Searching for Ward Family of Baltimore, Cork

Rachel:

I contacted a local volunteer. Please give him some time to get back to you. I know he has a number of queries that he is working on.

Roger McDonnell

Hi Rachel,

below are Baptismal index records for Bushe/McDonnell/Ward  fgamilies of Baltimore. There are no death records for the area that I know of until 1923.

Baptismal Index record  for Baltimore

Name     Surname  Father          Mother                Res.           Y.     D.  M.                 Sponsors

William     Ward    George      Mary Donovan     Baltimore    1829  5  24     Jeremiah Mara & Cate Carthy

Anne        Ward    George      Mary McDonald    Baltimore    1826  4  23     Richard Carey & Ellen McDonald

David       Ward    George      Mary McDonel?          ?              1835  5  28     Dominick Casey & Kitty Donovan

Mary         Ward    George      Mary McDonnell    Baltimore    1828 3  27      Denis Sweeny & Margaret (Peg) McDonnell

John         Ward    George      Mary McDonnel     lBaltimore   1832 2 26       John McDonnel & Mary Deasy

Ellen         Ward    Thomas      Mary McNamara    Newbridge 1832 1 10       Peter Driscoll & Cate Neil    This entry is for Newbridge Skibbereen which is on back road from Baltimore

The following listing is for the Bushe (Bush) family Baptisms.

Francis     Bushe    Thomas     Ellen McDonnell?                       1846 12 13   J    ohn Bushe & Mary Ward

Margaret  Bushe     Thomas     Ellen McDonnell?                       1849 11 18        John & Sarah Bushe & Arthur O'Leary

Richard    Bushe      Thomas     Ellen McDonell?                        1836 6 10        Charles Bush & Bridget McDon

Ellen         Bushe      Thomas    Ellen McDonnell                         1829 5 28        John Herlihy & Bid McDonnell

Sally         Bushe       Thomas    Ellen McDonnell?                       1839 2 17        George Bush & Anne Ward

Thomas    Bushe       Thomas    Ellen McDonnell?                       1843 12 15     John McDonnell & Ellen Bush

Elizabeth  Bushe        Thomas    Ellen McDonnell?                       1841 7 11        John Fitzgerald & Bridget ?

John         Bushe        Thomas     Ellen McDonnell                         1832 2 13        Denid Sweeny & Margaret McDonald

All the Bushe family above were all of Baltimore. The  modern day Bushe  family are still in Baltimore.

If there is anything else I can help with, please ask.

Frank Fahy

Dear Frank and Roger,

Thank you for your reply.  I gleened a little new information from what was sent.  I already had most of the information on the baptismal records.

The Bridget McDonnell in the records, I believe to be my gg aunt.  Born in about 1817 she immigrated to the New York City in about 1847.  She died in the home of my gg grandparents, Timothy and Margaret McDonnell/McDonald Harrington, 16 Feb 1872 149 Cherry St., New York City, New York, USA.  She is buried with them in Calvary Cemetery, Middle Village Queens, New York, Section 8, Range 60, Plot Y, Grave 9.  As far as I can tell, Bridget never married.  The death certificate for Bridget and Margaret gave their parents as James and Margaret McDonald (a US spelling and both could not read or write).  Through DNA I now believe that their mother was born Margaret Scanlon.  I believe that she is the Margaret (Peg) McDonnell, as my gg grandmother I believe was born between 1818-1823 and would have been too young to be a Godmother.  In addition I found a reference that Margaret's baptismal sponsors were John Scanlan and Joan Scanlan but have not been able to see the actual document to verify it.  Her death certificate gave her date of birth as 1823 but again I don't know for sure.

I have actually been in touch with several of the descendants of Thomas and Ellen Bushe.  They are DNA matches with me.  I found the tie to them through the 1855 NY Census before I met them.  Ellen and John Bushe, eldest children of Thomas and Ellen McDonnell Bushe are with my gg grandparents (and my g grandfather John Timothy Harrington, age 7); along with Mary Ward.  I've been trying to discover what became of all Ellen and John Bushe and Mary Ward.  And what caused them to come to or visit New York City.

I've also been trying to come to visit Ireland for the last three years.  We actually bought tickets three years ago and were planning to travel in September and the pandemic hit.  Now it is the expense and travel hassels that are holding us back.  We still want to come.  Perhaps I will actually get to meet you face to face in the next year or so.

All the best,

Rachel

Hi Rachel,

If there is anything specific you want me to search for. please let me know and I will try to help. Just give me the detail you have on it and I will check my records.for possible answers.I will be happy to meet you if you are ever in the Baltimore/Skibbereen area where I live. I have had various contacts with the Bushe family in Baltimore over the years as they have been very involved with the Lifeboat Service operating out of Baltimore and I, as local Fire Officer foir the Skibbereen/Baltimore area have had ti liase with them over the years.

Wishing you all the very best in your research

Frank Fahy

Morning Frank,

Not at this time.

I don't know if these questions can be answered as I've found no clues or documents yet.  I think I read that Ireland did not track departures or returns to Ireland in the 1850s.

I don't know if there are census documents from this time period that might give information on Mary Ward or Ellen and John Bush.

Is there any documentation that you have that might suggest that Mary Ward returned to Ireland after her 1853-1855 time in New York City?

What about Ellen or John Bushe?

Rachel