Surname Interests

Hi Paul,

Just to give you a background, I have a great great great grandfather named James Derham,b c 1757/58  who married Mary Gowan in 1789. James died in 1842 aged 84yrs, and Mary died in 1819 aged 60 yrs.

Their children were Jane B 1790, James B 1791, John B 1793, died young, Joseph B 1794 Married Alice Griffin of Quay St Skerries in 1822, Mary B 1796 died young, Rose B 1797, Mary B 1804, and my great great great grandfather John b 1800 who married Ann Grumly (Grimley later) in 1828. Ann's parents were Mathias Grumly and Anne McNally. John Derham died in 1878 and Anne in 1868, (only 1 year after her mother Anne Aged 97yrs)

My direct line is through John's children, Mary Anne B 1836, (my great grandmother) Elizabeth B 1830 and Mathias B 1832. This family lived for at least 100 years in Chapel (Church Street) Skerries where they ran the public house named Derhams until  1950s, this was then called and is still the Black Raven. 

Coincidentally that Mathias, son of John Derham and Anne Grumly was a well known sea captain who died in Queensland in 1908, having lived there for 14 years.  HIs sister Eliza (married John Byrne) was famous as she ran the pub and bottled guinness for the company there well into her old age, while her brother was at sea and in Australia. Her sister Mary Anne was my grandmother and lived next door to the pub.  I have lots of info on these and related births and marriages and grave inscriptions if these are of any use to you.  Feel free to email me directly if you like.

Kind regards, Valerie

I am a descendant of a May family in Skerries (1860s).  I am interested in learning of the various May families in the area at that time period and if they were related to each other.  Thank you.

Timothy May

G'day

I tracking my McGowan family.

I know very little of the irish connection, but I am pretty confident that James (b about 1832) and Mary moved to Bradford in Yorkshire and that Martin was born around 1858. I  have sketched Martin's own family after he was born. I  also have a found a number of McGowans in that part of the world and I suspect there'll be connection, but I really need more info on James' siblings and parents (hopefully) 

John Mc

South Australia