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Tracing McGrody/McGroddy ancestors back to County Donegal Ireland

Donegal

I could use some help tracing my McGrody/McGroddy ancestors back to County Donegal. My great grandfather Patrick McGrody was born around 1852. He joined his older brother Hugh (born around 1839) in the USA around 1871. Hugh arrived in the US around 1859. Both brothers worked for the railroad, settled in Jeffersonville Indiana, and raised families. They were Roman Catholics.

Patrick and his wife Mary (she was born in the US to Irish parents) had 7 children: John, Philip (my grandfather), Patrick, Hugh, Sarah, Mary, and Catherine.

According to Hugh's obituary, a sister Catherine remained in Ireland. No mention of other siblings but I imagine there are more. Patrick's death certificate indicates that their parents were Patrick McGrody and Bridget McBride. Both Patrick's and Hugh's obits state that they are from County Donegal.

I found a Patrick McGroddy listed in Griffith's who lived in Cool Upper, Kilmacrenan Parish. I also found a death record for a Patrick McGrody in Cool Upper, died in March 1883 at age 78. He was a widower and the death informant is his son John McGrody, also of Cool Upper. How can I determine if this Patrick McGrody is the father to Hugh and Patrick and Catherine?

Thanks in advance,

Louse McGrody

backcountrylouise

12 replies

Louse:

Your family is difficult to trace. If they were from Cool Upper then the RC parish would be Kilmacrenan and baptismal records do not begin until November 2 1862. I searched the subscription site Roots Ireland and did not find any baptismal records for children of Patrick McGroddy and Bridget McBride. So all children were born pre-1862. Civil registration did not begin until 1864. I also did not find a death record for Bridget McGroddy.

There were at least three other McGroddy families in Cool Upper--Manus (Mandy) McGroddy, Dominick McGroddy and John McGroddywere the head of households. Were they younger brothers of Patrick or sons or nephews?

The 1901 census shows Mandy and John-NOTE surname spelling was McGruddy and a spinster names Nancy McGroddy.

Cool UpperKilmacrenanKilmacrenanDonegalHouseholdMcGroddyNancy(61)farmer/not married

Cool UpperKilmacrenanKilmacrenanDonegalHouseholdMcGruddyMandy(68)farmerMary(50) wife-Sarah(24) dtr./not married-James(22) son/not married-Catherine Connor(5) gd
Cool UpperKilmacrenanKilmacrenanDonegalHouseholdMcGruddyJohn(69)farmerUnity(64) wife-Patrick(32)-Hugh(28)-Mary(26)-John(22) stone mason

Have you taken a DNA test?

Roger McDonnell

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Louse:

I checked the 1825 Tithe listings for Kilmacrenan  parish and there were numerous (7) McGroddy records for Cool.

Roger

McGRODDYDominickCouls [Cool]
McGRODDYHughCouls [Cool]
McGRODDYJamesLibadough
McGRODDYJohnCouls [Cool]
McGRODDYManusCouls [Cool]
McGRODDYOwenCouls [Cool]
McGRODDYPatrickCouls [Cool]
McGRODDYPatrickCranford
McGRODDYWidowCouls [Cool]

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

The following heads of household were in the 1796 Flax Growers List. Notice two were called Hugh.

M'Ready                 Denis                 Donaghmore            Donegal

M'Ready                 Hugh                  Killaghtee            Donegal

M'Ready                 Owen                  Killaghtee            Donegal

M'Ruddy                 Hugh                  Culdaff               Donegal

      

Roddy                   Alexander             All Saints            Donegal

Roddy                   Charles               Fahan Upper           Donegal

Roddy                   James                 Fahan Upper           Donegal

Roddy                   Margaret              Moville Upper         Donegal

Roddy                   Philip                Clonmany              Donegal

Roddy                   Widow ???             Moville Upper         Donegal

Roddy                   William               Clonmany              Donegal

glanvil3@aol.com

Hi Roger and Patricia,

Thank you for all these leads! I need to take some time to review all this information and see which ones are promising for me.

Roger: Yes, I did a DNA test through Ancestry this year. So far I've had few matches that proved helpful for my Irish ancestry search. I also uploaded to GEDmatch but I don't really understand how to use the site. I have wondered if John McGrody might be a brother to my g. grandfather Patrick so I will explore him further. I have also been trying to see if I can find Catherine McGrody. Hugh's obit mentions that they had a sister Catherine who remained in Ireland. I found a couple of Catherines who might be their sibling. One married Toal McClafferty in 1882 but her marriage record lists a deceased John McGrody as her father. There was also a Catherine/Kate McGrody who was married to Denis Gallagher. I cannot locate a marriage record for her, but found her listed on civil birth registrations for a son named Denis (I think born in 1873). Do you have any thoughts on either of these Catherines?

backcountrylouise

Louse:

I would discount the Catherine married to Toal McClafferty because of the father's first name. I looked for the 1873 birth record for a Denis Gallagher in the Milford registration district but the mother was Catherine Heraty.

Another lead is a Catherine McGruddy married to a Hugh Brennan in the RC parish of Moville. They had at least four children from 1859-1868 including a George in 1865. See this birth record at the link. Second record  https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/birth_returns/births_1865/03553/2308025.pdf

Moville is to the northeast of Kilmacrenan.

Roger

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Roger,

My bad. The Denis Gallagher birth record is from 1871. Could this be my Catherine McGrody?

2204059.pdf 

Louise

backcountrylouise

Louse:

I think this may be your Catherine. There are other children also. Likely they married before civil registration and church marriage records are not available.

Roger

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you, Roger! I found the 1926 census for Catherine Gallagher and it lists Cool Upper as the place she was from. My confidence level that this is my Catherine McGrody is high. I am working to assemble her family and I am also researching John McGrody/McGroddy (his wife is Unity Gallagher) of Cool Upper as a likely brother.

Louise

backcountrylouise

Hi Roger,

I have a quesstion about the Tithe Applotment records. Do you think that Patrick McGraddy in Couls (Cool) is the same as the Patrick McGroddy in Cranford? Is there a way for me to determine where his land parcel was?

Is there also a way for me to determine if John McGruddy in 1901 census in Cool Upper lived on the same land that was held by Patrick McGroddy in Griffith's?

Thanks,

Louise

backcountrylouise

Louise:

Since Cool Upper and Cranford border, I think it is very likely that the two Patricks are the same person. If you look at the map I provided in an earlier comment, you can see where the McGroddy plot was located within Cool Upper.

I can't answer the second question. What you need is access to the Cancelled books file for Cool Upper which is currently only available at the Valuation Office in Dublin. There is a plan to place these files online but funding is an issue. The cancelled books shows how property was transferred from the person in Griffiths through the late 1800s into the early 1900s.

Roger

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Thanks. This is helpful. 

Louise

backcountrylouise

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