McGuire - Drogheda, Louth

Hello Patricia, I see there was an Andrew Johnson born to a James McGuire and Fanny Johnson in Drogheda in 1821 as well as your Pat,  

Drogheda was a major port at the time so going to sea would not be unusual, St Peters Cemetery has its inscriptions online and I see in an article on the graveyard that there are as many ships captains as doctors buried there. The cemetery only opened in the early 1900s I think and the main graveyard previous to that was Chord Road and I see only one McGuire buried there, are you aware of this site http://www.jbhall.clahs.ie/ 

I did a search on Ancestry and the only master mariner cert issued 1845 to 1865 to a McGuire born in Drogheda, Louth was to a Terrance, in 1851 age approx 34 there was not other McGuire born Drogheda and no Patrick shown in that period, mind this is only master mariners and he may have been a different rank. You should see if you can locate a marriage for him, difficult as there are a lot of Maguires or McGuires but maybe trace down Andrew, 

There are some private Facebook pages that may interest you, apply to join, Drogheda Down Memory Lane - Lost Family ; Drogheda old photos and family roots finder; Louth Genealogy and finally the Drogheda down Memory Lane page. 

You might also be interested in the Youtube video Ghosts of Drogheda, a 9 minute stroll throught old photos including some of docks etc.   

Duleek is in Meath but about 4 miles from Drogheda, you can see post 1864 BMDs here on civil records https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/en/ only civil records for the area available and the registration district is Drogheda.

Good Luck

Pat

Thank you so much Pat for replying to my query. I will follow up your suggestions. My McGuire ancestors left ireland and came to Canada early 1840s. Pat came as well but returned to Ireland, and settled. I have no idea where he settled, or who he married. Yes, he did have a brother Andrew born in Drogheda as well.

He had two sisters born in Duleek, 1833, 1834 (Frances) but no church records survive, one of these was my ggg grandma. (Sarah 1833). In addition to Andrew there were 3 other brothers all born in Ireland but no two sources agree as to where and haven't been able to locate proof..James. George and Francis. (it seems weird that James and Frances McGuire she would name a daughter Frances and a son Francis.......but her daughter Sarah did the same thing)

In 1927 my great aunt and uncle went back to Ireland looking to see where their mother (Sarah) had been born and went to Duleek., to find out family history . Aunt Gene kept a diary and this is what she recorded 

We roamed through the old church yard to see if we could see a Jas McGuire - none there. I went up the tower and then saw "the Garbela Road, my dear old mother's birth place.

I found out the spelling should have been Garballagh and is now called Navan Road. The old church tower, or the cemetery I do not have a name for, and apparently there was no tombstone or marker. Not sure if any burial records survived. James probably died 1834-1841. His widow married 2nd William Lee not sure when or if in Ireland or Canada.

Now here is the sticky part........Sarah and her siblings raised their children in the knowledge that Francis Johnston, the Architect and his wife Anne Barnes were their grandparents. Every book or article I have read on him states he died without issue.  ........

In the last Will and Testament that Francis Johnston wrote in 1828 he made the following bequest...(he died in1829)

I bequeath Arthur Williamson of Paradise Row 50 pounds sterling AND I also desire that 150 pounds sterling may be put into the hands of the said Arthur Williamson which he is to pay to Fanny McGuire, who now lives at Annesbrook, near Duleek, in whatever way he judges most conclusive to her benefit and her own receipt to be a sufficient discharge for the same.

And no relationship was given.(I found this Will about 15 years ago).

Going back to the Diary of Aunt Gene.....they talked to the Sexton at St. George's Church in Dublin  (Church of Ireland),and he related the following story he was told as a child and provided name and address of a man who could verify the story) and apparently there was a Breach of Promise Suite, the father launched on behaf of his daughter and won. She refused the money, he disowned his daughter and she eloped with a Roman Catholic named James McGuire, who died in Duleek and is buried there.

As an aside, the money he won that his daughter refused was used to purchase a Peal of Bells and after his death, his wife donated to St, George's Church and when it was decommissioned as a church, donated to another and was rung in 2000 for the Millenium. 

I also located the Will of Anne Barnes Johnston and no mention was made of a daughter.

When I found the records of Patrick and Andrew in Drogheda, it was the first proof I had  James McGuire and Frances/Fanny Johnston.were a couple who had married. 

As an FYI Frances Johnston McGuire Lee was born in Co, Armagh either 21 June 1791 tombstone or 21 July 1794 - plaque in church in Canada

I am sorry that I have rambled on and most think my story is nonsense, but I thought you might appreciate it and if you have any suggestions, I would welcome them.

Sincerely yours, Patricia O'Brien

Hi Patricia, that was a most interesting reply, there are a number of issues which caught my attention. Francis Johnson, if you have not located this link it is interesting, https://www.dia.ie/architects/view/2833/JOHNSTON-FRANCIS 

I live about 4 or 5 miles from Duleek and am familiar with the areas you mention but not Annesbrook but will it up. It is not unusual to find no headstone especially if there was little money, may not be the case here with the bequest or maybe the thing just fell over.

If you have a date for the breach of promise I have a subscription to the Newspaper Archive I got from Christmas which I have not yet activated I will see what the papers said as that kind of thing was really the scandal of the day. I see his death recorded in Dublin on 18th March 1829 as you say and he lived in Eccles Street. That is on Irish Genealogy church records which are free and very good for Dublin but not elsewhere for church records. The place he is metioned as designing Rokeby Hall is on Facebook and here http://www.rokeby.ie/ Other buildings he designed are still around the town, 

The story you mention about him having children I have heard also from a relative by marriage but I do found the statement about no children. I wonder did the brother have some, 

I am going to pass your query on to a local man who is big into history (I was not from this area but moved here a long time ago now) 

When the church records were lost in the Civil War it was mainly Church of Ireland records, over 40% 

I see there are no McGuire or similiar in Garballagh in Griffiths Valuation in 1854 so assume gone at that point, this is free on line on Ask About Ireland, you can search by place and name too. You can see where the townland is here https://www.townlands.ie/ 

I will leave it there for now Patricia, if you want I can give you my site email and you can get in touch.

Good Luck

Pat

Hi Patricia, I have done a little digging and can access a piece on Annesbrook written by a local historian, the house was the property of the Smith family, if  yoou want me to get it for you I will need to contact you by email, see here for my email; stpeters@irelandxo.com 

Also Patricia the house Annesbrook is not in Garballagh whatever the connection. It is between Duleek and Bellewstown. 

Regards

Pat