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Mullins and McMahon

TyroneLongfield East (Tyrone)

Looking for the birth place of Margaret Mullins who married John Kenny in Salford, Lancashire in 1863. She was born in 1845 and her father was Edward Mullins. The Griffith's Valuation shows only 5 Edward Mullins. One of them lived in the townland of Garvaghullion, parish of Longfield East. Neighbours were Suzan McMahon and Catherine McMahon. The older son of Margaret Mullins, Thomas Kenny, married Mary Jane McMahon, daughter of John McMahon and Mary. Her son marrying the daughter of a former neighbour: does not seem farfetched.

Any historical records that I could consult to narrow down my search, confirm or infirm the hypothesis that Longfield East is the parish I am looking for?

Georges Mony

4 replies

Longfield East RC baptisms start in 1846 so that might be too late. They are on-line on the nli site. Expect the spelling of the surname to vary. Include Mullin, Mullen, Mullan in your searches. Exact spelling wasn’t something our ancestors were bothered about.

 

The Edward Mullins in Griffiths looks to have been a farmer with 15 acres on plot 27. Does that occupation tie in with Margaret’s marriage certificate? Was her father a farmer?

 

I also note that next door on plot 28 is Mark Mullins with land but no house. So he probably someone else, but was likely related.

 

The Valuation Revision records show Edward’s farm passing to Michael Mullins sometime between 1860 – 1863 and by 1864 the tenant was James Gormley. So possibly Edward died around 1860. Are Mark or Michael family names by any chance? Mark’s land remained in his name till 1895 when another tenant took it over. I found a death for Mark Mullin bachelor & farmer on 14.1.1884, aged 84. He lived in the nearby townland of Laght.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1894/05977/4699308.pdf

Informant was his niece Alice McCanny, also of Laght. This is probably her in 1901:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Tyrone/Mullagharn/Laght/1742798/

There were a couple of other Mullin(s) farms in the townland who were probably related to Edward, and those 2 farms were still occupied by that family in 1901:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Tyrone/Mullagharn/Garvaghullion/

Still 2 there in 1911:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Tyrone/Mullagharn/Garvaghullion/

Probate abstract for one of the sons who died intestate in 1918:

Administration of the Estate of the late Charles Mullen, Garvaghullion, Co. Tyrone, Sergeant RAF, who died 17 July 1918, granted at Londonderry 6 June 1919 to Charles Mullen, Farmer. Effects: £149 3s 10d.

Perhaps there are still Mullen families living there today. If so, a DNA comparison might be interesting if they were agreeable.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you very much for your prompt reply. It feels so good to have someone point to new directions of research. Below are my comments to your sugggestions. 

Look at the NLI records for Longfield east

Do you mean using this site https://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/ ?

Tried to find Mullins or McMahon records in Longfield East for the period 1846 to 1860 without success. I may be trying the wrong site.

Probably this site then: https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls000633036#page/1/mode/1up

I assume that Drumquin/Langfield are equivalent to Longfield. Not found a birth with  Edward Mullins/Mullin/Mullen in the years 1846-1865. Other Mullins though.

p. 70     death of Catherine Mullen 12 Jan 1855 in Garvaghullion
              death of Mary Mullen 15 May 1855 in Garvaghullion

I will see if the other parishes showing Edward Mullins  in Griffith also have him as a father past 1845.      

Margaret’s father a farmer?

Her wedding record says he was Farmer’s labourer. That may have been his occupation in England since this is where the wedding took place (seasonal work or had definitely left Ireland or he still lives in Ireland?). See attachment. I was able to trace the groom ancestors: see https://mkrancestrors.wordpress.com/kenny-family/

Mark or Michael Mullins

So far I do not have any siblings for Margaret. Mark, born about 1800, belongs to the generation before Margaret.

Alice McCanny and other Mullin(s)

Indeed could be relatives, but I need to get relatives for Margaret, besides her father.

Georges Mony

The site to search for RC baptism is this: https://registers.nli.ie (The irishgenealogy site you have mentioned doesn’t have any parish records for Tyrone. At least not yet).

Longfield and Langfield are alternative names for the same parish. Both are used. Drumquin is a town within the parish. (It actually is partially in Longfield East and part in Longfield West).

The Edward Mullins in Garvaghullion was a farmer with 15 acres, not a farmer’s labourer. So since the marriage certificate says farmer’s labourer then I would wonder if the Garvaghullion family is the right one. A labourer would often be listed in Griffiths but they’d be in a small cottage with little or no land, on someone else’s farm, such as you see with plots 30b & 30c in Garvaghullion.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

I agree with you that my chances of linking Margaret Mullins to Longfield east are rather slim. I will argue however that a farmer recorded in the Griffith's valuation around 1855 can be mentioned as a farmer's labourer in England in 1863. That is definitely the case of the groom's father in the same wedding certificate. Lawrence Kenny is listed in the Griffith valuation as renting in 1855 6 acres in the townland of Cornanantamore, parish of Killeroran, Galway, and shows as agriculural Labourer in the wedding certificate. Many of his children and a sister had by then emigrated to the Boston area, and his son was working near Manchester, Lancashire. The wedding certificate does not indicate whether he was living in England with his son , or still living in Ireland. 

Genealogy is like crossword puzzzles in many ways. It sometimes pays off to take a break. Thanks for your comments.

Georges Mony

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