Owen Flynn and Martha Crawford Flynn

Dear Natalie,  

I will try and give you some directions, I live on the other side of Co. Cavan so I do not have the local knowledge.  When they initially emigrated it would have been not long after the famine, so times would have been tough.  When you say that they emigrated and not all at the same time, this indicates that you have these records and I am guessing that these records indicated that Owen returned to Ireland, do any of these records indicate a townland?  

Regarding Martha Crawford, if you think that she was Scottish, you can use https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk they have an extensive collection of records, it is a subscription site.  I had a quick look at RootsIreland (subscription site) but I could not find their marriage on any of the baptisms, but it may be because they are not transcribed.

I will list out the records that are available that should help you broaden your search particularly to take you before civil registration which is available on irishgenealogy.ie (free to search)

1. The National Library of Ireland has microfilm copies of almost all pre-1880 Roman Catholic parish registers on the island of Ireland. Access is free and print-outs of the records are allowed. See www.nli.ie.
2. The LDS Family History Library has microfilm copies of c. 40% of Irish Roman Catholic parish registers, some copies of National Library of Ireland films, others filmed by the LDS themselves. See https://familysearch.org/catalog-search. These films can be ordered via the Family History Centers attached to most Mormon temples. 
3. Most local Roman Catholic parishes do not permit research on their original records. Callers will normally be referred to the heritage centres whose records are now almost all on www.rootsireland.ie. If necessary, contact details for local parishes can be found via www.catholicireland.net.  
4. The Representative Church Body Library is the official archive of record for Church of Ireland records that survived the burning of the Public Record Office in 1922. A full list of its holdings is at http://ireland.anglican.org. All are freely searchable if they are not too fragile to be handled.
5. The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (www.proni.gov.uk) has freely available microfilm copies of almost all surviving records of all denominations for areas now in Northern Ireland, as well as a good number for areas in the border counties of Donegal, Cavan, Leitrim, Monaghan and Louth. A full list is at http://www.proni.gov.uk/index/search_the_archives/online_indexes/church_of_ireland_index.htm.
6. Quaker records are very comprehensive back to the 17th century, with microfilm copies in NLI and PRONI. See www.quakers-in-ireland.ie.
7. Some Presbyterian records are only available locally or in the Presbytrerian Historical Society. See www.presbyterianhistoryireland.com.

Online do utilise all the records on https://genealogy.nationalarchives.ie, pay attention to the wills and the will calenders, again you should be able to order the wills before you come.  On their census page you will find all the census including 1851 for Tomregan but it is a partial census and only 2 families are listed on it, while it is not evident on the site when you select census years, that year is there...for free.  

You will get Griffiths on http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/  Look at Using the Valuation and Maps and it will guide you, sometimes, putting in less in the search option is best to get results, you are looking for townland names...take note of them.  

You have indicated the parish of Tomregan & according to John Grenham the following church records are available for Tomregan: 

Denomination   Church     Baptisms                                Marriages                              Burials Location Ref. Status

Roman Catholic Kildallen Apr 15 1867 - Dec 31 1880   Jan 1 1867 - Dec 9 1880                    NLI Imaged online (Pos. 5345) Transcribed at Ancestry & FindMyPast Open for public research 

Roman Catholic Kildallen 1867 - 1881                           1867 - 1881                                         PRONI MIC.1D/78 Open for public research 

Roman Catholic Kildallen 1867 - 1899                            1857 - 1899                                       CHGC Online transcript ($) 

Roman Catholic Kildallen Apr 15 1867 - Dec 31 1880    Jan 1 1867 - Dec 9 1880                  FHL (LDS)    British Film Area 0979703 item 2

Methodist Ballyconnell     1880-1974                              1880-1955                                         PRONI    MIC.1E/53  Open for public research 

Methodist Ballyconnell    1880-1955                                                                                        CHGC       Online transcript ($) 

Church of Ireland Tomregan 1797-1875                    1797-1845                 1797-1875                    Held by the Public Record Office in 1919. 

Church of Ireland Tomregan 1797-1984                     1802-1913                1805-1986                      PRONI MIC.1/218 Open for public research 

Church of Ireland Tomregan 1797-1984                     1802-1913                1805-1986                     RCBL Full RCBL reference  Open for public research.  

Note PRONI is in Belfast 

You could take out a subscription with https://www.irishnewsarchive.com and look at the Co. Cavan papers, Anglo Celt, Freeman's Journal and even outside of that.  It is very addictive, make sure you do not auto subscribe by cancelling the subscriptions to any paid sites.  They may have been involved in court actions, we were very litigious in years gone by.  

Look also for death records through headstones look at https://historicgraves.com, billiongraves, findagrave, http://www.from-ireland.net/county-cavan-genealogy/ 

You can also commission research from Genealogy Centre Contact Details
Cavan Genealogy
1st Floor, Johnston Central Library, Farnham St., Cavan 
Tel: +353 (0) 49 4361094
Email: cavangenealogy@eircom.net

I hope I have given you some new avenues to look up.   

Regards Carmel O'Callaghan

Hi Carmel,

Thank you so much for your reply!  I am working through the different sources that you listed in hopes of finding more information.  

I believe the Flynns emigrated in different years based on the following archive regarding Owen’s son James Crawford Flynn. https://archive.org/stream/stlouisfourthcit02instev#page/260/mode/2up

It states that James came to America in 1857 at the age of 17 and “joined his sisters”.  His parents then came over about 10 years later according to this writeup.  I am still trying to locate ship lists, but so far no luck.  

I did find Griffith’s Valuations for an Owen Flynn of Carrowmore, Tomregan, Cavan.  There is a Valuation listed for a James Flynn of Doon, Tomregan, Cavan as well with the same lessor name (Earl Annesley) as Owen.  Other than these two documents, I do not have a townland.

I do subscribe to RootsIreland and will continue to check on there.  I believe the Flynns were Protestant as they attended an Episcopalian church in America.  I can look in the Catholic listings but I doubt that I will find anything there.  Although you never know.  

I did email the Genealogy Center of Cavan a few months ago but I did not receive a reply.  Maybe I will try them a second time. 

I cannot thank you enough for all of your time and effort in trying to assist me on my quest… thanks again!

Sincerely,

Natalie 

Thank you Natalie,  

If you wish to double check anything with me please do.  For the dates you mention shipping records dont usually have a lot of information except that Crawford Flynn would be an unusual combination and it would be a Scottish tradition to carry the mother's name.  The following article give a list of data bases that might help you with the records https://www.archives.gov/research/immigration/overview

Best Wishes Carmel