O'Donnell and Gotsell

Hello Goergia,

I am writing from Knocklong parish. I'm not sure if you have had much success in your search for information on your ancestors.

We are new to the "Reaching Out" website so this is a quick note to say we will do some research here and let you know what we can come up with.

Best Regards

Margo

Hi Christina,

 

Thank you for taking the time to research!

I did find the mill in Sunville and was hoping to determine the connection in our family back to Amos Godsel and beyond if possible.

These were my Great Great Grandparents on my Mom's side.  I made the mistake of saying earlier that they were my great grandparents. 

Regarding the James Godsell in the tithes in 1833. I don't know enough about the records to know if that would have been my GGGF. Is it more likely to be a Father or an Uncle?

So, after the house became the residence of an E. Sayers that there weren't any Godsells in Limerick or Tipperary. The Godsells may have moved to the US or they moved to another area of Ireland. Or a different scenario, some of the family moved and some stayed behind and it's possible that there may still be family living in Ireland.

Thanks,

Georgia

 

Hi Margo,

 

I have been trying to find the Gotsell family and have been getting some help with that.

I have not started with the O'Donnell side. I have recently discovered my GGGM's surname, so that is pretty exciting... And to find the location where she was living in Ireland prior to coming to the US on her gravestone. That was great information my ancestors left for us.

I am so glad you are helping the Reaching Out website - it is a tremendous undertaking and I am grateful. I'm trying to spread the word.

Thanks,

Georgia

 

 

 

 

Hello again Georgia,

I hope you are well. We have done our best here to find some information on your ancestor Margaret O'Donnell, born in Garryspillane on the 27th of October 1829.

It has been limited by the lack of records going back to that date, I'm afraid, The first census of Ireland was carried out in 1901, which pre-dates Margarets early life. Also, the Griffiths evaluation, which was undertaken in the 1850's, approximately, does not help. This was a survey carried out which recorded who lived where and what property they owned etc.

The next option, we feel, is to access the baptismal records of the diocese of Cashel/Emly. Garryspillane is in the this diocese. The website is www.tfhr.org. This is a non-profit organisation but does charge for any search request in order to cover it's costs. I would not have access to these records locally as Parish Priests and others in charge of these documents are, rightly, very strict on disclosing information on demand.

The best of luck with your search Georgia. I hope it is a successful endeavour and who knows, you might come to Knocklong for a visit in the future!

Margo

Hello again Georgia,

I hope you are well. We have done our best here to find some information on your ancestor Margaret O'Donnell, born in Garryspillane on the 27th of October 1829.

It has been limited by the lack of records going back to that date, I'm afraid, The first census of Ireland was carried out in 1901, which pre-dates Margarets early life. Also, the Griffiths evaluation, which was undertaken in the 1850's, approximately, does not help. This was a survey carried out which recorded who lived where and what property they owned etc.

The next option, we feel, is to access the baptismal records of the diocese of Cashel/Emly. Garryspillane is in the this diocese. The website is www.tfhr.org. This is a non-profit organisation but does charge for any search request in order to cover it's costs. I would not have access to these records locally as Parish Priests and others in charge of these documents are, rightly, very strict on disclosing information on demand.

The best of luck with your search Georgia. I hope it is a successful endeavour and who knows, you might come to Knocklong for a visit in the future!

Margo

Hi Christina,

 

This is great information! I may still have family there. 

I will most likely be touching base with the Tipperary family history research website.

I would absolutely love to come to Ireland, but it may be a few years before I am able to make the trip. I am realy looking forward to it.

I was there in the late 80's for a week. It was nowhere near long enough to visit... It is such a beautiful country.

Again, thank you for your help. As soon as I get information from Ireland Reaching Out, I send it out to my sisters.

We all appreciate what you are doing.

Georgia

Hi Margo,

 

Thank you for the website information. I will be contacting them to see what I can find. I'll keep you posted. This is a part time endeavor for me, as I work full time here. So I get to it in bits and pieces. I am so glad to see mail from your website. I know there will be info on unlocking the key to the past. 

 

Thanks again,

Georgia Johnston

 

Hi Christina

 

I have tried to find the link you referred to above, but I don't see anything about writers gen person page 14. 

 

Can you send me the link so I can see what you see?

 

Thanks,

Georgia

Hi Christina,

 

Summer is very busy here for me and my family, so my apologies for the long timeframe between posts. I imagine it is the same there. 

I checked the Winters geneology page 14 and see that there was an Ann Godsell born 1824 with a Father James - who I am guessing could be related, but I am not finding her on ancestr as having a brother James. It says on the winters page that Richard Gotsell stood up for her when she was married and that seems to be another line of the Gotsell family on what I can find on ancestry. 

 

There are so many people on the page I don't know where to start. Any suggestions???

 

I have found information on death certificates in my hometown her in Ct for other family members and ran out of time the day I was there. I can go back and see if there is anymore information on the Gotsells in the records. Perhaps more than is inscribed on their headstone.

 

Thanks!!

Georgia

Hi Christina,

 

I found my Gotsells on Ancestry here in the US census, but there is another member who has an ancestry tree with Gotsells (Godsel) in Ardpatrick going back to the 1600's. We did write back and forth for a bit, but I could not find the connection to my GGGF and GGGM and there didn't seem to be too much interest on the other members part and I haven't heard back in a long while. The Gotsells were not this family member's main area of research and some of their families seemed to have changed the name to Godson. in the 1800's.

I am thinking that someone from their family did research in Ireland to get that information.

I am simultaneously working on my Dad's side of the family (Johnston) and a group from Castlederg has been helping me with that. I was able to get to our local town hall to look up info and on death certs it named where parents were from. I have some time this week to get back there and I will return my focus on the Gotsell's and see what I can find. 

Tipperary Family Research ran a record search for me and did not see a marriage certificate there for James Gotsell and Margaret O'Donnell, so maybe I will have some luck and can find it here. I didn't realize that the death certs has so much information on parents and place of birth, so I really do help I can find some info that will be able to help you determine where I might find the info over there. 

 

Thanks so much for your continued interest and help with this search:)

Georgia

Hi Christina,

 

I meant to mention the names that run in the family. Info from my Mom who said there was a dispute about the correct spelling of the Gotsell name. 

James, Thomas and Bedina  Gotsell were names of the 3 children born to James and Margaret who came from Ireland.

Thomas married Esther Sanford (whose family tree goes back to the 1600's in CT and from England before that).

Thomas was the name of the O'Donnell men that came through on a search.

They had 5 children:

Claibert - who died at age 3.

Clarence

Roy (Leroy) who died an accidental death at age 19 - poor kid!

Willis

Clayton - my grandfather

Both my mother and her cousin were named after their grandmothers who married a Gotsell, but they do have another cousin named Joanne, which is a name I see repeated in that ancestry tree that I spoke of earlier. 

I do hope I find info tomorrow that will be of some help!

Thanks again,

Georgia

 

Hi Christina,

I appreciate your help. the only name I have to go on for the Gotsells is James Gotsell born October 18th, 1830,  Sunville Parish, Ardpatrick, County Limerick according to what is engraved on his headstone. His wife, Margaret O'Donnell Gotsell, born 10/27/1829, Garryspillane PArish, Knocklong, County Limerick. I remembersomeone told me that MArgaret's parish now goes by a different name. 

 

I did get back to the local town hall, since the last time I wrote - the towns were changing in the 1800's here and Thomaston became it's own town in 1875. So during the time I had off from work I went to Plymouth, which would have been where records should have been if James and Margaret were married shortly after they arrived here. The records were not set up to easily find people and I did not find any record of their marriage or Margaret's death. James oulived his wife MArgaret by many years and his death cert was over in Thomaston. Unfortunately, his death certificate lists his Mom and Dad's names as unknown. When looking through the records in Plymouth I did find several names of O'Donnell men in the area. I have no idea if they are relatives or not. James Gotsell's name came up several times as well as my Glennon greatgrandfather for voter registration. I have not run across any other Gotsells in the immediate area at that time. I doubt they came to live in this area here without knowing someone, so I am curious to know if JAmes or MAragaret had any relatives here. 

 

I am on Facebook and both Ardpatrick and Kilfinane have FB pages. I don't know if it would be too forward of me to post something on the FB page asking about the Gotsells/O'Donnell's. What is your take on that?

Thanks,

Georgia

 

Hi Christina

 

I just posted on the Ardpatrick Facebook site - seeing as it's 3:30 am over there, I doubt I'll hear anything right back. I have to admit, life has gotten busier over here in the last few months and I have gotten away from the research for lack of time, but I am still very curious. 

 

The children of JAmes and MArgaret are Bedina, James and Thomas. 

HI Christina,

I found a marriage record for a James Godson and Margaret O'Donnell for 1852 which was about 2 years before my GGF Thomas was born. the cert was in the city of Waterbury CT, which is one town over from where they lived, but I still can't find a match to the names in Ireland on any ancestry trees, etc... I'll need a day off from work to get down there to check out the marriage certificate to see if it gives any more details. 

Ardpatrick on FB wrote back and sent me a link to an Edmond Gotsell who is buried with his wife and son in Ardpatrick, but that's about it. 

No luck - I've been on the sites all night and can't find a link... frustrating. 

Georgia

 

 

Hello, Is it possible we are related? There is no one left alive to ask more questions about lineage, but when they were alive, I asked a lot! Somewhere I have a scrap of paper with notes, with names of who came to the US, others that stayed behind. There are some similarities. Until I find that scrap... let me give you some of what I remember off the top of my head: Gotsell family includes a Michael (2, as the boy preceding, died) and Margaret, and a Marie. Total of 13 children...all in CT. Somewhere along the line, the name was changed to Godsill. From one of these 13, my grandmother and her sister, Ilene, were born. My grandmother, Geraldine, settled in Milford, after having caused a great scandal in the family! She had an affair with a married man (who, while still married conceived a child with his wife, and named the baby girl after my grandmother!). He then left his wife and married my gram. However!! It gets worse! He was a ... Protestant! (Oh the horrors! gasp!) Anyway, since there were 13 Great grands, all living in CT, I'm thinking there might be a connection. What do you think?

found it. James Godsill was my GM's father.

Hello! Did I see a Gotsel here?!!! My Great Grandfather was James Godsill.  The only info I have on him is that he was my grandmother's father - born in the US, I believe, most likely in White Plains, NY, Westchester County or thereabouts. At least that's where most of my maternal side seems to branch out from. 

My grandmother said the only relative that she knew of that had arrived "fresh off the boat" was *her* grandfather, Patrick Holden.  I'm still trying to find where in Ireland he came from, too. 

But I would be interested in knowing more about where James Godsill came from (my grandmother spelled it thusly, tho it could have been changed when the Gotsel/Goodsell/Godsells arrived a few generations further back, too).

Can anyone help me find out where? I don't understand how the tithing books help. Ive looked through and only found single, head of household names, no other identifying information (ie, names of family members).  

thank you so much!

peace

Skyler

Hi Skylar - I never saw  your post from 2014 or I would have answered a long time ago!! My Gotsells are from Plymouth CT. I have net a woman on Ancestry.com who has Gotsell relatives from near the CT shoreline. What parts of my story on my ancestors sounds similar to your Godsill family?? 

I did the Ancestry DNA test - are you also on Ancestry?

Georgia Johnston

 

Hello Georgia!  

My grandmother lived in Milford, CT, just a few blocks from the ocean (you could see it down the road from her house on Orland St). 

Her father's name was James Godsill (how she spelled it). Considering the tradition of naming 1st and 2nd borns after a paternal/maternal grandparent, it is possible we are related! Godsill does not seem to be a common name, so the fact that there are just a few of us in the same region only adds to the possibility. 

My grandma didn't tell me much about her father's side, as I was very much into finding the maternal lines (we always get lost in history, and I wanted to rectify that!), so I can't tell you if he had siblings.  BUT! I've been searching for a cousin of hers named Anna (my "GrAunt"), a woman who gave me some of the few wonderful memories of my young life. 

James Godsill had to be born in the US in the late 1800's --my grandma was born 1912 or 1913, so I'm assuming James was born around 1885.  My grandmother was born in White Plains, Westchester County, New York, as were all her aunts and uncles.  My Graunt Anna does not show up in any of the maternal cousins, so I'm hoping to find a brother or sister of James, to see if Anna belonged to any of them.  I *think* GrAunt Anna was a nun --my grandma's sister, Eileen, became a nun named Sister Miriam Julia, and I could be confusing memory images of Eileen with Anna. But I seem to remember that Anna wore the head covering of a nun. And she was the one who told me all those heroic bible stories and taught me how to make Rice Krispy Treats! I adored her. 

Anyway... do you think my GrGrandfather, James Godsill, is related to your Gotsell/Godsell?  

peace

Sky

ps.... i just re read a few of the previous posts and realized you mentioned your James Gotsel having lived in Waterbury.... one could practically spit from there to White Plains, NY. I really do think we should explore this more. There were very few Godsills (et al) here at the time....

I have to ask: what is the likelihood of an Irishman in early 1900s abandoning his family, or leading a double life? My great grandfather James Godsill was only around for a few years... long enough to get two babies from my GGM and then disappear before the 2nd was out of nappies. I assumed he died, by war or flu or whatever, but all i know for certain is that my GGM moved back in with get mother and her brother 30+year old brother.

I've also just assumed this whole time that my GGF was Catholic, and so the idea never occurred to me to look elsewhere in that regard.

What do you think?

Also, were daughters named after Paternal grandmothers first, or Maternal? My Graunt was Eileen Patricia, my GM was Geraldine Elizabeth. Do you have any female Godsills with either of those names, born around 1850-60?

Hi,,

I don't know of any Gotsell relatives in our family that lived near the shore in Ct or that were from NY. I am thinking if we are related, that the common ancestor has to go further back to the origins in Ireland. My GGGF was born in Limerick Ireland and came to the US sometime in the 1850's to the best of my knowledge.  You have some great memories!!!! 

I did the DNA testing. Do you have an Ancestry subscription or a family tree on there? If you have done DNA testing, we might find a link that way. Do you have any idea where your Gotsell family came from in Ireland?

Thanks, 

Georgia

 

Hi, 

I contacted the Ancestry member who has Gotsell ancestors from the CT shoreline. She gave me her email address if you would like to get in touch with her. For her privacy, I don't want to post it here.   By any chance, are you on Facebook so I can send you a private message on there?  

Thanks,

Georgia

Yes. Altro i just posted again re: Waterbury being so close to White Plains... i think we should further explore these roots. I just sent our my DNA test.

I'm easy to find on FB. I think I'm the only one of my kind! Lol

There are 2 Skymama's on FB - I wrote to both - hope you are one of them!! 

Georgia

 

Hi Georgia! Neither are me. Just use my name: Skyler Wind

or is there a way for me to give you my email, privately?

 

friend me on Facebook an I can send you a PM - I am Georgia Marie Johnston with a picture of a lake as my profile pic, I wrote to Skyler Wind on FB, but didn't hear back. 

 

Thanks,

Georgia