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Catherine Calligan (Callighan, Callaghan sp)

Cavan

Can anyone help, i'm trying to locate a birth for my 2nd great grandmother Catherine Calligan (sp), there are various spellings of this surname. All I know is that she was born in County Cavan, I think Dernaferst not sure of correct spelling somewhere between 1855 and 1860. Her parents were John Callaghan (sp) and Mary Woods (looks like Woods on Catherine's marriage cert). Catherine married a Peter Caldwell in Edinburgh in 1879 but I cannot find a birth for her or marriage for her parents.  I'm also trying to locate Catherine's Husband Peter Caldwell (Caldwall) also born Ireland possibly between 1855 and 1860 with parents John Caldwell and Mary Hamil no idea of which County.  I'm in the process of searching through the microfilm of the Catholic Registers baptisms on NLI site, but not sure if this is where I should be looking.  I get so confused with the Irish records!

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Pamela

moonstorm9@hot…

4 replies

Pamela:

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

I searched on Roots Ireland and could not find the baptismal record. Dernafest is a small townland (193 acres) in Scrabby civil parish. This parish is in southwest Co. Cavan near the Co. Longford border. Not sure which register your are reviewing but this looks to be the correct register http://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls000632403#page/1/mode/1up

I also checked the 1901 census for Dernaferst and there were no Callaghan or Woods families listed.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Roger McDonnell

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Hi Roger

Thanks so much for searching and for the information.  That was the register i'm in the process of looking through, it's hard going!

I've had no luck whatsoever in finding Catherine or her parents anywhere in Ireland.  Do you have any advice on where to go from here? I have no idea about Irish records, I find them so confusing!

Pamela

moonstorm9@hot…

Pamela:

The 1856 Griffiths Valuation head of household listing for Scrabby http://www.failteromhat.com/griffiths/cavan/scrabby.htm does show a John Callaghan in Dernafest (shown as Darnafest). So I think you are in the right area. You show 1855-1860 but maybe Catherine was born before then. Marriages usually took place in the bride's parish. Maybe mary Woods was from a nearby parish in Cavan or possibly from a neighboring Longford parish.

Roger

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Roger

Thanks for the Griffiths link, I'd come over that before and thought it could be him.  I've tried searching outwith these dates for Catherine's birth but still no luck.  I've been searching for her birth and parents marriage for years but haven't gotten anywhere.  I shall keep on plodding on with my search and fingers crossed I may get closer to solving the mystery!

Many thanks

Pamela

moonstorm9@hot…

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