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Andrew Madden born Drumneath, Down, February 1872

DownMaghera (Down)

Hello,

I have been receiving emails from your site and have been reading some of the stories of connection with great interest.

In May 2017, it will be 200 years since my ancestor, Andrew Madden, arrived in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia Canada.

Unfortunately, I hadn't been aware of irelandxo when my cousin visited County Down last September. He was researching our Madden family line. Our original ancestor, Andrew Madden, arrived in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1817 (departed Greenock, Scotland May 1817 aboard the William Fell, and may have been an assistant to the ship's surgeon). He was born in Drumneath, County Down, in February 1782. His parents are said to have been Edward Madden and Rose Brannigan. Other than where he studied medicine (Glasgow, Scotland from 1812 to 1817), we have not been able to find any further information about his parents or siblings in Drumneth, County Down, Ireland (though we do have some possible names of his siblings). Andrew's siblings, that we have, were James, Edward, Arthur, Alexander and some of his siblings may have been born as late as 1798, possibly in Drumneath. Andrew's mother and/or father may have also immigrated to Cape Breton (family lore). Edward, Arthur, and Alexander were also in Cape Breton by 1820/1821. Andrew Madden married in Cape Breton in 1821 to Mary Ann Jackman of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Their children's names were Mary Ann, Patrick, Edward, Rose Morgana, Catherine, Edward, Sarah and Thomas.

My cousin wasn't able to break through the brick walls during his visit to Ireland, due to the time frames involved. Andrew Madden may possibly have been Roman Catholic and, as Roman Catholic church records in the area did not begin to be recorded until 1833, that became another dead end. Several graveyards in the Drumneth area were searched but no Madden gravestones were found. After my cousin returned to Australia, he contacted a genealogist, who was unable to find any information through an initial three-hour research of church records, tithes, wills, etc.

My ancestor began his studies in medicine rather late in life, at the age of 30. We have some indication, but no proof, that he may have been in the Royal Navy, and think, perhaps, that is how he was able to obtain his medical degree. He studied at the Andersonian University and graduated in April 1817 as a Licentiate from the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons, Glasgow.

My cousin did not visit Belfast, while he was in County Down, and that may or may not have made a difference in the research.

I have tried to find information through on-line searching, for quite some time, but have not been able to find anyone, in Ireland, researching this Madden line, so I've also come to many dead ends.

I thought I would send this information along in case there might be some interest and/or that you might be able to provide me with other ways of finding information about ancestor born in the time frame stated.

I appreciate any information you might decide to offer as I'm sure you have many, many requests of this kind.

Thank you in advance.

Leslie McKenna
Halifax, Nova Scotia, CANADA

lesliejeanmck

2 replies

Leslie,

I think you may struggle to find any reference to this family in Ireland due to lack of records.  Drumneth is in the RC parish of Tullylish and I can confirm they have no baptism or marriage records prior to 1833. I looked in the tithe applotment records for Drumneth (and the surrounding civil parish of Magherally) for 1833 but there were no Maddens listed. That doesn’t mean there were none living there, just that there were none with land. So agricultural labourers, weavers, servants etc could be there but wouldn’t be listed.

You could try RosDavies Co. Down site to see if it has any mention of the family. The site is down at present due to IT issues but should be back around 15th March according to a notice on another site. The link is:

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/%7Erosdavies/

If Andrew was in the RN his service records might be in the National Archives in Kew:

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

I looked in PRONI*’s e-catalogue to see if they have any relevant documents on Drumneth. There is an undated map of the townland D1046/368. Other than that I can’t see anything that might have any relevance.

Death registration didn’t start in Ireland till 1864. Drumneth falls within the Banbridge civil registration area. I searched for deaths for Edward and Rose Madden in that civil district post 1864 but found none (up to 1921). So that points to them either dying before 1864 or having joined their family in Canada.

The RC church doesn’t keep burial records. The vast majority of the population couldn’t afford a gravestone, so if the family did die in Ireland prior to 1864, then statistically, they are probably in an unmarked grave.

Madden is not a common surname in Co Down. I looked at the 1901 census for the county and there were only 50 and half of them were born elsewhere in Ireland.

Sorry but I don’t have any other suggestions for tracing this family.

 

 

* PRONI is the public record office in Belfast.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Elwyn,

Thanks so much for your quick reply and research and the links you sent.

I have been to the Ros Davies site but, as you might guess, have had not luck there.  I've also started trying to search through RN records and will try the link you forwarded.

Your comments also confirm my thoughts about the possiblity of finding gravestones, in Ireland,  that would date so far back.

Here, where my ancestor first arrived, there was also a loss of church records, in a fire, and the records that were lost included the twenty year period after his arrival.  Fortunately, we have been able to piece together many of the vital statistics from other sources.

I've always hoped we could find out more about my Madden ancestors, in Ireland, but am inclined to agree with you that that might not be possible.

Thanks again.

Leslie

lesliejeanmck

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