Tobin's in County Meath

Gerald:

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

There are a good number (16) of RC parishes in Co. Meath which do not have records that go back to 1828 so it is very possible that Edward's baptismal record is not available.

The Griffiths for Co. Meath was conducted around 1853 and published in 1854. There are three James Tobin Griffiths records in Co. Meath. The one you listed and two others. It is possible that the 1792 James is one of the three listed. (see below).

Can I suggest that you consider autosomal DNA testing?

Roger McDonnell

SourceSurnameFirst NameTownlandParishCounty 

GriffithTobinJamesRandalstownDonaghpatrickCo. Meath

GriffithTobinJamesLismullinLismullinCo. Meath

GriffithTobinJamesCarrickspringanMoynaltyCo. Meath

Thank you for your response Roger, I do appreciate it.

Is there a way to find out what the 16 RC parishes are and if there is a cemetery connected with any of them?

The 1792 Baptismal record for James would make him about 60 years old during the Griffith’s time you mention, certainly a possibility.  Without some knowledge of the family, I do not know how one can find out.

Regarding DNA, yes I have done that. The results pointed me to a John Tobin who is from County Cork; he lives here in the US while his family is in Cork. With John’s help we have discovered family who come from Cork but are in Australia now for several generations. 

Generations between John and myself are many, probably back to the 1500’s. One of the individuals in Australia is much closer in terms of generations. But even going back 5 or 6 generations in a difficult task.

Research in County Cork does not provide any paper trail that would suggest my family was ever in Cork. This led me to more seriously consider the family tradition that my Edward came from County Meath. It is very likely that the Alice Sherry he married also came from Meath.

Again, thank you very much for the information you provided. If you know of the 16 parishes’ I will appreciate your sharing that with me.  Any suggestions you may have regarding my research I would love to hear.

Gerald   

Gerald:

Hopefully this link from Roots Ireland is useable for you  http://meath.rootsireland.ie/generic.php?filename=centres/meath/sources…

I'm sure there is at least one cemetery for each parish but it would take a lot of work to identify all of the cemeteries for the 16 parishes.

Roger

Thank you Roger, appreciate your response. I can understand it would be quite a chore. Gerald

Update to finding Edward Tobin, through DNA I have found 3 who carry my DNA. The first was John Tobin who is from County Cork, John located Garry Tobin of Austraila but his great great grandfather is from Cork. A third, a Charles Hillier, who is from New Founfland, Canada, also carries the Tobin DNA but has limited family information. Research has not surfaced other Tobin's in Cork or any information that could lead me to my Edward. 

In my last trip to Ireland, August 2016, I spent an afternoon visiting Sean Tobin, John's father, and the family. They live in Cork and we had a wonderful time. Very warm people who were elated to meet someone from the US that they are related to. I have had the pleasure of communicating with my Austrailian relative as well. 

Having found a birth record of an Edward Tobin with the correct year on the internet, we also stopped in Mitchelstown, Cork, and inquired at the Gurda station as to Tobin's there. We were directed to one Tobin family, an Edmond Tobin nad his wife. We were unable to talk with Edmond as he is ill and quite elderly. His wife had little information about the Tobin side of the family but did recall that the Tobin's were to have come to Cork from another part of Ireland "further up north", and that most of the Tobin's that lived in Mitchelstown had left Ireland. 

Looking at the web site that Roger has suggested, in Griffith's I do see JohnTobin in Carrickspringan Moynalty, Meath. But I also see a Thomas Mc Dermott in Screeboge Moynalty. Further, James and Thomas Tobin are in  Lismullin as is a Luke Mc Medmott. There is also a James Tobin in Randalstown Donaghpatrick and a Anne Mc Dermott. I find this interesting in that my Edward Tobin settled in Illinois, USA, in the same town as a Mc Dermott family. The two families were very close suggesting they could have been togehter in Ireland. This might also suggest this area of County Meath needs further research, but also raises the question as to how one might go about doing it.  

Gerald:

Thanks for the update. Looks like you have made good progress. Did you take the Y-DNA test or the autosomal?

Roger

Hi Roger, progress for sure but still can't prove my great grandfather came from Meath. Regarding the DNA, we, myself, cousin John and cousin Garry all have taken Y-DNA and autosmal. We also established John on the Big-Y so we have representation there. We seem to be a rather unique group of Tobin's as it turns out on the world family tree- of course I have always known that! Presently I am using Griffith's comparisons to narrow down areas that show a Tobin-McDermott connection as I continue to believe they knew each other before leaving Ireland. Unfortunately one is always constrained by available time but hopefully one day I'll get the clue I look for. Thank you again for your interest, I appreciate your suggestions very much. Gerald

My great grandfather, Edward Tobin b1828 in County Meath, according to our family tradition, and I am trying to verify this.

Edward established himself in Waukegan, Illinois. USA. Several other families from Ireland established there as well; Tiernan, McDermott and Sherry.

One person, Bartholomew Tiernan b 1825, settled Waukegan and was to have come from Bettystown, County Meath. I have come to understand that Bettystown is considered to be in “East Meath”. My research in this area with Griffith’s finds all of these families with Tiernan having the greatest presence. I find a Mc Dermott and Sherry in Duleek and a Nicholas Tobin in Stamullin, Gormanstown, Drogheda. Our family oral tradition says the Tobin’s had a nautical background and finding a  Nicholas in Stamulin adds some creditability to that tradition. There is also a Barthlomew Tiernam in Duleeek, CommonsDrogheda.  Another Barthlomew Tiernan shows in the 1911 Census in Julianstown. This census shows a good Tiernan and Sherry presence but no Tobin or Mc Dermott in East Meath.

It would appear a good possibility that these families knew each other while in Ireland. This could have prompted there finding their way to the same place in the United States. I am challenged as to investigate this further and will appreciate any suggestions. 

Hi Gerald!

Thanks for the update. I forward you latest update to a colleague who lives close to your area of interest. By the way, I think your Bettstown is the Betaghstown shown on your file.

Roger

Thank you Roger, I do appreciate your help.  

Hello Gerald

Roger mailed me to tell me about your east Meath query. I live in St Mary's Parish, Drogheda, the parish is in both county Louth and County Meath, some of the places you mention as in Drogheda are up to 10 miles away. Also east Meath has become more or less a suburb of Drogheda as it has grown in recent times with a huge increase in population.

A few things, if you are in Ireland you can visit the Valuation Office and see the land records from Griffiths Valuation to see who got the land after in the various areas, they are handwritten in ledgers and currently not digitised. 

The Tobin in Stamullen (current spelling) I see is also a landlord so suggests they owned a lot of land so did your ancestors arrive with some money.

Why if your DNA is Cork do you think they moved to Meath (moving to Drogheda makes some sense but not for farmers, Drogheda as a town was highly industrialised at the time) could they have transferred between landlords farms, at this time most land was in large estates and some landlords owned land in various parts of the country. ( http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=nameS… ) you can see surname distribution here https://www.johngrenham.com/ 

While I have also tried what you are doing it is not really satisfactory as it will always require a leap of faith, for example I tried your names in a site about Louth a nd found a list of people from Canada with Tobin and McDermott is Montreal area, see http://www.jbhall.freeservers.com/  

For townlands there is an interesting site here with maps https://www.townlands.ie/ 

I also notice recently that Facebook groups have started for various counties or even areas doing genealogy and history, I have joined a few and feedback can be very mixed especially at the remove of 1828, most people use the civil record post 1864. I join and chek to see if anyone signs in or has left a message for a family that interests me.

You have amassed an amount of information and should focus on each area separately, it is very tricky as at this remove 1828 records are patchy, have a look at the surname site but you have ot be in Dublin to look at the valuation records but there is work going on in various areas of land records and wills, the registry of deeds have a Facebook presence and post up dates occassionally.

I will look over your query again but I am not aware of any east Meath sites but I have not been looking either. If they lived in east Meath they would likely ahve gone to the US via Liverpool, have you any idea of departure port. It was not unusual for people from an area to migrate to the same area initially or follow on relatives or friends.

Regards for now,

Pat

Hello Gerald

Roger mailed me to tell me about your east Meath query. I live in St Mary's Parish, Drogheda, the parish is in both county Louth and County Meath, some of the places you mention as in Drogheda are up to 10 miles away. Also east Meath has become more or less a suburb of Drogheda as it has grown in recent times with a huge increase in population.

A few things, if you are in Ireland you can visit the Valuation Office and see the land records from Griffiths Valuation to see who got the land after in the various areas, they are handwritten in ledgers and currently not digitised. 

The Tobin in Stamullen (current spelling) I see is also a landlord so suggests they owned a lot of land so did your ancestors arrive with some money.

Why if your DNA is Cork do you think they moved to Meath (moving to Drogheda makes some sense but not for farmers, Drogheda as a town was highly industrialised at the time) could they have transferred between landlords farms, at this time most land was in large estates and some landlords owned land in various parts of the country. ( http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=nameS… ) you can see surname distribution here https://www.johngrenham.com/ 

While I have also tried what you are doing it is not really satisfactory as it will always require a leap of faith, for example I tried your names in a site about Louth a nd found a list of people from Canada with Tobin and McDermott is Montreal area, see http://www.jbhall.freeservers.com/  

For townlands there is an interesting site here with maps https://www.townlands.ie/ 

I also notice recently that Facebook groups have started for various counties or even areas doing genealogy and history, I have joined a few and feedback can be very mixed especially at the remove of 1828, most people use the civil record post 1864. I join and chek to see if anyone signs in or has left a message for a family that interests me.

You have amassed an amount of information and should focus on each area separately, it is very tricky as at this remove 1828 records are patchy, have a look at the surname site but you have ot be in Dublin to look at the valuation records but there is work going on in various areas of land records and wills, the registry of deeds have a Facebook presence and post up dates occassionally.

I will look over your query again but I am not aware of any east Meath sites but I have not been looking either. If they lived in east Meath they would likely ahve gone to the US via Liverpool, have you any idea of departure port. It was not unusual for people from an area to migrate to the same area initially or follow on relatives or friends.

Regards for now,

Pat

Hi Gerald

I can be contacted at my site email stpeters'irelandxo.com which may make communication easier and quicker if you wish.

Also see a Tobin in Clonmel query came in today.

Regards
Pat

Update December 19, 2019

I am looking for Edward Tobin, born 1828 in Ireland, and who our oral tradition says was have come from County Meath. I am not sure he was born in Meath. He married an Alice Sherry in the US and they had 4 children. The firstborn son was named James. The second son was named Edward, my great grandfather. 1. From Griffiths Valuation there is James Tobin in County Meath on land rented from Everaed Matthias. The Location is in Barony of Upper Kells (?), Roman Catholic Parish of Navan, Poor Law Union of Navan, Civil Parish of Donaghpatrick and Townland of Randalstown. 2. From Griffiths there is another James Tobin, Barony of Skreen, Poor Law Union of Navan, and the Parishes and Townland are Lismullin. 3. The Tobin query of the Tithe Applotment in Meath came up with four names, Christopher, 1 with no name, one with just a W and a James. The James fits the James found in the Griffiths above in Townland Randalstown. Two of the others had Townlands I could only find in County Tipperary. Note: It is possible that the difference could be because the date difference between the Tithe and Griffiths taking place. The families may have left or were no longer leasing land (?). In the US Edward settled in Illinois. He married a Sherry and there were McDermott’s who lived close to the Edward Tobin family. The Sherry surname is found mostly in Northern Ireland and in Meath. The McDermott’s are many but also in Meath in Navan, Lisullin and Skreen. 

I could appreciate some help in taking this research further.