Looking for

Peter:

Thomas was born before civil registration started (1864). I checked Roots Ireland www.rootsireland.ie and they did not have a Thomas McDonnell baptismal record father Patrick from 1853-1863. There are a number of Co. Sligo RC parishes which do not have records back to 1858. Possibly Thomas was baptized in one of those churches. The 1858 Griffiths Valuation has ten Patrick McDonnell entries.

Do you have any additional info on the family?

Roger McDonnell

Hi Roger,

    Thanks very much for your quick response,  I also checked the griffiths valuation and found the same results. I have Thomas's marriage certificate, death certificate, most of his children's birth certificates, one of which is my grandmother who is sadly long gone, every census for every address he ever lived at except the 1881 census , the year he got married , but I have his wife's family's address, the only thing I have left to research is the name Charles McDonnell, Thomas's son who died soon after birth, I have a faint hope he might have been named after a close relation, who may show up on the griffiths valuation and maybe give me a parish name where I might further my research.

    The other thing I found out is that on some early papers he is Thomas McDonnell  ( presumed mcdonald on his marrige certificate ) some of his children's birth certificates are McDonnell  and some are mcdonald , most of the census's are Mcdonald , his death certificate is Mcdonald, 

   I did find only one Patrick  Mcdonald in the Sligo Griffiths valuation  from the parish kilmashalgen but I don't think it's who I'm looking for, but I haven't ruled him out altogether.

    Thanks again Roger for your help, any further advice would be most welcome,

Regards

  Peter Lees