Short of Gurteen

Hi Sue,

Gurteen is quite a common placename, http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/placenames/index.cfm?fuseaction=Simple&UserID= do you have any further information, i.e. the name of the parish, village or town, concerning John that you could build on? 

You could try checking the land records called the Tithe Applotment Books (1823-38)  Microfilm copies of the books for all of Ireland are available at the National Archives of Ireland (NAI) http://www.nationalarchives.ie/genealogy1/genealogy-records/tithe-applotment-books-and-the-primary-griffith-valuation/ or the Church of Latter Day Saints (LDS)https://familysearch.org/ . 

If he emmigrated what do you know much about his emigration? Dates, the reason why they left, etc.? Generally more information was given at the port of arrival rather than the port of departure. If you knew which city they arrived at (e.g. Liverpool, Queenstown, Castle Garden, Ellis Island etc..), this could be a good place to find more information, and perhaps even find out an exact place of origin. For Australian emmigration records try the Public Record Office of Victoria which has a good online databases of settlers at www.prov.vic.gov.au  or http://www.nla.gov.au/family-history/genealogy-selected-websites   Otherwise, other records may be found in the Colonial Office Papers of the UK National Archives, class reference CO 201. This class contains a wide variety of records, including petitions for assisted passages, emigrants' lists, records of emigrants on board ship, petitions from settlers for financial assistance and much more. Likewise, there are lots of books and documents available about the Irish emigration to NZ. There is a website you could look at: http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/irish/2 for information about the Irish in New Zealand. Records regarding North American emmigration can be found here: http://www.castlegarden.org/ or  http://www.ellisisland.org/ and http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/022/022-908-e.html . 

I wish you the best of luck with your search. 

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,

Genealogy Support

Ireland Reaching Out