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James Duffy DOB circa 1823-DOD in Ohio

Donegal

I am searching for the ancestors of James Duffy in Donegal prior to his arrival in Canada. James Duffywas born on May 20, 1823 (per marriage certificate in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada in 1846. He married Mary Anne Woodburn in Ottawa, who was born July 20, 1829 in Garvah (Garvagh), Ireland, a daughter of James Woodburn (1792-1867) of County Colerain, Ireland and Martha Mayne (1807-1879) of Garvagh, Ireland. She died May 29, 1912 in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. The Woodburn family were printers and publishers in Ireland and Canada.

James Duffy (1832-c 7/2/1904) was naturalized in 1871 to Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Looks like he may have arrived in the U.S. in November 1866.

James Duffy(1823-after 1904) and Mary Ann had at least seven children. Sons, Frederick, Isaac, Augustus, moved south to Ohio where Augustus became a steel worker; and the two other sons, Isaac and Frederick went into the printing/publishing business. Alexander migrated to New York state. James Woodburn Duffy and William Knox Duffy stayed in Canada.

James Duffy (1832-after 1904) was (very likely) the brother of both Eliza Duffy (1816 in Ireland -), who married William McVey, and later Daniel Thompson), and Mary Duffy (c 1820 in Ireland), who married to Andrew Cochrane (c 1813 in Scotland-).

Evidence is circumstantial - but James Duffy (1823-after 1904) and Mary Ann Woodburn (c 1829-1912) were sponsors for the 1840 baptism of Eliza's first child, and were witnesses at Eliza Duffy (McVey's) 1853 re-marriage to Daniel Thompson in Bytown (after her first husband, William McVey's early death in 1850).

It makes sense because one of the sons of Mary Ann Woodburn (c 1829-1912) and James Duffy (1823-after 1904) were named Andrew Cochran Duffy, b. 1860.

ladyofthelake

4 replies

Ladyofthelake:

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

I assume James Duffy was RC? Unfortunately, there are very few RC parishes in Co. Donegal that have records back to the 1820s. I did check on Roots Ireland and they did not have any 1823 James Duffy baptismal records. There was a record in 1820 and 1819 but since we don't know the parents names, we can't confirm any record located. We would have the same issue with the 1832 James Duffy.

You don't mention the religious denomination for Mary Ann Woodburn but I did locate an 1826 baptismal record in the First Garvagh Presbyterian church and also two 1827 records in the same church. See below.

By the way, Garvagh is a town in Errigal civil parish in Co. Derry (Londonderry in the 19th century) Coleraine is a town and civil parish also in Co. Derry to the north of Errigal parish.

Roger McDonnell

Name:Mary WoodburnDate of Birth:
Date of Baptism:20-Jul-1827Address:Liscall ErrigalParish/District:FIRST GARVAGHGender:FemaleCountyCo. Derry
Father:John Woodburn

Name:Mary Ann WoodburnDate of Birth:
Date of Baptism:03-Aug-1827Address:Garvagh, ErrigalParish/District:FIRST GARVAGHGender:FemaleCountyCo. Derry
Father:James Woodburn

Name:Mary Ann WoodburnDate of Birth:25-Jan-1826
Date of Baptism:
Address:LiscallParish/District:FIRST GARVAGHGender:FemaleCountyCo. Derry
Father:Robert Woodburn

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you for responding. I did find this and it appears to be the correct family, but no further information. Thank you for your response. I am not sure about James, but a suspect he was Catholic. It is unclear if he knew the Woodburn family prior to arriving in Canada. It is likely he became a Wesleyan Methodist in Canada.

Public Record Office for Northern Ireland​

PRONI Reference :​ D1169/4

Title :​ Will and Grant of Probate of James Duffy

Dates :​ 26 July 1845

Description :

Will and Grant of Probate of James Duffy, late of Belfast, Co. Antrim.
Beneficiaries include his sons James and Edward, daughters Jane and Eliza, his sister Rosie, and Daniel McCann and William Rogers, Belfast. Bequests inlcude houses in Nelson Street and one in Trafalgar Street and one in McKillars Court.

Many Ann was probably a member of The 1st Presbyterian Church. I have been able to track her ancestors. She was the daughter of James Woodburn (1792-1867) of County Colerain and Martha Mayne(1807-1879) of Garvagh. The name Woodburn is apparently of Scottish origin. A Woodburn family lived in Ballintemple, N. Ireland before the seige of Londonderry in 1689. Ballintemple is located in County Derry, two miles southwest of Garvagh. The townland occupies 759 acres in the parish of Errigal, Barony of Coleraine. After the family arrived in Canada (circa 1839) they became Wesleyan Methodists. It is my understanding that in Ireland and in Canada the Woodburns were printers and publishers. *Woodburn, James Barkley.  The Ulster Scot: His History and Religion.  London: H. R. Allenson, 1914

ladyofthelake

So maybe the second baptismal record in my first comment is the correct record for Mary Woodburn.

Roger

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

So sorry it has taken me so long to respond. First, let me thank you for you responses. As far as James Duffy goes, I am pretty sure his father was James Duffy who died in 1845. I am currently putting together my thoughts and looking for (father) James Duffy's wife. I know he had a sister Rose (Rosie) and two sons James (my G-G Grandfather) and Edward. There were also two daughters who both immigrated to Canada. Eliza Duffy (1816 in Ireland -), who married William McVey & Daniel Thompson), and Mary Duffy (c 1820  in Ireland-),who married to Andrew Cochrane (c 1813 in Scotland).

ladyofthelake

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