Researching my ancestors from the Roscommon Area Luke Murray and Ann Kelly

Hi Karlene,

Could you please post your message on the Co. Roscommon page here: http://www.irelandxo.com/group/county-roscommon Out of interest, how do you know that Bumlin is correct parish? You might find more details about them in the obituaries section of local newspapers about the time the died. This might offer you more detailed information. Also, the church where they are buried, might have more documents you could check. For your information, both Murray and Kelly are common names in Co. Roscommon.

There are Roman Catholic church records available for the diocese of Strokestown (Elphin) (Bumlin). These start from 1830 for baptismal and marriage records. You can find these at the National Library of Ireland, Pos. 4608, 4609, or the Church of Latter Day Saints (LDS), ref. no. 0989745. If you have any difficulty, you could try writing to the parish priest for more assistance. The start date for these are a little bit late for you. But you may find relevant marriage records that may be of interest.

Civil registration records are available from the General Register Office (GRO). These start from 1864 however. You can access the website here: http://www.groireland.ie/research.htm

You could try checking the land records called the Tithe Applotment Books (1823-38) or the later Griffth's Valuation (1848-64). Griffith's is freely available here: www.askaboutireland.com  or here: www.failteromhat.com Failte Romhat has lots of other useful links you could try looking at.

Here are some records you could look at that are relevant to your place of interest:

• 1780 Freeholders LDS, Film 100181
• 1790-99 Freeholders c.30 lists. NLI, Ms. 10130
• 1796 Spinning Wheel Premium List. 1,650 names for Co. Roscommon.
• 1813 Freeholders, National Library of Ireland (NLI), ILB 324
• 1843 Voters list National Archives of Ireland, OP 1843/59

Have you tried checking the Ellis Island records (www.ellisisland.org) or the Castle Garden records (www.castlegarden.org)? Generally, more information was given at the port of arrival rather than the port of departure. If you knew which city they arrived at, this could be a good place to find more information, and perhaps even find out an exact place of origin.

There are estate records that include the townland of Bumlin. The landlord concerned was Pakenham-Mahon (Strokestown House: http://www.strokestownpark.ie/). These records are at the National Library of Ireland Ms. 10152.

Please make sure you link anyone else in your family who is interested in their Irish heritage to our site - and indeed anyone else you know of Irish heritage.

Kind regards,

Sinead Cooney

Genealogist (Ireland XO)

Hello Sinead,

Thank you for your reply. I believe that Bumlin is the right parrish for Michael Holmes, Anne Casey, and Catherine Teresa Holmes Weakley (at least for Michael Holmes) because I found Michael on the 1911 Ireland Census. The information on the "Form N - Enumerator's Abstract for a Townland or Street - Read as follows:

Co. Roscommon      Parlimentary District: North Roscommon      Poor Lane Union: Strokestown

District Electoral Division: Bumlin      Townland/or Street: Gorttoose      Barony: Roscommon

Parish: Roscommon      Sub-District: Culliagh

Now, that I typed this out; the parish may be Roscommon. I also saw another document that listed Ephlin.

I recieved information from another source that Anne Casey's (Anne is Michael's Wife) marriage certificate / registration listed her origin as Strokestown. On a U.S. census Catherine's (Catherine's parent's are Michael and Anne)  last residence was listed as Strokestown.

Michael was born abt. 1821 and died abt. 1922. Anne was born about 1822. Catherine was born in 1865.

I also have a letter that someone (distant relative wrote to another member of the family) after they visited Ireland and in the letter the author stated that she visited Ireland and went to Tarmonbarry to learn more about Michael Holmes and his family. She said she saw the ruins of a house Michael most likely lived in and that they went to a cemetery where Michael and Anne were possibly buried, but they could not find thier headstones. This woman met with a Kathleen and Finbar Holmes (no relation to my holmes) who showed her where the cemetery was and where my Michael Homles and Anne's headstones should be / were at one time.

If any of this information helps you help me narrow my search, I would appreciate any assistance. I have hit a road block, but I am determined to find more information. I wish I knew what areas and churches to focus on. Maybe you could clarify that for me.

I do plan to look at the links you sent me. Again, I appreciate the information and would really really be grateful if you could direct me further. I don't have a good grasp of the area, so that also makes my search a bit of a challenge.

Thank You

Karlene

Hi Sinead

I know you only asked a question about the Bumlin area and Michael Holmes, but I just wanted to see if you had any other suggestions for Luke Murray and Ann Kelly. One organization said I should get a marriage certificate for them; it may list their parents. I think they were married in Ireland, so I can do that. I know they lived in East Greenwich, RI USA and I know the dates they died, so I am going to get a copy of the death certificates to see if any other information comes from that source. If not, I may be at a dead end. The other organization (from Ireland) said that without Luke and Anne's parent's names, I won't be able to move forward. Too may Murray and Kelly's in the Roscommon Area.

Anyway, I do appreciate the information you have shared.

Note: On Luke and Anne's headstone here in Rhode Island it states for each of them: A Native of Roscommon, Ireland.

Thanks

Karlene

I do apologize.

I forgot to ask you about Catherine. One of our Mysteries is her name. We find her as Kate, Katie, Catherine Holmes. We also find her with her married name of Weakley.

However, we find her name also as follows: Catherine Teresa Stanislaus Holmes

Does the name Stanislaus mean anything to you? Catherine and her husband Frank Weakley named one of their children Francis Stanislaus Holmes. Any ideas as to where the name Stanislaus may have come from? I don't believe this is an Irish surname??? Maybe she was married before Frank??? Maybe this is a name from one of her ancestors???

Thanks

Karlene

Hi Karlene,

I will contact some people I know in the Roscommon area who might be able to help.

Please make sure you link anyone else in your family who is interested in their Irish heritage to our site - and indeed anyone else you know of Irish heritage.

Kind regards,

Sinead Cooney

Genealogist (Ireland XO)

Hi Sinead,

Thank you so much! I will tell others about the site. I have some people in mind already.

Sincerely,

Karlene

Hi Sinead,

Back in May I joined reach out Ireland and posted about my 2 times great grandparents Luke and Ann Murray who were natives of Co. Roscommon (as noted on their headstones here in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, USA). I have had little luck discovering anymore information since what info I do have is sort of limited; especially with the names of my ancesters there are so many.

You mentioned that you would try to reach out to some people you know in the Roscommon area; did you have any luck finding information?

I figured you would have sent me a message if you had found info, but I thought it couldn't hurt to reach out and ask.

Again, my ancestors info is as follows:

Luke Murray b. 1825 (Native of Co. Roscommon) immigrated to the United States sometime before 1853. First son born in New York in 1853. Later moving to East Greenwich, Rhode Island in 1867. I have learned that a great uncle wrote a letter to a main paper in Roscommon in 1969 that shared what he knew about the family and stated where he would be staying in Ireland in March 1969 if anyone recognized the family information. I am told that a man by the name of Bernie Murray did go to meet with my Uncle and they believed they were cousins. Unfortunately, they did not keep in touch and I do not know where my great uncle stayed as of yet. However, I should know by the end of September 2012. I have a meeting with this Uncles' Daugther.

Ann Murray, Luke's wife, b. abt. 1831

I also have other branches of my family tree going back to Roscommon:

Michael Holmes b. abt. 1821, d. 1922 - he was married to Anne Casey b. 1822. They had five children, Mary Holmes who married Michael Carlos, Bridget Holmes, Catherine T. Holmes, Edward Holmes, and Ann Holmes. I know that in 1901, according to the census, that Michael lived in house 2 in Gorttoose (Bumlin, Roscommon). I also know from the census that he was a retired farmer. I believe his children, at least Catherine, was baptised at the Tarmonbarry Roman Catholic Parish and that her sponsors where Patrick and Elizabeth Ratigan.

Finally, I know that one other line of ancestors came from Ireland, but I'm not sure of which county/area. They are:

Mary E. McCarthy b. abt. 1846 and she immigrated to the United States in 1892. Her daugther, who was my great grandmother, Anna McCarthy was born abt. 1880 and she didn't travel to the US until 1893. Anna would have only been about 12 or 13, so I;m not sure why her mother left without her. I also know that Mary was a widow in 1910. Not sure when her husband died or what his name was. I do wonder if he died in Ireland and if that may have led to Mary's decision to immigrate to the US leaving her child/children behind until she was settled. I think Mary name also have had a son Justine McCarthy.

There are more ancestors from Ireland, but this is probably too much as it is. If you can offer any advice/assistance. I would appreciate it.

Karlene Toppin

karlenemurray@yahoo.com

Hello Again,

Quick question - Do you know why in my account on Reach out Ireland it looks like I have 3 messages, but when I click on the word message, it states that there are no messages. However, this is what I see:

Messages (3)

Thank you

Karlene

karlenemurray@yahoo.com