My great, great, grandfather (Michael Conway, born 1824), his wife (Margaret Bartnett, born 1831 in Dublin), and Michael's two brothers (Thomas, born 1820 and Thimothy, born 1821) emigrated to the United States (settled in New York) between 1845 - 1847. They may have been born in Tipperary. I am interested in locating their birthplace.
Hello,
You might need more to go on? You say Tipperary is there a reason you say that, did they quote this on a record in the US?
Do you know where they married? American marriage records were more detailed at the times you mention. In Ireland the record would be X = Y and two witnesses, maybe three. the register of a named parish and possibly a local townland name might be given.
In my experience marriage ages if used to predict birth ages are the most varied from the truth and death records next because no one needed to know their birth date until they emigrated, so be flexible? If you have good, consistent dates it might help. If they were from the mid-west of Tipperary, that is now Limerick county and may help with your search.
I tried a Mic* Co* and Margaret (plus variations) B* search and came up with nothing like your search names for an RC marriage in Ireland. However, not everyone was RC. Also, many second pairings were never married officially in church. As many as 40% "marriages" had no record associated with them for one reason or another.
Hope there is something here that helps.
Shay
Hi Shay,
Thanks for responding to my message and offering suggestions -- very helpful! I recently found a death certificat for Michael's bother (Timothy) indicating that he was born in Cork County. I also found a birth record on rootsireland.ie for Margaret Bartnett (Cloyne Diocese, Fermoy Parish, Fermoy Workhouse). However, I have not had any luck finding a marriage record. According to family stories, Michael and Margarett were married in Dublin just pior to boarding the ship sailing to the U.S. I will continue my search!
Thanks again,
Stan
Hi Stan,
Some more thoughts...?
If they married immediately before embarking on a ship - it would be unusual, would it be by special licence as there was asuch a short time frame? Emigration to America over time required more documentation and my limited experience of emigration records I have found many sisters and families that were hybrids of several families. The more regular your family, young married couple, the easier the authorites were. Remember too that this was a great place to go if the law or family members were in dispute with you, so increasingly the passengers were scrutinised at home and at the landing point by police and immigration. Appearing married would help enormously with processing at the port of diembarkation. I don't know if marriage by special licence was carried out in Ireland but there had to be some civil process that maybe doesn't appear with regular records. like being married on board by the ships captain.
Whatever, the answer to your search it will make for agreat story!! :)
Good luck
Shay
Shay,
The family history is a little sketchy on this issue. Apparently, Magaret was only 15. Michael and Margaret may have gotten married to make it easier for both of them to emmigrate. I was not aware of the marriage by special licence, but will investigate further. I am also trying to find the ship they traveled on.
Thanks,
Stan