Bridget Agnes McEveley

Hi Pat,

According to Dr. Edward MacLysaght - The Surnames of Ireland - this name was assumed by the Staunton's of County Mayo. According to him it refers to a Warrior or Knight.

The spelling varies and in County Mayo where the name is most numerous there are various spellings. In the 1860's in South Mayo there are a number of people whose name is spelt  "McEveley".

There is also the name "Veal(e)" which apparently is of Norman origin and has been changed to "McEvilly". 

It comes down to how knowledgeable the recorder was in regard to the name!  English and Gaelic do not always correspond.

Regards,

Pat:

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

I searched on the subscription site Roots Ireland and the free site www.irishgenealogy.ie and did not find a baptismal record for any McEveley (and variants) anywhere in Co. Cork in the years around 1845.There were Bridget McEvilly baptismal records (four) up in Mayo and one in Roscommon around 1845. Any possibility that she left on a ship from Queenstown (now Cobh) and somehow the family story evolved into she was from Cobh? I assume you do not have parents names?

Roger McDonnell

McCoy---

Thanks for the response and information. I am a beginning a Irish student and I can understand how a census taker could misspell the name. Strangely,Irish names don't seems to have all the silent consonants... I think I will use "McEveley" and note the other spellings.

County Mayo? Gives me a new place to look. Is County Mayo considered part of the Gaeltacht?

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Roger McDonnell---

Thanks for the suggested link and the search. A cousin who shares Bridget Agnes as a great great grandmother indicated he has a family bible that lists Cobh. I have not seen the document so it may have been Cobh was the point of immigration. I have found Bridget Agnes' Pennsylvania death certificate. My great grandmother (her daughter) stated her father was John McElroy and her mother was Margaret O'Toole, both born in Ireland.
 

Bridget Agnes emigrated in 1862. My great great grandfather, Michael Quinlin, emigrated in 1861. Both may have left from Cobh. Michael was from County Laois. They married in Delaware in late 1865. Michael may have been drafted into the Union forces as we were in the middle of a civil war. I don't know if they knew each other prior to emigration or met once they got to the US.

I do know that Michael and Bridget Agnes we're practicing Catholics. They were married at St. Peter's in New Castle, DE.

Any assistance from either of you is appreciated!

Patricia Collins Miller AKA aPhadragin 

Patricia:

I searched the subscription site Roots Ireland and did not find a marriage record for John McElroy and Margaret O'Toole or John McEvilly and Margaret O'Toole. Likely the marriage was in the 1820s or 1830s and the farther you go back the less likely a record would be available particulaly if the marriage was in Mayo.

Roger