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Tipperary - Upperchurch, Templebeg & Thurles - Burke/Bourke

TipperaryTemplebeg (Tipperary)Thurles (Tipperary)Upperchurch (Tipperary)

On 8 June 1853, three Burke sisters from Tipperary arrived in Sydney, New South Wales per the ship 'Australia' as assisted immigrants: Bridget Burke aged 26; Honorah Burke aged 24 and Judith Burke aged 19 (born 1834-1835).  On the ship's manifest, their native place was recorded as Templebegg (sic) Tipperary; their parents were Thomas and Mary.  Mother dead.  Father living at Templebegg, Co Tipperary.; and their religion was Roman Catholic. 

I have not been able to trace Bridget and Honorah after they arrived in NSW, but Judith (Julia) was my great grandmother and I have various civil records for her.  Birth registrations for two of her children each record her birthplace as Thurles, Tipperary .  Another birth registration for a third child records her birthplace as Upperchurch, Tipperary.  

Julia sponsored the emigration of her brother Martin Burke aged 19 and he arrived Sydney per the ship 'Sultana' on 19 May 1855.  The ship's manifest records his native place as Upperchurch, Tipperary and that his parents were Thomas and Mary.  Mother dead.  Father living at Upperchurch.  

I commissioned research from the Tipperary Family History Research who searched the 46 Catholic Parishes in the Diocese of Cashel and Emly and their Archives for Upperchurch and Thurles but could not find this family.  I also sought the help of the Tipperary North Family History but they also drew a blank.  I then searched through the images in the NLI registers for Cashel & Emly myself to no avail.  I have hit another brick wall - perhaps.

I am not sure why some records would say Templebeg, some Thurles and some Upperchurch, but they do seem to be close together and all within the RC Diocese of Cashel & Emly?  I find it particularly curious that there is no trace of a family of 6 people, either marriage of the parents or birth of the children? 

I had plans to visit Ireland in April this year to try to research this further, but obviously that did not happen.  Any leads from the community would be just terrific.  Thank you.  Kaye

kayeschofield@…

7 replies

Hi Kaye,

Just some thoughts as I too have had to wander through many records.

As far as State records go there are five district names that cover the are in between Limerick, Tipperary, Cashel, Thurles, Nenagh and I think they relate to tthe towns not the counties. I had to use all five despite the parish they lived in was nearer Cashel. So if you are using state records remember that. A

Also I found Upperchurch was originally a Parish on its own, however later it became Borrisoleigh with Upperchurch included. I do not know the timeline but again some of this has to do with changing demgraphics added to by the famine and migration and then the Civil Parishes being more influencial in record keeping. Bear in mind that although they may have been RC many had dual affiliations to own land you had to be protestant etc. You can use the map on the NLI website to track down neighbouring parishes. I printed one out and even after several years I am still referring to it.

Now, I did a search and it was not straightforward as I hoped. I searched Thomas and Bourke with Mary as mother (name variations box ticked for all three)

I found a Judith Bourke in Kilcommon 16 Feb 1834 (mother was Ryan)

I found a Martin in Upperchurch 27 Oct 1830 (mother was Wade)

Then in Kilcommon

Anne 06 Oct 1833 (mother was Wade)

Bridget 09 May 1839 (mother was Wade)

It looks like their effinity was Uperchurch but in fact they had migrated to Kilcommon

Lastly there are more records but I am not sure how much further to go? However, if the Kilcommon Bourkes are yours I will be doing a little more research as they are related to my Crowe lines I research (from Kilcommon and Clonoulty). I fyou need more then best to have my email and I can send the records intact rather than transcribing?

Regards

Shay

 

 

Seamus Crowe, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Dear Shay.  I very much appreciate you responding and doing some searching for me.   Thank you

I think the Kilcommon / mother WADE link is rather unlikely as the relative ages don't match.  Bridget was the eldest born c1827, then Honorah born c1829, then Judith/Julia born c1834 then Martin the youngest born c 1836.  But in this game one should never rule out anything!

The parishes are very tricky and you offer some new leads for me.  I will follow up re Borrisoleigh with Upperchurch and I was very interested in your point re dual religious affiliations.  Father Thomas Bourke was a farmer so it is possible he had land and the children were baptised in the Church of Ireland so I will follow that line of inquiry too.  And I will download the NLI parishes map and search more widely than I have been.

Thank you again Shay for these helpful leads

Kaye

 

kayeschofield@…

Hi Kaye,

I am really sorry but I forgot to add a second reply. I am in the throws of moving house and there is no water or electricity company in place....

Anyway, I di a more extensive search because I wasn't convinced wither AND Bourke in kilcommon especially might relate to my Bourke there.

The problem is they are in a spreadsheet not a photo or doc so I have put the data into pdf OR I need you to send me an email or give me your address for the data to manipulate yourself?  crowe.seamus@gmail.com

It might help with your searching

Shay

Seamus Crowe, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Hi Shay

Thanks - will contact via your gmail

Kaye

kayeschofield@…

Just in case you have not looked at this source:  Thomas Burke is mentioned on Griffiths Valuations (askaboutireland/griffiths) . Twice at Atshanboe, at Cappaclogh and on entry for Matthew Burke at Atshanboe. Templebeg is mentioned as the parish. People often refer to the nearest town as  the place they come from i.e. Thurles. Part of my family come fromUpperchurch area and also have a Bourke connection. An awful  lot of them around.

tassy2silber@y…

Thank you Patience for your comment.  I have looked at Griffith's for parishes of Templebeg & Upperchurch (working on the assumption they were from Tipperray North) and in addition to Atshanboe there was a Thomas Bourke/Burke at Cappaclogh, Ballyboy, Gortnaskehy & Shevry.  As you say there were an awful lot of them and I think I have little to no chance of finding the right townland.  Here in Australia we would say I have Buckley's chance.  Happy new year.

kayeschofield@…

Dear Kaye, greetings from Templebeg. I know a good bit about this Bourke family as I actually now own the spot where their house once stood and remember having tea and rhubarb tart in the house around 1965. Only half the wall of an adjoining barn now remains. The house was actually in Rosmult but quite near the graveyard of Templebeg which is where the confusion about the address arises. The area had and has lots of Bourke families so they used Templebeg as a way of distinguishing themselves from other nearby Bourkes. If you P M me I can give you more info by phone.

Cllr Billy Clancy

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