Back to Message Board

O'BRIEN, Johanna and family; County Cork

I am seeking additional information for my great grandmother, Johanna O’Brien.  Her Baptism cert is dated: 06 Jan 1842, Enniskeane, County Cork;

parents: David O’Brien and Margaret Donovan. 

David and Margaret were married 17 Jan 1839 in Enniskeane, Co Cork.

The baptism cert for Margaret dated 18 Aug, 1811, Clonakilty, CO Cork.  Also lists her parents: Michael Donovan and Catherine (?).  I have no further info for David O’Brien**, and I haven’t been able to locate him in Griffith’s.  There is a Michael Donovan listed in Griffith’s (printing date 1851) listed as tenant in Clonakilty, parish of Desertserges.  Would this Michael be the father of Margaret Donovan?

 

I’m curious about the surname: O’Brien/Brien**.  It’s listed both ways for David:

1839 Marriage of David Brien & Margaret Donovan

1839 birth of son John O’Brien

1842 birth of dght Johanna Brien

All subsequent documents for Johanna are O’Brien when her maiden name is referenced.

 

Johanna is listed in the 1861 England Census, age 21, working as servant for family in Hackney St. John, Eng.

The 1865 US Federal Census lists Johanna and her mother Margaret and brother John all living Brooklyn, Kings County, NY.  Johanna is working as seamstress; John is laborer.  Margaret is a widow.

On 10 Feb 1867 Johanna married James Gillen in Brooklyn, NY.  They had 9 children between 1870 – 1885 but only 3 sons survived:

James Henry Gillen, 1870

Joseph Patrick Gillen, 1875 (my grandfather)

William Joseph Gillen, 1880

Johanna died in Brooklyn 02 May 1912

Ann Coffey

2 replies

Hi Ann, I have notified our local partner in Cork who I'm sure will be able to offer some assistance.

Regards, Denise

IrelandXO Mode…IrelandXO Volunteer

Hi Ann, 

It might be helpful for you to give the website historicgraves.com a go. 

This is a resource of digitsed graveyards around the island of Ireland. The database is always being added to so check back regularly, especially if you have particular villages in mind. If you want to search a particular name: from the home page click explore along the top banner and then click on names from the drop down. I just searched Brien and found many headstones in clonakilty and 4 in Enniskeane. One of these is for a John O'Brien who died in the 1940s. I wonder is he a relation of your John O'Brien?

 Keep in mind too that only legible headstones have been added, so if you can't see a name of interest it does not necessarily mean they are not buried there. It's also good to cross check with other records where possible. 

Link heres:  https://historicgraves.com/graves-search?field_name1_value_1=&field_sur…;

https://historicgraves.com/ballymoney/co-bymy-042/grave  ;

https://historicgraves.com/graveyards-map  

Hopefully this resource might offer you some help joining the dots!

All the best

David

dwhyte@irelandxo.comIrelandXO Volunteer

Reply

Reply
One image file up to 2 MB.