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I am searching for relatives of Susan Greenen, who immigrated to the U.S. during the famine. We know of her life here but nothing of where she came from or her parents, etc. Her obituary says she was from County Cavan. There is a family-told story of her voyage that says her family was wiped out during the famine and a solicitor from England came round offering passage to the states in exchange for 3 years' work. She was a teenager and local priest suggested she go. She sailed from Plymouth England. I don't know what port she was headed for, but her indentureship was in Lafayette Indiana, reportedly to work for a Colonel May. The ship's crew was drunk and they and almost all the passengers were stricken with yellow fever and died. Susan and a few other girls were lost at sea for 6-8 weeks. Eventually they washed up on the island of Cuba. They were nursed back to health and Susan was given assistance in getting to New Orleans, Louisiana, where she eventually made her way to Lafayette. She worked off her contract, married a John Martin Fitzgerald (from Galway), and raised a family. There is a bit more to her story (somewhat tragic end), but this is all I have of her origins. She was a devout Catholic and attended mass regularly in Indiana and is burried in the cemetery of St. Mary's Church. 

I was hoping to find a DNA match or news story or other detail that would help determine where she came from and who her parents were. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

 

Tess

Tuesday 3rd May 2022, 04:06PM

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  • Tess:

    I searched the subscription site Roots Ireland and there were a good number of Greenan baptismal records in Co. Cavan 1830 and later. The only Susan Greenan record was in 1847 too late for your ancestor. It is likely that your Susan was baptized in a parish which no longer has records back to the 1829 time period. It appears from your note that you have tested your DNA. I assume you are trying to contact close matches to see if there are part of your Greenan line.

    Roger McDonnell

    Castlemore Roscommon, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘

    Tuesday 3rd May 2022, 08:09PM
  • Thanks Roger, I have only had one DNA match that was possibly linked to Susan. I couldn’t be sure, but she had Greenen relatives in Cavan. She had hoped to get some info on them but the relative who could help had failing health. So dead end. I should scour the DNA results as I’m not sure I fully utilize.

    Tess

    Tuesday 3rd May 2022, 08:39PM

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