Catherine Myres 1865 : Short Biography

Comments

Dear Lark:

 

I wanted to thank you for the lovely photo with the information that you have put up.  It was the photo that captured my attention.  We have a Parish Liaison in Killursa who I will let know about these profiles as he may have some information for you.

Thank you for your interest in Ireland Reaching Out. 

All the best,

Jane.

Jane Halloran Ryan

Thursday 22nd March 2018 12:52PM

Thank you, Jane. I would really appreciate that! I'm particularly interested in any information about Catherine's 4 brothers Denis, Thomas, Patrick, and Michael. All four of them left Ireland and ended up in Butte, Montana, where they lived with Catherine and her husband for a short time. After Catherine died in 1902, and her sister Delia died in nearby Helena in 1903, the brothers disappeared. I have wondered if perhaps they returned to Ireland, but have been unable to locate them. I have located, and talked with, a descendant of her brother John Myres. His name is P.J. Myres and he still lives in Ower Townland. Very exciting!

lrobart

Friday 23rd March 2018 01:50PM

Hi Lark,

I live in the parish of Killursa. In fact 2 sets of my GGrandparents lived just beside your Myres ancestors (Patrick Reilly and John Hannon). My Granduncle Michael Hannon ended up in Montana in the 1920s where he died in the mid 1930s. He lived in Helena and is buried there - I often wondered who he went to because all the other Hannons were in Massachusettes. I believe your ancestor on Griffiths Valuation was Loughlin Myres. Is that right? From what I can tell, he was the only Myres in Co. Galway on Griffiths. There were only 46 Griffiths records for the surname Myres and the majority of those were in Co. Kerry.

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=doNam…

Do you have any details on when the 4 brothers would have travelled to the US (approx) or which ports they may have travelled to? I'll look generally and if I find anything I'll let you know.

Tim

 

Ireland XO Parish Liaison Volunteer Killursa

Friday 23rd March 2018 05:36PM

Hi Tim,

Thanks so much for your quick response!

That's very interesting that your granduncle Michael Hannon ended up in Helena, Montana. And the date is interesting, too. Catherine and Delia's brother John (the only son to stay in Ireland) had a daughter named Maureen Ann Myers who came to Montana, also in the 1920s. However, she ended up in Butte (not Helena). But I know that her connection to Montana is through the Mitschke family in Helena. (Delia Myres married Julius Mitschke in 1892 in Helena). Even though Delia died in 1903, the Mitschke family seems to have stayed close to the Myres family in Ower Townland. I'm sure Maureen Ann and your granduncle must have known each other. (Maureen Ann's mother was Bridget Fahy. She died in 1910 but John married again to a woman named Norah, but I don't know her maiden name).

Yes, my 3x great grandfather is Loughlin Myres (or "Lacky"). There is another "Myers" on the Griffith's record. His name is Martin. Perhaps he is a son or brother? I've noticed from records that I've seen (both Ireland and U.S.) that sometimes the name is spelled MYRES and sometimes MYERS. So I always look at both.

Catherine and Delia's mother was Nora Hennelly. And you'll see there are quite a few Hennellys in the Griffith's record. I do not know if any of them are my direct ancestor.

And here's what I know about when the brothers arrived in America:

• Denis arrived first but I don't have a date or location. I know he arrived first, however, because he paid for Thomas's passage.
• Thomas arrived in May of 1900 at Boston (brother Denis paid for his passage)
• Patrick arrived in May of 1901, also Boston
• Michael arrived in June of 1901, a few months after Patrick, also Boston

(Both Patrick and Michael are listed in the March 1901 census record in Killursa Parish.)

By 1902, all 4 brothers were living in Butte with their sister Catherine ("Kate") and her husband Joseph Kieron. After that, I have a record for Michael showing that he was still living in Butte in 1904. And I have a record that Michael was a witness at the wedding of another cousin in Butte, Michael Hennelly, in January of 1904. And finally, I have a record for a Patrick Myers arriving in Queenstown in 1909 (departing from Philadelphia). But there's not enough information for me to determine whether it's my Patrick Myers.

There was a 5th brother, his name was Malachi. I discovered him while looking for the other brothers, living in England when he married Betsy Ann Vernon in 1896. He died in 1926 in Liverpool. It does not appear that he ever had any children.

It seems very odd to me that I can't find any trace of the 4 brothers, especially given the time period. Since they all came to the U.S. together, perhaps they all left together? My mom, sister and I have done some DNA testing, as well a few cousins. I'm hoping something will show up there.

Thanks again for reaching out. Look forward to hearing from you again soon.

Lark

P.S. I've been learning more about Irish history recently and have been asking myself how my Irish ancestors in County Galway managed to make it through the famine time period without emigrating? As I understand it, western Ireland was hit particularly bad during that time period. Any insight you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again!

lrobart

Friday 23rd March 2018 08:16PM

Hi again Lark,
It looks like there are a lot of holes in your Myres history. I'll do what I can to try to fill them. I spent the last few hours searching for records and other information online but wasn't able to find any significant extra information yet. I found the shipping records for Thomas but not for any of the other brothers - you may have this already - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:23FH-C3F and https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2366-6H8. A Michael Myres lived in Headford (married to Hannah Reilly) and they had a son John in 1903. This may (or may not) be your Michael. I'll keep looking. I'll also speak with my Dad who may be able to help with local information.

My Granduncle Michael Hannon died in 1934 in the state TB sanitorium at Galen (I think) Deer Lodge County, which is closer to Butte. He is buried in Helena where he lived. I got his death certificate a few years ago and was surprised to see he was married - my Dad or other relatives in Ireland always thought he was single. He married an Alice Considine and I've never been able to get any information on her, whether they had family or not, if she remarried, etc.

The famine was particularly tough for the poorer Irish, particularly in the West of Ireland. Locally, famine burials are still being discovered. It seems that often people who perished were buried close to where they fell and if families were wiped out (or emigrated), they were sometimes forgotten about. A mass grave was discovered in 1967 in the local graveyard and it was unknown about in the locality but the assumption is that it was from famine times. Other roadside burials have been found when upgrading roads. It certainly was a tough time.

Tim

Ireland XO Parish Liaison Volunteer Killursa

Saturday 24th March 2018 01:45PM

Hi Lark,

I found Patrick's shipping record and Michael's - They went out to Thomas in May 1901 - https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/8745/MAT843_45-0427/1794460?backur…

https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/8745/MAT843_45-0424/1794370?backur…

 

 

Ireland XO Parish Liaison Volunteer Killursa

Saturday 24th March 2018 05:34PM

Hi Tim,

Sorry I have not responded for the last few days. My daughter has been in town for a baby shower (she is expecting a baby in late May), so I've been very busy with her. 

Sorry also that I didn't get a chance to tell you that I have the shipping records for all brothers except Denis. But I do very much appreciate your efforts!

I became curious about the TB sanitorium in Galen and came across an article I thought you might find interesting.

http://www.montana.edu/news/609/fear-led-to-montana-s-sanitarium-for-tb-patients

I believe it's actually located in Powell County, just 12 miles south of Deer Lodge. My mom and I were in that area last May. Her parents were married in Deer Lodge so we decided to stop and take a look.

The TB sanitorium was built next to the Montana State Hospital (my mother and other locals refer to this Hospital as "Warm Springs"). Several of our family members spent time there, including my mother's half cousin (also Irish) who died there. We have been trying to determine if she is buried at the cemetery next to the Hospital, or whether she is buried in Butte. I believe her father (husband of Catherine Myers) also had a cousin from Ireland who worked there

Also, I see that your granduncle is buried in Resurrection Cemetery. If you have not had a chance to visit, it's a very large Catholic cemetery on the north side of Helena. Many members of both sides of my family are buried there. I will make a point to stop by your granduncle's cemetery next time we visit.

Thanks also for the information about the famine. That certainly all fits with what I've been reading. I'm in a research group with other folks whose ancestors are Irish. And most all of them arrived during the famine, which makes research very difficult. I am very lucky in that my Irish great-grandparents met and married in Butte, Montana. The Catholic church records here are very good and that's where I got location information and the names of each of their parents, including maiden names for both great great grandmothers.

Thanks again for all your help!

Lark

lrobart

Monday 26th March 2018 04:20PM

Hi Lark,

I guessed you may have found the shipping records but I wasn't sure.

I also searched for any information about the brothers after they arrived in the US and I found nothing definite though I found census records that may be a match, though nothing definite to point to. I think the shipping record for Denis is a good possibility though. See below.

Could this be Thomas
in 1910?
https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=7884&h=2122270…
https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=7884&h=7786980…
in 1920?
https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=6061&h=3323264…
https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=6061&h=1101494…
https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=6061&h=3323264…
https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=6061&h=5805451…
in 1930?
https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=6224&h=9277986…

Could this be Michael?
In 1920?
https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=6061&h=6841275…
In 1945?
https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=60163&h=467924…

This could be Denis?
Arrival in 1891 (New York via Liverpool)?
https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=7488&h=9275945…
In 1910?
https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=7884&h=1841565…
https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=7884&h=1154238…
https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=7884&h=2993757…
In 1920?
https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=6061&h=9690211…
https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=6061&h=9595860…

Tim

Ireland XO Parish Liaison Volunteer Killursa

Monday 26th March 2018 10:01PM

Tim,

Thanks so much for these records and all your efforts! I finally have a few days with a little downtime so I'm looking at them now. I'll be back in touch.

Lark

lrobart

Wednesday 28th March 2018 03:39PM

Hi Tim

I finally had some time to go through all the links you sent me. About 10 of them have possibilities, and there is one for Thomas that is particularly interesting, showing someone by that name in the 1930 census living in San Francisco. I have decided to start with that one by searching for as many records as I can to see if that might be my Thomas.

In the meantime, I located another record (city directory - for 1905, I think) that shows a Thomas, Patrick and Michael Meyers living in Butte. Actually, there are two men with the name Thomas. There is no one with the name Denis or Dennis. The trail seems to run cold again, at least in the city directory, after 1905. But it occurred to me that maybe the reason I'm having such a difficult time locating these guys is that the spelling may have changed from MYERS to MEYERS. 

Ever onward. I'll let you know if anything turns up.

And thanks again for all your help! And I'm going to recommend IrelandXO to my local genealogy friends who have Irish ancestry.

Lark

lrobart

Thursday 5th April 2018 06:03PM

 

Sorry to butt in on this, My Grandfather was Patrick Myers who was born in the same town lands around 1905 he later settled in Clones Monaghan just wondering if he may be the nephew of Caherine?      
Regards Wayne Brady.   
 
 

 

 

 

WNB

Saturday 26th September 2020 08:02PM

Hi Wayne,

I live in Killursa Parish and I got the older baptismal records.

Records in the parish were destroyed in the early 1920s. The records prior to 1880 were burnt in a fire. Therefore the only remaining church records are from 1880.

Between 1880 and the early part of the 1900s there are 8 Myers baptismal records. They are as follows...

1. 25th June 1882 - John, son of Joseph Myers and Eleanor Glynn
2. 7th Nov 1899 - Michael son of Michael Myers and Joanna Dundon
3. 5th June 1903 - John son of Michael Myers and Hanna Dundon
4. 30th June 1908 - William son of Michael Myers and Hanna Dundon
5. 23rd Jan 1905 - Mary Ann daughter of John Myers and Bridget Fahy
6. 12th March 1906 - Pat son of John Myers and Bridget Fahy
7. 27th June 1907 - Honor daughter of John Myers and Bridget Fahy
8. 27th Jan 1910 - Bridget daughter of John Myers and Bridget Fahy

I'm guessing the 6th record above is that of your Grandfather and the first record could be that of your GreatGrandfather.

There are a number of  marriage records...

1. 9th Jan 1884 - Bridget Myers and Anthony Lyons
2. 18th Feb 1895 - Julia Myers and William Hession
3. 3rd March 1904 - John Myers and Delia Fahy ( I assume this is the same as Bridget Fahy in baptismal records)

Tim

Ireland XO Parish Liaison Volunteer Killursa

Saturday 10th October 2020 01:02PM

 

Hi Tim,Firstly thanks very much for your efforts. I have managed to find my Grandfather Patrick Myers aged 5 on the 1911 census living at no. 2 Ower Kilursa his parents are John and Julia Myers. Also there is an Aunt living with them named Julia Hessian is no. 2 on the above list.  My Grandfather passed away in Clones in the mid 50s but my mother told me he preferred when possible to speak Irish and not English as that how he was raised.

 

 

 

WNB

Sunday 27th June 2021 09:11PM

Hi Tim and Wayne,

It's been awhile since I've been on this thread, so am just now catching up with Wayne's comments.

I am a descendant of one of the sisters of John Myers and Julia (Myers) Hession. Her name was Catherine Myers. Catherine and another sister Delia left Ireland and ended up in Montana. Catherine married Joseph Kieran in Butte, Montana in 1899. Joseph was also of Irish descent, having been born in County Monaghan. If I'm doing my calculations right, that makes us 3rd cousins!

Tim, I'm traveling to Ireland this October, spending a week in Dublin doing research, and then heading out to Galway. I'm wondering if you might be able to tell me whether there are any local archives I should take a look at when I'm in the area? Since we last talked, I've made contact with quite a few cousins, particularly on my HENNELLY line (Catherine's Mom was Nora Hennelly). Between the research she does in the area, and the DNA piece that I'm working on, I think we're close to figuring out how we're related.

Thanks, Tim.

Lark

lrobart

Friday 5th August 2022 02:17PM