Bagley

Hi Kim,

Thank you for your message.

Unfortunately, it may be difficult to find information without a more specific place of origin. Most Irish record sources- church records, land records, census records- are based on specific locations. Until you know a specific location within Ireland, preferably a parish or place name, it may be difficult to do anything more with these records.

Have you tried looking into Thomas? emigration? Sometimes more information was given at the port of arrival rather than that of departure so you may be lucky and find a more specific place name here. For information on US immigration records check http://www.archives.gov/research/immigration/

There are a couple of places where you can search online, however it may be difficult to discern whether the results are relevant to your family or not without more information:

www.familysearch.org has a huge database of genealogical records including some church records for Ireland.

www.rootsireland.ie have a large collection of Irish Church records, however you have to pay to use this site.

There is also the Tithe Applotment Books. These are land records that were compiled between 1823 and 1837 in order to determine the amount which occupiers of agricultural holdings should pay in tithes to the Church of Ireland. They do not offer any genealogical information but they can sometimes be used to tie a person to a specific place. I did a search of Bagley in Westmeath and only one result came back:

http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/results.jsp?surname=bagley&firstname=&county=Westmeath&parish=&townland=&search=Search

The forename is John, which is a very common name in Ireland, however perhaps this could be the John that Thomas? child was named after? The parish is Ardnurcher. Although there is nothing only the Bagley name connecting Thomas to this parish it may be a starting point for your research as you have little else to go on.

Some websites that you may find helpful with your research are:

The National Archives of Ireland http://www.nationalarchives.ie/genealogy1/genealogy-records/introduction/

The National Library of Ireland http://www.nli.ie/en/family-history-introduction.aspx

The National Archives UK ? genealogy search: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-person/

The Public Records Office of Northern Ireland http://www.proni.gov.uk/index/family_history.htm

Irish Genealogy Tool-kit: http://www.irish-genealogy-toolkit.com/index.html

Genealogy links: http://www.genealogylinks.net/uk/ireland/westmeath/index.html

Irish Times: http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/browse/#Westmeath

It may also be an idea to contact the Heritage Centre in Westmeath for some assistance, however a fee may apply. Here is their email address: dunnasimoate@eircom.net

Remember to post any new information that you find here, especially with regards to place of origin. The more information you post, the more likely it is that one of our volunteers will be able to advise or assist you. Also include information concerning which sources you may have already used so others may further your search.

Kind regards,

Genealogy Support