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Looking for family of Anne Leonard (Fitzgerald)

GalwayAhascragh (Galway)

My name is Bill Mckenna and I am looking for family of my maternal Grandmother Anne Leonard. I have her Certificate of Baptism from the Parishes of Ahascragh & Caltra Diocese of Elphin. She was born July 12th 1878 and baptised on July 22nd 1878. Her parents were Thomas and Anne Leonard (Fitzgerald). The sponsors were Michael Fitzgerald and Bridget Fitzgerald. She had 4 sisters Katherine, Teresa, Mary and Lily and 4 brothers Hubert, John, Thomas and James. She came to the U. S. in 1900 and settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and married Matthew Eardley in 1911. I plan on coming back to Ireland in September and would like to be able to meet family of my Grandmother. Any help locating family would be greatly appreciated.

billmic

10 replies

This looks to be your family in Lissyegan Hodson in 1901:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Galway/Ahascragh/Lissyegan_Hodson/1366491/

And again in 1911:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Galway/Ahascragh/Lissyegan__Hodson_/447702/

 

Thomas & Anne had 14 children of whom 12 were still alive at that time. They had married around 1866. Looking at the civil indexes I think their marriage was registered in Ballinasloe 1866 Volume 19, page 13. That certificate should give you Thomas’s father’s name. That should help you identify the correct family property in the land records.

Lissyegan (Hodson) is about 15 miles west of Athlone.

There were numerous Leonard families in the townland so some work may be required to identify who is related to who. Griffiths Valuation for 1856.

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=nameSearch

I see at least 1 Leonard listed in Lissyegan in the current Irish phone book: http://www.eirphonebook.ie

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Elwyn,

Thank you for your help.What is the civil indexes you mentioned in your reply? Is that a record of marriages only in Ballinasloe, and what is the Griffiths Valuation? I have seen this mentioned in other places. I truly appreciated your response.

Bill

billmic

The civil indexes are the indexes to all births, deaths and marriages from 1864 onwards (plus non RC marriages from 1845), across the whole of Ireland. You can find them on Familysearch. They are only indexes. Once you have found an event in the indexes, you then have to order a copy of the certificate to get the full information. You can order a photocopy of the certificate from GRO Roscommon for €4 (euros).  http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Apply-for-Certificates.aspx

You have to download and print off the form. Then either post or fax it back to them. You can’t e-mail it to them. However if you want them to e-mail the cert to back to you, they will do that, so tick the relevant box.

Put the reference details on the form (anywhere). Don’t worry about leaving some boxes blank. As long as GRO have the location, name(s), year, quarter (where there is one), volume and page number they should find it.

Griffiths Valuation is what’s called a census substitute. Save for some fragments, all pre 1901 Irish censuses were destroyed. Consequently some other sources are used to trace people in the 1800s. One of those is Griffiths. It was compiled for the whole country during the years 1848 – 1864, primarily for tax purposes and lists many householders. It doesn’t list everyone. Some houses were of too low a value to be recorded and anyone lodging with someone else or working as a servant etc won’t be shown. And it only lists the head of household. So it’s not as good as a census but it’s better than nothing.

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml

 

 

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Elwyn,

Thank you for your help again. This gives me a good start to looking up family in Ireland.

Bill

billmic

Hello

I am interested in your post.  The witnesses you have mentioned, Bridget and Michael Fitzgerald, I think are my great, great grandparents, but I am currently trying to confirm this.  Michael Fitzgerald was definately my great, great grandfather, and I am currenlty working out it my great great grandmother was Bridget or Mary. 

Martin my grreat grandfather was born 1855, so Anne your great grandmother my have been his sister?  So Michael and Bridget could be her parent.........

 

Let me know your thoughts.

 

Regards

Sam

 

Sam Cullen

Hello Sam

Your information makes me feel like I am getting closer to family. I received a post on 3/19/2016 from Elwyn who said that he thought he found my family in Lissyegan Hodson in 1901 and again in 1911census. It showed Thomas and Anne had 14 children with 12 still alive at that time. I remember my Grand Mother telling me there was 12 kids in her family.  He said Thomas and Anne were married around 1866. He said the civil index shows their marriage was registered in Ballinasloe 1866 Volume 19, page 13. I do not know the names of all the children. I guess you are in Ireland? Do you have access to these records?  I was wondering if you could see Elwyn's posts or just mine? This is all new to me.

I am trying to understand all this new info, my head is going around in circles. I would like to keep in touch with you so we can share any info that we discover. It seems the more people looking the more info turns up.

I apreciate your response and look forward to talking again.

billmic

billmic

Hi Bill

 

I totally understand how you are feeling.  I would join Ancestry and start a family tree online, you do not have to pay to start a tree, and this will keep you focussed on your task in hand.

The Irish Cences 1901 and 19011 are both free on line.

You will be able to get the names of the other children via looking at the Irish Records, Catholic Parish records whicha re all free on line.  I would only go on these once you are in a position and ready to proceed.  I understand they are also on the mormon site Family Search, but I never seem to have much luck on that site.

From the information I have, it appears that my greatgrand father, Martin and your grandmother Annie, were brother and sister.

I understand there are still Fitzgeralds living in Ascharagh, Galway, but I have not had any contact with them.

I believe Annie Leonard's and Martin Fitzgerald's mother was Mary Fitzgerald (Barraett) and she is listed as living with her son James in Ascharagh.  From experience, this was probably the family home and the eldest son (james Fitzgerald) would have taken over the household. Annie's father was called Michael Fitzgerald. 

Having gone over the information, I believe there were two estates, Castlegar and Clonbrock Estate, these estates employed many staff from the villiages from where they were situated.  

I am actually based in the UK.  Through these boards I have been in contact with other family members related to the Fitzgerald's, they are actually based in the USA as well.

 

Once I get any further information I will let you know.

Please do not hesitate to ask me any questions.

 

Kind Regards

Sam 

Sam Cullen

Bill,

I believe your Thomas Leonard died 6 June 1913 and is buried in the Ahascragh Cemetery. Your Thomas was the brother of my great grandmother Maria "Mary" Leonard. She married Thomas Mitchell abt 1860 and had 9 children including my grandfather James Joseph Mitchell who emigrated to the US- first to Philadelphia and then San Francisco.

 

I have a picture of your Thomas and Anne's grave- with at least 5 other relatives listed. I will attempt to scan it and send it as a file.  Joan

mominatornana@…

Hello Sam and Bill, I've quite a bit of information on the Lissyegan Leonards, which I'm happy to share, there were quite a few Leonard familes in the surrounding area, using similar forename conventions so the records can be quite confusing. Please feel free to drop me a line at xpeterleonard@gmail.com 

Kind regards Peter 

xpeterleonard@…

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