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Merigan & Flynn/Finn Family (County Longford, Cashel Parish) - Seeking Family History

LongfordCashel (Longford)

Hi, Im seeking information on my maternal great-great-grandmother, whos name was Margaret Merigan. She emigrated from Ireland to New York in June 1849, when she was very young. Our family is amazed that she traveled alone and arrived in New York in 1849, when she was only 12 (according to the ships passenger list), and she was listed as a servant together with a group of other young women. We believe that she may have been an indentured servant - to pay for her passage on the ship. This age puts her birth in 1837, but her age in documents over the following years place her birth between 1831 - 1837. Study of each different age record seems to indicate she was most likely born between 1831-1833. Family lore is that she was from County Longford, so I'm starting my search here.

I contacted the Longford Heritage Center last August (2018) and they reported a Margaret Merrigan born in 1833 in Loughane, to parents Edward Merrigan and Mary Kennedy, with sponsors James & Mary Flynn, and siblings Michael, b. 1831; Bridig, b. 1837; James b. 1837 (same as Bridig); and more in 1849. Im trying to obtain birth evidence & info that might confirm this is the correct person. Can anyone help me? My thoughts:

  1. Obtain a birth record for Margaret & any available evidence for her parents (birth, death, marriage, & their famil/parents).
  2. Confirm there is no evidence for this Margaret in Ireland after 1849, when she left. No marriage, death, or census data for this Margaret.
  3. Determine if there is any evidence that a member of the Flynn family might have followed her to the USA after 1849. Two months ago, I found Margarets Obituary & Death Certificate (in 1922). Her husband preceded Margaret in death, so these documents were filled out by her daughter, who listed her maiden name as Finn, not Merigan. (Same family name as the baptism sponsors provided by the Longford Heritage Center.) The obituary also says Margaret was survived by a dear brother James Finn. Because both her immigration info (1849 ships passenger list) & marriage certificate (in 1858) show her maiden name as Merigan, we believe that this is her correct maiden name. However, the family was apparently often visited by a dear brother James Finn, and this may have been from her baptismal sponsors family (just like a brother). I would also like to determine if Margarets sponsor family had a child named James who may also have emigrated to America about or after 1849.

Thanks for help anyone can provide!

Renneberg@aol.com

6 replies

Hello Mike, you certainly have some work ahead of you, firstly there are no civil records for RC before 1864 but Church of Ireland marriages from 1845. The earliest surviving census is 1901 and 1911 both free online. Most available church records are available here but there are more on a subscription site Roots Ireland which is what Longford Genealogy Centre would use. The church records are here but not searchable except by month and year. https://registers.nli.ie/ can be a tricky read. The census are http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/ the default is 1911. The civil records are here but not all returns link to a register but a lot do. Also the church records on the site only cover Dublin; Cork and Kerry. https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/en/ It is a free site but you have to log in. 

Travel to the US could be from any port but if it was from Liverpool there will be no record of travel from Ireland as it was all one then to England from here. Also did you consider that the possibility that the Flynn could be a 2nd marriage for Mrs Merrigan to a Flynn.

I looked in Griffiths (1854 for Longford) and could not find Loughane, however I see in the Tithes there is a Loughane and there is a Herrigan listed but clicking on it it has been mistranscribed and is Merrigan, I also see on the top of it there is a hand written word or words that I read as Cooral (Brannan) but while there is a Cooral Brennan on Griffiths with a Merigan or two actual, one is the landlord, the location on the maps looks right for Loughane, there is a map icon on the Grifftihs site, top right on map move cursor to left gives you modern map to locate plot, number given on Griffiths, it is possible to do but can be annoying to get it correct. The Ordance Survey of Ireland have maps too. I was looking at the neighbours to see if you go under places rather than names you can click on occupants and see no Flynn or Finn but there is one in Cooral Fox which I assume is next door. 

Griffiths is here http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=nameSearch  The site has been erratic recently but the information can be found elsewhere. 

Tithes from 1824 to 1838 http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/home.jsp you can search under the place also but only a name and land amount and tax due.

The current issue of Roots Ireland magazine has a piece on tracing Longford Ancestors, nothing earth shattering but can be purchased online for $7 I think as a download but I found it cheaper to buy in a shop. Also there is a private Facebook page on Longford Genealogy, not very active but you apply to join. 

Back to the 2nd marriage thought, 1849 would be the tail end of the famine so things were not great. Revert if you have any further queries.

Good Luck 

Pat

 

St Peters LouthIrelandXO Volunteer

Repeat of what is on Ireland XO Community, County Longford, Cashel Parish:

 

Merigan & Flynn/Finn Family (County Longford, Cashel Parish) - Seeking Family History

Hi,  I’m seeking information on my maternal great-great-grandmother, who’s name was Margaret Merigan.  She emigrated from Ireland to New York in June 1849, when she was very young.  Our family is amazed that she traveled alone and arrived in New York in 1849, when she was only 12 (according to the ships passenger list), and she was listed as a “servant” together with a group of other young women.  We believe that she may have been an “indentured servant” - to pay for her passage on the ship.  This age puts her birth in 1837, but her age in documents over the following years place her birth between 1831 - 1837.  Study of each different age record seems to indicate she was most likely born between 1831-1833.  Family lore is that she was from County Longford, so I'm starting my search here.  

 

I contacted the Longford Heritage Center last August (2018) and they reported a Margaret Merrigan born in 1833 in Loughane, to parents Edward Merrigan and Mary Kennedy, with sponsors James & Mary Flynn, and siblings Michael, b. 1831; Bridig, b. 1837; James b. 1837 (same as Bridig); and more in 1849.  I’m trying to obtain birth evidence & info that might confirm this is the correct person.  Can anyone help me?  My thoughts:

 

  1. Obtain a birth record for Margaret & any available evidence for her parents (birth, death, marriage, & their famil/parents).
  2. Confirm there is no evidence for this Margaret in Ireland after 1849, when she left.   No marriage, death, or census data for this Margaret.
  3. Determine if there is any evidence that a member of the Flynn family might have followed her to the USA after 1849.  Two months ago, I found Margaret’s Obituary & Death Certificate (in 1922).  Her husband preceded Margaret in death, so these documents were filled out by her daughter, who listed her maiden name as Finn, not Merigan.  (Same family name as the baptism sponsors provided by the Longford Heritage Center.)  The obituary also says Margaret was survived by a “dear brother James Finn”.  Because both her immigration info (1849 ship’s passenger list) & marriage certificate (in 1858) show her maiden name as “Merigan”, we believe that this is her correct maiden name.  However, the family was apparently often visited by a “dear brother James Finn”, and this may have been from her baptismal sponsors family (“just like a brother”).  I would also like to determine if Margaret’s sponsor family had a child named James who may also have emigrated to America about or after 1849.

Thanks for help anyone can provide!

 

Renneberg@aol.com

Pat - Thank you very much, for your help on my Great-great-grandmother, Margaret Merigan! I could not find a date when you posted your reply, so I don't know how long ago it was. I'll work on some of the data sources you provided. Since I started this research, I have found a baptismal record for a "Margaretarn" Merigan (my spelling from the hand written record I attached to this posting) on 14 January,1833 in Loughan, Cashel Parish, County Longford (attached). Can you tell me if "Margaretarn" is an old Irish name for "Margaret"? This record also shows a baptismal sponsor as Loanni and Maria Kennedy - possibly the parents of Margaretarn's mother (Mari Kennedy)?, or a married uncle (brother of her mother)? The various data my family has collected from records in the USA says her birthday was in Dec, and she was more likely ~17 when she traveled on the sailing ship to the USA in 1849 (not 12 yrs old, as shown on the ship's log immigration record). So I am guessing her birth was in Dec, 1831 or Dec, 1832. (most likely 1832?) Might there be other records in this same parish for other members of the family?

And, I'm still looking for any data I can find about her "dear brother James Flynn" (mentioned in Margaret's USA obituary in 1922), or the Finn family in this parish, at about this time. I have been unable to pin down any specific USA records for this "James Flynn", likely because there are too many people with this name. I have found a marriage certificate for a "Margaretta" Merigan, married in 1858 (in the USA, to an Irishman named James Powers). Is it possible that an Irish woman, who used the name "Margaret" may have given this variant of her name on a marriage certificate? It is not used on any other USA data records I have found, so this might not be the correct person. Thank you again for your help!

Mike Renneberg

 

Renneberg@aol.com

Hello Mike, firstly more often than not in the baptismal register uses Latin for the Christain name, hence the strange looking Margaret. 

Merigan is tricky as the sites do not appear to bring back Merrigan when you search, anyway there are a number children to an Edward Merigan and Mary Kennedy or similar including a Jacob which is James.

Anne 28th April 1838

Edward 14th February 1842

Eleanor 22nd November 1843

James 7th July 1837

Margaret 14th January 1833

Michael 25th July 1831

Catherine 28th April 1834

Edward 13th June 1835 (This child must have died as there is a later Edward, in these cases it is not unusual to find another child of the same name)

All these are children of Edward and Mary Kennedy born in Loughran or Laughan and even Laughan and you should be able to see them on the register you attached using the dates.

There are other Merrigans or Merigan in Longford mother Mary Hanly.

Regards

Pat

 

St Peters LouthIrelandXO Volunteer

Enquiring about Michael Flynn who arrived in NY 1849, would the ship they arrived on be The Tyringham, thank you

Regards Cheryl

Crazymoona

Cheryl there are a lot of Michael Flynn or Flinn arriving in New York in that year and not all have a ship listed, however the ship you mention is mentioned only once but the Michael Flynn mentioned is born in 1836 making him 13 on arrival so if this is he then you are correct.

Pat

St Peters LouthIrelandXO Volunteer

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