Whelan - not sure where to start

Molly:

Welcome to ireland Reaching Out!

This may be a difficult search. About half the RC parishes in Co. Longford have records starting well after 1820. I did a 20 year search on Roots Ireland and found one record in your time period (see below) but when I searched for a Francis and Thomas, I did not locate a record for them which casts doubt on the record.

I looked at the Tithe records from the 1820s/1830s and there were eight Whelan entries but I'm not sure all parishes are on the online file maintained by the National Archives.

http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/results.jsp?…

You mentioned a Whelan family in the 1901 census but there were 43 Whelan people overall in Longford in the census.

You may want to consider autosomal DNA testing which might identify a Whelan match where the person has more info on the family.

Roger McDonnell

Name:James WheelanDate of Birth:
Date of Baptism:04-Aug-1817Address:Not RecordedParish/District:LONGFORDGender:MaleCountyCo. Longford
Denomination:Roman Catholic
Father:Patrick Wheelan

Definitely Whelans buried in the old Longford town graveyard at St Johns Church, Longford. We are currently doing a recording of headstones and I recall coming across at least one old Whelan gravestone. The graveyard is attached to the C of I church today but it has burials of all denominations going back to 1700s with over 500 headstonesin total. I will check our records when I get an opportunity.

Molly,

Wheelan headstone at St Johns Church, Longford reads as follows...........

 

God be Merciful to the soul

of Hugh Wheelan who de

parted this life October 25th 1804

aged 74 yrs also his wife Catherine 

Wheelan alias Roddy who

departed this life 8th of Sept 

1792 aged 53 yrs also their daugh

ter Margret who departed this

life 28th of April 1792 aged 32 yrs

Erected by their son James Wheelan

 

In an added note the author Luke Baxter says the following....... 

A corn mill at Church Street was leased to John Roddy in 1723.

Seven Wheelan families are listed as paying tithes in Longford town in 1825.

 

Note: There are also 7 Roddy headstones

 

 

Sorry, only 6 other Roddy headstones as follows.........

 

God be Merciful to

The soul of Paul

Roddy who departed

this life August the

21st 1773 Aged 56 yrs

Erected by his Son John

Roddy

 

Authors note as follows.....

Roddy name recorded on Main Street, Longford in the 1830s

 

Sacred to the memory of

John Hodgins late of Kilnasavogue

in this County who Departed this

Life the 1st Febry 1801 in the 61st

Year of his age And of his Wife

Mary Hodgins alias Roddy who

departed this life the 25th of Sept

1795 in the 50th year of her age

Erected by their youngest son

Benjamin Hodgins three of whose

Children are also buried here

Viz Charlotte William & Thomas

VIRTUTE ET VALORE

 

 

Pray for the Soul of

Frances Roddy who

Departed this life

June ye 8th 1746 aged

48 yrs

erected by her

Husband Paul

Roddy

 

 

Here sleepeth awaiting the

Resurrection of the just the Body

of Barnaby Roddy late of Longford

who departed this life May 10th 1807

aged 26yrs

this stone was erected by his

Affectionate Wife Alice Roddy

 

Authors note states

This was the son of Barnaby Roddy, a well known surveyor and 

mapper - there are still a number of his works around and they

occassionally come up for auction - the Lisnavagh Archives

contain three pictorial surveys by him dated Oct 1767 showing

Thomas Bunbury's estate in Longford - Clonkeen, Cordivan & Trillickatemple

 

 

 

Sacred to the memory of

Faustin Roddy of Longford

Weighmaster who died 2nd

Nov 1832 Aged 76 yrs

Erected as a small token of filial

Affection by John C Roddy

 

 

Authors note as follows.......

Faustin was also a son of Barnaby. His widow Jane d 31st July 1847

aged 80. His eldest daughter Margaret died in the Hibernian Hotel, Sligo Oct 1853 aged 62

 

Pigots Directory 1824 lists Jaustin Rhody as a Linen & Woollen Draper on Main St, Longford

 

Authors note as follows.........

John C Roddy d 31st July 1847 of dropsy, aged 47yrs. His widow

Mary Anne ( nee Butler, Athlone) died suddenly in Athlone 18th 

Jan 1851.

 

 

 

 

Here lies the Body

of Jane Roddy

daughter of Barnaby and

Mary Roddy

who departed this life

8th day of Oct 1766

aged 2yrs

 

 

Hope this information might give you some leads in the Longford area

 

Kind Regards

John 

Molly,

The spelling used in the Tithe applotments has both Whelan and Wheelan. Looking at Wheelan and I see John Wheelan at Ballykenny & Knockmartin ( just outside Longford town back then) now part of the town, Edward Wheelan at Glenoughill in Ballinalee, William Wheelan at Townspark, Longford and Francis Wheelan at Lisfarrell, Longford

The repeat enteries may or may not be the same persons holding different plots of land but familiar family names are appearing

Wheelan matches the headstone spelling. Gives you some other possible leads to work on

 

 

 

 

On Griffiths Valuation the spelling has become Whelan - 10 families listed in the Longford area

Catherine Whelan at Lisfarrel, Longford

Michael Whelan at Turnpike Road ( now Dublin Street), Longford

Peter Whelan at Turnpike Road, Longford

William Whelan at Turnpike Road, Longford

Hugh Whelan at Abbeycartron, Longford

Francis Whelan at Ballykenny, Co Longford

Thomas Whelan at Cornapark, Ardagh, Co Longford

Mary Whelan at Currygrane, Ballinalee

John Whelan at Glenoughill, Ballinalee

Patrick Whelan at Glenoughill, Ballinalee

 

More possible leads