Molloys

Hello Kevin,

I’m not related, but do you have the name of your ancestor from the Whitechurch civil parish in County Wexford who first came to Canada? If so what was his or her year of birth or approximate year of birth, and do you know the names of their father and mother? The mother’s maiden name will be important to carry on more research into your particular branch of the Molloy family from Whitechurch.

I suspect your Molloy ancestors were Roman Catholic. If so the church they attended in the 19th century was not in Whitechurch itself, but in the Catholic Parish of Suttons, which was actually located in the townland of Ballykelly, according to information found at the Shane Wilson website. See the Shane Wilson attachment with map.

Shane Wilson also shows that there was an R.C. Chapel in the Suttons Catholic Parish at Horeswood, civil parish of Kilmokea.

According to the National Library of Ireland website, the Suttons Catholic Parish baptisms begin on 3 November 1824, and are available to access until 15 December 1880.

Suttons Catholic Parish marriages are available from 12 February 1825 to 27 November 1880. However, there may be gaps in the baptism and marriage registers.

The Suttons Catholic Parish also has death records from 17 May 1827 until 25 November 1836. There is a 22 year gap in the death records, when they commence again on 13 January 1858 and are available until 9 April 1884.

See the availability of the Sutton Parish registers and a map of the Sutton Catholic Parish at the National Library of Ireland website link at: https://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0575

Located in the Whitechurch civil parish is Dunganstown.

Dunganstown is the ancestral home of U.S. President John F. Kennedy’s great grandfather, Patrick Kennedy. Patrick Kennedy left Ireland during the Great Famine, and arrived in Boston in 1849.

See the IreAtlas Townland Data Base entry for Dunganstown at: https://tinyurl.com/5yjskkam

It is not out of the realm of possibility that if your Molloys had lived in the Whitechurch civil parish in the 19th century, they would have known the Kennedy family, as the Molloys and Kennedys may have attended the same church in Ballykelly. The name of the Catholic Church in Ballykelly is St. Brigid’s.

St. Brigid’s Catholic Church in Ballykelly is east of the River Barrow and just 1.2 miles east of Dunganstown as shown on a Google Map at: https://tinyurl.com/yckkbntj

For Google Street Views of St. Brigid’s Church, see the following: https://tinyurl.com/2p9e72my and https://tinyurl.com/2p8bvby4

An Ordnance Survey Map from the 1829 tom 1841 time period shows the location of the R.C. Chapel and the National School in Ballykelly within the black circle, toward the upper left corner of the map, which is attached to this reply, and which comes from the GeoHive website.

Also attached is a larger version of the Ordnance Survey Map showing the location of the church and the national school in Ballykelly.

According to the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage/Buildings of Ireland website, the full name of the church in Ballykelly is the Church of St. Mary and St. Brigid, which dates back to the year 1816. For information about the architectural details of the church and for a slide presentation of the exterior and interior of the church, see the Buildings of Ireland website link at: https://tinyurl.com/49w6rnm9

However, the Find A Grave website notes that the church is dedicated to St. Brigid and St. James, but was “Previously named as Saint Mary's Catholic Church.” See:
https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2684086/st.-brigid's-church-cemetery

I found four submissions of Molloys buried in the cemetery, but none of the burials date back to the 19th century.

There are two Irish records I wanted to search to see how many Molloys were recorded in the civil parish of Whitechurch, and to also see what townlands they resided in, within the Whitechurch civil parish.

THE TITHE APPLOTMENT BOOKS

The oldest of these records is an agricultural survey called the Tithe Applotment Books, whereby farmers throughout the 32 counties of Ireland were required to pay a portion of their farming income for the upkeep of the Church of Ireland.

Paying tithes to the Church of Ireland was not very popular with the majority of Irish farmers, who were Roman Catholic.

The Tithe Applotment Books were compiled from the years 1823 to 1837, and are available to search for free at the National Archives of Ireland website link at:
http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/index.jsp

For a comprehensive explanation of the Tithe Applotment Books, go to the following National Archives of Ireland website links:

http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/home.jsp
http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/about.jsp
http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/aboutmore.jsp

The Tithe Applotment Books record Molloy farmers leasing property in the townlands of Ballykelly, Dunganstown, and Oldcourt, all in the civil parish of Whitechurch. See the Tithe Applotment Book index for the names of these farmers at: https://tinyurl.com/7svxfkba

Unfortunately, the year of the tithe record is not recorded, but it would have been sometime in the 1820s or 1830s, as noted earlier.

If you click on the last or first name of any of the farmers shown in the index, you’ll be linked to a copy of the original Tithe Applotment Book record for that individual.

The index shows there is one Molloy in Dunganstown whose first name is not recorded. I accessed a copy of the original tithe record for Dunganstown, and found this individual is the “Widow” Molloy. She is the 8th person recorded up from the bottom of the tithe page, just above the entry for Patrick Kennedy Jr.

You’ll also see that William Molloy is the last person recorded in this tithe page for Dunganstown.

The Tithe Applotment Books did not record members of a family. It recorded those farmers who paid to lease property, or who had owned property, and so many more Molloys could have lived in the townlands of Ballykelly, Dunganstown, and Oldcourt than are recorded in the Tithe Applotment Books.

One of your Molloy ancestors may have resided in Ballykelly, Dunganstown, or Oldcourt in the 1820s and 1830s.

Earlier in this reply you saw a Google Map of Ballykelly and Dunganstown. The Google Map at the following link shows you the location of Oldcourt in relation to Ballykelly and Dunganstown: https://tinyurl.com/2p8jnhjx

Along present-day roads, Oldcourt is 4.4 miles north of Dunganstown going through Ballykelly.

GRIFFITHS VALUATION

The second 19th century record in which I searched for the Molloy surname in the civil parish of Whitechurch, County Wexford, is known as Griffiths Valuation.

Griffiths Valuation was enumerated in the 32 counties of Ireland between 1847 and 1864. The valuation for townlands in the Civil Parish of Whitechurch was completed by the year 1853.

Unlike a census, Griffiths Valuation did not enumerate individual members of a family, such as husband, wife, and children in a household residence. Those named in the valuation were individuals who paid to lease property, such as land, houses, and outbuildings.

You can see an alphabetical index of people who leased houses, outbuildings and land in townlands located in the Whitechurch civil parish at the failteromhat.com link: https://www.failteromhat.com/griffiths/wexford/whitechurch.php

Occupiers are alphabetical by last name. Scroll down to the Molloy/Moloy surname and you’ll see Molloys were recorded in the townlands of Oldcourt, Ballykelly, Dunganstown, Poulmaloe, and Ballinteskin.

This is just an index, you can access the full Griffiths Valuation entries for each of the Molloy occupiers for free at the Ask About Ireland website link at:
http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml

It’s possible that your direct Molloy ancestors were from one of those townlands recorded in the Tithe Applotment Books or in Griffiths Valuation for the civil parish of Whitechurch.

Just to recap: What was the name of your Molloy ancestor who left Ireland and settled in Newfoundland? What was his year of birth or approximate year of birth? Also important, what were the names of his parents, especially his mother’s maiden name, if known?

Do you know if the ancestor had any brothers or sisters that also came to Newfoundland from Ireland?

With more information I can search Irish records to see if I can uncover a baptism or birth record for your ancestor.

With Kind Regards,

Dave Boylan

SOURCES
Shane Wilson's Catholic Parishes and Civil Parish Links - c1837: https://www.swilson.info/rcparishlink.php
National Library of Ireland
IreAtlas Townland Data Base
Google Maps
Google Street Views
GeoHive: Ordnance Survey Maps of Ballykelly
National Inventory of Architectural Heritage/Buildings of Ireland
Find A Grave
National Archives of Ireland: Tithe Applotment Books
Ask About Ireland: Griffiths Valuation

 

 

Thank you for all the research that's amazing. Unfortunately we don't have any documentation or even verbal confirmation of anyone past my gggrandfater Andrew Molloy born in Newfoundland between 1837 and 1842. We have his death certificate from 1911 in Brooklyn NY. On the death certificate his son William wrote that he forgot his grandfathers name:( We do have family legends that indicate our family who came to Newfoundland was named Patrick Molloy and Mary Tucker we believe they were born around 1750. Patrick's father might have been named William and born in Wexford. We think Mary Tucker was born in England. William was there for work as a coachman and that's how Patrick met Mary. That's all the information we have.

 

 

 

One other thing to mention they arrived in Newfoundland in approximately 1775 on a ship called the the Westward Horizon that wrecked off the coast and they decided to settle there.

To clarify we believe Patrick was also born in Wexford he allegedly identified as a Yellow Belly and they left from Wexford to America. 

Hello Kevin,

Thank you for your reply and additional information.

I couldn’t identify any more records from Ireland for your Molloy ancestors, but based on your reply that Andrew Molloy died in New York in 1911, I found a death record transcription for an Andrew Molloy, who died in Brooklyn, New York on 26 April 1911 at the age of 69. He was a widower at the time of death. He is buried in the Holy Cross Cemetery, Brooklyn.

The transcription comes from the free FamilySearch website. I don’t know if this death record transcription pertains to your Andrew Molloy, but it does show that he was born in Canada in 1842. The record does not give the first name of his father. It only states that his father was “Molloy.” But the death record shows his mother was “Slrtia Dority.” I’ve never heard of the first name Slrita. It may be a transcription error.

The death record transcription also mentions that Andrew died at an address of 68 Hunlugtor St., but I could find no such street on a map of Brooklyn.

The death record transcription from the FamilySearch website follows:

Name Andrew Molloy
Sex Male
Age 69
Residence Place Brooklyn, Kings, New York
Address 68 Hunlugtor St. Ward-12
Burial Date 30 Apr 1911
Burial Place Brooklyn, Kings, New York
Death Date 26 Apr 1911
Death Place Brooklyn, Kings, New York, United States
Birth Year (Estimated) 1842
Birthplace Canada
Marital Status Widowed
Occupation None
Race White
Father's Name Molloy
Father's Sex Male
Father's Birthplace Unknown
Mother's Name Slrtia Dority
Mother's Sex Female
Mother's Birthplace Canada
Certificate Number cn 8896
Cemetery Holy Cross
Note 68 Hunlugtor Street; First name not given

Cite This Record:
"New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WNS-1ZN : 3 June 2020), Andrew Molloy, 26 Apr 1911; citing Death, Brooklyn, Kings, New York, United States, New York Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm 1,324,234.
____

I also found Andrew’s 1911 “New York, U.S., Index to Death Certificates, 1862-1948” at the subscription Ancestry.com website, which shows that he died at “68 Huntergon St. in Brooklyn. This would actually refer to Huntington Street, Brooklyn, as you’ll see later.

In this transcription his mother’s first name is recorded “as Alatia. Her last name is recorded as Molloy, not Dority, as it is in the FamilySearch transcription.

The death index from ancestry.com is below:

New York, New York, U.S., Index to Death Certificates, 1862-1948

Name: Andrew Molloy
Gender: Male
Race: White
Marital status: Widower
Age: 69
Birth Date: abt 1842
Birth Place: Canada
Years in US: 12 Years
Death Date: 26 Apr 1911
Death Street Address: 68 Huntergton St
Death Place: New York City, Brooklyn, New York, USA
Cause of Death: Apnsia Pneumonitis
Burial Date: 30 Apr 1911
Burial Place: Holy Cross Cemetery
Mother's Birth Place: Canada
Father: Molloy
Mother: Alatia Molloy
Certificate Number: 8896

Source Citation
New York City Department of Records & Information Services; New York City, New York; New York City Death Certificates; Borough: Brooklyn; Year: 1911
____

The 1910 federal census for Brooklyn, New York, shows that 72 year old Andrew Molloy’s address is 68 Huntington Street in Brooklyn. He is also shown to be a widower whose occupation was a building watchman, but who had been out of work for 52 weeks. He also was a renter instead of the owner of his residence at 68 Huntington Street in Brooklyn.

The 1910 census additionally shows that Andrew came to the U.S. in 1900, and that his father was from Ireland and his mother from Canada. He is the only one in the household.

The census transcription below is from Ancestry.com:

1910 United States Federal Census

Name: Andrew W Malloy
Age in 1910: 72
Birth Date: 1838
Birthplace: Canada
[Canada English]
Home in 1910: Brooklyn Ward 12, Kings, New York, USA
Street: 68 Huntington St
Race: White
Gender: Male
Immigration Year: 1900
Relation to Head of House: Head
Marital Status: Widowed
Father's Birthplace: Ireland
Mother's Birthplace: Canada
[Canada English]
Native Tongue: English
Occupation: Watchman
Industry: Building
Employer, Employee or Other: Wage Earner
Home Owned or Rented: Rent
Farm or House: House
Naturalization Status: Alien
Able to read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Out of Work: Y
Number of Weeks Out of Work: 52

Source Citation
Year: 1910; Census Place: Brooklyn Ward 12, Kings, New York; Roll: T624_963; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 0249; FHL microfilm: 1374976
____

There is also a submission for Andrew Molloy at the Find A Grave website for the Holy Cross Cemetery in Brooklyn, which notes he was born in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada in 1837, and that his wife was Mary Getheral Molloy. See the Find A Grave entry at: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/101495038/andrew-molloy

You’ll notice that the photo of Andrew’s grave was taken by a man named Johnny Molloy.

Kevin, if in the future you uncover additional information about your Molloys from Ireland, please let me know and I’ll see what I can find. There will not be any statutory birth records in Ireland before 1864. Prior to 1864 genealogists have to reply on church records of baptisms and marriages.

There are many Catholic baptisms and marriages available online in Wexford for the 19th century, and also some for the 18th century, but not as many online records for Protestant Church of Ireland or Presbyterian Church records, or records for Baptists, Methodists, or Quakers.

Best Wishes,

Dave

Thank you again. I do have all of Andrews information the mothers name was supposed to be Stasia although I don't think that was accurate they just didn't remember. The correct street in Brooklyn was Huntington st his son and family had immigrated from NF before him in 1887 and were also living on Huntington Street in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn. I think the fathers birth place is definitely wrong also he was born in Newfoundland. 
Do you think there could be ships records for the Westward Horizon in New Ross, Waterford or Wexford? Especially since it was wrecked maybe there's a record? The Captains name was allegedly Capt Vischers. That would go along way in verifying the story.

Hello Kevin,

I checked with Ancestry.com’s collection, “All U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s,” for any Molloys arriving in Canada in the 1775 time period but found no passenger lists.

According to the Library and Archives of Canada, many passenger lists before 1865 have not survived. See the Library and Archives of Canada link at: https://tinyurl.com/mpvmh4my

The FamilySearch website has more comprehensive information about ship’s passenger lists available for Canada before 1865, which you can access at:
https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Canada_Passenger_Lists_(National_I…

I suspect the Western Horizon was a British Ship. If so there may be records about it having sunk off the coast of Newfoundland in 1775. What you can do at this point is contact the National Archives in England for advice about how you can find out if there is a record of the sinking of the Western Horizon.

The National Archives is in Kew, Surrey, and has a website link devoted to “Ships wrecked or sunk,” at:
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-gu…

There is a “Live Chat” feature at this website link where you can ask for advice about where you may be able to find out if there are any records available in the UK for the wreck of the Western Horizon in 1775. I’m not sure how helpful the National Archives in England will be, but it won’t hurt to ask as they may give you information about how to proceed with researching the sinking of the Wester Horizon.

There is also a National Archives Enquiry Service you can access to find out how to obtain more information about records for the wreck of the Western Horizon.

To contact the Enquiry Service go to: https://tinyurl.com/3nfsf3h4

Best of Luck Kevin,

Dave