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Where did my Gorman ancestors come from?

Leck (Donegal)

My Great-Great-Grandfather John Gorman (1839-1912) https://www.ancestry.com.au/family-tree/person/tree/5329504/person/-743273116/facts  migrated to Sydney Australia on the Caribou as part of the Donegal Relief Rund in 1859. https://barrettgorman.blogspot.com/2020/06/john-gorman-donegal-relief-fund.html  

By this time his father, Thomas, was already deceased and his mother, Mary Gorman née McGill, was living in Letterkenny. John’s sisters Mary and Margaret also subsequently migrated to Australia.

John married Susan McClafferty in Rockhampton Queensland Australia in 1862 and had 2 daughters Margaret and Mary. Susan died in childbirth with the third baby.

John then married Margaret Griffin in Berrima New South Wales and had many more children: Thomas Charles, Clara Annie, James, Rose Mary, Elizabeth Susan, John Francis, Peter Griffin, Edward, Ellen, Henry Joseph, Jame Griffin, Annie Louisa Barbara, and Charles Daniel.

But did they come from Letterkenny originally? John said he was a ploughman on the ship’s manifest. Did a ploughman occupy land during the time of Griffiths Valuation? I cannot find him or his father on GV in Letterkenny although I can find the names elsewhere in the County, including Kilmacrennan. But then we have word of mouth from John to his youngest son Charles to his daughters that the family ‘came from down south’. Did he mean the south of Co Donegal? Or south of Ireland? Would anyone have had the means to travel so far at that time?

I would love any ideas prior to visiting Co Donegal in May this year.

Kathryn Barrett

7 replies

Kathryn:

Unfortunately, almost all RC parishes in Co. Donegal have records starting 1840 or later so I don't believe you will locate a baptismal record.

A ploughman generally would not be listed in the Griffiths. I could see a situation where an individual leased a holding which was listed in the Griffiths and also was a ploughman for farms in the area. However, since John Gorman was 20 likely he did not lease land.

Have you considered a DNA test? You may have matches with distant cousins who may have more information on the Gormans and where they came from in Ireland.

Roger McDonnell

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

In the 1796 FIax Growers Iist, there are a number of Gormans in DonegaI:

Gorman Hugh Drumhome Donegal

Gorman James Donaghmore Donegal

Gorman James Drumhome Donegal

Gorman James Inishmacsaint Donegal

Gorman Stephen Donaghmore Donegal

Gorman Terance Kilbarron Donegal

Gorman Thomas Drumhome Donegal

Gorman Thomas Stranorlar Donegal

Gorman Widow ??? Culdaff Donegal

Gorman William Drumhome Donegal

glanvil3@aol.com

Kathryn

You have amassed great information. I am an IrelandXO volunteer who is based near Letterkenny. Last year, I spoke with descendants of a family who had also been sent to Australia via the Donegal Relief Fund.

You have noted a DNA link to a Thomas in Drumhome which could match the "down south" phrase being applied to south Donegal. I attach a link to hiring fairs, where young children were hired for a 6 month period. It was not only children, servants for specific roles and ploughmen would also be hired at these fairs,

https://historyofdonegal.com/derry-hiring-fairs-sean-beattie-recalls/#:~:text=Rates%20of%20pay%20were%20around,to%20%C2%A320%20for%20the%20season.

For Susan's area, Carrigart is at the base of the Rosguill peninsula, scenery is beautiful:

https://www.theirishroadtrip.com/downings-in-donegal/

A link below, to complete, if you would like to meet with a volunteer when in Donegal:

 https://irelandxo.com/meet-and-greet 

Regards,

Marion - IrelandXO- Ireland Reaching Out Volunteer.

Whelanmg, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘︎IrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you very much everyone for your insightful comments. And my apologies ... I am still not getting notifications of replies so I wasn't aware of them earlier.

Roger, Good to have your comments on the status of a ploughman re GV. I've tested my DNA and that of 12 of my family, uploaded to various testing companies and done lots of grouping. After reading your very apt query i went back to my mother's test last night. While there's always more to do, to date the only matches I can place on a tree are those to John Gorman who arrived in Australia. Neither of his sisters Mary or Margaret had children. I have small matches that go back to Ireland or the USA but the test takers don't seem to know much about their family histories.As always DNA is a work in progress so fingers crossed.

Kathryn Barrett

Patricia, Thanks for reminding me about the Tithe Applotment Books. The Flax Growers List is new to me. Is there a link for that? It's good to see a number of Gormans in Co Donegal. Often I'm told by various sites that Gorman is not acommon surname in Donegal. I'm still not sure what to do with all of them though. Hard to know how, and if, they are closely related to mine??

Kathryn Barrett

Marion. Thank you for all of your information. I would love to meet if you are available when I am in Donegal. I would also love to hear your insights on other experiences of the DRF. I have completed the Meet and Greet for the 4 counties I'm visiting for family history.

I have removed the DNA emoji on Thomas Gorman. I used to take the line back to the MRCA couple but I really only have matches to John Gorman, the one who came to Australia. I also have a snip of GV in Td Greaghs attached to Thomas but maybe wishful thinking on my part. Like you I wondered about the 'down south' reference.Maybe I could look at the Cancelled Books for that area?

Thanks for the Hiring Fairs. I had fun exploring that aspect. And thanks for the tip on the Rosguill Peninsula.

The family death notice in the newspaper for Susan McClafferty said her father was from Derryhassan ... (I'm assuming Derrycassan). Because Susan was recorded as coming from Carrygrath (Carrickart) according to some sources and Mevagh on the shipping record I assumed that her father came from the Derrycassan on the Rossguil Peninsula but now I see that there is another Derrycassan about 5kms south west of Letterkenny??

Many thank for your help

Kathryn

Kathryn Barrett

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