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My grandfathers are all named Lafo or LeFoe or similar.  Supposedly French but then someone said Lafond was Irish - anwyay, they all married Irish wives.  Mary Catherine Foley - her mother was Catharine Murphy and she was born in Ireland in December 1837.  Another Irish Wife was Agnes Gillings, or Gillen, or Gillin she was born in Ireland in 1835 .  Then we have Margaret Shannon who was also married to a Lafo or Lafond or something.   She was born in either Ireland or Quebec in 1795,

One of my grandfathers was a merchant marine and he would go back and forth on the crew lists writing he was irish then the next time it would say French...  So if you know anything about the surnames Murphy, Shannon, Foley or Gillings and lastly Lafo or Lafond or Lefoe.. they all came to New Haven, Connecticut - the wives married seamen. 

Thanks,

 

Jane M Holleran

Thursday 6th Dec 2012, 07:09AM

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  • Hi

    Thank you for your message.

     

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    cynoconnor

    Wednesday 12th Dec 2012, 04:24PM

  • Gillings, Gillen, Gellen

    The only time I have ever heard a name similar to above is 'Gallen' and they are located in my own parish of Donaghmore, in County Donegal.

    Gallen is also a popular name over the border in County Tyrone.

    Donaghmore Donegal

    Thursday 3rd Jan 2013, 10:30PM

  • I have seen several variations of the spelling: Gillen, Gillin, Gillan and Gillon. This was just in the US Census'! My GGGrandmother Mary Gillen married Thomas Sweeney and lived in Rhode Island, as did her brother. Thomas Sweeney came from Cloone, Leitrim, and it is possible your family came from the same area. The Archives in Dublin has a plethora of Gillens in the area, although I wasn't able (yet) to find the specific records I was looking for. Rhode Island is close enough for a possible search for your family names in the US Census--just check ALL spelling possibilities!

    Mary Lou

    Mlou21783

    Wednesday 11th Feb 2015, 04:09AM

  • Mary Lou, Thank you... I found Mary Catherine Foley in Rhode Island in the 1879 Census with her family.  I never thought to look for Gillens there because Agnes married in Vermont or Canada but I will keep looking.

     

    Jane M Holleran

    Wednesday 11th Feb 2015, 07:51AM

  • Jane; I am so happy for you! A lot of Irish families walked in from Canada and there was a surprising amount of travel back and forth. My Grandmother (born in Vermont) and her siblings were born in 4 different states. My Gillen family was listed in the US 1870 and 1880  Census in Providence Rhode Island, spelled: Gillon.  My Gr Grand-uncle Thomas Sweeney was listed with him. I will have to look back at that section of the Family. We may be connected. My e-mail is mlou@myactv.net if you would like to share research.

    Mary Lou

    Mlou21783

    Wednesday 11th Feb 2015, 03:12PM

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