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Looking for relatives of Hannah Smith nee Walker b 1841, d 1914.

WicklowDelgany (Wicklow)

My great grandmother, Hannah Smith nee Walker was born 12 Jan 1841 at Down's Hill, Delgany, Co. Wicklow. I think .

11 January 1866 Hannah married William Atkins Smith, at St Kevin's Church of Ireland, Dublin.

They went to live in Crossabeg, Co Wexford, where they raised a family of of 5 daughters and 1 son. Elizabeth Jane b 1862 died 1952 married George James Bodey. Hannah Harriet b 1869 d 1946 married James manning. Susan b 1871. William Thomas b 1874 d 1918 married Alice beatrice (Bea) Evans. Mary Anne (Annie) b 1877 d 1933 married Wilfred Charles Heyes. Georgina b 1880 d 1953 married James Stuart Deans.

At some point before 1890 the family moved to Bridge House, Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow, where they ran a general store.

I haven't been able to establish connections with any relatives past or present in Ireland although there are a few in Australia.

Carole

6 replies

frog20:

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

I located the 1901 and 1911 censuses for the family and also the civil death record image for William Sr. who died July 1, 1904. You will have to sign-in to see the record. Could not find a death record for Hannah in the Rathdrum registration district.

We have a parish liaison in Delgany and I will alert them to your message.

Roger McDonnell

http://census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Wicklow/Rathdrum/Lower_Str…

http://census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Wicklow/Rathdrum/Lower_Str…

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_retu…

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Dear frog20:

 

Many thanks for your post to the Ireland Reaching Out message board.

 

There are a few places that you might considering looking for more information:

The 1901 & 1911 Censuses

Calendar of Wills

Trade Directories.

 

I have a link to the 1901 Census for this family below:

 

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Wicklow/Rathdrum/Lower_Street/1816479/

 

The 1911 Census is here:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Wicklow/Rathdrum/Lower_Street/897530/

As the Civil Registration records are available online at www.irishgenealogy.ie, you may be able to trace life events for some of the family members.

As you are researching forward, newspapers would be very useful for that purpose.  You might consider a small subscription to the Irish Newspaper Archives which will note life events beyond the scope of the civil registration records. 

If you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.

The very best of luck with your research!

Kind regards,

 

Jane.

 

 

jhalloranryan@…

frog20:

I realized that Rathdrum town is in Rathdrum civil parish and not Delgany parish so I did not contact the Delgany PL. We do not have a parish liaison in Rathdrum.

I checked out the online Irish phone book and there were 62 Smith listings but none in Rathdrum https://www.eirphonebook.ie/ Make sure you use the Residential TAB.

I know you have other family surnames from the daughters marrying.

You may want to contact the Rathdrum library branch  http://www.wicklow.ie/rathdrum-library

Have you considered autosomal DNA testing?

Roger

 

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Roger and Jane, thank you so much for your efforts. I do have copies of the relevant 1901 and 1911 Census entries. I should have clarified that the only living descendants of William and Hannah Smith are in Australia, as am I.

In 2005  I visited Ireland, I went to St Kevin's,  the church in Dublin where William and Hannah were married, it is no longer a church and has become residential apartments.  In Rathdrum I had coffee in the shop that used to be the family store. I visited the grave of Hannah and William in the Church of Ireland churchyard at Glenealy.

I have had my DNA and my brother's DNA checked but the brickwall is that I cannot connect to the people in Ireland who are cousins according to the DNA testing. So I am trying to trace ancestors or relatives of  William and Hannah.

None of the Australian descendants have traced back further than William and Hannah. My Irish cousin John Stuart Deans died in Australia in 1986.  His mother, Georgina,  and my grandmother, Annie (Mary Anne) were sisters.  Because of  family discord in Australia that started about 1930 my family had no contact with my Irish relatives until the arrival in Australia of John Stuart Deans,in the early 1980s. Thank you for the links and the information. Kind regards Carole Sarvis nee Heyes

 

 

Carole

Carole:

Not sure which DNA testing company you used but you may want to check into Gedmatch www.gedmatch.com    Gedmatch is a volunteer run site which allows you to upload your raw DNA data and see if you match people who tested with another DNA company. Gedmatch also has a number of analytical tools.

Roger

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

 

Roger, thank you for the reminder, I am registered with Gedmatch.com but I  had forgotten due to domestic chaos caused by an enthusiastic renovating spouse.He started in 2011 when he retired and except for 3 months off each winter he hasn't stopped.  I will check further.

Regards

Carole

 

 

Carole

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