Looking for family history for James Thomas Rourke b 1785 Offerlane Parish, County Laois, married Margaret Abraham circa 1816, and immigrated to Canada. His father James Rourke (Rorke?) b 1750, married Mary Dorothy Goff. Have an unconfirmed link to his father Sylvester Rourke, born 1725 in Offerlane Parish, married Gertrude Powers.
I am touring Ireland from Canada for three weeks in May/June this year and wish to find family history as part of this trip.
Did not find James Rorke in Laois, but as below. Note there are two entries (from rootsireland), one for Meath and one for Westmeath. Probably the parish where the baptism took place straddled the border between the two counties.
Name: James Rorke
Date of Baptism: 01-Nov-1785
Address: Kilrush
Parish/District: CLONMELLON
County Co. Meath
Denomination:
Father: James Rorke Mother: Mary Goff
Occupation:
Sponsor 1 /Informant 1: Benit Patt
Sponsor 2 /Informant 2: Farrall Biddy
Name: James Rorke
Date of Baptism: 01-Nov-1785
Address: Killallon
Parish/District: CLONMELLON
County Co. Westmeath
Denomination: Roman Catholic
Father: James Rorke Mother: Mary Goff
Occupation: Not Recorded
Sponsor 1 /Informant 1: Patrick Benit
Sponsor 2 /Informant 2: Bridget Farrall
James Rorke and Mary Goff married in Westmeath the day before their son James was baptized.
Date of Marriage: 31-Oct-1785
Parish / District: CLONMELLON
County: Co. Westmeath
Husband Wife
Name: James Rorke Mary Goff
Address: Kilallon Killalon
Denomination: Roman Catholic Roman Catholic
Witness 1 Witness 2
Name: Bryan Rorke Judith Clusker
Address:
Notes:
Thank you for the information. I'll start looking into the parish records to see what i can find, your information explains why I seemed to be a dead end. I will be trying to find earlier history of the Rourke's, how it may connect to Sir Brian O’Rourke, lord of West Breifne, the Parke's Castle site at Lough Gill, Rourke's Castle etc. Any further information is appreciated and I fully intend to visit sites relatrd yto my family history while in Ireland.
Thankyou, Norm
To get your family back to the early 1700s is a great achievement in Irish genealogy. Good luck as you pursue further.