I will be traveling to Ireland next April for the first time! Excited doesn't begin to describe my joy about this. I would love to find out where my ancestors hailed from. Any help would be a Godsend to not only myself, but my entire family as well. Wouldn't it be grand to find a living relative from my bloodline?!
My great grandmother Rose Bell Johnson's family came to the U.S. in 1848 aboard the ship "Diadem." They lived somewhere in Ireland, made their way to their Port of Departure in Messina (Italy?), then sailed to New York. The only other information I have is as follows:
Head of household - John Francis Johnson (or Johnston) 45yrs old, who is listed as a SADDLER on the ships passenger list
Mother - Mary Ann 40yrs
Children - Angelina 14; Sophia 11; Richard 9; William 7; John 4 (my grt. grt. grandfather) & Cornelia who was born at sea.
Estimated Birth Years:
- John Francis b. 1803. (Maybe went by Francis?)
- Mary Ann b. 1808.
- Angelina b. Aug 12 1833 London, England.
- Mary Ann Sophia b. 17 Oct 1837 Rotherhithe St Mary Parish, Surrey Co, England. Baptism 15 Nov 1837 Rotherhithe St. Mary England.
- Richard b. 1839.
- William b. 1841.
- John Samuel (my Grt Grt Grandfather) b. 25 Aug 1845 Ireland. Died 26 March 1907 in Ventura Co. California U.S.A.
- Cornelia b. 1848 (born at sea before 29 Sept 1848, when they made port in New York).
Unsure if this my Grt Grt Grandfather (John Samuel) and fits with the family information I posted above:
Name: John Johnston
Date of Birth:
Date of Baptism: 05-Jan-1845 <-- After he was born
Address: Belfast
Parish/District: ST ANNE'S, SHANKILL
Gender: Male
County: Co. Antrim
Denomination: Church of Ireland (COI)
Father: John Johnston
Mother: Mary McMullen
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to those of you willing to help me put the puzzle pieces together. Not just to find my family's origins, but to possibly find a living relative! I don't know if my heart could take it, but I'm willing to give it a go. :-)