Sharkey / Cregg

The Griffiths Valuation survey was conducted in Co. Roscommon in 1856. For kilnamanagh parish, there were two John Sharkey records:in Derrycoagh and Cloonacarrow townlands. See link below.

The 1901 census for Derrycoagh showed one Sharkey family headed by an Anne Sharkey a 44 year old widow with daughter Maggie 19 and son John 18. Possibly her deceased husband was the son of the older John Sharkey. The 1911 census shows the same family including another son Thomas. The 1911 census also indicates that Anne had three children (likely Thomas, Maggie and John) but was only married for five years. Her husband probably died around 1881.

Roger McDonnell

http://www.failteromhat.com/griffiths/roscommon/kilnamanagh.htm

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Roscommon/Breedoge/Derrycoagh/1655538/

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai003217548/

In this example I was looking for a Minnie and Catherine Wiley sisters parents unknown.

How I did it was to use the pay to view site

http://rootsireland.ie/

I did firstly a national search for Minnie which threw up a couple both in Antrim. I then switched to County Antrim.

By playing about with the date range I was able to narrow down the baptism to a specific year. I still have not used the pay to view option yet nor used up any of my limited number of free previews. Once I had a Minnie I had to find her parents first names. I started with father first name a - this would bring up any firstnames starting with "a". Working through the alphabet got me to H when I got a hit adding further letters and worked out father was Hugh. Search then for Wiley children no firstname father Hugh within ten years of Minnie. Got 6 hits and using same technique was able to work out the 6 names - but no Catherine. Minnie is a common nickname so reverted to Catherine. Broad search found two which narrowed down to one in 1868 and one in 1872. Was able to work out 1868 was daughter of John and Mary. Broad search found no other children to this couple. 1872 Catherine was daughter of John and Jane and a broad search threw up 9 children. Plodding through the alphabet got me Alexander, Eliza, Catherine, Eleanor, Francis, John, James, Samuel, Wilhemina, which was more complicated since it is usually spelled WilheLmina.  Catherine I knew was 1872, and bit of playing about with date range got me 1881 for Wilhemina. Age gap fits the two sisters although the ages are well out - no surprises there!

You can play about with the dates until you match up the other 7 children. You can refine it a bit more by choosing one child then working your way through the drop down menu of the various parishes until you get a hit. Then you can see if all the other children were also in the same parish. Bearing in mind couples did move about as well as changing churches. It is quite possible that these 9 children were born to more than one couple named John and Jane.  Getting one transcript should give mothers maiden name and doing a broad search for baptisms to John and Jane with new surname hopefully should confirm 9 children. However many older records do not list mother's maiden name. Using this technique you can gain a lot of data without using up your limited number of free searches or having to buy any transcripts.

Bob Graham (County Fermanagh XO)

Try looking at Creggs from Cregga, Elsphin or from Killaraght, Boyle on the Sligo border  

i know Tansey's lived near Cregga

Tom Cregg

tcregg73@gmail.com

Two questions:

Could anyone advise me if Loughlin and Malachy are each anglicized versions of the same Irish name? I have seen each using Lacky as nickname 

Also, would an Irish marriage record from 1870 ‘s indicate if the marriage was a second marriage for either party? 

Thank you! 

I can’t help with the first question. On the marriage question, the civil record would show widow/widower if the person was married before. Images of civil marriage records for 1869-1881 are now being added to the free site www.irishgenealogy.ie you may want to check out the new records.

Roger