Looking for Thomas Francis Gearty
Greetings
My name is Stephen Gearty, I am trying to locate information on my Great Great Grandfather Thomas Francis Gearty. The family story is he migrated to the United States from Strokstown Ireland County Roscommon due to the Famine, he arrived in New York sometime around late 1850 plus or minus a couple years. His death certificate lists his birth 1823 Ireland, death 1891 Malden Massachusetts, parents names are listed as father Luke Gearty and mother Mary J Nortney both born in Ireland.He was a practicing Catholic in the USA. He married a woman named Mary T Connelly in New York they had 10 children. I have found some records in the USA for Thomas or Thos Gearty, one a passenger list from Castle Garden, an application for citizenship in New York but cannot confirm they are my relative as I believe at least 2 other Thomas Gearty’s entered in this time period. At least one probably entered the USA from Canada but not sure who. I did visit the Famine museum in Strokestown and had the County Roscommon Heritage and Genealogy company from Strokestown conduct a search in 2018 but no records could be found for Thomas or Luke or Mary of that time period.
I visited Ireland in 1998 and spoke with a Margret Gearty who at one time lived in the Gearty “Corner House” in Strokestown. She told me the Gearty’s from both Strokestown and Longford originally came from an area called Cloonmoore near Tarmonberry County Roscommon. A Solicitor from Longford named Padriag Gearty told me the same thing. On visits to Ireland in 2008 and 2018 I did find Gearty’s in Cloonmore/Tarmonberry area but they had no knowledge of history that far back. I do understand the difficulty in finding records for this area and time period, thank you.
