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Researching Fox and Smith in Leitrim - Oughteragh Civil Parish

I am researching my family from County Leitrim. My great-grandfather was Hugh Fox b Jan 1839 to Michael Fox and Rose, I think her maiden name was O'Reilly but I haven't proven that. Hugh Fox married Ellen Smith b April 1839 to Patrick Smith and Mary, maiden name unknown. Hugh Fox and Ellen Smith married 9 Feb 1864 in the Roman Catholic Chapel of Balinmore. The marriage record shows that was the Union of Bawnboy and Hugh lived in Glendargan and Ellen lived in Glebe. The witnesses for the marriage were James Fox and Ellen Stringer. I believe James Fox was a brother to Hugh Fox but I have no idea who Ellen Stringer was. I think Hugh had 5 siblings: James, Agnes, May (or Mary), Anne, and Catherine. I found these names associated with Michael Fox but I haven't been able to prove they are siblings to Hugh Fox. I would also love to learn if Ellen had siblings. The family left Ireland, Hugh in 1884, son Patrick in 1886, and the rest of the family in 1889. They went to Providence, Rhode Island, USA. In 1900 a cousin, Thomas Heeran. I believe he was born in Rowan and his parents were Thomas Heeran and Mary McKiernan and he had a sister, Bridget.

I will be visiting Ireland in May 2017 and if there are any living relatives in the area I would love to meet them. I have heard there are some "cousins" living in Aghawillin but I don't have any names. I believe they are from the Smith family. Also I would love to visit graves of any of my ancestors. I am in Florida, USA.

One bit of information I have learned, Hugh did have a sister, Mary or May or Mary Ann. She married James McTague (or M'Tague or various spellings). They had 6 children, one was Patrick McTague who married Bridget Rynn in Providence, Rhode Island, USA. I had a DNA match to one of their grandsons so it has been confirmed Michael Fox did have a daughter named May or Mary and was sister to Hugh Fox.

If anyone is researching this (these) family(ies) I would love to talk to you. If anyone know where Michael and Rose Fox are buried I would love to have that information. Any information on the family will be appreciated.

Mary Todd - Florida, USA

mtodd81

8 replies

Mary:

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

Hopefully someone with Fox or Smith connections in Co. Leitrim will see your message and post a comment. We do have a search feature which allows you to see all prior messages with a certain surname.

As you probably already know, the RC records for Oughteragh parish start in 1869.

I checked the online Irish phone book https://www.eirphonebook.ie/#  and there are a number of Smith records near Ballinamore including one in Aughawillan. Make sure you use the Residential TAB. Our privacy rules prevent me from providing the contact info to you directly.

Roger McDonnell

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you, Roger.  I will give that a try and hopefully find some cousins.

Mary Todd

mtodd81

My name is Thomas Heeran and my family come from Ireland, a few miles from Ballinamore in Leitrim, my family are also trying to do a family tree and I do think this is more than a coincidence.

IrelandXO member

Hi Tom,

Sorry it has taken so long to get back to you, I was on vacation without access to the internet.  I know you can not be a direct descendent of the Thomas Heeran that lived with my familiy in Providence, R.I. as he died 5 Jan 1905 in Providence, R.I. and is buried in St. Francis Cemetery in Pawtucket, R.I.  However you may be a cousin to him.  I was in Rhode Island last year and found Thomas Heeran had died in 1905 and is buried in the Flynn family plot in St. Francis Cemetery.  Tom had a sister Bridget and she died 20 Sep 1908 and is buried in St. Francis Cemetery in my family's plot.  I have learned their parents were Thomas Heeran and Mary McKiernan.  I still haven't been able to figure out how they are related to my Fox or Smith family but I have learned there was a McKiernan in the family someplace!  I do know some of my family was from Glebe, Drumreilly Lower Parish, Leitrim, Ireland and Glebe was also known as Lambfield.  Do you know where your family was from?  Also, do you have a subscription to Ancestry.com?  I have a tree out there for Thomas Heeran hoping someone would see what I have and contact me so we could try to  see if the families are related.  I don't know anything about the parents of Thomas and Bridget Heeran but I believe Thomas was born in Rowan, Leitrim, Ireland.  Some of my Fox family were born in Rowan also which makes me think I have the right family.  If you can access Ancestry please look at my Heeran tree and also at my Batzle tree for Fox and Smith.  Perhaps you will see something that looks familiar to you.  Looking forward to hearing from you again.

Mary Todd

Florida, USA

mtodd81

Thanks for the feedback, I'll speak to my parents and pass on the information as they both grew up in Leitrim, although dad was actually born in new York

IrelandXO member

Hi Tom,

I'd really love to hear what your parents have to say.  I just took another look at my tree and found my great-grandfather had a sister, Margaret Fox who married Bernard Kiernan.  They had a daughter Mary.  I haven't proven it but I think Mary Kiernan was Mary McKiernan mother of Tom Heeran.  I believe she married Tom Heeran and they were the parents of Bridget and Thomas Heeran.  I will have to look for records like that to prove my theory.  I just found a land record that shows my great-grandparents lived near my great-grandfather's sister Margaret and her husband.  I have attached the land record (I hope) so you can see where they lived and who lived near them.  Perhaps this information will help your parents.  Plese let me know what you learn.

Mary Todd

mtodd81

Hello Mary Todd,

Did you make contact with your Fox relatives in Glendargan, Ballinamore, Co Leitrim. My Grandfather married a Catherine Fox from Glendargan in 1914. 

 

Seamus Seery

 

seamusseery

Hi Seamus, sorry it has taken so long to answer you but I just saw your note which was from Saturday 4th Feb 2017, 07:12PM.   You mentioned your grandfather married a Catherine Fox in 1914.  I had a great-aunt born in 1854 in Cleendargan, Leitrim, Ireland.  She married James McGovern on 07 Feb 1875 and he died on 06 Apr 1904 in Drumarigna, Leitrim, Ireland. They had a daughter, Catherine, born 08 Jul 1884 in Drumarigna, Leitrim, Ireland.  I don't know if that's your great-grandmother or not.  There was a Michael Fox married to a Susan McKiernan, they may have had a daughter Catherine.  I do have to obituary but can't find it just now.

Mary Todd

 

 
mtodd81

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