Lavelle Family

Bec,

Here is a birth record for James and a baptismal record for Michael:

Civil birth record (transcribed on RootsIreland)
James Lavelle born 05-Jun-1865
In Tonaratha in ACHILL DISTRICT
in County MAYO
Roman Catholic
Parents: Bryne Lavelle, Sally Furry
Occupation: Labour

Baptism (transcribed on RootsIreland)
Michael Lavelle

Baptized 15-May-1870
Lived in Dugort (on Achill Isl.) in parish of Achill in Co. Mayo
Roman Catholic
Parents: Brian Lavelle, Sally Forry
Sponsors: Pat Fadian, Ann Barrett

This may be Sarah Lavelle in the 1901 census, in Dugort (where Michael was born in 1870):

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Mayo/Slievemore/Doogort__East/1602465/

Family in 1911:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Mayo/Slievemore/Doogort__East/744080/

John Lavelle married Sarah Lavell in 1903. Address Dugort. The marriage cert confirms his father was named Bryan.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_re…

You’ll note that Sarah was born in Co Mayo, not France. But perhaps the rest of your grandmother’s information is accurate.

Probably Brian’s death in 1891:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_retu…

Sally & Sarah are interchangeable names in Ireland.

Well, I didn't specify where Sarah Farry was born and some of my distant family who are Lavelles had been looking in the family tree years ago and they reckon that James may have told lies and that might not be surprising as he and his wife Sarah could be a bit shady at times, especially Sarah, I believe that she was a horrible person.

Like for example my 2x great grandmother Ruby (James' eldest daughter) her middle names are 'Alaura Jane' and that was the ship that James stowed on to get to Australia, but no one can find any records of a ship with that name.

That does make me wonder why would he make up lies

It wasn’t uncommon for folk to exaggerate their origins to make them sound more interesting/impressive. I have met people who do that today.

If you are interested in the origins of the surname Lavelle then according to MacLysaght’s “The Surnames of Ireland” it comes from the Irish surname Ó Maolfhábhail. (fáball means movement). MacLysaght says: “This, formerly more correctly anglicised Mulfaal, is the name of a north Connacht sept found also in Donegal, where it is sometimes corrupted to Fall. It is also disguised as Melville”.

Would there be any chance of any living Lavelle descendants living in the same area over these years?

It’s possible that there are descendants in the area. It’s not IRO policy to track down living descendants for you. (There are privacy issues etc). But that’s not to stop you doing your own research. You could contact the farm and see who is there today. Possibly the local church may know of family in the area, and there are other similar ways of looking for them.

Hi all. I have nothing to contribute to this conversation other to say that my mother's name was Lavelle. I have been trying to research(casually!) that side of her family for about three years without much success. We know almost nothing about the Lavelles other than the name of my great-grandfather, Thomas Lavelle. He emigrated to New Jersey in the late 1880's. His marriage record to Mary Anderson in 1892 is the first record of his presence here in New Jersey. We have no place-name for where he was from, though, not surprisingly,  the DNA evidence points to the Mayo/Galway area. The Lavelle descendants appear to be shy about DNA testing, because I have not made one DNA connection with anyone with the Lavelle surname. 

Bropaul,

Do you know approx then your grandfather was born? What were his children's names? This info might help identify him.

Thanks, Patricia. I have an approximate birth date for Thomas Lavelle of 1870,though I am not sure where that comes from. He married Mary Anderson in Orange, New Jersey in August of 1892, so obviously,  he must have arrived here before that. They had three children: James F. Lavelle Sr. (my grandfather) - who I now realize was born two months before his parents got married! Mary (1894-1898) and Agnes (1896-1926). When I obtained Thomas Lavelle's death certificate, in the space where it asks for father and mother's name it simply has N/A. Not availble. Since his widow was providing the information, either he never told her their names or perhaps he never knew them. It's all puzzling.

Paul