly/2UozToK
The townland of Cullow may not be the place of birth for Ellen Black, as Irish marriages traditionally took place in the bride’s parish. But, Ellen married in the church in Drumkilly and not the chapel in Cullow.
There will not be civil registration birth records, also called statutory birth records, for Michael McGoven and Ellen Black. Civil registration began in Ireland on 1 April 1845 when the government recorded civil marriages as well as Protestant marriages, but not Catholic marriages.
Civil registration of births, marriages, and deaths for all religious denominations commenced in Ireland in 1864.
Before 1864 researchers have to rely on baptism records.
The towns of Graddum, Cullow, and Drumkilly were located in the Civil Parish of Crosserlough. The Catholic Parish Church was also Crosserlough, and so I looked for their baptism in the Crosserlough Catholic Parish.
To do this I went to the Find My Past (FMP) website, which is mainly a pay-as-you-go and subscription website, but thankfully does not charge to search for church baptism, marriage, and burial records.
Attached to each transcription at FMP are links that will take you to copies of the original baptisms, marriages or burials held by the National Library of Ireland located on Kildare Street in Dublin.
Patrick McGovern was born circa 1842 and so I looked for his FMP transcription in the Crosserlough Catholic Parish. His father was Patrick, according to the marriage record.
I didn’t find a baptism record for him, but then did a little more digging into the availability of the Crosserlough Catholic Parish baptisms and marriages, and found that baptisms are not recorded until 13 October 1843 and marriages not recorded until 10 October 1868.
It also means there will not be a marriage record for Michael and Ellen as they were married in the Drumkilly Catholic Church on 25 February 1868.
Ellen Black was born circa 1848. Her father was Philip according to her marriage record. I looked for her baptism in the Crosserlough Catholic Parish for 1848, plus and minus 5 years in case her age in the marriage record was incorrect, but did not find a baptism record for her.
Ellen Black was born during the Great Famine, a time of tremendous upheaval in Ireland. The great famine in the Irish language is known as, “an Gorta Mór.” See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Famine_(Ireland)
Historians estimate that between 1845 and 1849, a million people died during the great famine because of hunger and disease, while another million people left Ireland for England, the U.S., Canada, and Australia.
Under these circumstances it is possible that Ellen’s baptism was not recorded.
There is also the possibility of course, that I missed locating her baptism record.
The 1900 census shows that Michael and Ellen McGovern had left Ireland and arrived in the U.S. in the early 1870s. But I was curious as to see if they had any children in Ireland before they left for America.
I found that they did, as I uncovered the birth record of their son Patrick “Magauverin,” who was born in Cullow, County Cavan on 2 December 1868. His birth record shows that his father Michael was a “Labourer” who was living in Cullow. Patrick’s mother is Ellen Magauverin, formerly Black.
Patrick reported the birth to the local registrar, Henry Alcock, who recorded the birth in the Cavan Registration District on 5 December 1868. Patrick’s birth record is attached and is the last birth entry in the register at Number 53.
I looked for Patrick’s baptism transcription at the FMP website but didn’t find it, though I did uncover his baptism record at the National Libraray of Ireland site.
He was baptized in the Crosserlough Catholic Parish on 3 December 1868.
You can access the baptism record at the following National Library of Ireland link: https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls000634841#page/111/mode/1up
There are two facing pages to the baptism register. You can enlarge the register by means of round icons in the upper center/ right of the screen. The icons are white with green backgrounds. You can also access the full-screen function by clicking on the last icon on the right with the two arrows pointing northeast and southwest.
Patrick’s baptism is the 3rd entry up from the bottom of the right-hand baptism register page.
The baptism shows that Patrick’s father is Michl Magovern. His mother is Ellen Black. The sponsors, or godparents were John Magovern and Mary Little. Mary Little was one of the witnesses to Michael and Ellen’s marriage.
The baptism record also shows the Magovern family were living in Cullow, but does not specify if Patrick was baptized in the Drumkilly Catholic Church, or the Catholic Chapel in Cullow. The Catholic Chapel in Cullow would be in the Crosserlough Catholic Parish, as would the church in Drumkilly.
I next found the birth record for Michael and Ellen’s daughter Mary at the irishgenealogy.ie website. A portion of the birth register is missing in the left margin, but it appears she was born in Cullow on 24 November 1870. Her father is Michael Magauverin, a labourer residing in Cullow. Mary’s mother is Ellen Magauverin, formerly Black. Michael reported the birth to the registrar, Henry Alcock, who recorded the birth in the Cavan Registration District on 5 November 1870. Mary’s birth record is attached to this reply and is the first entry in the birth register.
I next looked for but didn’t find an FMP baptism transcription for Mary Magauverin/McGovern. I also looked for a copy of her original baptism in the Crosserlough registers at the National Library of Ireland website but didn’t find it.
I suspect that the McGovern family left Ireland not long after Mary was born in 1870, and so I went back to Ancestry.com to check the passenger lists for New York, Boston, Philadelphia, etc., and may have found the ship’s passenger list for 24 year old Ellen McGovern and her child, 2 year old Mary. Ellen’s husband Michael is not recorded in the passenger. Neither is their son Patrick, who was born in December of 1868.
Ellen and Mary arrived in New York on 27 May 1873. The ship was the City of London, which sailed from Liverpool, England, and Queenstown, Ireland. Today, Queenstown is called Cobh and is located in County Cork. But in the 19th century and even into the 20th century, Queenstown was a major port for people leaving Ireland looking for work in England, the U.S., Canada and Australia. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobh
The transcription of the passenger list entry for the child Mary follows:
New York, Passenger and Crew Lists (including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820-1957
Name: Mary Mcgovern
Arrival Date: 27 May 1873
Birth Date: abt 1871
Age: 2
Gender: Female
Ethnicity/ Nationality: Irish
Place of Origin: Ireland
Port of Departure: Liverpool, England and Queenstown, Ireland
Destination: United States of America
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Ship Name: City of London
Source Citation
Year: 1873; Arrival: New York, New York; Microfilm Serial: M237, 1820-1897; Microfilm Roll: Roll 375; Line: 15; List Number: 489
Source Information
Ancestry.com. New York, Passenger and Crew Lists (including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820-1957 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
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A copy of the original City of Landon passenger manifest page recording Ellen and Mary McGovern is attached. They are at Numbers 276 and 277 on the list.
It’s possible that Michael left for the U.S. before Ellen and Mary to look for work and find a place to live for his family.
I once again searched the ship’s passenger lists at Ancestry.com seeing if I could identify Michael McGovern arriving in New York, Boston, or Philadelphia between 1870 and 1873. I uncovered one possibility, but could not determine if this was the Michael McGovern I was looking for.
He is recorded in a ship’s passenger list index showing that a Michael “McGiveren,” who was 40 years old and born in 1831, arrived in Ontario, Canada, in 1871. The name of the ship is not recorded in the index, which you can view below:
U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s
Name: Michael McGiveren
Age: 40
Birth Year: abt 1831
Arrival year: 1871
Arrival Place: Ontario, Canada
Primary Immigrant: McGiveren, Michael
Source Publication Code: 1823.19
Source Citation
Place: Ontario, Canada; Year: 1871; Page Number: 164
Source Information
Ancestry.com. U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s [database on-line].
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By the year 1874 Michael and Ellen McGobern were living in Taunton, Massachusetts. I know this because I found the FamilySearch birth index for their son Philip “Mcgovan,” who was born on 8 April of that year. The index below shows he parents were Michael Mcgovan and Ellen Black:
Massachusetts Births, 1841-1915
Name: Philip Mcgovan
Event Type: Birth
Event Date: 08 Apr 1874
Event Place: Taunton, Massachusetts
Gender: M
Father's Name: Michael Mcgovan
Mother's Name: Ellen Black
Citing this Collection
"Massachusetts Births, 1841-1915." Database with images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 17 March 2020. Citing Secretary of the Commonwealth. Massachusetts Archives, Boston.
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Linked to the FamilySearch index is a copy of the Taunton birth register entry for Philip, which is attached to this reply. Philip’s birth is at entry Number 531 of the register, but does not give more information than the index above, except to record that Michael’s occupation was laborer and that he and Ellen were born in Ireland.
Philip McGovern’s birth in Taunton made me wonder if he and his family had lived in Taunton for a few months before heading to Indiana, or had remained there for a few years before heading to Indiana. I may have found the answer in the Taunton City Directories, available at Ancestry.com.
Below is a Taunton Directory entry for a Michael McGovern, living at 88 School Street. His occupation is laborer:
U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995
Name: Michael McGovern
Residence Year: 1874
Street address: 88 School
Residence Place: Taunton, Massachusetts, USA
Occupation: Laborer
Publication Title: Taunton, Massachusetts, City Directory, 1874
Source Information
Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
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I can’t say with 100 percent certainty that this entry pertains to your Michael McGovern, but there is a very good possibility that it does. For a Google Map of School Street, Taunton, go to: https://is.gd/4GLau0
For the present day location of 88 School Street, Taunton, see the Google Map at the following link, keeping in mind that house numbers for School Street may have changed between 1874 and 2020: https://is.gd/CTN3E0
By the year 1876 the Taunton Directory shows Michael McGovern living at 28 Grove Street. His occupation was laborer. See the directory entry below:
U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995
Name: Michael McGovern
Residence Year: 1876
Street address: 28 Grove
Residence Place: Taunton, Massachusetts, USA
Occupation: Laborer
Publication Title: Taunton, Massachusetts, City Directory, 1876
Source Information
Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
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A Google Map shows the close proximity of School and Grove Streets in Taunton: https://is.gd/3qzKXK
The Google Street View at the following link shows the location of Grove Street and the Grove Street Tavern. I couldn’t locate the present day location of 28 Grove Street in the Google Street View: https://is.gd/kKHhrp
If you go back to the Google Map showing School and Grove Streets in Taunton, you’ll see the location of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, just to the northwest of School Street. The church is located at the junction of Broadway Street, St. Mary’s Square, and Washington Street. Philip McGoven may have been baptized in St. Mary’s in 1874. For a Google Street View of the church, go to: https://is.gd/IO2pqa
According to a Wikipedia article, St. Mary’s Church was constructed in 1868: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Mary's_Complex_(Taunton,_Massachusett…
You can call the church and see if there is a baptism record for Philip McGovern, who was born in Taunton on April 8, 1874. The phone number is (508) 822-7116
I didn’t locate any more entries for Michael McGoven in the Taunton directories.
THE 1880 CENSUS
At the Ancestry.com website I next found the McGovern family in the 1880 census living in Davis Township, Fountain County, Indiana, where Michael is shown to be a 40 year old laborer born in Ireland. The census shows that Michael could not read or write and that he had been unemployed for 3 months in 1880, though the census does not record which 3 months those were. The census for McGovern household took place on June 2, 1880.
His wife Ellen is recorded as being 29 years old, and born in Ireland. Her occupation is “Keeping house.” She cannot read or write either.
The oldest child in the household is 9 year old Mary who was born in Ireland. She is followed by 6 year old “Phili,” who would be Philip. The census shows he was born in Massachusetts. At this point I knew I had the correct McGovern family in the 1880 census as we saw earlier that Mary was born in Ireland and Philip in Massachusetts.
After Phili is 2 year old Roseann, born in Indiana. The youngest child is 1 year old Michael, born in Indiana.
The McGovern family can be found on Lines 8 to 13 of the census, which is attached to this reply.
THE 1890 CENSUS
Unfortunately, most of the 1890 census for the U.S. no longer exists. A fire at the Commerce Building in Washington, D.C. destroyed most of the 1890 census, though census fragments remain for certain counties in certain states, but not Indiana.
Earlier, you saw the McGovern family enumerated in the 1900 census in Liberty Township, Warren County, Indiana.
THE 1910 CENSUS
By the 1910 census the McGovern family were living in Pine Township, Warren County, Indiana. The census was taken on 11 May. This enumeration shows that 33 year old Philip McGovern, born in Massachusetts, is the head of the household. He is employed as a farmer. He is shown to be a widower. The census also shows he was renting the house he and his family were living in.
In the household with Philip is his 72 year old father Michael, who was born in Ireland. The census shows that Michael arrived in the U.S. in 1877 and that he was a naturalized American citizen. However, Michael would have actually arrived in the U.S. in the early 1870s. No occupation is recorded for the father Michael, or his 59 year old wife Ellen, who was also born in Ireland. She is shown to have arrived in the U.S. in 1877 as well. But, we know from records noted earlier that Philip was born in Massachusetts in 1874, which would have actually made him 36 years old in 1910.
Also concerning Ellen McGovern, the census shows she had 10 children with 9 of the children still living. The census also shows that as of 1910 she and her husband had been married for 39 years.
Philip’s brother, 29 year old Michael McGovern is also in the household. He was born in Indiana and employed as a farmer. He is single.
He if followed by Philip’s 38 year old brother Pat, who was born in Ireland. He is shown to have been married for 8 years. The census also shows Patrick arrived in the U.S. in 1894 and that he was a naturalized American citizen. He is employed as a farm laborer. Up until this time I had thought that Patrick McGovern had died in Ireland or had died in the U.S. before the family had been enumerated in the 1880 census. His parents Michael and Ellen may have left him in Ireland because he was too young and too frail to make the long voyage west across the Atlantic.
Pat’s wife, 38 year old Katie, is shown to be Philip’s sister-in-law. She was born in Ireland, according to the census. The census also shows that Katie and Pat have no children. Katie arrived in the U.S. in 1873. The McGovern family are on Lines 24 to 29 of the attached 1910 census.
ELLEN MCGOVERN’S DEATH CERTIFICATE
The 1910 census for the McGovern family in Pine Township took place on 11 May. Ellen Black McGovern died 6 months later on November 18, 1910, according to her death certificate, which is attached to this reply. She died in Pine Township, Warren County at the age of 59 years, 11 months, and 13 days. Her date of birth is recorded as December 5, 1850. The certificate shows she was married at the time of death. Her husband is Michael McGovern. The death certificate also shows that Ellen was born in Ireland and that her father was Philip Black, who was born in Ireland. Ellen’s mother was Mary Bayland, or Boyland (it’s difficult to tell the actual spelling of the name). Mary was also born in Ireland.
Ellen’s occupation was “Housewife.”
The cause of death was “Cerebral Hoemorrhage.”
Patrick McGovern, whose address was “R.R. Boswell,” was the informant who reported Ellen’s death to the health officer. The death certificate also shows that Ellen was buried in Catholic Cemetery on November 21, 1910. The undertaker was J.A. Coffing, of Attica.
Knowing that Ellen’s mother was Mary Bayland or Boyland, I looked for Ellen’s baptism transcription at the FMP website but didn’t find it. I also looked for her December 1850 baptism in the Crosserlough Catholic Parish registers at the National Library of Ireland website, but didn’t find it.
THE 1920 CENSUS
In the 1920 census, taken on 26 January 1920, 88 year old Michael McGovern Sr., a widower born in Ireland, and is shown to be in the household of his son, 44 year old Philip, who is employed as a farmer. In this census however, Philip’s birthplace is recorded as New Jersey, rather than Massachusetts. Philip is also shown to be a widower.
Philip’s siblings in the household with him, all born in Indiana, are 38 year old Michael; 36 year old John; and 32 year old Carrie. All the siblings are single. The 1920 census, from Ancestry.com, is attached to this reply. The McGovern household is on Lines 85 to 89.
The 1920 census is the first time I had learned about the existence of John McGovern. If his age of 36 is accurate, he would have been born in 1884, and would have been 16 years old in 1900, but he was not in the 1900 census with his parents and siblings.
But, I did find John McGovern in the 1910 census living in the household of his 30 year old sister Rose, and Rose’s husband, 30 year old Charles Adams, in Warren Township, Warren County, Indiana. The census shows that both Rose and John were born in Indiana.
I can send you this census in a follow-up reply if you would like it.
The following is the marriage index from Ancestry.com for Rosa McGovern and Charles Adams, who were married in Warren County, Indiana on 5 April 1903:
Indiana, Select Marriages Index, 1748-1993
Name: Rosa Mcgovern
Gender: Female
Marriage Date: 5 Apr 1903
Marriage Place: Warren, Indiana
Spouse: Charles Adams
FHL Film Number: 1976652
Reference ID: Vol 8 p 8, b9 p147
Source Information
Ancestry.com. Indiana, Select Marriages Index, 1748-1993 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.
MICHAEL MCGOVERN’S DEATH CERTIFICATE
At Ancestry.com I found that Michael McGovern died in Pine Township, Warren, Indiana on September 12, 1924. He was 93 years, 10 months and 43 days old when he died of arterial sclerosis. The name of his deceased wife was Ellen McGovern. Michael’s occupation was farmer. He was born in Ireland. The death record shows his father was Patrick, born in Ireland, but the name of his mother is recorded as, “Unknown,” which is very unfortunate. The informant who reported the death was Phillip McGovern. Michael was buried in Catholic Cemetery on September 15, 1924. His death record is attached to this reply.
PATRICK MCGOVERN’S DEATH CERTIFICATE
Patrick McGovern died at 715 North 31st Street, La Fayette, Tippecanoe County, Indiana, on November 23, 1937 at the age of 69 years, 11 months, and 10 days. The name of the hospital or institution where he died is too faded to read. The cause of death was a cerebral hemorrhage. The death certificate records that he was married at the time of death and that his wife was Kate McGovern. His occupation had been laborer. Patrick was born in Ireland, as were his parents, Michael McGovern and Ellen Black. Patrick’s wife Ellen reported the death to the health officer. The death certificate is attached to this reply.
I also uncovered an obituary index at Ancestry.com for Patrick McGovern, showing that he was age 69 when he died and that he was born on 5 December 1867 in County “Cavin,” Ireland. His birth record which is attached, shows he was born on 2 December 1868.
The obituary index also shows that Patrick, and Katie Follam were married in Liberty in 1902. Ancestry.com obtained the obituary index from the Journal Courier newspaper for 24 November 1937.
See the index below:
Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current
Name: Patrick M'govern
Gender: Male
Death Age: 69
Birth Date: 5 Dec 1867
Birth Place: County Cavin, Ireland
Marriage Date: 1902
Marriage Place: Liberty
Death Date: Abt 1937
Death Place: 715 North Thirty-first street
Obituary Date: 24 Nov 1937
Obituary Place: Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
Parents: Michael McGovern; Ellen McGovern
Spouse: Katie Follam
Siblings: Phillip McGovern. Michael McGovern
Source Citation
Journal and Courier; Publication Date: 24/ Nov/ 1937; Publication Place: Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America; URL: https://www.newspapers.com/image/261926758/?article=903be71a-c05c-4a74-…
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I looked for the full marriage record of Patrick McGovern and Katie Follam at Ancestry.com and at the FamilySearch websites but did not find it. I am a bit suspicious of Katie’s maiden name of Follam, as I have never encountered that surname before.
PHILIP MCGOVERN’S DEATH CERTIFICATE
Philip McGovern died in St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, Fairfield, Lafayette, Tippecanoe County, Indiana, on June 7, 1939, at the age of 65 years and 2 months. His residence was Williamsport. His occupation was farmer. He died of anemia and cancer of the stomach. He was a widower when he died. His birthplace was “Tanton” Massachusetts, which refers to Taunton. His parents were Michael McGovern and Ellen Black, both born in Ireland. The informant who reported his death was his sister Phoebe, whose last name I couldn’t make out readily, though it looks like Kiger. Philip was buried in Attica, Indiana on June 10, 1939.
After locating Philip’s death certificate I found the marriage index for his sister Phoebe, who married Charles W. Kiger in Warren, Indiana on 9 April 1902. You can view the index below:
Indiana, Select Marriages Index, 1748-1993
Name: Phoebe Mcgovern
Gender: Female
Marriage Date: 9 Apr 1902
Marriage Place: Warren, Indiana
Spouse: Charles W. Kiger
FHL Film Number: 1976652
Reference ID: Vol 8 p 8, b9 p96
Source Information
Ancestry.com. Indiana, Select Marriages Index, 1748-1993 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.
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JOHN FRANCIS MCGOVERN’S DEATH CERTIFICATE
John Francis McGovern’s death cert shows that he died in a hospital or an institution called St. Elizabeth’s in Lafayette, Tippecanoe County, Indiana, on June 29, 1952. At the time of death he was 70 years old and working as a farmer. The death record also shows he was never married and that he was born in Fountain County on 10/28/1880. His father was Michael McGovern. His mother was Ellen Black. The cause of death is very difficult to read because of the doctor’s handwriting, but looks like John died from chronic cardiac decomposition, and also what appears to be carcinoma of the prostate. Another cause is also listed, but I can’t make out what that was. The informant who reported the death to the health officer was Mrs. Lena Morgan of Boswell, Indiana. David, I believe Lena Morgan would be John’s sister and your grandmother.
John was buried in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery, Attica, Indiana, on 7/2/1952. The death record is attached.
RANDOLPH R. MORGAN DEATH CERTIFICATE
Randolph Morgan died in St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, Lafayette, Indiana, on November 12, 1953 at age 67. He was born on July 16, 1886 in Mulberry, Ind. His residence before he entered the hospital was Boswell, Benton County, Indiana. The cause of death was “Leukemia chronic myelogenous,” which he had for 1 year prior to death. The person who reported his death to the health official was his wife, Mrs. Lena Morgan of Boswell, Ind. His parents are recorded as John Morgan and Ellen (Unknown). He was buried in Boswell Cemetery on 11/15/53. The death cert is attached to this reply.
LENA LEONA MORGAN DEATH CERTIFICATE
Lena’s middle name in the death cert is recorded as “Leona.” She died in Ade Memorial Hospital, Brook, Newton County, Indiana, on January 27, 1961 at the age of 73. The cause of death was “Viral Pneumonia,” which she had for 2 weeks. The contributing cause of death was “Coronary sclerosis, possible coronary thrombosis.” Her stay in the hospital was 2 weeks. Lena was born in Warren County, Indiana on 3/17/1887. Her father’s first name is recorded as “Unknown.” Her mother’s name is also recorded as “Unknown.” The informant who reported the death was her son, Mr. Randy Morgan, of Kentland, Indiana. Lena was buried in Boswell Cemetery on 1/29/61.
CONCLUSION
David, direct evidence from both County Cavan, Ireland, and Indiana, U.S.A. shows that your grandmother Lena’s mother was Ellen Black rather than Ellen Fitzpatrick. It is a coincidence though that Michael McGovern and his wife Ellen Fitzpatrick and Michael McGovern and his wife Ellen Black had lived in County Cavan at the same time, before Michael McGovern and Ellen Black, and their daughter Mary left for the United States some time in the 1870s.
Michael McGovern and his wife Ellen Fitzpatrick had lived in the Glangevlin and Gubaveeny areas of County Cavan, while Michael McGovern and his wife Ellen Black had lived in Gradum/Graddum and Cullow, County Cavan, and were married in the Catholic Chapel in Drumkilly, which is St. Joseph’s Church.
These two McGovern families did not live near one another in County Cavan however. A Google Map shows that Gubaveeny is 57 miles northwest of Drumkilly, Graddum, and Cullow. See the map at: https://is.gd/kxDOTV
Hopefully you’ll still be able to travel to Ireland sometime this years, and if not in June because of the carona virus, maybe sometime in the fall if the travel restrictions are lifted to Ireland, the UK and Europe. The fall is a great time to visit Ireland. September is really good because most of the tourists from around the world are not crowding up the roads. In addition, rental cars are cheaper and B&Bs are less expensive as is air fare, at least, that’s how it was when last I went to Ireland.
You’ll also want to readjust your County Cavan itinerary from Glangevlin and Gubaveeny, to Graddum, where Michael McGovern was living before he married, and Cullow, where Ellen Black was living before she married, and then visit St. Joseph’s Church in Drumkilly, where Michael McGoven and Ellen Black were married on February 25, 1868.
The family were living in Cullow when their son Patrick was born on December 2, 1868 and also in Cullow when their daughter Mary was born in November of 1870.
This reply includes 16 attachments. These are:
McGovern 1900 census
McGovern and Black 1868 marriage
Patrick Magauverin 1868 birth
Mary Magauverin 1870 birth
McGovern 1873 ship’s passenger list
Philip McGovern 1874 birth
McGovern 1880 census
McGovern 1910 census
Ellen Black McGovern 1910 death
McGovern 1920 census
Michael McGovern 1924 death
Patrick McGovern 1937 death
Phillip McGovern 1939 death
John Francis McGovern 1952 death
Randolph Morgan 1953 death
Leona Morgan 1961 death
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With Kind Regards, agus Slán Abhaile,
Dave Boylan
