Lynch

It was common practice to re-use a child’s name if one died. Keeping the name alive, literally. So two Williams, a few years apart, is very common.

Mary,

Spelling varied all the time in Ireland. Beauconnell is more commonly known as Boconnell. It’s 175 acres and is in Seagoe civil parish. Looking at Griffiths Valuation for 1864 I see an Edward Lynch with a small 6 acre farm there. No other Lynches and no Fitzgeralds. It’s somewhere around Bleary though I can’t immediately find it on the Griffiths maps.

The variation in places of birth for the Lynch/Grimley children suggests the father was a labourer. They tended to move around to follow the available work. In contrast farmers tended to stay put. Labourers can be difficult to trace.

William Lynch’s marriage to Margaret Grimley was on 26.11.1830 in Magheralin’s records. The address given was Ballymakeown. Witnesses were John Houton (?) and John Lynch.

I don’t see the Fitzgerald-Lynch marriage in the surviving church records. They may have married outside Ireland or possibly in a parish in Ireland with no records for the 1850s.

Hi Mary,

EDWARD LYNCH is my g-g-grandfgather.  I suspect [but can't totally prove] that he and William are brothers.

Edward lived at Boconnell (Lurgan, Co. Armagh) from as early as 1818, when both he & William are listed as freeholders (and again in 1824 & 1826).  Lord Lurgan was the landlord. The farm being 6 acres suggests Edward was a small farmer rather than a cottier or labourer.  Griffiths 1864 Valuation lists Edward as the occupier - map attached. It is now in the middle of Craigavon Golf Course!

Edward married Catherine Lavery in 1929, in Magheralin, Dromore Parish, Co Down, as were William & Margaret.  Edward & Catherine were both Catholic & from Moira. All their 9 children were born on the farm in Boconnell, and the farm eventually passed to 3 spinster daughters when Edward died in 1892.

The 1901 census describes a 2nd class private dwelling of 2-4 rooms with stone, brick or conrete walls; a thatched, wood or other perishable roof; and 5 windows across the front. There is also  cow house and a barn. The eldest daughter is the landholder.

The 1911 census describes it as a 2nd class private dwelling of 2-4 rooms with stone, brick or conrete walls; a slate, iron or tile roof; and 4 windows across the front. There are no outbuildings. The Lynch family are no longer the landholders.

So, perhaps we have brothers Edward & William (& perhaps your marriage witness John as well?) from Moira, Co. Down. Both listed as freeholders in Lurgan, Co. Armagh from at least 1818. Edward lived out his life in Lurgan, but from the birth of the last baby it seems Edward returned to Magheralin.  So there's a (very) few clues there to maybe chase down, and hello cousin!

Beck

Beck,

Thanks for your reply. I this is the closest I have come to finding family on this side! Wondering if you or any of your family have done DNA testing. My dad and I both have through Ancestry and his is uploaded to GedMatch and MyHeritage as well. His GedMatch # is A708206 .  Either way, hello cousin!

I did some digging in the freeholders records and it looks like there were a few Fitzgeralds in the area too (Knocknashane and Clonmakate), so that may further support the origins of my Lynch/Fitzgerald couple.

Take Care,

Mary

Hey Mary - it's exciting when you find a link, isn't it :)

I've not done DNA as I was actually adopted so I'm a bit of a red herring the DNA dept! I've never asked dad if he's interested in doing it, but if he ever is I'll ckeck you for matches.

Good luck with it - family history si like the best never-ending jigsaw puzzle. Let me know if you find anything on the Lynch line and I'll do likewise!

Beck