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Hello,

I am researching my maternal great grand father.I find conflicting information and I want to clarify his information.

His name was Barney Braniff born around 1820 in Ireland.His son John Braniff s [my gr gfth} obit in 1896 gives no birth info. I believe I have traced these Braniffs to Canada, Leeds and Grenville. The info that is being posted states one person John Branifff  born, Galway 5th May,1844 another bornDownpatrick County Down 6th May,1843.I believe Barney or Bernard s wife was Mary possibly Quinn,but other are saying its Elizabeth Lefever which the above John Braniff married a Elizabeth Lefever her parents were John Lefever born France or Canada mother Rose born Ireland.

The posts say Rose Lefever s maiden name was Braniff I am so confused this family seems to be marrying family?!

I need help tracing John Braniff I believe he was born mid 1840 s Ireland maybe Canada.I do believe his father and mother were born Ireland I know for certain John Braniff had a sister Rose Braniff b 01-01-1838 per her DC married a Thomas Kelly[ey] I believe in Ohio USA.

I hope I have made this clear enough to get help confirming any information.

Thank You,

Jacqualyn Lehman

JLehman

Thursday 16th Jun 2022, 05:38PM

Message Board Replies

  • Jacqualyn, I am having a look at this as it is not answered, assume no local volunteer in the area. I put the surname into Roots Ireland (subscription site) and see 29 baptisms in County Down and one in Antrim (1830 - 1850) These are adjoining counties both now in Northern Ireland, all I looked at were Roman Catholics, important as we only have religious records pre 1864 for RC.

    It would appear they were from County Down as McLysaghts Surnames of Ireland says it is a rare surname and from the Gaelic means "Raven"

    I searched back to 1810 and did not see a Barney (Bernard) baptisms (RC records are patchy at this juncture, varying from parish to parish) there is a Bernard born in 1849 in County Down but too late but maybe a family name.

    There area also a number of marriages. 14 marriages from 1830 to 1850, earliest 1835 and see a Rose married a John Wiley in 1850, Portaferry, Ards Parish. I do not see a birth of a John Branniff 1830 to 1860. All I can say with certainty is they were from County Down, there is a site here about County Down and see a number of Branniff's in the surnames, the site is good but appears to be not fully supported lately. https://rosdavies.com/ 

    From other queries there was a lot of migration from this area to Canada in the late 1820s, mainly to New Brunswick. 

    Information for Northern Ireland can be found here, https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/campaigns/public-record-office-northern-ire…;

    there was a land survey of owners and tenants done 1848 to 1864, Down was done in 1863 and there were only 8 Braniff entries, see here 

    https://askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=nameSear…

    There are only 98 Braniff in total in the 1901 census, earliest available in full and online free if you search. All in Down or Antrim, Belfast is the main city is in Antrim but close to County Down.

    All I can say with certainty is they were from Down, Northern Ireland came into been in 1922.

    Feel free to follow up if you have any follow up, also there are some private Facebook pages from County Down Genealogy and DNA matching if you are interested in that route.

    Good Luck

    Pat

    St Peters Louth, IrelandXO Volunteer

    Friday 24th Jun 2022, 09:03PM
  • Me again, there is a Patrick Braniff listed as French Canadian in Palo Alto County, Iowa on this site in the census with a local wife and son.

    http://www.celticcousins.net/

    Good Luck

    St Peters Louth, IrelandXO Volunteer

    Friday 24th Jun 2022, 09:06PM
  • Hello All,

    I did  not post that above.I tried deleting it but unable.

    I am so sorry such junk can be posted on my request.

    Jacqualyn Lehman

     

    JLehman

    Friday 19th May 2023, 02:31PM

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