Edward Foley

Hi,

As is my custom, I find some interesting information, only to have conflicting data show up.

My 2x grandfather is Edward Foley, born in Ireland, emigrated in the 1840's, lived in Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania until the mid 1850's, moved to LaSalle, Illinois, and married a widow (Elizabeth Malone Farrell Foley) in 1857.  He was in the 1850 census in Schuylkill Haven, PA (living with a Mannon/Manning family) and the 1860 census in LaSalle (with his wife, her two daughters from her marriage to Michael Farrell and their two daughters).  Unfortunately, he died in 1863, so there are no more census records to get any other information.  Elizabeth lived until 1919.  His marriage to Elizabeth at St Patrick's church in LaSalle stated his parents were John Foley and Ellen Cavanagh.  I've searched through over 150 parish registers looking for Edward's baptism (1822-1830) with zero hits.  I also was obviously looking for John Foley and Ellen Cavanagh as parents.  Finally found a John Foley and Eleanor Kavanagh baptizing Patt in 1813 and John Foley and Nelly Kavanagh baptizing John in 1815 in Castlecomer parish, Kilkenny.  There are no records from 1818-28 in that parish, so no luck on Edward's baptism.

Edward was granted citizenship in LaSalle in 1860.  His document states he declared his intention to naturalize on 22 July 1854 in the Court of Common Pleas, Schuylkill County Pennsylvania. I received a document from Pennsylvania Archives with an Edward Foley declaring his intention to become a citizen, dated 22 July 1844.  Ten years to the day earlier than the 1860 document has! Let's just assume the 1860 document got the year wrong.  There was only one other Edward Foley declaring in Schuylkill County and that was in 1871.

I recently came upon a story about mining in Pennsylvania in the area Edward was living.  He was listed as a laborer in 1850 but as a miner in 1860.  It turns out that the Payne Brothers had a mine in Pennsylvania and went to Ireland in 1845 to recruit miners.  They went specifically to the border area of Kilkenny and Laois and that is where these Foley's lived.  I haven't been able to find a passenger list with Edward yet and now I'm looking for 1844 and earlier.  I then went through Castlecomer marriages and found a John Foley as a witness on 2 May 1839 to John Langton and Bridget Curran and an Edward Foley as a witness to James Brennan and Mary Dunne on 18 Feb 1844.  That's the first Edward Foley I've found in Castlecomer!  If this Edward is the same Edward to declare in July of 1844 in Pennsylvania, it would seem he went from this wedding to a boat, sailed to the U.S. and declared his intention to become a citizen.  Plausible??

FYI, there were also other Foley's that married in Castlecomer from 1833-47.  Specifically, a Martin Foley, a Gerald Foley, a William Foley, a Bridget Foley, a Mary Foley and a Margaret Foley.  There were also two Luke Foley's and three Mary Foley's as witnesses to marriages, besides the afore-mentioned John and Edward.

Are there any Foley's still in this area of Kilkenny?  Any suggestions of different ways to connect any of these "facts"?

Thank you very much for reading my brick wall and any advice given.

Patrick Foley