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Timothy Patrick O'Donnell and Giles Julia Dever

DonegalKillybegs Lower (Donegal)Killybegs Upper (Donegal)

Hi there. I wonder if someone could help me find info on my g-g-g-g grandparents from Killybegs ( unsure if upper or lower)

They are mentioned in a book about settlers of Northeast Pennsylvania.

Their children emigrated in the 1850's to mostly Skuylkill and Luzerne counties in Pa . 

Timothy Patrick O'Donnell and Giles Julia Dever were born around 1795 and I assume they were Roman Catholic because their children were. He was a farmer. 

Giles (Dever) O'Donnell was born about 1796 in Donegal County Ireland. She married Timothy O'Donnell (a farmer by trade) and together were to have had a family of 11 children, 6 of which left/went to the United States. Although they departed/arrived at different times/years, they all settled, lived and passed away in Pennsylvania. Their names were Eleanore (O'Donnell) Cunningham, Cornelius, Peter, Mary (O'Donnell) Grant (second marriage), Francis, and Ann (O'Donnell) McMenamin.

After Timothy's death in Ireland, Giles (along with daughters Mary and Ann---both mentioned above), also left for Pennsylvania in the United States. She arrived there in Nov 1862, rejoined her children and their families and lived there until passing away shortly after 1880 in Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County. 

Perhaps Giles unusual given name might help in searching??

I was unable to find them in the Irish National Archives online database and the NLI records for Killybegs start in 1850 I believe so that did not provide any clues either. Peter ( my ggg grandfather was born in 1833 in Killybegs and is the son of Timothy.

Thanks for any help.

 

frank.cook@yahoo.com

5 replies

frankcook:

I searched the 1857 Griffiths Valuation head of household listing for Killybegs Upper and Killybegs Lower civil parishes and although there were many O'Donnell records in both parishes, there was no Timothy or Giles O'Donnell.

As you indicated, baptismal records for Killybegs RC parish start in 1850 and I was unable to locate any baptismal reocrds for children of Timothy O'Donnell. Likely they were all born pre-1850.

Have you considered DNA testing? Possibly you will have matches on your O'Donnell/Dever line and your matches may have more info on the family in Co.Donegal.

Roger McDonnell

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Thanks for your effort Roger. My sister has a DNA test kit but hasn't completed it yet.

frank.cook@yahoo.com

Family Tree DNA reportedly has more people with Ulster roots than any other company. That obviously increases the chances of finding a match. You might want to try them or, if you have already tested, you can transfer your results to them for no fee.

The North of Ireland Family History Society is running an Ulster DNA project in conjunction with FTDNA and can offer testing kits at a reduced price.  http://www.nifhs.org (Go to DNA project on the website).

 

 

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

In the Tithe Applotment Books in the 1830s, there were three Dever heads of household in Killybegs:

Dever William Ardara Killybegs Donegal 1834
Dever Edwd Killybegs Killybegs Donegal 1834
Dever Owen Killybegs Killybegs Donegal 1834

I hope this is helpful.

 

glanvil3@aol.com

Here’s the link to the Tithe Applotments, mentioned in my earlier post:

http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/results.jsp?surname=dever&firstname=&county=Donegal&parish=killybegs&townland=&search=Search

glanvil3@aol.com

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