McCarney Family from Dromore, County Tyrone

Eileen,

The Valuation Revision records on the PRONI website list a Patrick McKearney farming in Meenagar. He had plot 26 which was a 15 acre farm. His name was deleted in 1878 when he was replaced by James McKearney. That seems to fit with your information that the family left Ireland in 1877 (the Griffiths clerks were often out by a year or so). There were a couple of other McKearney farms nearby, presumably related.

None living there by the time of the 1901 census:

http://census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Tyrone/Tullyclunagh/Meenag…

I had a look for the birth registrations of the children born after 1864 (when birth registration started) but did not see any of them.

Graveyards in Dromore parish that an RC family might be buried in are: Kildrum, Dromore RC & Dromore Old.

RootsIreland gives birth records for five McCarney children with parents Bridget Heagney and Patrick. There was none shown for Patrick.

Civil BirthMccarneyBridget1864Co. Tyrone

Civil BirthMccarneyJohn1866Co. Tyrone

Civil BirthMccarneyThomas1868Co. Tyrone

Civil BirthMccarneyThomas1869Co. Tyrone

Civil BirthMccarneyUnknown1872Co. Tyrone

Thank you Patricia, 

I have a couple documents from Ancestry.com that show all the children listed. See attached file. 

I also know that the age of Patrick my great grandfather listed as 45 years old does not match the age listed on his gravestone where he is buried great grandfather Patrick McCarney.jpg list him born in 1816.  I am not sure if as an immigrant he needed to be a certain age to enter America at that time.  

Thank you Elwyn, 

I will research the information you shared.  James is the name of my grandfather's oldest brother, so it would be interesting to see if James McKearney is an Uncle or possible father.  I know the names can be  passed on to the next generation in a special way,  1st born son - name of paternal father, 2nd born son- name of maternal father, etc.  

It is a lovely tradition, but can be a challenge when researching ancestors. 

Eileen

1872 unnamed female birth in Meenagar (Minegar):

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1872/03248/2190470.pdf

Bridget 1864:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1864/03627/2339074.pdf

John 1866:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1866/03542/2303903.pdf

Thomas 1868:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1868/03454/2268252.pdf

Thomas died the same day (29^th Jan 1868).

2^nd Thomas 1869:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1869/03396/2245486.pdf

Griffiths Valuation of 1860 lists Patrick McKearney on plot 26 in Meenagar. The farm today is is on the Raheny Rd, close to Lush Body Sculpturing. Judging by Google Earth, it is still farmland but the farm buildings have all gone. Presumably the land was incorporated into another nearby farm.

https://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=nameSearch

As mentioned previously the Valuation Revision records show the farm passed from Patrick to James McKearney. He then left in 1887, and appears to have been the last McKearney/McCarney to have lived on that property.

I wouldn’t worry too much about the discrepancy in your gt grandfather’s age. In the 1800s most folk in Ireland didn’t celebrate birthdays and often had little idea of their age. If officialdom asked for an age it was common just to guess. Hence the discrepancies.

I have attached a letter which I found in parish records in PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast from someone in Pettigoe, Co. Donegal in 1908 writing to his Minister, asking for proof of age (ie a baptismal certificate). All he knew was that he was between “70 and 78 years of age.” He clearly had only the vaguest idea and couldn’t narrow it down to within 9 years. (The likely reason for the letter was that the old age pension was being introduced in 1909 for people aged 70 and over. Documentary proof of age was required. Thus, probably for the first time in his life, establishing his age accurately became relevant to him).