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Burke / Gilligan / Spelman

GalwayAthenry (Galway)

Hello, this is my first post.  I am located in the USA doing my family research.

My g-grandfather was Thomas Burke, born abt Aug 9, 1862, emigrated abt 1874. HIs father was Mathew Burke and his mother was named

Gordon.  His wife was Ellen Gilligan, whom I am assuming was also from Galway. Ellens father was Patrick Gilligan and her mother was

Catherine Cavanaugh.

 I have a couple of letters from "The Farm" in Athenry.

One dated March 1958 from an "Aunt Julia (Burke)", possibly married to Thomas' brother, James, and one dated Sep 1949 from cousin,

Gabriel Burke.  Gabriel refers to his brother Oliver, who emigrated to Long Island, NY abt 1948, though I have not found his family.  I have another letter, possibly dated 1949, from a cousin, Mary Spelman, from "St. Joseph".  In the letter she refers to her children Patrick, Walter, Ena, Joseph, Veronica, John, Pashal and Nancy.  These 3 letters were written to Thomas and Ellen's daughter in Philadelphia, PA.

I am hoping someone here is doing research on one of these names and might point me in the right direction.

Thankyou

Daniel

 

daniel1947

13 replies

Daniel:

I looked on Roots Ireland and could not locate a baptismal record for Thomas Burke with the parent names you provided. I searched from 1857-1867. Civil registration did not start until 1864. Here is the link to the Athenry register from the Narional Library of Ireland http://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0103  The records for that parish start in 1858. I will warn you ahead of time that the register is very hard to follow.

I also looked at the 1911 and 1901 census and I think I located James and Julia. In 1901 they were in the town of Athenry and by 1911 they were on a farm in Caherroyn townland in Athenry civil parish.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Galway/Athenry/Athenry…

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Galway/Athenry/Caherro…

I also found the 1894 civil marriage record  http://galwaywest.rootsireland.ie/view_detail.php?recordid=1231177&type…

James' father was Walter. How was James related to Thomas? If he was a brother then who was Matthew?

Roger McDonnell

 

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you for your response. I dont have a subscription to the Galway West site yet so I cant see that marriage record.  Who is the marriage record for?  Thomas and his wife Ellen (Gilligan) were living in the USA with several children by 1894, so I know they were married prior to that year.  They emigrated either separately or together around 1872 - 1874 per later US census. 

Mathew is listed on Thomas' death certificate as his father.

I am guessing that James was his brother, but I am not sure.  Could have been a cousin.

I am guessing that Thomas was from Athenry only because of the letters I have from an "Aunt Julia" and cousins "Gabriel" and a "Mary Spelman" who live there.  I am also assuming that Thomas knew his future wife, Ellen Gilligan before he left Ireland, but I could be wrong about that too. 

Any suggestions on how I can research will be apprecited.

Daniel

 

 

daniel1947

I am following up on my last posting.  Since then I found some  people who have posted on the facebook page Galway Memories who seem to know descendents of Mary (Burke) Spelman, who may still be living.  I posted inquiries but havent

had a response.  I believe Mary Spelman was James and Julia Burke's daughter.  Is there some directory or somewhere

I could get a mailing address of someone who might still live in the Athenry area?

thanks

Daniel

daniel1947

Daniel:

Good that you followed up because I did not see your August 4th posting. We have had a longstanding problem with notifications of new comments to messages.

The 1894 marriage was between James Burke and Julia Hogan. As you can see from the transcription below, the father of James was Walter so it appears he is not a brother of Thomas. Here is a link to the online Irish phonebook  http://www.eirphonebook.ie/  Only a portion of phone users are in the directory. Make sure you use the Residential Tab. We do not have a parish liaison in Athenry.

Roger mcDonnell

Date of Marriage:28-Nov-1894
Parish / District:ATHENRY
County:Co. Galway
Husband JamesBurke
Address:Lodge
Wife Julia Hogan Address Newford

Occupation:LABOURER
Not RecordedAge:28
Status:Bachelor (Previously unmarried)
Spinster Age 17(Previously unmarried)

Husband's Father Name:WalterBurke
Wife's Father JohnHogan:

 

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Thankyou for your reply.

A quick look at the phone directory doesn't look too promising. Mostly doctors, lawyers and business listings. 

Do you think its possible that James, though younger than my gggrandfather, Thomas,could have been his Uncle? Or maybe this is a different James and Julia Burke?

I am looking for an explanation for "Aunt Julia" Burke.  I originally thought she was Thomas' sister until I found her in the census with all the same children listed in my letter that she wrote in 1949.  And then I found some of the Spelman children on the Galway Memories and some obituaries and thought I had put the puzzle together. 

It is possible that my gggrandfather's death certificate is wrong and thats the only reference I found for his father, Mathew.

I will keep searching.

daniel1947

Daniel:

Regarding the phone directory, it sounds like you did not use the Residential Tab if you only received records for businesses, doctors and lawyers.Of course, Burke is a very common name in Galway.

I agree that Thomas may have been an uncle to James and Walter was a brother to Thomas.

Roger

 

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

I should learn to follow instructions.  Thank you again.

daniel1947

Hello,

RE: Thomas Burke b. Aug 9, 1862 and Ellen Gilligan b. June 3, 1864

since my last posting I have made contacts with several distant cousins in Ireland but I still haven't found a birth, baptismal or marriage record of my ggrandparents.  In fact, the informal information I have received from others doesn't include my ggrandfather, Thomas Burke, at all.  I am sure I have the correct family because of old letters I have naming cousins........children and grandchildren of James and Julia (Hogan) Burke.  I think I had Thomas' father wrong and it should be Walter and his death certificate shows his mother as Sarah Jordan (I misread the handwriting).  I have been enjoying a free search on www.findmypast.com this week but haven't found anything about them.  The emigrated to the USA abt. 1874.I dont know if they were married in Ireland or the USA. Searching the birth and baptismal records is difficult as most are indexes and dont even show parent's names.  I believe Ellen Gilligan's parents are Patrick Gilligan and Catherine Cavanaugh.

Any further suggestion is welcomed.

Thankyou

Daniel

 

 

 

daniel1947

Daniel:

I took a further look at Roots and found two younger siblings of Thomas using Walter as the fathers name. See transcriptions below. I believe Thomas was born before August 1858 which is when the Athenry records started.

Roger

 

Name:Walter BurkeDate of Birth:
Date of Baptism:12-Jan-1863Address:Not RecordedParish/District:ATHENRYGender:MaleCountyCo. Galway
Denomination:Roman Catholic
Father:Walter BurkeMother:Saragh JordanOccupation:
Sponsor 1 /
Informant 1:Patrick BurkeSponsor 2 /

Name:Michael BurkeDate of Birth:
Date of Baptism:01-Jun-1860Address:Not RecordedParish/District:ATHENRYGender:MaleCountyCo. Galway
Denomination:Roman Catholic
Father:Walter BurkeMother:Sarah JordanOccupation:
Sponsor 1 /
Informant 1:William FallonSponsor 2 /
Informant 2:Mary Burke
Informant 2:Bridget Farrell

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Hi Daniel just chatting with my Dad here in Athenry to see if any of the names ring a bell for him, he's mentioned that Ruth & Olive Dobbyn-O'Dea would be related to Spellmans and Burkes.  If you haven't already contacted them or are looking for more information please let me know.

Best,

Rose

roseagra@gmail.com

 

To Daniel1947

Hi 

The Mary Spelman that wrote the letter talking about her children was my Grandmother. The Patrick mentioned was my father. Gabriel was my grand uncle. I might be able to help with some records if you have not since found the information you were looking for.

 

GalwayPat

 

IrelandXO member

Pat,  I am sorry I am just now seeing your post.  Please reply to my regular email address imjdd@hotmail.com, which may be easier.  Since my older postings I have learned more information and have connected with other Burke cousins in Ireland. I will be glad to share information with you and perhaps you can help me with my biggest mystery and that is when my ggrandfather Thomas Burke was born/baptized and married. I do have conflicting information.  

I will await your reply.

Daniel

 

daniel1947

Pat, Further to my posting last month........I believe that Walter Burke and Sarah Jordan may have been married in the Church of Ireland and Thomas, being their oldest may have been baptized there and not in the RC church in Athenry.  Also, several people have told me that Thomas was probably born earlier than the 1861 date that my family here has thought.....maybe as early as 1857, before the records started.  Is this something you are able to check into?   Also, information from several Spelman cousins do not show Thomas as one of Walter and Sarah's children, but they do show a "Patrick".  Information from other Burke cousins show Thomas but no "Patrick".  I have no record of Thomas having two names.  All the documents here in the USA show only "Thomas Burke".....no initial.  But I am thinking that this might be the confusion, that maybe Thomas used a middle name of Patrick in Ireland and then started using Thomas after he emigrated.  What do you think about that possibility?

Daniel

daniel1947

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