Ballyhean

George:

I looked at the 1830 Tithe records www.titheapplotmentbokk.nationalarchives.ie for Ballyhean parish and there were two Gavan records: Peter in Ringarraun and Thomas in Creeragh. There were records for Cornaveagh (spelled Curnaveagh in the Tithes) but no Gavans. I checked Roots Ireland www.rootsireland.ie which is a pay site. However, the Baptismal records for Ballyhean parish start in 1838 and the marriage records start  in 1824 which look to be later than you need.

Roger McDonnell

The old Graveyard in Ballyhean/e is overgrown and very few stones are visable, there is a newer cemetery but I don't think the records are online.

However it is possible that some of your Ancestors family are buried in Ballintubber, which is a nearby townland......I see a few Gavin names here, 

http://www.irishgraveyards.ie/search.php?yardid=0&lastname=Gavin&firstname=&address=&county=Mayo&month=&year=

Hi George, there is a Gavin Family Tree on Ancestry that is managed by BrianJGavin58 that you might find helpful.  Patrick Gavan was the son of James Gavan, b. abt. 1808.  James had two brothers, Patrick, birth date unknown, and Martin Gavan, b. abt. 1805.  Martin lived to be 97 years old.  His daughter Catherine married John J. Skiffington, my relative.  

Recently I found death registration in Castlebar registration district for a woman who may have been my great-great-grandmother. The informant was Bridget Gavin, described as her grand-daughter. 

Date & place of death: 10th Feb. 1893, Cornaveigh

Name, age, occupation: Bridget Loftus;  age 82;  widow;  farmer's widow

Cause of death: Old age debility 

Informant: Bridget Gavin, grand-daughter, present at death.   Residence: Cornaveigh 

Does anyone know who that Bridget Gavin was and how she was grand-daughter to Bridget Loftus? I don't know if Gavin was her maiden name or married name.

I found a few women called Bridget Gavin on 1901 census who may have been old enough to have been informant of Bridget Loftus's death in 1893.

Cornaveigh: Bridget aged 23, daughter of Patrick (54) 

Charles St., Castlebar:  Bridget aged 30, wife of John and mother of 4 young sons. Her maiden name was Chambers. 

Cloonkeen/ Pheasanthill:  Bridget aged 23, daughter of  widow, Celia. Another Bridget Gavin, widow, aged 70, mother-in-law to Celia was in household. Elderly Bridget would have been too old for a grand-daughter of Bridget Loftus.

Ballinalecka/Ballyhean:  Bridget aged 40, sister of James (35). Martin, aged 14 was down as brother to James but I suspect him to have been Bridget's son.

The Bridget I seek may not even have been in the neighbourhood in 1901.

Various people with Gavin surname turned up as marriage witness and baptism sponsors.

Pat Gavin was witness at marriage of Thomas Loftus & Mary Walsh (my gt-grandparents), Ballyhean, 4th September 1858.

Pat Gavin & Mary Gavin, sponsors for Mary Loftus, Dec. 1860.

James Gavin & Catherine Gavin, sponsors for Honor Loftus, May 1867. 

I posted before about the Loftus family.