I know that Mary Donnelly was born August 15, 1815 in county Tyrone. She ws married to Simon McKenna in New York in 1838 so had emigrated by then. She died in Muskego, WIsconsin, USA November 28, 1863 having given birth to 8 children.
I would like to know more about her and her parents and ancestors in Ireland. Do any parishes have her in their books?
Thank you
Hi there,
It is very difficult to suggest a parish without more information.
Have you tried checking the Ellis Island records (www.ellisisland.org) or the Castle Garden records (www.castlegarden.org)? Generally, more information was given at the port of arrival rather than the port of departure. If you knew which city they arrived at, this could be a good place to find more information, and perhaps even find out an exact place of origin.
You could also try checking the land records called the Tithe Applotment Books (1823-38).
www.failteromhat.com Failte Romhat has lots of useful links you could try looking at.
In the meantime, you could take a look at these websites for information about County Tyrone:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~tyrone/
Please make sure you link anyone else in your family who is interested in their Irish heritage to our site - and indeed anyone else you know of Irish heritage.
Kind regards,
Sinead Cooney
Genealogist (Ireland XO)
I to have family Bridget Donnelly born 1830 in Ireland and she married Simon Higgins born 1821 also in Ireland.
Hello,
I am also researching the McKenna-Donnelly family who settled in Muskego, Wisconsin, USA, and I came across the following baptismal information:
Name: Mary Donnelly
Gender: Female
Baptism/Christening Date: 07 Jan 1816
Baptism/Christening Place: BALLINDERRY BY MONEYMORE,LONDONDERRY, (Tyrone) IRELAND
Father's Name: Quintin Donnelly
Mother's Name: Mary
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: C70016-1
System Origin: Ireland-ODM
Source Film Number: 6026027
I am not certain if this is the correct Mary Donnelly, as the birth date is not listed and I do not have a confirmation on the identity of her parents (whom I believe were Catholic). If this is the correct child, she would have been about 5 months old at the time of the baptism. Would this have been the average age for a baptism in Ireland during that time period?
Also, I have been unable to locate any passenger ship lists or naturalization records, but I am hoping to find more information about the family through the church records. Can anyone tell me the name of the churches in the area listed above?
I've noticed that some European countries continue to record information in the church books regarding the parishioner, even after they have moved to the USA. Do the churches in Ireland also follow this practice? Since Mary Donnelly is a very common name, I was hoping to confirm the identity of her parents through the church books or immigration records.
Any assistance would be much appreciated. Not sure if it will help, but I've listed some additional information below.
Thank You!!!
Mary Donnelly Timeline:
1. Born 15 August 1815, Co. Tyrone, Ireland
2. Emigrated to New York, USA in 1834 with a sister & brother-in-law.
3. Married Simon McKenna about 1838 in New York, USA
4. First child, James, born 14 November 1839 in New York, USA
5. Emigrated to Wisconsin, USA between 1840-1843
6. Land purchased in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, USA in 1843
7. Children Catherine, Margaret, Francis, Isaac, Mary (undetermined), Anastasia, Michael born in Wisconsin, USA
8. Died 27 November 1863, Muskego, Wisconsin, USA
9. Burial at Saint Martin of Tours Cemetery, Franklin, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, USA