Dear Ireland XO Community,
I have been searching on Ancestry, Family Search, Find My Past and the available Censuses of Ireland for almost four years trying to find any little scrap of information about the parents of and birthplaces of my 2xgreatgrandparents Peter Boyd and Marcella Davis.
One of the things I have managed to find in those 4 years is a passenger list showing them arriving in New York on 18 August 1849. A great grandson of theirs discovered this prior to websites but I have found that list on Family Search as well. Marcella is called Ellen on the list but the birth years and arrival years line up.
The only bit of information I have found pertaining to their time in their home country of Ireland is a record of their marriage on 26 Nov 1848. His surname is misspelled Boyle rather than Boyd but, again, my older relative was confident that it was correct. Here is the record:
Peter Boyle
Event Type:
Marriage
Event Date:
26 Nov 1848
Spouse's Name:
Marcella Davis
Parish:
Ballinabrackey, Ballyboggan and Castlejordan
Diocese:
Meath
County:
Meath
First Witness:
Michael Braken
Second Witness:
Biddy Gafney
Ireland, Selections of Catholic Parish Marriages and Banns 1742-1884
It seems to me that one or both of them were likely born in Meath if they married there. But i've had no luck finding a record that says either of them were born anywhere. Some death certificates include information about the deceased person's parents names. But Peter and Marcella died in Rosendale, New York and their death certficates did not offer that information. Therefore, I don't have much to go on.
Does anyone think this research is possible from across the ocean? Are there any suggestions about parish records that may be in Meath but not digitized? Or where and to whom I may write to request any such records that include my great grandparents names? Or are there perhaps any Davises or Boyds currently living in Meath who may recall their names in family records?
I will be very grateful for any and all suggestions, ideas or help from the Ireland XO community in my search.
All the best,
Kelli Hart