Looking for information: James Flood (born 1800 Wexford County) and Margaret Connors (born 1799 Wexford County)

Hi, I have no information about your ancestors, but I couldn't help but notice their emigration date of 1826 to Canada. My GGGrandparents (Andrew and Anastasia Redmond) and first 2 kids also emigrated in 1826--from Kilmuckridge which isn't terribly far from Ballycanew, winding up in Frampton, Quebec. I have no knowledge of their emigration or arrival port or ship's name, despite contacting the Canadian Archive folks. Good year for leaving middle County Wexford!

-Alice

Thank you Shanew 147 for your thorough reply. My mother in law will be thrilled with your help. She will likely take a stroll through the cemetary in Camolin just in case she finds something of interest.

It still seems a bit of a dead end - would you know how to look up the muster rolls for military pay and discharge information? I was poking around a bit last night and could not figure out how to do it. I found some records for other people and noted that they sometimes included a next of kin and address. This may give me a clue.

Not knowing the area at all, I also wonder if they would have boarded a ship in Wexford County to come to Canada/US. Maybe they were from somewhere else all together, but their place of departure was Wexford.

Another thought is maybe their last name was not Flood, but something similar. My husband's great grandparents were illiterate even after two generations in Canada. So perhaps their grandparents were too, or if they spoke Irish, would there have been a different word meaning Flood?

I am not quite ready to give up! Thanks agian for your help, Michelle

That is a neat coincidence Alice. Are you from Canada yourself? Frampton is just outside of Quebec City and there is a rich Irish-Canadian history in that province. - Michelle

When using ancestry.ca, I found another tree with James Flood (same dates, wife, and children) with a birthplace listed as Trevalyan, Wexford. I cannot find it on a map. Is Trevalyan also in Wexford county? 

On this tree, birthplace of parents (Bridget and Matthew) and siblings are apparently are in Clonoulty, South Tipperary. This seems quite a distance away, and I am not sure it is likely at that time, that one would have one child in a family born 140km away from the home of the rest. Also, the military records (57th Foot, first batallion) and an American place of residence for our James are incorrect on this tree. 

Do you have any thoughts?

Hello, I'm going to tell you how I found information about my 3 x great grandfather who was born in Enniscorthy, Wexford in 1771 and joined the British Army in 1799.  Firstly I want to say that I am surprised that James Flood joined the British Army with him being Catholic , my 3 x great grandfather was a Protestant. 

Enniscorthy was where the Battle of Vinegar Hill was during the 1798 rebellion and perhaps joining the British Army was either a way of getting out or just surviving.  Stephen Whitty, my 3 x great grandfather, first joined the Cumbrian Fencebles and then the British Army who at that time were fighting Napoleon.  Using Ancestry uk I have found records of him being stationed at many places. The Canada, British Regimental Registers of Service, 1756-1900 shows him stationed there in 1802.  Also there are Muster Rolls and Royal Chelsea Pensioners, both on Ancestry uk. James may have been stationed in Canada and decided he wanted to live there.  Wives also were allowed to go with them to where they were stationed and at that time some men absconded.

It has taken me some years to find this information and more too pertaining to my family, starting with finding out Stephen was a soldier.  The trail took me to Lichfield England, Bath, Liverpool to Manchester where I live.  I have found that just a google search of name and regiment can find information that later down the line you may have better information to look for certificates. You may have to search a lot before you find the hidden gem that you need but it's worth it in the end.

Hope you what you are looking for and that the above may be of some help to you.  Regards Jill

Thank you for your response Jill. I will pursue the muster rolls and see what I can find. It sounds like it was a very difficult time in history. Your ancestor was a man at the time of the battle, mine was an infants and who knows what may have happened to his parents. Perhaps you are right, joining the army may have been a matter of survival. That may also explain why he left for Canada too. I am hoping that I find the muster rolls and learn next of kin, where stationed etc. Thank you for your help. I am hoping that ancestry.ca has the same kind of information as ancestry.uk

Hi, Michelle - You asked if I am Canadian. Nope. My GGGrandfather emigrated, and some of his offspring started the move south, which, for my direct family, went thru Maine to end in Massachusetts. They'd never imagine I'd end up in New Mexico!

As for the Enniscorthy and the Battle of Vinegar Hill, my theory is that my GGGfather's dad died in the battle. I found 3 siblings--the GGGfather and two more, the last born just 2 yrs before the battle, and later references to "The Wid[ow] Redmond." Tantalizing. Anyone know of a way to verify names of people involved in this battle?

Hello, Regarding Alice's question about verifying the names of people who died at the time of the Battle of Vinegar Hill, I have yet to find anything that does so.  Reading historical accounts I found references to 'Whitty who was killed on the bridge'.  This person my also be an ancestor of mine but I have nothing to back that up.  The Battle was in Enniscorthy where my 3 x great grandfather was born and he started his Army career a year after in 1799 and never went back! 

It does seem a shame and as you say tantalising but I imagine it must have been pure devastation at the time.  Another Google search I did brought up the fact that there is a Whitty Clan web page and I gleaned a lot of information from that.  Maybe there is something similar Flood, Redmond or Connors, who knows!

Best wishes for everyone's family search.

Regards Jill

Thank you Ann, I have the same article and it goes on to say how the church in Canada was built from the limestone from James Flood’s property. It also gives information about his descendants.  My mother in law was in the area last week and took some pictures of the cemetery and church building. I am so curious about his early life. It seems that he, poof, just appeared in Canada.

Does anyone have any updates? James is my 4th great-grandfather.  I was also told the Gaelic version of Flood is Tully and perhaps that could help. They arrived in Canada (Quebec City) on July 3, 1826, but that was passed along, and I don't have documentation. 

To Jill (better late than never) -- You asked about a possible listing of people who died at Vinegar Hill and environs, Enniscorthy. There is a Facebook page called "1798 Rebellion Casualty Database."  Morning on it for me, but maybe for you.

--Alice