Looking for information on the families of my great-grandparents, Michael Magner and Abby Flynn, who came to the U.S. from County Cork, Ireland in the early 1850s.
Michael Magner b. about 1827, d. between 1884 and 1900.
Abby Flynn b. about 1837, d. October 29, 1873, Cairo, Illinois
Michael and Abby were in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1857, along with Abby's father, John, and her brothers, Stephen Andrew and Timothy. By 1860, Michael and Abby had settled in Cairo, Illinois. They had five children who survived to adulthood:
Ellen "Nellie b. about 1861, Cairo, Illinois, d. before 1921; m. Michael Sullivan
Edward Patrick b . January 27, 1864, Illinois, d. September 17, 1922, New Orleans; m. Mary Louisa Myers February 12, 1895, Cairo, Illinois
William Michael b. April 2, 1866, Cairo, Illinois, d. November 14, 1931, New Rochelle, New York; m. Mary Ann Meehan November 13, 1889, Cairo, Illinois
Arthur Steven b. November 7, 1870, Cairo, Illinois, d. February 23, 1918, Cairo, Illinois; m. Ellen Josephine Shanahan November 26, 1902, Cairo, Illinois
Margaret Rose b. June 1, 1873, Cairo, Illinois, d. March 26, 1946, Fort Smith, Arkansas; m. Charles Emmett "Ed" Moore September 19, 1893, Cairo, Illinois
Also living in Cairo, Illinois in 1860 were Patrick Magner, his wife Ellen Feely, and their three oldest daughters. I believe Michael Magner and Patrick Magner are brothers. Ellen Feely's parents are Maurice Feely and Ellen O'Brien.
Patrick Magner b. March 1835, d. January 9, 1907, Cairo, Illinois
Ellen Feely b. about 1831, County Cork, Ireland, d. November 11, 1878
Patrick and Ellen had six children who lived to adulthood:
Margaret b. about 1857 Indiana, d. January 10, 1904, Cairo, Illinois; m. Michael L. O'Donnell June 25, 1880, Cairo Illinois
Mary b. March 13, 1858, Joliet, Illinois, d. June 23, 1903, Cairo, Illinois; m. Patrick Mockler, May 1, 1878, Cairo, Illinois
Hannah "Anna" b. January 20, 1860, Joliet, Illinois, d. January 26, 1909, Cairo, Illinois; m. William John Curran September 19, 1893, Cairo, Illinois
Ellen M. "Nellie" b. November 20, 1865, Cairo, Illinois, d. October 29, 1926, Cairo, Illinois; m. Thomas J. Ryan April 29, 1890, Cairo, Illinois
James b. April 23, 1871, Illinois, d. November 23, 1894
Catherine "Kate" b. September 30, 1872, d. October 28, 1951; m. Jeremiah "Jerry" McCarthy November 26, 1901, Cairo, Illinois
John Flynn (father of Abby) b. about 1797, d. after 1860, bur. Calvary Cemetery, St. Paul, Minnesota
Stephen Andrew Flynn b. about 1832, d. February 4, 1898, St. Paul, Minnesota, bur. Calvary Cemetery, St Paul, Minnesota (near John). According to his declaration of intent, he arrived in New York on September 6, 1854 and was in Dubuque, Iowa on March 21, 1855. In 1865 he was living in the household of Daniel Flynn in Auburn, New York. In 1870 he was living in the household of another John Flynn in Auburn, New York. I don't know how the Auburn Flynns are related to him.
Timothy Flynn b. about 1841, d. March 17, 1891, Oakland, California; m. Mary Fitzgerald August 28, 1864, St. Paul, Minnesota. Mary was the widow of Dennis McNamara. Timothy's civil war pension file names his parents as John Flynn and Ellen Murphy of County Cork, Ireland. Timothy and Mary had four children:
John Stephen b. August 10, 1865, Minnesota, d. March 24, 1919, Oakland, California
Maurice James b. September 14, 1866, d. October 6, 1929, San Francisco, California; m. Margaret M. Gleeson September 23, 1907, San Francisco, California
Timothy Joseph b. May 18, 1868, Minnesota, d. August 2, 1929, Oakland, California; m. Marie H. Kays July 31, 1901, Oakland, California
Mary Elizabeth b. June 18, 1871, d. before 1929
I do not know the dates of birth of any of these immigrant Magners or Flynns. Also I have not found any of them on a passenger list.
I am looking for two Magner brothers: Michael b. about 1827, and Patrick b. March 1835.
I am looking for a Flynn family: John b. about 1797, wife Ellen Murphy, with three children - Stephen Andrew b. about 1832, Abby b. about 1837, and Timothy b. about 1841.
I would appreciate any help you may be able to give me.
Catherine Creede
Thursday 12th Sep 2013, 10:54PM
Message Board Replies
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Hi Catherine,
Thank you very much for your message. I hope that someone with information makes a connection with you.
Unfortunately, it may be difficult to find information without a more specific place of origin. Most Irish record sources- church records, land records, census records- are based on specific locations. Until you know a specific location within Ireland, preferably a parish or placename, it may be difficult to do anything more with these records.
Do you have any documentation pertaining to the family that mentions any place names in Cork at all? This can include wills, marriage/death records,census records, letters, diary entries etc.
There are some places where you can search online, however it may be difficult to discern whether the results are relevant to your family or not without more information:
www.familysearch.org has a huge database of genealogical records including some church records for Ireland.
www.rootsireland.ie have a large collection of Irish Church records, however you have to pay to use this site.
http://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/ Catholic records from some parts of Co. COrk have been uploaded here free of charge.
You could also check for record of the family in the land records pertaining to Ireland in the 19th century. These do not give any genealogical information but can sometimes be used to tie a person to a specific place. There are two:
The Tithe Applotment Books (1823-1838) found at http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/home.jsp
and Griffith?s Valuation (1848-1864) found at http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/
Some other websites that you may find helpful 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
Genealogy Links: http://www.genealogylinks.net/uk/ireland/cork/index.html
West Cork Genealogy: www.westcorkgenealogy.com
Failte Romhat: www.failteromhat.com
From Ireland: www.from-ireland.net
Irish Genealogy Tool kit: http://www.irish-genealogy-toolkit.com/
Remember to post any new information that you find here. The more information you post, the more likely it is that one of our volunteers will be able to advise or assist you. Also include information concerning which sources you may have already used so others may further your search.
Kind regards,
Genealogy Support
Monday 23rd Sep 2013, 12:27PM