Looking for documentation and ancestry

Matthew Brady, born in County Longford or Cavan about 1797-1802, and his wife Mary Clarke, also born about 1802, arrived in New York on the Mary Catherine on July 9, 1832, which we believe sailed from Belfast and Liverpool.

They left their older children Bridget Brady, born 1825-30 and Philip Brady, born 1827-31, behind in the care of family in County Longford or Cavan.

Later Bridget and Philip Brady are brought to the United States by Patrick and Mary McNamee, arriving New York on April 17, 1840 on the Frances Ann, again from Liverpool, and probably Belfast. Patrick McNamee lists his age as 36 at the time, and Mary McNamee lists her age as 27. Traveling with them is the Widow Margaret McNamee, 80 years of age, who dies on the vovage, and who we presume is somehow related to the children and may have been caring for them in Ireland as Patrick was in Michigan with Matthew Brady and bought land adjacent to Matthew in Michigan in 1836. All state that they are bound for Michigan. Our best guess is that the McNamee and Brady families must be related because Matthew and Mary left two small children behind in the care of someone they trusted, and we must guess that to be a family member. We believe that all the families are Catholic as Mary McNamee donates land in Green Oak Township, Michigan which becomes the Irish Cemetery, and is instrumental in founding the Catholic parish there in a log church.

We were in Cavan and Longford Counties in September, 2012, and unfortunately do not know our “clan name,” which we understand would lead us directly, or at least more closely to the parish and the townland and the farm. We also know that written records were not consistently recorded, pasrticularly for the rural areas at the dates of which we are searching. . 

Because Michigan was not a state when Matthew and Mary arrived, Matthew automatically became a United States citizen when Michigan became a state, so he would not need to Naturalize. We have no source of records here which will lead us to further records, We are hoping that by providing the three  family names, and the names of the adults and the children that perhaps there will be enough information to link the families and solve our mystery as to where Matthew Brady and Mary Clarke came from and how they were related to the McNamee family..

Mary Clarke Brady died before her  children arrived. The McNamee family apparently died out after two more generations in Green Oak Township, Michigan, but the Brady line is alive and well, many generations later. We would appreciate any assistance. We loved our time in Cavan and Longford Counties and look forward to returning.

Cindy and Robert Brady