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Taylor Family Members from Kilchreest and Kilconickny Civil Parishes Who Emigrated to Pittsfield, Massachussets in the 1800's

GalwayKilchreest Castledaly (Galway)Kilconickny (Galway)Killeenadeema Aille Leitrim (Galway)

Good Evening,

I am researching a number of Taylor family members from Kilchreest/Kilconickny parishes, County Galway, who emigrated to Pittsfield, Berkshire County, Massachusetts in the 1800's:

  1. Maria Taylor of Kilchreest and Robert Howe 'late of Loughrea and now of Kilchreest' who were married on 5 March 1839. They appear in the census for Albany, New York, in 1840, at which time they had a son, William. It appears Maria did not survive, and Robert settled in Pittsfield, where there were several Taylor families. He re-married and had several children with his second wife, Eliza ??, who was born in Ireland according to US census records.
  2. John Taylor and Bridget Kavanagh of Kilchreest, who married c.1844. Two children, Benjamin and Mary Ann, were born in Ireland before they emigrated to Pittsfield (c.1848-51),where two further children were born. John Taylor is not mentioned in Pittsfield census records of 1855 or subsequent records. Bridget 'Cavanaugh' Taylor died in Pittsfield on 11 June 1860.
  3. James Taylor and Eliza Butler, both of Kilchreest, were married on 20 April 1838, and emigrated to Pittsfield, via Albany, New York. James Taylor died in 1858 and Eliza Butler Taylor died in 1882.
  4. Anne Taylor of Kilconickny married William Power of Killeenadeema, on 6 August 1835, and they also emigrated to Pittsfield. Two of their six children were born in Ireland. From their death records we know that Anne's parents were Benjamin Taylor and Annie McGuyre, and William's parents were Richard Power and Cecelia Greally.

I am particularly interested in discovering further information on the above, particular details of parents and other ancestors in Galway.

Regards,

Gerry Kearney

7 replies

Hello, my name is Bob Howley and my great/gmother Maria Taylor and great/gfather Patricus Monahan were married, and lived up the road from Kilchreest village at Ballynacurragh, also known as the "mountain" and most likely in relation to the Taylor mentioned in your information, here is a site you might want to check out, "Catholic Parish Registors at NLI" Kilchreest, info of ths site shows baptism's and marriages, 1860s, and lists names you have mentioned, hopefully of some help for you.

                                     Bob Howley 

Bob Howley

Thanks Bob. Would you happen to have details of Maria Taylor's parents, siblings, or any of her ancestors?

Regards,

Gerry

Gerry Kearney

Hello Gerry, I will look further into possible Maria Taylor's family members and pass on to you, you mention you met Paddy Monaghan, he is my cousin, and we keep in touch with each other and get together when back in Ireland, my mother is from Kilchreest, and lived down the road from Paddy's house in a area called Ballynacurragh, hopefully more info of the Taylor's pops up.

Bob Howley

Bob Howley

 

Hi,

Galway Mercury of April 4th 1846 has a report of a meeting of Loughrea Magistrates and Cess Payers in relation to Public Works in that District. The adjourned Meeting of March 28th 1846 accepted a request from the parish of Kilchreest to lower a hill in the village and fill a hollow at a cost of £80;

For the parish of Kilconickny is was agreed to make a new line of road from Ben Taylor's house at Raheen to Loughrea Agricultural Farm at a cost of £300.

Credits: www.britishnewspaperarchives.co.uk

Regards,

 

McCoy

Thanks Bob, but I think you are mixing me up with Alan Kelly, who met Paddy Monahan. Thanks also McCoy. At that time there were two Benjamin Taylors at Raheen - Benjamin Senior lived until 1872, but Benjamin Junior died in 1860 - while sitting down to his dinner.

Gerry

Gerry Kearney

 

Hi Gerry,

From the Past - 1846 - 1875 - Benjamin Taylor

Freeman's Journal October 9th 1872 - Caption: Longevity - Death at Raheen,near Loughrea on the 6th instant - Mr. Benjamin Taylor 106 years. Father of John Taylor and grandfather of Mr William Taylor of Cahereen(?) and Mr. Benjamin Taylor of Raheen.

Road Repairs:

Tuam Herald - July 25th 1846: Barony of Loughrea: Contract awared to Benjamin Taylor and Pat Howley to keep in repair the mail car road from Loughrea  to Gort for seven years - 289 perches between the bridge of Corbally and the boundary of the barony

Tuam Herald - July 29th 1848 - Barony of Dunkellin: Benjamin Taylor and Bartholomew Madden - 805 perches for seven years - Raheenoughter crossroads and Ballyruddy

Tuam Herald March 3rd 1849 - -Barony of Loughrea: Ben Taylor 630 perches for four and a half years from the grand gate of Castleboy to boundary of Barony

1854, 1856 and 1870 - Request to attend the Barony Sessions in Galway

Tuam Herald October 11th 1873 - Ballinasloe Fair: Benjamin Taylor - Sale of 250 sheep

Freeman's Journal October 8th 1874 - Ballinasloe Fair: Benjamin Taylor - sale of 100 ewe sheep

Credits: www.irishnewspaperarchives.ie

McCoy

Thanks McCoy. I have quite a lot of these records for the Benjamin and John Taylor of Raheen, and Benjamin of Castleboy - who later moved to Kilchreest. What I am really looking for, pehaps in vain, are records of spouses of those who emigrated - see list above. My research tells me that they were followed by quite a number of the next generation of people form the Kilchreest area, again, both Catholic and Protestant, and I imagine that there was quite an amount of correspondence across the Atlantic. The Taylor family members above would have been Protestant, but I found that many of their children who married in Pittsfield, married Catholics, as did some who did not emigrate. The real history and folkfore of these families is probably only to be found in individual family records, if they have been preserved. .

Regards,

 

Gerry

Gerry Kearney

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