Hello all,
I am on the search to figure out who my fore bearers are. James O'Connell born 1843. Elizabeth Downs (father was barrister Richard Downs) born 1842. Now I am not sure sure because the information we always had were that they were from Kerry, his obituary says Limerick which led me here.
They emigrated to NY 1865 and settled in western NY.
Help me kinfolk!
Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!
Can you tell us the religious denomination for the couple? Do you know Elizabeth Downes' mother's name? Any siblings?
I searched the subscription site Roots Ireland and there are eight Downes baptismal records (no Elizabeth) in Co. Limerick with father Richard.
I did not find a church marriage record on Roots Ireland for James O'Connell and Elizabeth Downes. I also searched the free site www.irishgenealogy.ie for civil marriage records. Non-Roman Catholic marriages were supposed to be civilly registered starting 1845 and RC marriages started in 1864.
Is it possible they married in America?
Roger McDonnell
He was Catholic, she was Protestant then converted to Catholicism when they married in 1866 in New York City. There are substantial American records on their life here after until their deaths in the 1910s. She also went by Eliza here. His father was named Morgan. Other than that, I have nothing.
Many Church of Ireland baptismal records are not available on Roots Ireland either because they no longer exist or they are held locally or at the Representative Church Library in Dublin. However, you need to know the parish. No way to find her record online since she is not on Roots Ireland.
I assumed they were married in Ireland since they both emigrated in 1865.
Roger
They are my great grandparents. They married in NY City and settled in the south Lima/Livonia area. My grandmother was Katherine and she had a brother named Morgan and she named my father Richard. Elizabeth was Protestant and James was Catholic. She converted. She was sent to USA to get her away from James, but he followed her.