Croker connection ,Australia

Hi, Bob. I don't know if you will be able to help me. I am looking for ancestors of John Croker, who immigrated from Ireland, sometime after 1850. He was born about 1824. He completed US Naturalization papers in 1858, and lived in LaSalle county, Illinois. He married Mary Jane Lower (Power), also born in Ireland. They had six children : Mary A., John, Edwin(Edward), William Henry, James, and Thomas.
There is possibly another connection to him: Thomas Croker, born about 1828 Ireland, placed an advertisement in an 1871 US newspaper, looking for a John Croker, originating from Fedamore Parish, county Limerick, Ireland, last known living in LaSalle, Illinois, USA. I had originally thought that John Croker was possibly related to Richard Croker, of Tammany Hall fame, but I have no evidence of that.
I would appreciate any advice you can give. Thanks, Melinda

This a test, lost my last reply!

Ireland Home Page

Hi Melinda, by the time you receive this I’m afraid you will have a very poor opinion of me for a slow response or no response to our earlier exchange. Melinda this is quite honestly my fourth attempt over the past week to provide you with a background I feel will be helpful to you but on each occasion after spending quite a long time typing out my story I have then been very disappointed to learn, each time, they did not go. I have not understood the site we are using, this time I am doing this on Windows ‘Word ‘ my son will then transfer and send to you on his machine.

Firstly we are surely related if your fathers’ line is direct via Eyre Coote Croker as he was the youngest son of Major Henry Dillon Croker, my line is the same but via John Dillon Croker, Eyre Cootes’ eldest brother, with same father Henry Dillon. I will appreciate you telling me if this gets through and then I will again send you the data I believe you can use to follow through your line in USA. When Eyre Coote went to USA he only took with him his three daughters and his youngest child, being Richard  ( BOSS), the three eldest sons were left in Ireland for education and raising in the care of John Dillon’s family . There is a lot in between but at a later stage these boys that had been left behind went over to the USA to join the family. Richard at that time was moving up in the world, proving himself very tough and strong in the union movement and had family of his own. At a stage when his own boys had matured there was a sad time when they both lost their lives, quite separately and unrelated  but in close proximity time wise and I feel one of those boys may be the link you seek. If not then the other three boys, brothers of Richard, would most likely have had families so you should stay on that line. I can talk of Thomas Croker and a bit more of BOSS but please help me in explaining use of this site. I will appreciate some guidance if you can do so, born 1931 you will see I’m a bit limited on my computer skills but hope we can maintain contact whatever. Best regards for now, Bob Croker.

I also find it difficult to use this site! Don't be afraid to just experiment. It is exciting to think that our Croker line in the USA and Australia are related! Could you explain your comments about the boys who lost their lives, were they Richards' boys? Thomas Croker definitely is a possibility for John Croker's brother. I haven't found any documentation that Richard and Thomas are related, though. I will look into John Dillon Croker's line to see if there is any connection. I appreciated any info you have to share. Sincerely, Melinda

Melinda thank you for answering me, that in itself is encouraging. I will have to look back at earlier information I dicsovered but the boys that died were the sons of Boss Croker.Just give me a day or so and I'll go into the info I have in more detail, I'm just going from memory as I speak now. If I again have difficulty in forwarding on to you via this site I'm quite happy to post same to you of photo copies if that suits you, cheers and best regards for now, Bob

Bob, I have not had any luck finding any connections to my ancestor, John Croker's past. I wonder what happened that there was no apparent connection to his parents or siblings. I probably will have to do more research at his last place of residence in Illinois, USA.

Thank you for your help, Melinda

Melinda in response to your last email I sent a lengthy reply of today's date but now a few hours later on checking I cant find it on my own copy file and suspect I may have again lost it, will you please confirm which has been the last answer from me, if it's not there I will send again in the morning. Sorry for this please be patient a little longer as I did find another John over there in the US for you, cheers for now,..Bob

Bob,  Sorry for the delay in my response.  I wonder if it would be easier for you to create a pdf file of your message, and then attach the file to a short message.  You would then have a copy you could use to send it again if needed.  The other option would be to communicate directly by email.

Let me know what you would like to try.

Looking forward to sharing information about the Croker's...Melinda

Melinda, you are very helpful, and peceptive in suggesting correspondence by email, that is some thing I can do, about the only thing I sometimes think in this todays ways. I am familiar with windows and can send you more information, with quicker responses if you will be good enough to let me know your email address. In reverse mine is..robjcroker@gmail.com. If this is satisfactory to you I can get back to you straight away, particularly at the moment as my eldest son who lives nearby and helps me in this respect, left yesterday for the USA, on a business trip which will extend to about three weeks. I can get a lot of what I have over to you in three weeks without having to await his return. One thing I want to convey to you now is that Boss Croker applied for and was granted confirmation of  'ARMS'  on 20th Feb 1905 ( what a co-incidence ,todays date ) and the wording of that confirmation states ..etc etc, to Richard Welsted Croker ,second surviving son of Eyre Coote Croker. This means that at least one of his brothers was alive at that date and as the next youngest to Boss was John it may be that is the one you are looking for. I do hope this gets through to you as I have tried to follow precisely the method left for me by my son before he flew out. Please confirm all , thank you for now,

Bob, I would be happy to communicate by email.  You can contact me  : mmduggan56@hotmail.com

Could you explain what 'ARMS' refers to.

Thanks, Melinda

Hello Crokers

This is of little use in tracing ancestors but I am aware of a Croker Family from Fedamore parish in County Limerick who had a large estate and a stately mansion at Ballinagarde in the parish.This Croker while being comforted in his dying bed lamented "o sweet Ballinagarde how can I leave you "  and was told by the local church vicar that he was going to a much better place and  his reply was "I doubt it,I doubt it" . These words took on a life of their own and became a cant in Limerick when someone doubted something they would say"I doubt it,I doubt it said Croker" and my mother heard it often repeated .She married 40 miles away in Co.cork and  almost 50 years later,one evening while attending a local event she heard someone repeating those very word and said "you must be from Limerick" and he was astonished to at how she knew. A piece of useless information but interesting nevertheless. My great grandmother was a Catherine Coll from Fedamore parish..

Donie O sullivan

Donie,

Thank you for the lovely story!

I still don't know if my ancestor is related to the Croker's from Limerick, but is nice to think so!

Melinda Duggan