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Hello, I would like to find a birth record and Marriage for Michael Desmond. He enlisted in the Queens Own 50th Regiment of Foot on the 10 April 1822 in Chatham England. It is recorded that he was born in County Claire Ireland and born about 1797. On his wife's death Certificate (Mary Maher/Meagher) he recorded they were married in Co. Tipperary Ireland on October 1831. He was deployed to Sydney Australia as a soldier/guard for the convicts and he also bought his wife Mary and their first born child Ellen Mary with him. I have no records for either Mary or Ellen except Mary's birth is about 1810 in Tipperary Ireland and Ellen Marys birth is about 1834 in Chatham. They settled in Australia. There is a conflicting record of Michael 's birth in Co. Cork Ireland on his death Certificate. Here is a list of the names of their children which may help to tie in with the names of their parents and brothers and sisters. - 

Ellen Mary

Frances

Mary Ann

John

Michael

Edward

Margaret Jane

Thomas James

Daniel

Michael and Mary were both Catholics and they christened all their babies.

Hope this is enough information for you. It would be so wonderful to find just a thread of evidence. Thank you so much.

A happy searcher,

Christine.

IrelandXO member

3 replies

Hi Christine:

 

Many thanks for your query.  Have you tried the Clare County Library website?  As you are not sure of the parish where your ancestor came from in County Clare, the website has a lot of useful genealogical resources.  You can check to see in what parish the Desmond surname is listed in Griffith's Valuation (1855) and in the Tithe Applotment Books (1820s).  In addition, there may be other useful information on Desmond families that continued to reside in the County.  There are very few (if any) birth records in County Clare that go back to the 1700s, but the website is well worth a look.  The address is:  www.clarecountylibrary.ie/genealogy.  ;

 

As he was a soldier in England, you may have better luck going through some of the websites there.  I have heard that the eppi.co.uk website can be very useful for information with regard to people that lived in the U.K. 

I will do some quick checking for you in Tulla to see if there was any Desmond family and if I come up with something, I will let you know.

 

The very best of luck on your research!

 

Jane

Tulla Clare, IrelandXO VolunteerIrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you for your reply.

The Griffith Evaluation has 650 recorded Desmonds mostly in Cork.

The Tithe Applotment books have 270 recorded Desmonds mostly in Cork and a few in Tipperary. There is a Michael Desmond recorded 1788 Cork, Tullagh Parish, Slievemore Townland. Who could have been his Father or Grandfather but not knowing my Michael Desmonds Father's name or the parish he came from , I have no idea.

I don't know if Michael lived in England just that he was an irish soldier in the 50th Regiment enlisted in 1822. Headquarters in Chatham.  I have searched for marriage records but haven't come up with anything remotely positive.

I have put a post in the Tipperary County section hoping they might source out a marriage record. I'm not holding my breath as most records were lost in the fire.

I have been reading some history of the Desmonds in Munster. They were quite decimated fighting to rule their own country weren't they? 

Thank you again

Kind regards

Christine

 

IrelandXO member

When I first saw the name Daniel I thought there may have been a connection with the family I have been looking for.  I have a great distrust for ages and have found numerous discrepancies e.g my greatgranmother Margaret (Desmond) Coleman was believed to be ten years younger at the time of her death in the US than her birth certificate showed iin Cork. 

Looking for a Lawrence Desmond I found a large clan who emmigrated in he early 1800's first to up-state New York and then by waggon train to Iowa.  The head of this roup was "Squire" Daniel Desmond. His chilren were by a first marriage in New York. following her death he family moved to Iowa to be near a Niece who was a nun stationed to the then fronteer. 

I am haviing a dificult time melding this family with mine but know that we are connected as we are all related to a Thomas Desmond who was sheriff of San Francisco, and who was a principal in the rescue of the fenian prisoners at Freemantle. There is most likely no connction but if you ae interested in looking would be happy to share with you any informaion.  One curious fact is the lack of the name Michael in either family that I have been looking at.  I have nine children and among my immediate family there are five Michaels.

IrelandXO member

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