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Hi,

I am tracing my 3x great grandfather Cormack McCaffery and his family. They came to Australia in 1854 on the ship "China". 4 children came with them. One older daughter Mary B1824 arrived on the Pearl in 1841, and another daughter Jane B1838 arrived on the Bolton in 1853. I believe Cormack (sometimes spelt Cormick) came from Inishmore  or Enniskillen Fermanagh, but the travel documents for daughter Mary says Cleenish. I believe there were 9 children ( Mary B1824, James B1832, Jane B1838, Bridget B?, Patrick B?, John B1840, Thomas B1842 and Christopher B1844) as well as an unknown female daughter.

I have been having a few problems due to spelling of the surname in Australia, with the marriage and death certificates giving a number of variations.

Cormack married a Mary Ann Montgomery (B 1799 in Cleenish died 1882 Sydney). She was the daughter of a John and Mary, both whom were dead when they were on the ship China in 1854.

I was hoping someone may have information about the family from the area of Cleenish.

Kind Regards

Tony

Tony

Sunday 13th Aug 2017, 11:41PM

Message Board Replies

  • Dear Tony:

    Many thanks for your post to the Ireland Reaching Out message board and welcome to the site.

    We have a volunteer in Northern Ireland who has great knowledge about records and such with regard to those areas.  I have copied him with this post and he should reply to you in the next week or so. 

    In the meantime, you might want to take a look at the PRONI website.

    https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/proni

    The very best of luck with your research.

    Kind regards,

     

    Jane.

     

    Jane Halloran Ryan

    Tuesday 15th Aug 2017, 11:10AM
  • I have searched the on-line RC parish records for Fermanagh but cannot see a record of the baptisms of these children. If the family lived in Cleenish, then the bad news is that only baptisms for 1835 – 1839 have survived. They restart in 1859, and there are no marriages before that year either. So it’s possible the records you need are lost.

    Jane was the only child born in the period when the records still exist but I did not find her baptism. Perhaps it’s illegible.

    Having said that I did find Cormick McCaffrey farming in Cessiagh townland in Cleenish. Also farming in the same townland was a John Montgomery so they may be your two families.

    http://www.irishgenealogyhub.com/fermanagh/tithe-applotment-books/parish-of-cleenish.php#.WZXs5RR9eg0

    Cessiagh is also known as Sessiagh West. In Griffiths Valuation for 1862 there were two McCaffrey properties in Sessiagh West. Owen McCaffrey had a half share of plot 9 which was a 13 acre farm, and Hugh had plot 27, a 6 acre farm. They are a mile or so outside Bellanaleck, on the Arney Rd.

    http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=nameSearch

    1901 census: 1 McCaffrey farm in Sessiagh West:

    http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Fermanagh/Drumane/Sessiagh_West/1365835/

     

     

    Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘

    Thursday 17th Aug 2017, 07:45PM
  • Hi Elwyn,

    Thanks for your help! I didnt expect much luck, but you have help sustanciate a few things for me.

    All the best

    Tony

    Tony

    Saturday 19th Aug 2017, 07:00AM

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