My 2X great grandmother Anne Jones was married to Pierce OToole in 1842. Anne died in 1872 and both Anne and Pierce lived in Fermoy. Pierce OToole was a stone mason.
Do you know of any descendants living in Fermoy who share the surname of OToole or Jones?
Many thanks
Jennifer Cooper
Jennifer,
I will ask a few friends and wil get back to you. I do know a Jones family but I am not sure whether or not they are from Fermoy.
Best wishes, Kieran
Jennifer,
I don’t know of any O’Toole family in Fermoy. It seems that Ann Jones was from Rathcormac. Without further detailed research or knowledge it would be dangerous to link a current Jones family in Fermoy with a Jones family from Rathcormac in the mid 1800s.
It seems that Pierce and Ann had 4 children recorded on the subscription site rootsireland.ie. I could find no record of a marriage for any of the three children that survived. Therefore, it seems unlikely that there are any of the family still around.
I could not find a death record for Pierce O’Toole in Fermoy. A Pierce O’Toole died aged 60 in Mallow, but on the death record he was listed as a clerk and not a mason. His age is fairly OK and he was a widower (meaning his wife was dead), so those bits fit. Maybe he gave up being a mason if he moved to Mallow? It is also possible that the death of Pierce O’Toole that you are interested in wasn’t registered. Lack of registration was fairly common.
I checked the burial records and headstone inscriptions for the graveyard in Fermoy and there is no record of Ann or Pierce, or their children (if the women were unmarried).
In my search I found a birth record for Ann Jones (giving her parents), a marriage record for Pierce and Ann, birth records for the children and a death record for Ann. I presume you have these but let me know if you don’t and I can get them to you.
In summary, I am not aware that there are any of the family still in Fermoy.
Best wishes, Kieran
There is a website for phone book lookups - https://www.phonebook.ie/q/name/ - just put in a last name and a location.
Dear Kieran
Many thanks for your research and assistance regarding Anne Jones and Pierce OToole. I have establsihed that Anne Jones was born in Watergrasshill and I believe this is the location that Anne and Pierce were marrired and some of their children were born. It is confusing the information regarding Pierce Toole's death but you ae correct the age fits, it is just the recorded occupation. I do understand tha Pierce possibly travelled for work over his life, but his birth place still remains a mystery.
It was helpful to know there were no headstone inscriptions for Anne or Pierce in the graveyard in Fermoy. I know my great grandmother and 2 of her sisters emigrated to Australia but I was hoping that some of their make siblings remained in Fermoy, but that doesn't appear to be the case.
If it is posible I would appreciate if you could explore the possiblity that there may be relatives of Anne Jones residing in Watergrasshill.
Thanks for your marvellous support in my journey to fill in the blanks in my irish family history.
Kind Regards
Jennifer
Jennifer,
The information you have about Watergrasshill may be a bit inaccurate. The nineteenth century records in Ireland are in Civil Parishes. Several Civil Parishes were amalgamated to form Church Parishes. Watergrasshill is a Church Parish and one of the Civil Parishes that makes up Watergrasshill Church Parish is Ardnageehy. Rathcormac Church Parish consists of Rathcormac Civil Parish. So the two parishes you are interested in are Ardnageehy and Rathcormac. Rathcormac is the next parish to Watergrasshill and I think Ann Jones was from Rathcormac. The Jones family seem to have lived close to the boundary of the two parishes. Generally speaking, a marriage took place in the bride’s home parish. Pierce and Ann were married in Rathcormac. Also, the parish given for the birth of Ann and her siblings was Rathcormac. Finally, the birth of Catherine O’Toole (the oldest child of Pierce and Ann) was registered in Rathcormac, although the residence of Ann and Pierce was given as Watergrasshill. In many cases, a woman went home to her parents house to have her first child.
The parents of Ann Jones were William Jones and Elizabeth Mullins. William and Elizabeth had 5 or 6 children: Henry (1808), Frances (1813), William (1814), Ann (1816) and James (1819). Richard Jones (1809) was registered in Rathcormac in 1809 with parents William Jones and Elizabeth Jones. It is easy to see how this could be an error.
As you say, Pierce and Ann were married in 1842. Their first child, Catherine, must have died as a subsequent child, born 12 years later, was also called Catherine. In 1842 they lived in Watergrasshill and in 1854 no address is given. When Christopher (1856) and Margaret (1863) were born the address given is Fermoy.
In the 1853 Griffith's Valuation Henry Jones held just over an acre in the townland of Behernagh, parish of Rathcormac. William Jones from Corbally (the next townland, but in Ardnageehy parish) died in 1892 aged 75. This could be William son of William and Elizabeth.
Also, in 1853, Patrick Toole had just over 6 acres in Meenane townland in Ardnageehy parish, a few kilnmetres from where the Jones family lived. This could be a father or brother of Pierce? There were very few O'Toole/Toole families in Cork at the time and the one on Ardnageehy fits best. As records in Watergrasshill (Ardnageehy) didn't begin until 1836, you are unlikely to get a record.
There is a cemetery in Ardnageehy, but there is only one reference to a headstone that may be of relevance. Katie Hickey (nee Twohill) died in 2004 aged 87. She was from Bridestown townland in the parish of Ardnageehy, which is just beside Berhanagh townland.
Maybe Pierce O'Toole/Toole/Twohill came from Ardnageehy Civil Parish, Watergrasshill Church Parish? Alot to digest! Get back to me for any clarifications or further information.
Best wishes, Kieran
Hi Kieran
My mind is spinning with all the information you have kindly provided and I do have 2 questions, one relates to the death information of Pierce OToole.
Could you please advise the location written on his death record for me? I can read the word Mallow but the word above the record is unclear. I am hoping this additionanl information may provide me with the reason why Pierce was in Mallow and his change of profession plus with fingers crossed it may confirm if this is my ancestor.
My last question is regarding a nick name, if a child was called Eliza, could she also be known as Lizzie in Ireland? I have managed to locate a record for Margaret Teresa OToole emigrating to Australia with Lizzie OToole and her age is a clsoe match to Eliza's DOB.
Going forward I am keen to travel to Ireland next year and from the information you have provided me I will need to include Watergrasshill, Fermoy and Mallow in my trip.
Once again your assistance is very much appreciated and you have joined the 'dots' in my Irish family search.
Kind Regards
Jennifer
Jennifer,
The word above Mallow is Knockaruora. It is a townland to the south east of Mallow.
Yes, Lizzie would be a common name by which somebody christened Elizabeth would be called.
Let me know when you are coming to Ireland and I can show you around. You can get my email addresss if you contact the IrelandXO office.
Best wishes, Kieran