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I have been reseaching the Cassin/Cashin family that lived in the townland of Lemonstown as tenants of William Morris Reade. Mary Cassin/Cashin is my great-great-grandmother and emigrated from Ireland in 1854 or 1855. I am confident that she lived in Lemonstown, as a biorgraphy of her that was published in the US when she reached the age of 100 states that as the place from which she emigrated. She is listed in Griffiths Valuation in Lemonstown and appears to have joint tenancies with Edmond Cashin and Mary Morrissey. Her husband, James Cashin, died in 1846. Mary and James had 11 children: Martin, Catherine, Ann, Julia, Ellen, Mary, Bridget, Margaret, Elizabeth, Michael, William (not in birth order). Martin emigrated 4-5 years before the rest of the family, and may have joined other Cassin/Cashin family members somewhere in the state of New York before moving to Mercer County, Illinois. According to Mary Cassin's biography, she and the other children joined him there in 1858. So, if their 1854-55 emigration year is correct, they also spent some time elsewhere, probably New York, after arrival in the U.S.A. Her obituary lists her maiden name as Feely. I haven't any information on her parents or, more generally, on the Feely family in Kilkenny. Catholic parish records recently made available on the National Library of Ireland website have allowed me to confirm the births of most of the children, and opened a mystery about Martin's birth - his baptism record indicates that his birth was illegitimate, his parents listed as Pat Cassion and Mary Feely. Not sure who Pat is, nor why he and Mary, apparently, had a child out of wedlock. Other families who lived in Lemonstown and had connections with the Cassins are Morrissey and Raftis.

I will be visiting Ireland in late June, early July this year, and I would like to find out in what cemetery James might be buried (understanding that there probably won't be a headstone), so I need to find out the cemetery most likely to have been used for those living in Lemonstown. I believe the Catholic parish is Dunamaggan. Would burial records exists somewhere locally? I will be in Kilkenny for several days and could do additional research, if I know where to look. Will will also be in Dublin for 3-4 days, so could conduct some research at the NLI.

I know that I already have a lot of information, and I'm not sure what else I can hope to find. Would love to hear from anyone who has connections to any of the families listed. Thanks for any help you can provide.

Paula

Tuesday 16th Feb 2016, 05:02PM

Message Board Replies

  • Dear Paula

    Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out and apologies for the delay in getting back to you. 

    As you know, Lemonstown is a townland in the civil parish of Kilmaganny, Kilkenny. The corresponding RC parish is Dunamaggan where records begin in 1826. You could contact Fr. Flavin but as with other burial records I wouldn't think they are available until more recent times.

    Fr. Nicholas Flavin

    email: napflavin@eircom.net

    There is an old graveyard in the parish famed from its ancient cross:

    http://visionsofthepastblog.com/2014/06/26/dunnamaggan-church-co-kilken…

    Clare Doyle

    Genealogy Support 

    Clare Doyle

    Monday 21st Mar 2016, 02:53PM
  • Thank you for your reply and Father Flavin's contact information. I agree that there is probably no burial record. Do you know if it was even common for Catholic tenants to have gravestones?

    Paula

    Monday 21st Mar 2016, 09:26PM
  • Hi again

    Really most families erected only a stone marker as they usually had no means of paying for inscribed headstones. Many parishes are now transcribing their headstones but you will always see a large number of them simply recording them as 'stone marker' as a way of pinpointing a grave rather than an actual headstone.

    Clare

    Genealogy Support 

    Clare Doyle

    Wednesday 23rd Mar 2016, 05:09PM
  • Hello Paula, I just joined the Ireland Reaching Out Kilmaganny message board and saw your 2016 thread regarding the Cassins. My 2nd Great Grandmother was Margaret Cassin (b. 1828?) of Lemonstown who married John Cunningham in 1844 at age 16. She must be related to your Mary Cassin. I have my Margaret Cassin as the daughter of a Peter Cassin.

    I visited Ireland in June 2023 on a roots trip (I live in NJ) and was amazed to see the rose window over the altar of St. Eoghan's in Kilmaganny has an inscription that reads, "Pray for Margaret and John Cunningham." I have attached a couple of pix. 

    My Great Grandfather, William Cunningham, was her son born in 1860. I have been unable to find out much about this line and couldn't find Cunningham or Cassin graves when I visited Kilmaganny in June '23. Have you had further luck? I am on ancestry.com as Jean O'Connor and my email is jeanmoconnor@yahoo.com if you'd like to connect.

    Jean

    JMO

    Tuesday 26th Dec 2023, 10:51PM

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