Looking for information about my Great Grandfather, John T Nevell, who came to the United States in 1852, entering through New York, and made his way to Malden,Massachusetts, where he stayed for the rest of his life. He was born about August 13, 1820. He was a Catholic. His early U.S. census records report that he said his occupation was a "keeper of cows, and later was listed as a laborer.
His parents were, I believe, were Thomas Nevell and Mary Conlon.
John was not able to read , write or do math, but ended up rather wealthy in Malden, MA. His surname was spelled in a variety of ways Nevell, Nevill, Nevel, and, as his Son, Thomas J. Neville spelled it.
I have one report in the surname index for County Cork, 1848-1864 that a Thomas Neville lived in Macroom on Main Street.
Any information or thoughts would be appreciated.
Thanks,
John A. Neville, Middletown, Connecticut
Monday 29th Oct 2012, 04:17PM
Message Board Replies
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Hi John,
If you haven't already you could try checking checking the land records called the Tithe Applotment Books (1823-38) http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/home.jsp
or the later Griffith's Valuation (1848-64) http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/
or the Church of Latter Day Saints (LDS) https://familysearch.org/ for John & his relatives.
The Tithe Applotment List might be of use to you, or at least interesting for you. These lists constitute the only nationwide survey for the period, and are valuable because the heaviest burden of the tithes to the Established Church, the Church of Ireland, fell on the poorest, for whom few other records survive. The information in the Tithes is quite basic, typically consisting of townland name, landholder's name, area of land and tithes payable. Many Books also record the landlord's name and an assessment of the economic productivity of the land. The tax payable was based on the average price of wheat and oats over the seven years up to 1823, and was levied at a different rate depending on the quality of land. For Parishes where the registers do not begin until after 1850, this information can be useful, as they are often the only surviving early records. They can provide valuable circumstantial evidence, especially where a holding passed from father to son in the period between the Tithe survey and Griffith's Valuation.
Church records may also be of some use to you. Most Catholic records are held locally - One site which might be of use is - http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/browse/ - where you can ?browse? an overview of available records per county. If you have any difficulty, you could try writing to the parish priest for possible assistance.
Church of Ireland parish registers for the period up to 1870-are public records. Registers are available for about one third of the parishes, however many were destroyed in the Public Records Office in Dublin in 1922. Most are still held by the local clergy, although some are in the National Archives of Ireland and others are in the Representative Church Body Library in Dublin. A list of all surviving registers is available in the National Archives. http://ireland.anglican.org/about/42 and http://www.nationalarchives.ie/.
Remember to post as much information as you can with regard to the people you are researching. 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.
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Kind regards,
Genealogy Support
Ireland Reaching Out
Friday 7th Dec 2012, 03:56PM