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Michael O'Connor - Ballynookery

CorkAghada (Cork)

Looking for information regarding my GG grandfather, Michael O'Connor b. 1843 in Cork. His obituary, 1903 in Baltimore, MD USA, lists his hometown as "Ballynookery". He emigrated to U.S. when he was in early to mid-teens around 1857-1860. I cannot determine via Ancestry who traveled with him. However, I have citizenship paperwork from New Haven, Connecticut, USA dated March 1866. It indicates he was a citizen of 21, residing in USA for at least 5 years. However, inquiries have not been able to verify that the paperwork is original. Any information about "Ballynookery" or Michael O'Connor would be greatly appreciated.

khorneman

5 replies

Ballynookery is a townland of 395 acres in the parish of Aghada. Griffiths Valuation (1853) lists 27 households there. One is a Michael Connors – possible relation- who had a cottage (4b) on Honoria Wall’s farm. (The O' & Mc prefixes in Irish names are detachable and so Connor(s) and O'Connor are the same surname).

26 people living there in 1901 in 5 households:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Cork/Ballyclough/Ballynookery/

Aghada RC parish records start in 1817. They are on-line on the NLI site:

 

http://registers.nli.ie/parishes

 

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

khorneman:

Roots Ireland has a transcription of an 1843 baptismal record in Aghada RC parish. See below. The address shown is close to Ballynookery and the father was also Michael which ties to the Griffiths record that Elwyn located.

Roger McDonnell

Name:Michael ConnorsDate of Birth:
Date of Baptism:26-Oct-1843Address:BallinooheyParish/District:AGHADAGender:MaleCountyCo. Cork
Denomination:Roman Catholic
Father:Michael ConnorsMother:Mary CussenOccupation:
Sponsor 1 /
Informant 1:Michael O SheaSponsor 2 /
Informant 2:Ellen Bible

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Hello Khorneman,

I searched rootsireland for Michael O connor 1838-1848 and came up with 563 records.  I searched Irishgenealogy for same and came up with an additional 796 records.  In order for us to perform a proper search jfor Michael we would need some additional information.  

Have you any idea of his parents names?  If not, have you any idea of the name of his first born children.  these were mostly called after their grandparents.  

Keep an open mind regarding dates as they can sometimes be a little out.  Most people who emigrated were uneducated and undocumented and hadn't a clue as to what age they were.  Their names were written phonetically at the port of entry and their ages were ususlly just guessed at. So in all your searchs give wide parameters.

If you can come up with any more information then please get back to us and we will do our utmost to help you.

Kind regards,

Anne Dennehy

IrelandXO member

Thank you, Elwyn, Roger McDowell and Anne Denehy!  I am fascinated with the Baptismal record.  I will have to join irelandie to view?  Anne, I can give you the following information about my gg grandfather, Michael O'Connor: 

arrived in US "as a younger man" as my grandmother told me sometime before 1866 when he was naturalized.  Census records indicate he was born in 1843.  He must have lived in or around New Haven, CT for a time.  He moved to Baltimore to work for E.B.Mallory (oyster & fruit packers) sometime before May, 1867 when he married my gg grandmother - Dorothy Mary Adams (b. 1848).  They had 12 children: 

Mary Catherine b. 1868

John Adam b. 1870

MIchael Francis b. 1872 (m g. grandfather)

Thomas Charles or Carol b. 1874

Elizabeth Dorothy b. 1875

Joseph Jerome b. 1878

Odelia Alice b. 1880

Matthew David b. 1882

Edmund George b. 1883

Beatrice Pauline b. 1887

Maurice Albert b. 1889

Gerald Paul b. 1892

I have been searching for Michael O'Connor for many, many years.  Thank you for the information that you provided.  If you can point me in any other direction, it would be most appreciated!

Kathy Horneman

khorneman

Kathy:

Just noticed your followup question. The baptismal record I located was on Roots Ireland which is a subscription site. However, here is a link to the parish register http://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0003   Baptismal records start in 1815 and marriages in 1838. Click baptisms for 1838-1880 then select year 1843 and hit apply. The system will take you to the 1843 baptismal records and then go to the October records. I did not look at the register but the records may be in Latin.

Roger

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

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