Francis Fitzgerald living at Farra (1858)

Hi,

Thank you very much for your message. I hope that someone with information makes a connection with you and helps you to further your research.

Leny is a parish in Co. Westmeath. If you follow the link below you will see some more nforamtion on the parish including the different townlands in the parish, one of which is Farrow-could this be the residence referred to on the marriage certificate?

http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/fuses/townlands/index.cfm?fuseaction=TownlandsInCivil&civilparishid=2482&civilparish=Leny&citycounty=Westmeath

I did a quick search for Francis Fitzgerald in Westmeath (baptisms) Only one that could be a possibility came back (1801) However, you need to purchase credits to see the record for information on parish/parents names-and it is not even certain that this is your Francis:

Action

Cost

Source

Surname

First Name

Year

County

*

15 credits

Church Baptism

Fitzgerald

Francis

1801

Co. Westmeath

**

15 credits

Church Baptism

Fitzgerald

Francis

1842

Co. Westmeath

**

15 credits

Church Baptism

Fitzgerald

Francis

1855

Co. Westmeath

**

15 credits

Church Baptism

Fitzgerald

Francis

1861

Co. Westmeath

**

15 credits

Church Baptism

Fitzgerald

Francis

1863

Co. Westmeath

**

15 credits

Church Baptism

Fitzgerald

Francis

1885

Co. Westmeath

**

15 credits

Church Baptism

Fitzgerald

Francis

1891

Co. Westmeath

*

Some other websites that you may find useful are:

The National Archives of Ireland http://www.nationalarchives.ie/genealogy1/genealogy-records/introduction/

The National Library of Ireland http://www.nli.ie/en/family-history-introduction.aspx

Irish Genealogy Tool kit: http://www.irish-genealogy-toolkit.com/

Genealogy Links: http://www.genealogylinks.net/uk/ireland/westmeath/index.html

From Ireland: www.from-ireland.net

Historic Grave: www.historcigraves.ie

Please be patient - as our programme has only begun to rollout across the island of Ireland and volunteers in some areas may not yet be organized.

Kind regards,    

Genealogy Support

Emma, you were correct about "Farra" (sic) being Farrow (thank you). I found my Francis passing in 1890 aged 92. He died at Wilson's Hospital nearby, which later became a school. He is buried in the (now abandoned) Leny Parish Church - where his daughter married in 1858. I must admit I was expecting my Fitzgeralds to be Catholic, but this church was of protestant denomination. In the 1901 census 97.7% of Westmeath Fitzgeralds were Catholic, and over all Ireland Fitzgerald (12,000+) were 95.7% Catholic.

Family lore suggests a link to the Fitzgerald dynasty but I am not so sure now.

I suspect as with any headstone 100+ years old (if one existed) would be too weathered now to yield any further potential information (spouse, parents, other children).