Ireland XO
Back to Message Board

O'Neill Emigration Record

ClareInchicronan (Clare)

For years I have searched for an immigration record for Ellen Bridget O'Neill unsuccessfully.  Family history records that she left Co. Clare as a young girl (probably teens) with a guardian who died on the trip.  She married in Philadelphia in 1856.  I don't know whether she came into Philadelphia or New York.  It's possible that to Philadelphia because her aunt (Ann Connell Higgins) was living in Philadelphia.  I was wondering if seeking an emigration record would be more helpful.  Any suggestions would be gratefully received.

lisofin

4 replies

Hi, I have been asked to look over old queries that have been unanswered so here I am. The only emigration record that would exist is the passenger list if there is an available one, difficult even if there were as there are probably many Bridget O'Neill's. You may find her parents names on her marriage certificate or her death certificate as that is often done in the states.

It is tricky to know where she may have departed from as there were departures from many ports at the time, some we would now consider very small, the most obvious ones is Limerick. If you could get the parents names we might find a baptism for her other wise you might consider DNA testing to see if her location could be pinpointed. 

There are a number of private genealogy pages on Facebook and certainly some for Clare and you may strike lucky.

Good Luck

Pat

newohalloran.p…IrelandXO Volunteer

Ellen's parents were Thomas O'Neill (b/ 1804; d. 20 June 1869) and Bridget Connell (b ?; d. 09 Dec 1854).  Bridget's father was James.  They lived in Derrymore West, Tulla.  Thomas lived in Scalpnagoon.  Ellen's sister Mary married John Maloney.; brother John married Jude Hanrahan; brothers Patrick and Timothy emigrated to New Zealand; sister Catherine married Patrick McNamara  The youngest brother, Thaddeus, we think may have gone to New Zealand but we have no trace of him.  Three families that I know are living in Tulla, descendants of the Hanrahan line.  I have met many of the New Zealand families.  I have given this family tree to the library in Ennis plus copies of the letters that Ellen received from Thomas.

I have two brick walls in Ireland - a 2nd great grandmother born in 1790 in Dungiven, Derry, no maiden name, married a John Daly sometime before 1818; and a great grandfather born abt 1835 but not sure where in Ireland.  So far DNA hasn't been a help.

 

lisofin

Hi Lisofin, you are correct about hte DNA at that distance you are only finding people with the same brick walls and hoping someone has a family history. The parishes you are looking at and I assume as O'Neill it is probably RC, so Tulla church records on commence in 1819 and I can see no O'Neill born to a Thomas father or any baptisms to a O'Neil l/ Connell parents in Clare on Roots. See https://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0813 ;

Church of Ireland records available can be viewed here,

 https://www.ireland.anglican.org/cmsfiles/pdf/AboutUs/library/registers…

I had a look on My Heritage for both a Bridget and Ellen O'Neill and a cursory check shows a Bridget a gentlemans servant on a ship to NY the Thompson  in 1853, Nov. arrival and an Ellen born circa 1831 to NY out of Limerick in 1851 arriving April, on the Odessa but only information was Ireland. Limerick as I am sure you know is adjacent to Clare and the most obvious port of departure to me. 

Dungiven parish records start later than Tulla https://registers.nli.ie/parishes?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=Dungiven+%28Diocese+… There appear to be two Dungiven places in Derry one starts 1825 and the other 1845. 

This site shows civil areas of Ireland which may not always tally with relgious parishes or names. https://www.townlands.ie/

Good Luck

Pat

  

newohalloran.p…IrelandXO Volunteer

Hi Lisofin

do you have any updates.  I have some info on the family but suspect you are familiar with.  My email is mjhanrahan@lycos.com if you want to reach out.

 

regards

Maurice Hanrahan

Bungaree, Australia 

 

 

Maurice Hanrahan

Reply

Reply
One image file up to 2 MB.