Lettice Family

Michele:

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

I checked the 1854 Griffiths Valuation head of household listing for Castlejordan civil parish and there were two Lettis records: John in Toor townland and Thomas in Toornafolla townland. Are either connections? What religion was your family?

http://www.failteromhat.com/griffiths/meath/castlejordan.htm

Roger McDonnell

Hi Roger,

Thanks for replying.  I apologize for my delay in responding.  

My relatives were Catholic.  I believe I have traced Patrick Lettice to Ballinabrackey with a birth of 1816.  He died in Dundee Scotland in 1862.

From baptism records, this would make his parents Michael and Mary.  That is where I reach the end of my research.  Any ideas you have are welcomed.  Thanks so much.

Michele Keaty Vallet

Michele:

The RC records for Castlejordan start in 1826 http://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0905  so you won't find a baptismal record for Patrick.

Roger

Roger,

Unfortunately, that was the information I had as well.  It seems I may be at the end of my research for now.  Thanks for your assistance.

Michele Keaty Vallet

Our family tradition is that Peter Lettice, my 2nd great grandfather, born in 1818, came from Meath. His father's name was Michael and his mother's name Catherine. Peter went to the US in 1841. He had two brothers and a sister who went to Edinburgh, Scotland in the 1840's. One of them, Patrick Lettice (1819-1853) was married there to Agnes Torrance/Tollands in 1841. Patrick died in Edinburgh in 1853.

Andrew Lettice (1824-1874) also went to Edinburgh and married Catherine Torrance/Tollands in 1847. After her death and the death of several of their children, he joined Peter in the US around 1857.

Their sister Catherine Lettice (1828-1896) also initially went to Edinburgh and married William Torrance/Tollands in 1848. After his death she joined her brothers in the US sometime in the 1860's.

I think we may be related to the Dundee Lettices' but I haven't figured out how. I've been searching the Castlejordan/Ballyboggan parish records (which record baptisms starting in Nov. 1826 for Catherine's baptismal record and also for that of her younger brother James (1829-1870) with no luck.

I'm beginning to think I should try searching other nearby parish records in Meath, or possibly around Dublin since it seems like the Lettice surname appears mainly in those areas of Ireland. Any suggestions?

Dodi Lettus 

Hi Dodi.  You and I have connected previously and you shared your Ancestry tree with me.  I agree that the Dundee and Edinburgh Lettice/Lettus families are connected given the timelines and the fact that they both seem to have originated in Meath.  Unfortunately, I still have not come across definitive evidence.  Several family members have taken DNA tests that we could compare which might help.  Feel free to contact me directly through Ancestry.com.

Michele